Sep 192011
 

The boys (and girl) of Odd Future became certified sensations earlier this year, with Tyler, the Creator and the mysterious Earl Sweatshirt inspiring seemingly thousands of think pieces about hip-hop, violence, and misogyny (in other words, Eminem 2.0). In the middle of all the noise, though, one much quieter member of the Odd Future family snuck outside the OF circle to become a certified star in his own right. He appeared on Jay-Z/Kanye West’s new album and earned a couple of crossover hits that it’s hard to imagine his peers having. It’s Frank Ocean, whose “Swim Good” could become this fall’s cool song to cover. Continue reading »

Jun 272011
 

CocknBullKid and Eliza Doolittle are two British songstresses who sing under false monikers and who love mid-90’s hip hop songs. Even as both UK singers are trying to take the U.S. by storm, they’ve found the time to release a simple piano cover of platinum selling 90’s girl group Destiny’s Child‘s 1999 hit “Bills Bills Bills.” Following Doolittle’s sweet and dreamy covers of songs like Kanye West’s “Runaway” and and Cee-Lo Green’s “Fuck You” (which you can find here), it shouldn’t be any surprise that she lends herself to another great cover that would make Beyoncé proud. Continue reading »

Jun 082011
 

They Say It’s Your Birthday celebrates an artist’s special day with other people singing his or her songs. Let others do the work for a while. Happy birthday!

There are a lot of ways to describe Kanye West: hitmaker, innovator, rapper, producer, fashion designer, philanthropist, controversy-starter, and (some would argue) egomaniac. This week Kanye turns 34, so we’re simply saying “Happy Birthday!” with five covers of his biggest hits. No matter what you think of his often inflammatory behavior, there’s no denying his musical talent. Considering the number of hits and amount of attention Kanye has had since releasing The College Dropout in 2004, it’s no surprise that a diverse and high-profile group of artists have covered his tracks. West is known for his diverse catalog of collaborators, and his admirers are just as widespread, from an emo forefather to a movie star turned musician. Continue reading »

May 302011
 

They Say It’s Your Birthday celebrates an artist’s special day with other people singing his or her songs. Let others do the work for a while. Happy birthday!

Cee-Lo Green turns 37 today, and he has every reason to celebrate. The Atlanta-born singer, rapper, and producer has been everywhere the past year: taking over the radio with his ridiculously catchy single “Fuck You,” performing at the Grammys with a psychedelic peacock costume and backup from Gwyneth Paltrow, and, most recently, judging the hit NBC show The Voice. His birthday may fall on Memorial Day this year, but we’re not sure this guy ever takes a day off.

Countless artists, from Sara Bareilles to Pixie Lott to William Shatner have jumped aboard the Cee-Lo bandwagon with their own takes on “Fuck You” – just like what happened five years ago when Green’s Gnarls Barkley hit “Crazy” climbed the charts. In honor of his birthday, Cover Me presents alternate renditions of Cee-Lo’s two biggest hits, along with three others from his solo career and his work in Gnarls Barkley. Continue reading »

Nov 022010
 

Eliza Doolittle’s first single was titled “Skinny Genes,” so clearly this girl knows fashion. And what’s more fashionable right now than covering Cee-Lo Green’s viral smash “Fuck You”? Nothing, that’s what. Doolittle delivers the latest version, performed backstage with a couple bandmates on vocals and double bass. Despite the stripped-down instrumentation, it doesn’t lose any of the original’s swagger. Bonus: her British accent on “I really hate your arse right now.” Watch the video below. Continue reading »