Top 5 Underrated Covers You Need to Listen to
These are the most underrated covers on Youtube. For this list, we'll mostly be looking at covers of popular songs by lesser-known Youtubers, with one notable exception. The key here is that all of the performances are YouTube originals. We're including covers by
Sophia Karlberg, Leroy Sanchez, Ed Sheeran, Gnarls Barkley, Elle King, Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens, Leroy Sanchez, and J.Fla.
#5: Ashley Tisdale & Vanessa Hudgens Cover of “Ex’s and Oh’s” by Elle Kingv In 2014 Elle King’s “Ex’s and Oh’s” rocketed all the way to the top of the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, en route to a couple of Grammy nominations. Youtubers, of course, started covering it; and eventually, so did stars like Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens. The self-proclaimed BFFs joined forces in 2017 to bang out a version of “Ex’s and Oh’s” that, for whatever reason, is just massively underrated. Tisdale and Hudgens are both accomplished singers, and are a stylistic match made in heaven. Their sultry, stripped-down cover is straightforward, yet affecting. Let’s just come out and ask it: when are they going to team up for an album?
#4: Daniela Andrade Cover of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley
While Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” is a certifiable modern classic, Daniela Andrade’s version has an emotional gravitas that the original simply didn’t possess. And it’s clear we aren’t the only ones who believe that, as Andrade’s version has garnered more than 14 million views since it was uploaded to YouTube in 2014. While plenty of aspiring artists have offered their versions of Barkley’s Grammy-winning song, only this one feels like it could go toe-to-toe with the original. Her soulful, almost heartbreaking voice layered atop the gentle strum of an electric guitar gives the song a deeply intimate appeal. By the end of the video, you might almost feel as if Daniela Andrade is a close friend.
#3: J.Fla Cover of “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran
Scott Cook - How Soon Is Now (The Smiths Cover)
While we admit that’s it’s perhaps a little inapt to call a cover song with over 100 million views underrated, it doesn’t really feel that way when this is compared to the original, which has more than 2.5 billion views! Ed Sheeran’s 2017 mega monster hit reached #1 on music charts around the world and cemented him as one of pop music’s most accomplished and best-selling artists. However, this version by J.Fla is also something special. Her unique vocal stylings fit the track’s mid-tempo beat perfectly, and her barely-there Korean accent is simply adorable. If you dig her version then you’re in luck, because J.Fla has covered everyone from Green Day to Ariana Grande!
#2: Leroy Sanchez Cover of “Hello” by Adele
Attempting to compare oneself to Adele is, quite frankly, a fool’s errand. She’s a chart-topping Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning singer who’s sold more than 100 million records. But all that shouldn’t intimidate Leroy Sanchez, whose cover version of her 2015 smash hit “Hello”, is just as poignant as the original. Sanchez released his version of “Hello” a mere one day after Adele, and he manages to pack one hell of a punch for a guy who only had 24 hours to prepare. The Spanish-born singer’s rendition is incredibly moving, so much so that it’s easy to forget that he didn’t actually write the song!
#1: Sofia Karlberg Cover of “Crazy In Love” by Beyoncé
Sweet Swede Sofia Karlberg shot meteorically to fame back in 2014 when this cover version of Queen Bey’s jam cracked the UK Official Singles Chart and racked up many millions of views on YouTube. Armed with nothing more than a microphone, the lovely and talented Karlberg proceeded to belt out a cover that not only did the original justice, but showed she could sing with the soul and sincerity of a much older and experienced artist. She’s since proven to be much more than a one-hit wonder, churning out equally impressive cover versions of Hozier’s “Take Me To Church” and Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me”.
