Covering The Covers

How familiar are you with cover songs? In an article written for Masterclass, American musician St. Vincent defined them as new performances or recordings of an original song. Have you ever experienced a different version of a song you love? Perhaps you found new beauty in it, or maybe you just ended up thinking that the original was still the best.

Regardless of them being great or not, cover songs are a testament to the impact a musician’s art can have on their peers and fans. Today, we’re taking a look at a variety of covers that exist of BTS songs—evidence of how beloved their music actually is.

Instrumental

This is a common cover type you’ll find on YouTube, made by people with mastery of specific instruments. We can start with The Piano Guys, an American group with millions of subscribers. Their stunning cover of “Epiphany” creates a magical atmosphere, which many commenters have described as ideal to walk down the aisle to on your wedding day. JuNCurryAhn’s violin cover of “ON” offers us a more modern style. This one is exciting both for his great performance and because the Korean American artist filmed his video at the very same spot as the original one. You can also check out something a little different, with Clara Melody’s guzheng cover of “Blood, Sweat, & Tears.” The guzheng is a Chinese string instrument; its traditional tones applied to this song create a whole new and delightful world for the listener.

New Genre

Next, we have songs that are reborn into new genres, through the hands of musicians wishing to offer a new perspective on them. Metal and rock covers of BTS songs are usually ear-catching because they are so different from the original source. Take for example Lauren Babic and Tyson Dang’s cover of “Idol.” Even if it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, this high-energy cover of an already exciting song is an experience to behold. However, for those who prefer a more traditional take on genre switching, we suggest the Korean acapella group Narin, who did not one, but a whole series of covers on their Evolution of BTS video. Their vocal prowess is astonishing to witness.

Korean Idols

Of course, we can’t leave out other Korean idols who have tried their hand at covering BTS songs as well. We must begin with BTS’ very own hyung, Lee Hyun, who did a beautiful “Spring Day” cover that could pull at anyone’s heartstrings, and masterfully delivered the delicate feelings of the song. While there are plenty of idol covers, a nice example is that of Lee Su-hyun, part of the sibling duo AKMU, who covered “Dynamite.” Her smooth yet powerful vocals, alongside the chorus and live band, did a great job creating a playful atmosphere that is a joy to watch.

Covers made by fellow musicians are a big compliment for an artist since they show that their art is admired and respected. We’ve just looked at examples from BTS’ Korean peers, so now let’s move on to their Western ones.

Western Musicians

First, we have the very successful American Acapella group, Pentatonix. In August of last year, they debuted a combined cover of two of BTS’ recent hits. Paired with their amazing vocals was the video where they mimicked both “Butter’s” black and white section and the pastel colors of “Dynamite.” Next, we have Lizzo’s cover of “Butter” on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. The American singer delivered a funky performance that suited her voice perfectly while wearing a Vmin top. Many Western artists prefer to cover BTS’ English language songs, but Shawn Stockman, a member of the iconic group Boyz II Men, took it a step further. He covered “Serendipity” in Korean and shared it on his Instagram account. This special gesture, as well as the effort to learn the lyrics in their original language, was greatly appreciated.

Unconventional

Creativity is like a box of chocolates and sometimes you find flavors that you would’ve never expected. Take, for example, Kurt Hugo Schneider who, in collaboration with singer Sam Tsui, created a cover of “Dynamite” produced with sounds made by objects from Walmart. Anyone interested in music production will be fascinated by the first part of the video, while everyone else gets to enjoy the cover at the end. Additionally, we owe a special mention to an ARMY with a singular talent. It is no other than @bock_twt, known as Bock, who covers BTS songs while bocking like a chicken. Bock even hosted a Twitter space called “While we wait,” bocking a whole setlist of BTS songs for over 34 thousand people at once.

These are only a few examples, there’s still an abundance of BTS covers out there for you to discover.

BTS’ Inspiring Music

In a world where some claim that BTS are popular for almost anything but their music, the existence of these covers, made with love, admiration, and great effort, is a reminder of how wrong they are. BTS’ music is the result of their talent, paired with a lot of hard work. They have managed to inspire and touch the hearts of millions of musicians and fans alike—there’s no space for doubt about that.

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DISCLAIMER: We do not own any audio & visual content in this video except for the editing. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS. No copyright infringement intended.

Written By: Rebeca

Edited By: Clare

Checked By: Juju