Recently I have been obsessed with cover versions of popular songs and hearing how the voice of the artist completely changes the meaning of the song. I thought it would be lovely to share some of my favorites with the Her Campus crowd and hopefully turn you on to some new artists! Since I figured a one-time article wouldn’t be enough to post all of the brilliant renditions out there, I will be posting every Friday with some new covers.
This spring twenty one pilots posted a short cover with live video of “Mad World” by the British rock band Tears For Fears. Many of the duo’s original tracks off of their most recent album Vessels often feature thought-provoking rap lyrics accompanied by a strong beat (like in “Car Radio”), but they have also included songs dominated by serendipitous vocal lines and chord progressions played on a ukulele (as exhibited in “House of Gold”). This cover, like the original, is heavily percussive, but in contrast, twenty one pilots keep the vocals in the background but still manage to articulate the erie lyrics the song already possessed and layer on chords that make the track sound haunting.
On a lighter note, rock band the Maine covered the classic GNO anthem “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper for the fifth Pop Goes Punk album. And I know what you are thinking: why would an all-male music group cover a song written by a woman? Well having a guy sing Lauper’s exact lyrics completely changes the lens that the message of the song is seen through. Where the original song came off as an amiable and light-hearted crusade for gender equality and acceptance, the Maine’s version answers Cyndi with a voice of understanding and, eventually, like-mindedness; in the bridge, singer John O’Callaghan declares that he also wishes to “walk in the sun.” If you need any other reason as to why this is an excellent cover, Adam Lazzara, vocalist for Taking Back Sunday is featured in the second verse.
And speaking of gender equality, Cody Carson of the orchestral pop punk band Set It Off turns Jason Derulo’s single “Talk Dirty” into a homage to women. Sticking with the original lyrics up to the end of the second chorus, Carson shows of his unique timbre that packs a punch with every “lipstick stamp on [his] passport.” The singer further makes his mark on the hip-hop track by playing the sax himself and completely revising the bridge. Instead of hearing 2 Chains demanding sexual favors, you hear a nerdy Cody spell “respect.”
Below I have linked a YouTube playlist where I will be posting each of the covers in upcoming articles: