Mind-Blowing
That's the only thing that comes to mind to describe the feeling this cover has given me since the day it was released until today.
Doing a cover is an exercise that all musicians engage in, but it's often a tricky one. Since every artist is different, it can quickly turn into a disaster—or sometimes create unexpected things and become a pleasant surprise. And today, it's the latter that I want to talk about.
Because as far as surprises go, this cover is undeniably one. I think a lot of people have a very negative opinion of the group ITZY as singers, especially Ryujin, who is often mentioned as one of the weaker members of the group—rightly or wrongly, but that's not the point here.
What I’m getting at is that this cover is a huge surprise for me, first because of the idol covering this song, and thus the one I’ve chosen to talk about in this thread. Honestly, if you had told me that one day she would be the one to create my favorite cover among all K-pop idols, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.
But what surprises me even more here is the choice of the cover itself. The vast majority of covers done by K-pop idols are based on popular songs of the moment or slightly older tracks that have been brought back into the spotlight through social media. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths, a song from 1986, is far from that trend. The band is described as having a "non-rhythm-and-blues, whiter-than-white fusion of 1960s rock and post-punk, a repudiation of contemporary dance pop." We're light-years away from the typical standards of artists and songs usually covered by K-pop idols.
Moreover, The Smiths is a band generally cherished by music enthusiasts today due to the influence they’ve had on the music scene, but they remain relatively unknown to the general public outside of the UK and Europe.
What more can I say when the result of this cover is simply stunning? Ryujin's voice has perfect chemistry with this song.
Beyond this appreciation, it’s mostly about how this cover has made me see Ryujin—and covers in general—in a new light. This cover unintentionally challenges K-pop trends and the standards of K-pop fans, who often associate hitting high notes with being an excellent singer, while overlooking all the other fundamentals and factors. And comes to remind us of a very simple thing.
"Find the right fit"
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