PULL UP THE COVERS...

I used to hate the idea of making a cover for a song that had been released within the past 3 years. If it's well enough known to be covered by a greater-than-or-equal-to-B-list musician, I clearly still remember it and am likely sick of hearing it on my radio and/or iTunes, right? After checking out the all the Radio1 and 'Even Better Than the Real Thing' releases, I discover there is something to be heard there.



One of the best examples I can think of is with 30 Seconds to Mars' cover of Kanye West's "Stronger." Put aside your hatred for Jared Leto's shellacked and sheened asymmetrical hair and the fact that he reminds you of that creepy guy who sits in the corner of the bar and waits for the first girl to fall off her barstool. The band's cover of "The Song of 2007" helps somehow spin all of the annoyingly pompous similes/metaphors that Kanye wouldn't dream of sparing his prized singles into a fairly emotional ballad. There are times, even, when Leto sounds self-loathing and desperate - an impressive feat given the original intent of the lyrics. So, for making a Kanye/Daft Punk collabo sound humbly human (after all?), I'll ignore the involuntary shivers that their lead singer invokes and give props to 30 Seconds to Mars for giving everyone a reason to believe in covers again.


"Stronger" (30 Seconds to Mars)