I was in the coffee shop the other day when this plaintively sad song sung with a haunting falsetto came on. "Sounds so familiar," I thought. Much to my surprise, I realized that it was one of my favourite songs from the '80's, but done in a completely different way. Whitney Houston came from a … Continue reading Surprising Songs Sung: Sam Smith / How Will I Know
Surprising Songs Sung
Surprising Songs Sung: Kate Nash / Hollaback Girl
It would have been hard to miss Gwen Stefani's number one hit "Hollaback Girl", from her first album as a solo artist. Released in 2005, the hip hop/pop song was written by Stefani, Pharell Williams ("Happy"), and Chad Hugo. It received Grammy Award nominations, but on the flip side, Maxim labelled it as the "Most … Continue reading Surprising Songs Sung: Kate Nash / Hollaback Girl
Surprising Songs Sung: First Aid Kit / War Pigs
In 1970, heavy metal band Black Sabbath released their second album, Paranoid. With singles, "Paranoid" and "Iron Man", this was one of the albums in constant rotation when my group of friends got together when I was a teenager. The nearly 8-minute song "War Pigs", despite not being a single, was very popular with listeners. … Continue reading Surprising Songs Sung: First Aid Kit / War Pigs
Surprising Songs Sung: Marilyn Manson / Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) / [Bonus: Voice over Cello]
In 1983, The Eurythmics released Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Featuring the powerful voice of Annie Lennox, this pop song with the repetitive minor-key riff drove straight into our heads and rose to number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The video is full of dream sequences and even features a cow! Sweet … Continue reading Surprising Songs Sung: Marilyn Manson / Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) / [Bonus: Voice over Cello]
Surprising Songs Sung: P!nk / Me and Bobby McGee
I'm always fascinated when an artist sings a song that takes them out of their comfort zone or is not their usual genre, showcasing their talent and proving that they are not just a "one-trick pony". I also appreciate when an artist takes a well-known song and makes it their own. "Surprising Songs Sung" will feature … Continue reading Surprising Songs Sung: P!nk / Me and Bobby McGee
I'm Feeling This 