Over the past couple of years, we’ve had some really good tracks enter the UK charts. However, sometimes there are covers that are just as good. Here are some of our picks for the best covers to chart hits:
Shorelines – ‘Happier’ (Original Track by Marshmallo & Bastille)
The popular dance anthem ‘Happier’ was released midway through 2018, however, if you would prefer a pop-punk Green Day-style track, the cover by Shorelines is the one for you. The group make the track their own, with replacing all the electronic sounds from the original with drums and guitars, giving a new identity to the much-loved single. The song doesn’t lose any of its original charm though, as the lyrics are still as upbeat as before, but the cover may just be a little bit better than the original in the aspect that the instrumental backing just enhances every other aspect of the track.
Fink’s Mood – ‘Youngblood’ (Original Track by 5 Seconds of Summer)
When I think of a traditional cover, its usually acoustic and stripped back, and this is exactly what Fink’s Mood have done to 5 Seconds of Summer’s hit ‘Youngblood’, taken from their 2018 album of the same name. Fink’s Mood have managed to slow the track down, strip it back to purely an acoustic guitar and some soft but powerful vocals to make this track beautiful, taking it from a popular pop-rock track to a mellow acoustic success. The soft vocals and the reduction of tempo make this ‘Youngblood’ cover one of the best covers of the track out there, possibly even better than the acoustic version that 5 Seconds of Summer did themselves.
Superorgansim – ‘Havana’ (Original Track by Camilla Cabello)
Over the past couple of years, Spotify have been getting artists, both well-known and the more obscure, to do live sessions including of their original tracks and covers of other artists too. One of the more unique covers that has been done is the cover of Camila Cabello’s ‘Havana’ by Superorganism, who usually do art pop cover the chart pop hit. The eight-piece from across the globe put their own spin on the track with an interesting keyboard backing featuring random sound effects along with a more alternative pop vocal is an interesting mix, and one that works for this track. It works because the track still retains that essence of pop that makes it so good, however there’s small tweaks that make it Superorganism’s own, such as the more electronic sounds throughout.
Our Last Night – ‘God’s Plan’ (Original Track by Drake)
This cover is the biggest leap between genres, and that’s why this cover works so well. A jump from R&B to heavy rock is one that is unexpected, however this track just fits so well into that sound. Our last night overhaul the backing and replace it with guitars and drums, and the vocals go from Drake’s talk-singing to Our Last Night’s screamo-singing. This is a complete new take of the track, as the only thing that has stayed the same between the original and cover is the lyrics, everything else is different, from the tempo to the tone, the instruments, the vocals, everything has changed, which is good because if some of it had stayed the same, it wouldn’t sound right at all and it wouldn’t work as a track. Our Last Night are cover veterans, having covered so many different artists, from Kendrick Lamar to Britney Spears, Taylor Swift to Ed Sheeran; they know how to imprint their identity onto other artist’s track and they do it well.
