Written by Megan Langley
Over the past several months, many people around the world have been stuck at home, and a lot of bands have spent some of this spare time working on and releasing new material for fans to enjoy. In addition to all of the original music that’s come out since then, a lot of bands have also been creating and releasing covers of music by other artists; here are 12 of our favorites.
12. Aim Lower - “Good As Hell” (originally by Lizzo)
About a month or so into quarantine, Aim Lower dropped a pop-punk rendition of Lizzo’s “Good As Hell.” The original song is upbeat, very catchy and memorable, and overall a lot of fun to listen to. This cover is very similar to the original in those aspects, but with a pop-punk twist that makes it stand out.
11. The Animal In Me - “If The World Was Ending” (originally by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels)
The Animal In Me also covered a song that’s a bit more recent, in “If The World Was Ending” by JP Saxe and Julia Michaels. The voices of this band’s vocalists blend together really well, and while their original music hits a lot harder, this cover is much more laid-back (similarly to the original) in a good way.
10. Burden Of The Sky - “Lights” (originally by Ellie Goulding)
“Lights” by Ellie Goulding was one of my favorite songs for a while in the early 2010s, and towards the end of July, Burden Of The Sky did a cover of it. The intriguing vocals and pounding drumbeat quickly grabbed my attention leading up to the huge chorus with heavier instrumentals and a vocal performance that instantly impressed me.
9. Charming Liars - “Circles” (originally by Post Malone)
Charming Liars put their own twist on one of Post Malone’s biggest hits, “Circles.” The softer instrumentation makes it feel more atmospheric and allows the impressive vocal performance to shine, making for a really interesting take on this track.
8. Convictions - “Everything I Wanted” (originally by Billie Eilish)
Towards the end of the summer, Convictions put out a cover of Billie Eilish’s latest single, “Everything I Wanted.” The cover has some quieter sections, similar to the original, but those parts seamlessly transition into heavier ones that give listeners a glimpse of the band’s metalcore sound.
7. First To Eleven - “The Middle” (originally by Jimmy Eat World)
First To Eleven have released an impressive three albums worth of covers in 2020 alone, but one of the ones that stood out the most to me was their cover of Jimmy Eat World’s hit, “The Middle.” The singer’s voice perfectly fits this song, and the accompanying instrumentalists drive the upbeat rhythm. All of that paired together makes the cover just as fun and uplifting as the original track.
6. Lauren Babic - “Since U Been Gone” (originally by Kelly Clarkson)
Another artist who released an album full of covers in 2020 is musician, YouTuber, and Red Handed Denial/CrazyEightyEight vocalist Lauren Babic. My personal favorite cover from that release was her take on the Kelly Clarkson classic “Since U Been Gone.” She does a really great job at putting a heavier twist on a lot of songs, and that’s exactly what she does here, with dynamic vocals and instrumentals that give a powerful performance throughout.
5. Led By Lanterns - “New Rules” (originally by Dua Lipa)
A cover that I discovered much more recently is one of Dua Lipa’s “New Rules” done by an alternative rock band called Led By Lanterns. The band took a slightly heavier route for this song and they delivered such a fun performance which has made me return to this cover for repeated listens.
4. Nude Shoes - “You In January” (originally by The Wonder Years)
Back in May, Nude Shoes released a cover of The Wonder Years’ “You In January.” The Philly pop-punk band is known for putting a lot of emotion into their music, and Nude Shoes does the exact same thing with this cover, perfectly conveying the emotion shown in the original track.
3. Patient Sixty-Seven - “My Heroine” (originally by Silverstein)
Patient Sixty-Seven also recently released a cover, and they chose one of Silverstein’s most well-known tracks, “My Heroine.” This song was a great choice for them and I feel like it fits their sound very well. The band did a great job of capturing the raw emotion in the song throughout their performances in this really solid cover.
2. Scream Out Loud - “Iris” (originally by Goo Goo Dolls)
Over the summer, Scream Out Loud covered “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls. The instrumentation gives the track a bit more energy, and the hard-hitting performances (especially during the choruses and bridge) make this ballad even bigger and more anthemic.
1. Separating The Seas - “hot girl bummer” (originally by Blackbear) Blackbear’s “hot girl bummer” is a song that I’ve heard quite a few covers of, and the one that stood out to me was done by Separating The Seas. The band added catchy riffs and heavier vocals and instrumentation to a track that’s very heavily influenced by pop, rap, hip-hop, and R&B, creating a very entertaining cover overall.
Be sure to check out all of these covers and support these bands if you end up liking them as much as we did! If you have any that we missed, feel free to tweet us @lgndsoftmrw.
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