Cover Song
8-Year-Old Boy’s Performance of AC/DC’s “Back in Black” Earns Him Spot in Finals of The Voice Kids Spain: Watch
After wowing the judges and viewers with his performance of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” during his blind audition on Spain’s edition of The Voice Kids, little Jesús del Río sang another hit by the legendary rock band for the semifinals. This time, he blazed through AC/DC’s “Back in Black,” earning a trip to the finals. Jesús, who was only 7 years old when the season began but has since celebrated his eighth birthday, went viral with his initial “Highway to Hell” audition. The judges/coaches went crazy for his performance and mobbed him onstage. He had to perform Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven” alongside a couple of other contestants for the battle round, but looked completely uncomfortable singing the pop hit. However, he still made it to the next stage. It just might be that AC/DC is the...
Sabaton Unleash Cover of Manowar’s “Kingdom Come”: Stream
Sabaton have unleashed their cover of Manowar’s “Kingdom Come” as a standalone single. The track is finally receiving a proper release on digital platforms and vinyl after frequent fan requests. A concert staple and fan favorite, “Kingdom Come” is Sabaton’s salute to their power-metal forebearers, Manowar. Both bands share musical and aesthetic similarities, as well as a fascination with war and military history. Sabaton update the track with heavier, modern production while retaining the original spirit of the song. “Our fans have spoken,” Sabaton bassist Pär Sundtröm said. “You requested the release of this song everywhere, so this is for all of you. This recording was meant to be a tribute to Manowar and a collaboration with a video game bearing the same name when we recorded it a few y...
Robert Fripp and Toyah Bring the Punk with Cover of Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant”: Watch
Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox deliver Sex Pistols’ punk anthem “Pretty Vacant” in the couple’s latest “Sunday Lunch” performance, marking a return to Toyah’s punk roots. Over the past several months, the married pair have treated us to eccentric covers of mostly hard rock and metal classics, but this time around they celebrate the ’70s UK punk scene from which Toyah started her own music career. Inspired by bands like Sex Pistols, she garnered much success as a punk and new wave singer fronting her eponymous band Toyah in the late ’70s and early ’80s, scoring a string of hits in England. Vocally, “Pretty Vacant” arguably suits Toyah’s voice more than any of the previous covers. And, as always, she brings the fashion, this time sporting a mohawk and body paint, and wearing a barely-there s...
Toyah and Robert Fripp Cover System of a Down’s “Chop Suey”: Watch
Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp take on one of the great 21st century metal tunes in their latest “Sunday Lunch” performance. The married couple, along with the mysterious Sidney Jake, rock the System of a Down classic “Chop Suey” from their kitchen. Looking like characters in a Mad Max movie, Toyah and Robert go full throttle in covering “Chop Suey,” the lead single from System of a Down’s Toxicity (which celebrates its 20th anniversary in September). King Crimson founder Fripp has completed a full transformation from the conservative suit vest and tie he would wear at the beginning of the “Sunday Lunch” series, now donning a mohawk and theatrical eye makeup, as well as body art similar to what SOAD guitarist Daron Malakian sported in the official “Chop Suey” music video. Related Video Toy...
Courtney Love Covers Britney Spears’ “Lucky”: Watch
Courtney Love recently launched a cover song series called Bruises of Love, in which she performs a selection of her songs that allowed her to “finally feel like myself again” after years of health issues. After kicking off the series last month by covering “California Stars”, the folk-rock staple from Wilco and Billy Bragg’s joint 1998 album Mermaid Avenue featuring lyrics by the late Woody Guthrie, Love has now uploaded a rendition of Britney Spears’ “Lucky”. Watch below. As Love pointed out prior to her performance, the Max Martin-penned song from Spears’ 2000 album, Oops!… I Did It Again, is challenging to play due to some “funky” chords. The timing of the song’s release is likely not coincidental, as Love was interviewed for Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino for their newl...
Dave Chappelle Joins Foo Fighters to Cover Radiohead’s “Creep”: Watch
Foo Fighters hit the stage at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night for the first full-capacity arena concert since the beginning of the pandemic. Stay tuned for our full recap, but we couldn’t help but share one of the evening’s biggest highlights: Dave Chappelle joining Foo Fighters for a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep”. Chappelle has sang Radiohead’s “Creep” live many times over the years, including once with Bradley Cooper and Lenny Kravitz, and another time with John Mayer. But as he was already in New York for the premiere of his new documentary, Chappelle couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join Foo Fighters for a surprise performance at the World’s Most Famous Arena. Watch fan-captured footage below. Next up for Foo Fighters is the release of their debut disco album as the Dee Gees on...
Lido Pimienta Covers Björk’s Classic Single “Declare Independence”: Stream
With pride month underway, art-pop musician Lido Pimienta is celebrating occasion by recording a cover of Bjork’s “Declare Independence” for the LGBTQ community. Stream her take on the classic 2007 single below. The Grammy-nominated artist laid down the track as part of Spotify’s Pride 2021: Claim Your Space campaign, which encourages the queer community to “make noise, make their presence known, and make their own rules.” Of course, “Declare Independence” is a boisterous rallying cry about seeking justice, and Pimienta felt compelled to cover the song in a way that nodded to queer people around the world in particular who are asking for equality. In a press release, Pimienta explained why she decided to cover “Declare Independence” in particular, writing, “I chose this song mainly be...
11-Year-Old Nandi Bushell Wows Linkin Park with “Awesome” Drum Cover of “Numb”: Watch
Nandi Bushell continues to impress the artists she covers, this time earning a “wow” from Linkin Park. The 11-year-old musical wunderkind posted a powerful drum cover of “Numb”, which the band itself dubbed “awesome.” Consequence has sung Nandi’s praises multiple times, but it never gets old. She defeated the great Dave Grohl in a headline-making drum battle; crushed Rage Against the Machine’s “Guerrilla Radio” on drums, bass, and guitar, leading Tom Morello to send her his signature Soul Power Stratocaster; and most recently impressed current Slipknot stickman Jay Weinberg with her drum cover of “Duality”. Heck, we even put together a list of 10 Times Amazing Kid Musician Nandi Bushell Blew Our Minds. Related Video Now, she has posted a drum cover of Linkin Park’s “Numb” in which she atta...
Robert Fripp and a Pixelated Toyah Cover Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams”: Watch
Another Sunday means another performance from King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp and singer Toyah Willcox. The married couple are once again joined by mysterious second guitarist Sidney Jake for a cover of the Eurythmics classic “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”. As she’s done in the past, Toyah sports nothing but a sheer top and body paint, but apparently this one was a bit too revealing. Perhaps she got an alert from YouTube upon uploading the video, or decided to censor the clip herself, but either way there’s strategically placed pixelation throughout the performance. And while Toyah’s skimpy outfits often take center stage in the couple’s weekly “Sunday Lunch” series of cover songs, her voice shines on the Eurythmics cover, as she delivers a nice clean version of the 1983 single. As ...
Toyah Flashes Robert Fripp in Couple’s Cover of ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man”: Watch
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-06-06T17:28:32+00:00“>June 6, 2021 | 1:28pm ET Toyah Willcox and husband Robert Fripp keep looking for new ways to push the envelope on their weekly “Sunday Lunch” series. This time around, the singer gives the King Crimson guitarist an eyeful during their cover of the ZZ Top classic “Sharp Dressed Man”. The couple’s covers have always combined sexuality with comedy, and this one is no different, except for the fact that Robert “ain’t missing not a single thing” when Toyah pops open her “clean shirt” to bare all in front of the prog-rock legend, as he reacts with the all the expected facial expressions. As is the case with the pair’s previous several “Sunday Lunch” performances, the...
Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass Turns Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” into “Vaccinated” with Help from Jack Black, Amy Lee, and More
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-06-04T20:49:40+00:00“>June 4, 2021 | 4:49pm ET Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass has reworked the Ramones classic “I Wanna Be Sedated” into a timely tune called “Vaccinated”, and he’s recruited a number of his celebrity friends for the music video. The comedic musician changed the words of the legendary punk tune to promote COVID-19 vaccinations. He sings, “Twenty, twenty, twenty-four hours from now/ I’m getting vaccinated/ Waited so long that I wrote down this song/ I’m getting vaccinated.” Among those joining Gass in the music video is his Tenacious D bandmate Jack Black, who prances around in doctor’s scrubs and a pair of giant needles. Also making appearances are Evanescence singer Amy Le...
Orville Peck Shares Cover of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”, Announces 2021 “Summertime Tour”
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-06-04T18:18:41+00:00“>June 4, 2021 | 2:18pm ET Cult country artist Orville Peck has unveiled his cover of Lady Gaga’s 2011 hit, “Born This Way”. The track was recorded for Gaga’s upcoming reimagined version of Born This Way in celebration of the 10th anniversary of her sophomore album. Officially titled “Born This Way (The Country Road Version)”, the cover features Peck giving it his own twist while largely staying true to the original lyrics. However, he does add an extra flair to the breakdown while singing, “If I wanna make it country, baby, it’s okay/ I was born, I was born, I was born this way/ From London, Paris, Japan, back to USA/ I was born on the road, I was born...
