Spotify wrapped is coming sooner than you think, so you know I’ve been curating my playlists for the end of the year. Because yes, it is healthy to think of Spotify wrapped as a competition. I’ve been putting my library on shuffle for the past week and noticed a pattern. I keep hearing songs that are covers without noticing they’re covers! It takes talent for an artist to take a piece in its original form and make it their own and allow that song to take on a new life in its new form, so I’ve created a collection of songs that do just that. I liked some of them so much I wanted to highlight them as song covers that are better than the original. Check them out below:
“Hurt” by Johnny Cash
You can’t make a list of the best covers without including “Hurt.” Originally written and performed by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, Johnny Cash’s cover of “Hurt” has reached critical acclaim since its release in 2002. The accompanying music video, with 1.9 million views on YouTube, was named the best video of the year by the Grammy Awards and CMA Awards and the best video of all time by NME in July 2011. Cash’s powerful vocals bring the lyrics to life, allowing the aging star to reclaim his old glory.
“Moon River” by Frank Ocean
Released a few hours after Valentine’s Day, 2018, Frank Ocean’s cover of the Audrey Hepburn classic takes on a life of its own. Ocean’s recognizable crooning yearns for more than what is given, his voice melting over a multi-layered chorus. Ocean makes the original his own, without trading in any of the melodic beauty of the Hepburn original.
“Hallelujah” by KD Lang
While many are partial to the Jeff Buckley cover of the Leonard Cohen original, I always find myself gravitating to KD Lang’s cover of “Hallelujah.” Lang’s rich alto weaves its way through the choral rendition, standing strong against tender strings and crisp piano. Her withholding notes are as powerful as her passionate cries; “Hallelujah” has been covered countless times by various artists, but Lang’s version stands out in a crowd.
“I’m On Fire” by Soccer Mommy
I hate to be that guy, but I didn’t even know that this version was a cover until I looked up the lyrics and discovered the original is credited to the one and only mister Bruce Springsteen. Compared to Springsteen’s fast-paced rendition, Soccer Mommy’s slower, stripped-down version allows the listener to soak in the lyrics, sitting in the melancholia. I have a love for the Springsteen original, but there’s something special about Soccer Mommy’s mournful cover that keeps me coming back.
“I Better Be Quiet Now” by Christopher O’Riley
I first heard this on an instrumental playlist curated by Phoebe Bridgers and I’ve been in love with O’Riley’s work ever since. “I Better Be Quiet Now” comes from a complete album of Elliott Smith tribute covers, O’Riley’s piano mimicking Smith’s fragile vocals. The stark piano version allows Smith’s dense arrangements to expand and contract, allowing the listener to lavish in the gentle restraint of a complex original.
