David Bowie had plenty of opinions about modern pop music, not least that he had the deepest respect for 'Royals' hitmaker Lorde who performed a tribute to him at the 2016 Brit Awards; in fact, he thought she was 'the future' according to his longtime pianist Mike Garson.

David BowieDavid Bowie was a Lorde fan

The feminist singer has become somewhat of a role model for young women everywhere, though her powerful image and unique vocals haven't gone unnoticed from the older generation. During a live conversation with fans on his Periscope Q&A session, Mike Garson revealed that David Bowie was a huge fan of Lorde.

'David really liked Lorde, and he felt like she was the future of music, and they had a few wonderful moments together', he said, adding that her selection to perform for Bowie at the Brit Awards came at a push from his family and management. 'She was the perfect choice', he exlained. 'They wanted to bring the next generation in.'

Indeed, Bowie's son Duncan Jones couldn't have been happier with the result which saw Lorde perform a stunning rendition of 'Life On Mars', at one point even squeezing on to the piano seat with Garson. 'Just... beautiful. Thank you', he posted on Twitter following the performance.

More: Bowie's son gives Lorde the thumbs up

'It was an amazing, momentous experience, and she really did justice to him', Garson agreed. 'She was so nervous. She actually said if she didn't sing the song to David, she couldn't have gotten through it.'

Lady Gaga also did a Bowie tribute this year, though it was decidedly a lot more eccentric. She performed a medley at the Grammy Awards, though it was met with a much colder reception from Jones. ''Overexcited or irrational, typically as a result of infatuation or excessive enthusiasm; mentally confused.' Damn it! What IS that word!?' He wrote.