I feel I’m not alone when I say there isn’t anything new, new to listen to. I attribute it to the limited experiential events that could help us to feel through these incoming content — be they love songs, songs about ambitions or dance songs. So, what next?
I have spent several weekends toggling through YouTube because I ran out of Netflix shows to binge (I’ve watched every possible new release and revisited several old ones) and the newly introduced Disney+ too. Perhaps the next best thing is to revisit our favourite songs through live music studio recordings. I thoroughly enjoy the raw acoustic renditions that allow me to revel in a specific moment of my life and the big ideal of it all — they are also a “new” take.
The below is my shortlist but please feel free to explore other artistes who appear in the associated sessions.
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BBC Radio 1 — Hideaway by Kiesza
My best memory of this song was when veteran photographer Wee Khim played it during one of the shoots when I was still an assistant, and I exclaimed “you know this song?”. Out of my place (I assumed Wee Khim wouldn’t know “young people” songs) to have such an outburst, he enthusiastically shared how amazing the music video is with the classic dance moves and its one take. It was also my feel good song in the showers then — Ooh, Aah, Aah, Ooh. This live music version contains a more fun and uplifting version of the ooh-s and aah-s. I have a thing for ancillary lyrics in a song.
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NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
I am a big fan of NPR Music Tiny Desk because you really feel the energy radiating between the artiste and the audience in such an intimate space. The sound quality of the live music is also great to boot. I picked Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s recording because I love the honest truth of their lyrics (other than Thrift Shop) that seems to be even more potent when sung live. Same Love — even without Mary Lambert present — in this version is a strong testament to that.
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Like A Version — Glass Animals cover Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy
How can anyone not be crazy about Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy with all its quirky vocal turns? What is even crazier are the hundreds of cover version out there that seem like a new song altogether and Glass Animals’s live music studio recording version of it is one of them. If you are unfamiliar with Like A Version, guests are invited to perform one of their own songs then cover another artiste’s song. So it’s double the fun!
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Vevo DSCVR — Hurricane by Halsey
This was Halsey before her explosion into the music scene, so her raw energy is enduring in this live music recording. I typically listen to the EDM version from my regular playlist so this version was refreshing to say the least. In case anyone missed it, DSCVR is discover with the vowels dropped (in case the Millennial speak escapes you). Vevo DSCVR features upcoming artistes and their other songs (songs that are not hit singles on the radio) so scrolling through to find familiar names before their big break, singing their other favourite song live is rather exhilarting.
Once you’re done singing along with your favourite artistes, click here to catch up with our March 2021 issue!
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