Beyonce reminded us how dayam fine she is on the new cover of GQ, flaunting leopard red panties with zipper pockets and an athletic blue cut-off T-shirt. It’s been a pretty good couples day for Beyonce — not that she ever really has any BAD days in our eyes. Along with covering the Feb. 2013 issue she announced that she’ll be releasing a new song with her old R&B group Destiny’s Child, who haven’t recorded together in EIGHT YEARS!!
On top of that, the 31-year-old is releasing a new album with over 50 songs in the pipeline, collaborating with people like Pharell, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake.
You can read more about Bey in the new issue of GQ, and check out more photos below!! How excited are you for her new album??
Everything sounds better acoustically, doesn’t it? Conor Maynard’s soft vocals work perfectly in his cover of “Don’t You Worry Child,” originally by The Swedish Mafia. While the electronic trio’s song is often played in sweaty late night dance clubs, Maynard turns it into an emotional ballad. The slowed-down tempo gives you time to soak in each word, so the song has a whole new meaning.
Maynard uploaded the track to his YouTube account skillzaisherebooya (which he CLEARLY created in high school) to celebrate the release of his album Contrast in the US. He even got the cover to trend BEFORE posting it on YouTube. That way we really felt like we earned it.
He wrote on YouTube: “I’m a massive fan of this song, so I hope you enjoy my interpretation!” He previously performed the same cover at the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball 2012.
With files from Brittany Mahaney
Watch it here
Are you coincidentally at a redneck picnic party? Check out this banjo cover of 50 Cent’s hit “In Da Club” and prepare to dosey doe. I mean, I’m used to acoustic and a capella covers, but the Banjo? This is a first…but hey, don’t knock it until you try it. This cover is definitely innovative and unique!
This is not the first unsual take on a song. The likes of Skrillex and Beyonce have also covered the famous song.
Watch other covers below
Skrillex
Ed Sheeran Read more…
Among his zillion projects, James Franco had time to cover Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” with Spring Breakers co-star Ashley Benson. The over-sexualized, poorly filmed music video would probably be considered conceptual art by Franco’s entourage, but let’s not over-think it. It’s just pure hilarity and they’re having fun with it. Franco has since taken it down from his WhoSay account but DUH this is the Internet so someone immediately copied it for the personal collection then SHARED IT WITH THE WORLD. Thanks anonymous person.
And if you’re saying “OMG it’s soo raunchy” then please just go watch Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers and then come talk to me.
Watch it here
A Capella vocalist Peter Hollens put his special touch on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’s “Misty Mountains,” performing the entire number with no instruments. Hollens sang the song several times into his microphone and edited the tracks over each other to create beautiful harmonies.
While the version is probably enough to make you slightly emotional, a violinist named Jun Sung Ahn took Hollen’s version and added strings. Ahn also recently did an incredible violin cover of Les Miserables’ “I Dreamed A Dream.”
Both Hollens and Ahn’s versions of “Misty Mountains” are currently available on iTunes.
Watch both of them below
Peter Hollen’s version
Jun Sung Ahn’s version Read more…
Canadian band Walk Off The Earth struck YouTube gold with their second viral hit “I Knew You Were Trouble,” featuring beatboxer KRNFX. The band rejigged Taylor Swift’s dubstep pop song sans instruments.
Walk Off The Earth exploded last year when they released their cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” featuring five musicians playing one guitar. It received over 143 million hits but was beat out by Psy’s “Gangnam Style” as the most popular video on YouTube.
In their new a capella tune, it’s hard to believe they’re not using any electronic instruments to create the dubstep bass.They also play off a snippet of Solomon Linda’s song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
The band said on Twitter: “Hey y’all. Please tweet at @taylorswift13 with our new video to see if she’s feelin’ it.” No word from her yet! What do you think of the cover?
Watch it here
I haven’t been a big listener of Miley Cyrus’ music (other than that catchy ‘Party in the USA’ song) but her cover of ’Jolene’ has got me sold.
Paying tribute to her godmother Dolly Parton, Cyrus sang the song as part of her ‘Backyard Sessions’ series in which she covers her favourite songs.
This video was obviously filmed a while back as Cyrus is still sporting her once-signature bun and missing her engagement ring. But seeing that she’s since been rocking a shorter hair do and working with Pharrell, we can’t wait to see what this girl has up her sleeve next!
Watch the video here:
Now this is one extracurricular activity I would get involved in! Covering Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” this group of high school kids perform an amazing version of the song with just handbells.
It’s amazing how this group can work so well together like that. After experiencing the monstrosity that was band class in Grade 8, I was nearly drawn away from taking anything musically-related in high school. (But fortunately, high school band was much better.)
For your hump day pleasure, music ensemble Pentatonix remixed a bunch of N Sync tunes in this medley. My tween fangirl is coming out hardcore right now.
Well, you have to give the Victoria’s Secret Angels a pat on the head for TRYING to sing the Christmas carol “Deck the Halls.” A few of the doe-eyed beauties took on the lyrics for a VICTORIASSECRET holiday ad, of course, while conveniently showing off their red lacy corsets.
Supermodels Candice Swanepoel, Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge and Lindsay Ellingson managed to get through it in one piece, though there were a couple hiccups along the way. Some of them don’t actually speak English fluently or they strictly sing sexier tunes like “Santa Baby” (ahem, Miranda Kerr).
Of course, the result was a bunch of thumbs ups and inappropriate comments from older unemployed men sitting drooling in their parents’ basement.
Watch it here
Backstage before the show, Jimmy Fallon, Mariah Carey and The Roots grabbed some instruments you’d find in an elementary school classroom and stopped by the Late Night music room to sing Mariah’s holiday classic, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”
If you aren’t already in the holiday spirit, this video will make you feel like you just chugged a mug of warm cocoa by the fireplace while someone blows mini paper snowflakes by your head. Inviting an elementary school choir join in on the chorus gave their rendition even more heart and you can’t help loving their sparkly red attire.
Don’t forget to check out their version of “Call Me Maybe” with Carly Rae Jepsen. What song do you want to hear them cover next?
Watch it here
Justin Bieber covered “Cry Me A River” at a Boston concert on Saturday night — an interesting choice considering he just broke up with Selena Gomez. Bieber has sung the song in the past, but not since 2008. We may be reading too much into it but it seems like a perfectly timed nod to the split.
Bieber hasn’t spoken publicly about the breakup (give the guy some time!) and was vague in an interview with radio host John Garabedian that same day. When asked about the split he replied: ”I don’t know what’s going on in my life . . . To even assess that it doesn’t make sense ’cause I have not made any comment.”
“Cry Me A River” was originally recorded by Justin Timberlake in 2002 to chronicle his failed relationship with Britney Spears. Perhaps we can expect a new breakup anthem in the future?
Watch it here
Since practically every academic institute has produced a parody of Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” it was about time MIT jumped on board. The only difference? Their version includes American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, logician, historian, political critic, and activist, NOAM CHOMSKY. It makes sense considering he’s a professor at MIT.
They also have an edge because they got their vocal choir, sailing club and quidditch team involved, meaning there’s tons of school spirit. The glee club breaks it down with a doo-wop relief near the middle.
Watch it here
BenDeLeCreme produced a creepy cover of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” using references to horror films like Psycho, The Human Centipede and Misery. The Dr. Frank-N-Furter doppelgänger performs the dance number with bejeweled gents, recreating cult horror scenes.
This is one of the creepiest versions of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” you’ll ever hear. Well, it’s not as creepy as Laina, the Overly Attached Girlfriend‘s version, but it comes pretty close. [via Alex Berry]
Proving once again she’s the coolest kid on the planet, Willow Smith has challenged herself and succeeded in covering a difficult song.
In this video, Smith sings and plays the piano to the chorus of Adele’s song ‘Skyfall’, which is also the new single for the upcoming James Bond film of the same name.
Say what you will about Willow Smith. But at 11 years old, there’s no denying this girl is one talented musician.
WHAT WERE YOU DOING AT 11?
Sometimes when you run out of instruments to play the theme song for Game of Thrones, you have to resort to desperate measures. Like the plastic kazoo… Nick Henderson did just that, rocking out the HBO theme song with four instruments: a drum, guitar, bouzouki and a kazoo.
He plays the song devoid of ALL PASSION. Though if you look really closely, you can see it in his eyes, which occasionally widen when he plays intense parts.
Best comment on YouTube? Steven Crawford says he’s adding the track to his sex playlist.
Listen to it here:
How’s this for school spirit? A student at Northwest Cabarrus High School in Concord, North Carolina performed Psy’s “Gangnam Style” at a pep rally. He replicated the moves perfectly, even inspiring some football players to mimic the horse-trotting sequence.
I’d hate to be the team that goes against them.
When we last heard from ThePianoGuys, they were crammed together in a little room jamming on a single piano to One Direction. Now they’re taking their cover songs to new heights — literally.
The group recently posted their cover of “Titanium” by David Guetta ft. Sia. Their rendition is moody and mysterious, blending beautifully with their outdoor setting.
The video was filmed in Bryce Canyon National Park, however the guys considered copper mines, steel mills, and industry factories before that. We’re glad that ThePianoGuys went with the national park for this epic and visually stimulating video.
Watch it here:
We were all waiting for Pentatonix to put their a capella touch on Psy’s “Viral Hit” but we didn’t know they would be this pro about it. The quintet performed his viral hit, with Scott Hoying singing Psy’s versus in Korean and Avi Kaplan with Kevin Olusola on the backbeat.
The Texas group won the third season of The Sing-Off and have covered Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” and a Justin Bieber/Katy Perry mashup in the past. It’s a tough cover to do considering how many covers and parodies we’ve seen, but we love that they put their own spin on it.
Watch it here:
Mega talented singer/songwriter Drew Tabor mashed up One Direction’s “Live While We’re Young” with Ke$ha’s “Die Young” and the acoustic version is pretty seamless.
I never really thought of it before but the two songs fit perfectly together, both musically and in terms of lyrics. This slowed down mashup has a campfire vibe and we can imagine listening to it on a chilled out weekday evening.
Drew wrote on YouTube that she’s in love with both the songs. We’re going to keep our eyes on her. In the meantime, her EP Glitter is available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify. She also regularly updates her YouTube page with more covers.
Listen to it here:
