Friday, May 28, 2021

28 May 2021 - Belinda Carlisle - Lay Down Your Arms

This song was originated by The Graces, a band led by former (and current) Go-Go's guitarist Charlotte Caffey, in 1988.

So, I guess it isn't that surprising that her friend and fellow Go-Go Belinda Carlisle would cover the song in 1993.  What is surprising is that it was more successful than the original, despite the original getting an awful lot of MTV airplay.

The song appears on Carlisle's 5th album, Real, which is full of songs co-written by Charlotte Caffey, so it's fair to say she was probably on board.  

Thursday, May 20, 2021

20 May 2021 - Eddie Vedder - Keep Me in Your Heart

Performed at the ceremony for David Letterman - at his request - when he won the Twain award - Eddie Vedder does a beautiful heartfelt cover of Warren Zevon's last song, 14 years after he passed.  Paus Schaffer accompanies on piano. 

Thursday, May 13, 2021

13 May 2021 - Jennie - Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Well, there are four members of BLACKPINK.   This is the fourth straight solo cover post by them, plus last Friday's full group covers post.   

But Jennie - someone you expect something more hip-hop coming from - covering Frankie Valli is next level.  

Also, we were really kind to Rosé yesterday..... but Jennie takes a New Jersey classic and slays it.  

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

12 May 2021 - Lisa - Say So

This is the third straight day we've featured member of BLACKPINK doing covers.  I recognize this.  I promise I didn't plan this.  

But if anyone was going to cover Doja Cat, Lisa was the perfect one to do this.   And, to her credit, Doja Cat herself is a fan of the cover.  

Also, we were really kind to Rosé and her English skills yesterday, but Lisa speaks SEVEN languages - Thai (her native language), Korean, English (she claims not well, but I call BS on that), Japanese, Mandarin, Tagalog, and Indonesian..... soooooooooo, also, this helps her. 

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

11 May 2021 - Rosé -The Only Exception

OK, I admit it.   

I'm a bit of a #blink.  

That doesn't mean that Rosé doesn't do a hell of a job on this Paramore cover.  Hers is the most successful international K-Pop solo debut to date by a female artist, and it is my opinion this is because she is fluent in English - far more so than most of her peers, because it is her native language (and she speaks it with an Aussie accent) - and can easily perform completely in English.  So, a nuanced song like this one is less of a hurdle for her.

It doesn't hurt that she plays guitar and piano as well.

Monday, May 10, 2021

10 May 2021 - Jisoo - Stay High

That's right.   

Jisoo from BLACKPINK doing a cover of Tove Lo.

More accurately (and why we titled this post "Stay High" and not "Habits") is that she's covering the Hippie Sabotage remix of the song.... which was released under this title.  

Famously, Jisoo has the least spoken grasp of the English language of all the members of BLACKPINK.... but 1) clearly, that's changing 2) the cultural changes in lyrics (some of Tove Lo's lyrics don't work with a Korean audience), as well as translation of lyrics into Korean, were actually written by Jisoo.  

Friday, May 7, 2021

7 May 2021 - BLACKPINK - Price Tag/Lonely/You & I

Rosé  can play guitar.   That's right.

So this impromptu double cover - with Rosé and Jennie starting off with a duet on Jessie J's "Price Tag" and then the whole group moving to a pair of K-Pop covers - labelmates 2NE1's "Lonely" and Park Bom's (herself a member of 2NE1, by the way) "You & I".  It's a fun and probably manufactured moment, but still, natural-looking.