Pixie Lott Meets OneRepublic's "Apologize"

You may have noticed a few videos from Pixie Lott... well, here's one more. She does a great cover of "Apologize" originally by the amazing OneRepublic. What do you think of Pixie Lott's version?

Pixie Lott Meets Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody"

"Use Somebody" is such a great song. There are certain songs that are just beautiful in any genre and any interpretation, like "Umbrella" by Rihanna and "Halo" by Beyonce.

I really like the rock vibe in the original version by Kings of Leon. I also like the sexy/seductive quality in the version by Bridget Kelly. And Pixie Lott does an amazing cover, putting a singer/songwriter feel to it. I like all three versions and the countless others I've heard. "Use Somebody" is a great song!

Pixie Lott Meets Lady Gaga's "Poker Face"

Pixie Lott is a super talented teenage singer-songwriter from the UK. She puts her own stamp on the Lady Gaga classic, "Poker Face".

I really like that Pixie Lott stripped the pop song and put some soul in it. I love her sexy raspy voice, and she proves that can sing.

Are you a fan of Pixie Lott's rendition?

The Saturdays Meet Madcon's "Beggin'"

The Saturdays are a great girl band from the UK. They just released their sophomore album, "Wordshaker". I haven't had a chance to listen to it, but I do like the lead single, "Forever Is Over". I also enjoy their debut album, "Chasing Lights" - it's great fun UK pop.

A while back, The Saturdays did an awesome cover of Madcon's "Beggin'" on Radio 1's Live Lounge.

It's a really great and catchy cover. I like the original, but it does get a bit obnoxious. The girls sound amazing and can really sing. I also enjoy all the harmonizes. It also love how they took the song and changed the melody, making it more catchy and in my opinion, better than the original.

Leona Lewis Meets Oasis' "Stop Crying Your Heart Out"

Leona Lewis' sophomore album, Echo, won't be released until November 17th, but it has already leaked on the Internet. And I've had a listen to most of the songs, and am very impressed. I was really impressed by her rendition of "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" which is a classic Oasis ballad.

I am a big fan of Oasis, and the song. I'm also a huge fan of Leona, but will admit to being a bit unsure of this choice for a cover. But it is amazing. The cover is epic in the same way as her cover of "Run" by Snow Patrol. Leona can take a great song and make it beautiful and amazing. The original is beautiful, but Leona's vocals make it a beautiful heartfelt track, and I really like it. I've actually been listening to it non stop for a few days now and it is still magical and haunting.



And the original by Oasis:

The Script Meets Eminem's "Lose Yourself"

The Script are one of my favorite bands. Their music is so unique and different, and fuses many different genres. When I first heard of them over a year ago, I was amazed at their versatility, and then I learned that they write, play and produce all their own work, and also write/produce for others. Their self-titled album is amazing, from beginning to end, full of great songs and surprises. I HIGHLY recommend it. They are really talented and can do anything. Here is a cover they did for Radio 1s Live Lounge.

And Irish rock band did a killer cover of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. (Note: The video is crap and the audio is not in sync with the video, but it's a great cover and worth listening to)

Imogen Heap Meets Michael Jackson's "Thriller"

Imogen Heap is a successful indie singer/songwriter from England. She was a member of Frou Frou, but has released three solo albums, the latest, Elipse, was released two months ago in August. Imogen recently did an amazing cover of Michael Jackson's mega hit "Thriller". I must admit that I am cautious and weary of anyone covering a Michael Jackson song, let alone "Thriller". It is such a classic and is so well known and unique, that most covers are atrocious, some are tolerable, but only a rare few are good.

Imogen's cover is brilliant. It does everything I want a cover to do - it is musically different and does not resemble the original except in melody and lyrics. Everything is different. While Michael Jackson's original is very theatrical, Imogen's version is very bare and stripped. But in that bareness, Imogen's vocals are haunting and it gives me chills. I love the chorus and the enunciation of the lyrics. The lyrics really stand out and create the mood of the song. I absolutely love this cover and give mad props to Imogen for attempting and succeeding in covering this classic. Well done!

What do you think of Imogen Heap's cover of "Thriller" originally by Michael Jackson?

Adele Meets The Strokes "Last Night"

Adele did a cover of "Last Night" originally by The Strokes for Radio 1 Live Lounge. I really like this cover, it is really different and not something I would have expected from Adele. I really like how she took a modern rock/pop song and added some soul, not too much, but a hint of it here and there.

What are your thoughts?

Adele Meets Sam Sparro's "Black And Gold"

Sam Sparro's "Black and Gold" was one of the best songs of the summer last year. The beat is infectious and super catchy. You can't help but bust a move when you hear it. It's got a great beat and is super fun. The lyrics are also really cool and creative. The song is very versatile in that is sounds great in its original form, as a dance track, but also sounds great acoustically. The lyrics really stand out in the acoustic versions, adding more credability to the song. There have been many artists that have covered it acoustically, including Adele.

I love Adele's take on the song. Again, she adds some soul, but not too much. She takes a great dance/pop song with great lyrics, and adds some emotion to it. She brings out the romantic love and desperation of the lyrics, which get lost in the beat of the original.

You know what I think, now I want to know what you think.

Jordin Sparks Meets Katy Perry's "Hot and Cold"

Jordin Sparks won American Idol season 6 and has launched a successful career. Her debut album, called Jordin Sparks, had three successful singles: "Tattoo", "No Air" and "One Step at a Time". It is actually a really great album with many great tracks, my favorites being "Freeze" Her sophomore album, Battlefield was released in July and includes the singles "Battlefield" and "S.O.S. (Let The Music Play)"

I was a fan of her when she was on American Idol and enjoyed her first album. I saw her open for Alicia Keys on her "As I Am" Tour. Jordin Sparks has an amazing voice and she was amazing live. She sang live and was flawless. Anyway, here is Jordin Sparks covering Katy Perry's "Hot and Cold" on Radio 1 Live Lounge.



I'm not a big fan of this song, but I think Jordin Sparks does a great cover. I love how she gets into it and nails the vocals.

What do you think?

The Noisettes Meet The Killers "When We Were Young"

Lately I've been feeling The Noisettes and their music. Their sophomore album has been on repeat and I've caught myself singing "Never Forget You" a few times throughout the day.

I am very impressed by their rendition of "When We Were Young" on Radio1 Live Lounge. Check it out:

I love the tempo and how they've slowed the song down. They turned it into a beautiful ballad. And Shingai's voice is spectacular. It has so much soul and is super sexy. I like the backing vocals on the track, it's a great addition. The strings are also beautiful - I never thought I'd hear violins in a Killer's song and enjoy it. The bridge is also very clever. The whole rendition is clever; they managed to take a great song, change it up, and make it sound just as good, if not better. I'm a fan of the song and The Noisettes.

Which version do you prefer: The Killers or The Noisettes?

Bonus: Here is "Don't Upset the Rhythm" on Radio1 Live Lounge:

Milow Meets 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake's "Ayo Technology"

Milow. I've never heard of Milow, but just stumbled on his cover of "Ayo Technology" (originally done by 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake) and was very very impressed. It is an interesting take on the song. Take a listen -

Here is the music video:


And a live version:


I am a big fan of covers that take a very popular song and completely rework the sound and arrangement to transform it into a brand new tune. And Milow's cover is very different and completely changes genres and still makes this song sound great. He takes a hip-hop/rnb song and adds a Belgium country twang. It sounds crazy and shouldn't work, but it does and it is brilliant! Milow is from Belgium and there is a hint of an accent in the singing which I think adds more character. And the live version is really good too, he manages to pull it off. I'm quite impressed.

What do you all think?

(Be sure to check out Bridget Kelly's cover of "Use Somebody" - it's one of my favorite covers of the moment)

Girls Can't Catch Meets Daniel Merriweather's "Red"

Earlier, you all were introduced to Girls Can't Catch, and Daniel Merriweather.

Now, here's Girls Can't Catch covering Daniel Merriweather's song "Red".




I really love this version. It is simple and smooth. The vocals and harmonies are easy on the ears. And I really like that it is stripped and raw - it fuels the emotions of the song. It also draws more attention to the lyrics. I'm also partial to female vocals on ballads, so this version is slightly better than the original for me. In fact, it was only after hearing this version that I realized how special of a song it was.

Florence and The Machine Meets Beyonce's "Halo" on Radio1 Live Lounge

Last week, I wrote about Florence and The Machines, Check out this video of the band covering Beyonce's "Halo" on Radio1 Live Lounge.

The lead singer looks pale and scary, but I really like her rendition. It has a really great folk feel to it. It sounds very raw and unpolished, and I really like it. What do you think?

"Halo" is a great song and Beyonce does a great job, but I think I enjoy Diana Vicker's performance the most. Which version do you prefer?

(And I hear that Glee is going to be doing this song in a future episode... I can't wait to hear it!)

Embrace Meets D12's "How Come"

I can't tell you much about the British rock band Embrace, except that they did an amazing cover of D12's "How Come" on Radio 1's Live Lounge.

I am a fan of the original, but I prefer the cover. It's got more raw emotion, and I love the arrangement.

Here's the original by D12:


And Embrace's rendition:


Which do you prefer? The original by D12 or Embrace's cover?

Diana Vickers Meets Beyonce's "Halo"

As you will soon discover, I am very impressed by Diana Vickers and cannot wait for her to finish and release her new album. In the meantime, I will have to settle on the covers. Here is an amazing cover of "Halo" originally done by Beyonce.




While I really enjoy the original, I think I may prefer Diana Vickers' version over the original. Beyonce's version is very strong and powerful, while Diana's has a different vibe, it's softer and has a sense of vulnerability that I enjoy. The vocals are also not perfect, which adds to the vulnerability and appeal.

(Want more Diana Vickers, check out her new single, "Jumping Into Rivers" )

Ah... Diana Vickers... you are amazing.

Girls Aloud Meets James Morrison's "Broken Strings"

Girls Aloud are one of the UK's most popular girl band. They have had 20 consecutive top 10 singles. They are not only beautiful, but they are talented. They can really sing. Some might call them a guilty pleasure, but not so for me. I am a fan, no guilt about it. Did I mention they are insanely gorgeous?!

During their last tour, supporting their brilliant album Out Of Control, the girls did a cover of "Broken Stings", originally done by James Morrison and Nelly Furtado. The Out Of Control Tour DVD is being released in the UK on the 5th of October.

Here is the video for "Broken Strings"

What do you all think?

And how awesome is Nadine's accent? (She is from Ireland and introduces the song).

Paramore Meets Kings Of Leon's "Use Somebody"

I must say that I am not a huge fan of Paramore. Although I like two of their radio friendly singles, I wouldn't consider myself a fan. But I have to give credit where it is due, and Hayley sounds amazing on this cover track.

"Only By The Night" by Kings of Leon, on the other hand, is a brilliant record. The band has had a string of hits in Europe, but this was the album that put the band on the map in the US. They are finally getting their dues and respect, and rightfully so. The album is filled with great songs, including the new single, Use Somebody.

Paramore did a cover of it for Radio 1s Live Lounge, and I must say that I am actually really impressed by the vocals and actually like this tune. It isn't as good as Kings of Leon, but it's good.

What do you think?

The Veronicas Meet The Muse - "The Uprising"

The Veronicas are one of Austrailia's most successful pop duo/band. Their music tends to sway on the pop side of the spectrum, and they have taken some criticism for that. But they do write their own lyrics and have written for several other artists. And they are brilliant singers, pulling off some great notes, and they can hold their own performing live. Their latest album, Hook Me Up, is one of my favorites.

Speaking of favorites, Radio 1's Live Lounge never dissappoints. You've got live music, great acts and amazing covers/renditions.

Case in point: The Veronicas doing "The Uprising", the new smash hit single from The Muse and their latest album, The Resistance.