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In this day and age where the internet dominates our daily lives, YouTube has become the go-to place to discover the next up-and-coming artist. Amateur musicians looking to break into the industry frequently post their own interpretations of top 40 songs, and in many cases, their covers give the originals a run for their money. Here are a few covers that I thought were better than the originals:
- “Taylor Swift 1989 Mashup” by Sam Tsui & Kurt Schneider
Personally, I don’t love every single song on 1989. However, when Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider combined them all into one, I couldn’t help but fall in love. Sam and Kurt (I like to pretend I’m on a first-name basis with insanely talented Youtubers) have been pretty well-known in the YouTube music world for a while, but I think they really outdid themselves this time with this glorious Taylor Swift medley. - “Problem” by Pentatonix (originally by Ariana Grande, feat. Iggy Azalea)
I thought “Problem” was catchy before with its snazzy sax break, but after hearing Pentatonix’s cover, I cannot stop humming it! Pentatonix holds a place in my heart as one of my favorite music groups because I’m a total sucker for a cappella and they are all such talented individuals.In my opinion, their renditions of almost every top 40 hit over the last few years have almost always been better than the original. - “Ho Hey” by Lennon and Maisy (originally by The Lumineers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-lLlEtoAS8
This song has such a sweet message that becomes even sweeter when you hear it sung by this adorable pair of sisters. It’s rare that we hear such rich and passionate voices from such young people; their talent is honestly unbelievable. If Lennon and Maisy look familiar to you, you may have previously seen them on Nashville, which is where their cover of “Ho Hey” was first recorded. - “Skyscraper” by Cimorelli (originally by Demi Lovato)
As a young woman, I admit that I’ve experienced my fair share of self-deprecating thoughts and low self-confidence. When I heard “Skyscraper” for the first time, even though I’m not a fan of Demi Lovato, I loved it because it conveyed such strength and raw emotion. Then, when this group of six sisters covered the track, I was blown away by how the song seemed to become even more amazing. Like I said earlier, I’m a sucker for a capella, so that alone made this song even better to my ears. - “Look At Me Now” by Karmin (originally by Chris Brown, feat. Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes)
Karmin, the collective stage name of duo Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, got its start on Youtube, posting covers of various top 40 hits as well as original songs. Major props go to Amy for her skills in this cover; I don’t know of many people that can rap so well and sing beautifully on top of that. “Look At Me Now” was Karmin’s first time showcasing Amy’s rapping skills to the world and it was a total hit, earning the duo a gig on The Ellen Show. I’ll be honest; I heard Karmin’s take on “Look At Me Now” before I ever heard the original. Even so, I think that if I had heard Chris Brown’s version first, I would have still preferred Karmin’s interpretation. Karmin just has an incomparable style.
Have you ever heard a cover that you thought was better than the original? Share it with us!
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5 Covers That Might Beat the Originals: Featured image by Untitled by Kostya Koukey (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
