Coz I’m covering my tracks
Editor’s Note: Here are your fab picks of cover songs that are way better than the original. The responses we received really speak to the transformative quality of music and the joys of a fresh take. We’ve got renditions of everything from ‘Message in a Bottle’ to ‘The Sound of Silence’ and The Wonder of You’. You can check out the full playlist over on our Spotify account!
Today’s lead image is from ‘Mamma Mia!’—the ultimate ABBA tribute movie:) Of course, this week’s playlist includes Meryl Streep’s cover of ‘Winner Takes It All’.
- ‘Message in a Bottle’ by John Mayer (Original by The Police): For Ameya—John Mayer turns this reggae-based song by The Police into “into something very emotional, that for me expresses the isolation and desperation of the song better”
- ‘Time after Time’ by Lachune (Original by Cyndi Lauper): Marsha Lewis says this is a slower and moodier rendition of Cyndy Lauper’s original— “the lyrics hit harder and Lachune's voice just reminds me that an artist's voice is THE musical instrument to make song eternal.”
- ‘As Long As You Love Me’ by Sleeping At Last (Original by Backstreet Boys): Ankita considers this ballad version of the classic Backstreet Boys to be “melancholic and nostalgic at the same time”.
- ‘Wrecking Ball’ by Christina Grimmie (Original by Miley Cyrus): Aishwarya says this is just better, period.
- ‘The Sound of Silence’ by Disturbed (Original by Simon & Garfunkel). This version is “contemporary and raw. It gives more emotional interpretation” according to Sourabh.
- ‘Paper Hearts’ by Jungkook (Original by Tori Kelly): Monica believes this is better than the original because “the artist Jungkook’s voice brings a different tonal quality to the song. It is softer.”
- ‘The Wonder of You’ by Villagers (Original by Elvis Presley): Stuti Trivedi doesn’t necessarily consider this better, but prefers this version more. “Maybe it stems from the fact that I heard the cover before the original, and it came at a deeply intense moment in a show I was watching (Big Little Lies) and it fit so beautifully and was my go-to song for that particular emotion.”
- ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ by Midge Ure (Original by David Bowie): Jugal can’t explain why it’s better, it just is.
The splainer team also wanted to add some of their picks.
- Rachel really liked ‘Girl Crush’ by Harry Styles (Original by Little Big Town) as this rendition is mellow and soulful. According to her: “This version is more stripped down than the original and I think it works better in bringing forth the feelings associated with the song. Also: I think it really emphasises that beyond the flashy side of Styles, he genuinely has a good voice.”
- ‘Winner Takes It All’ by Meryl Streep (Original by ABBA): This is another recommendation by Rachel because it’s by Meryl Streep and it is beautiful.
- ‘Passionfruit’ by Yaeji (Original by Drake): This song gets stuck in Arunima’s head. “The loops are vibey. It also has a nostalgic quality in the production that transports you in the most magical way.”
- ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ by Usher (Original by Foster The People): Arunima recommends this because “this is jaw droppingly good - mostly because it's so surprising. When was the last time we saw a smooth RnB & pop artist rock it out with an electric guitar?”
- ‘Hallelujah’ by Jeff Buckley (Original by Leonard Cohen): Lakshmi loves Cohen but “Buckley’s voice was made for this aching song—which always gives me all the feels.”
PS: Check out other splainer fam’s recommended playlists—songs that make you sing in the rain, tunes to feel your zen, movie magic, music for your next travel trip and songs to dance to in your underwear.
