5 Covers You Need In Your Life

We all love a good cover. At least I love a good cover. I noticed that lately I've been actually obsessing over five covers in particular. So in no particular order, check out my list of the top 5 covers you absolutely need in your life:

1. Nathan Sykes - "Marvin Gaye"

If you know The Wanted or you read my review of their Word of Mouth Tour way back when, this name will sound familiar to you. Nathan Sykes has since moved on after The Wanted's split and has gone and made himself a nice little solo career. His debut single "Kiss Me Quick" is gaining attention faster than I can type this and he recently announced that his next single will be called "Over And Over Again" and filming for the official music video has already begun. Check out Nathan's mashup of Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor's "Marvin Gaye" and Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It on":

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Purchase Nathan's 2016 calendar here!

2. Demi Lovato - "Take Me To Church"

Can we just talk about Demi Lovato for a second though? This girl has some serious pipes. She ceases to amaze me. Demi covered Hozier's "Take Me To Church" in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge earlier this month and it was more than amazing. This powerful and soulful rendition has been replaying in my head for the past week. Recently Demi's been under fire a bit for a Tweet she posted regarding Barbie's newest Zendaya doll. All seems to be blown over for now just in time for Demi's newest album Confident! The album will be released October 16th so grab your copy! Check out Demi's incredible cover: 

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3. Conor Maynard - "Only One"

So I've never been a huge Kanye fan (don't hate me) but there's something about a Conor Maynard cover that can change my mind. If you've never heard of Conor please listen carefully because I'm about to give you some life advice: Check.This.Guy.Out. I'm serious. I love Conor and his 2012 Contrast album basically travels everywhere with me. I still don't understand why this guy isn't more popular. He is one of the greatest vocalists (in my non-influential opinion) and his latest single "Royalty" will most likely convince you that this guy is the real deal. This cover is a bit older from the beginning of this year but it's still one of my favorites. That falsetto though? I know. You can check out Conor's most recent Diplo & Sleepy Tom cover here and there are plenty more on his Youtube channel as well. Just take a minute and fall in love...

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4. An Honest Year & The Weekend Riot - "She's Kinda Hot" 

So I'm sure everyone's pretty familiar with this 5 Seconds of Summer track as it's been playing non-stop literally everywhere. But one of my personal favorites, An Honest Year, and one of my newly found favorites, The Weekend Riot, released this cover last month and I can't get enough of it! I've been lucky enough to see An Honest Year live a couple times and they never disappoint. I was super excited for this cover. I had never even heard of The Weekend Riot but they have a TON of other covers on their Youtube channel you should definitely check out. Also, An Honest Year just released the music video for their new single "Chin Up, Kid" so give that a look. But first...

Twitter: An Honest Year, Matt, Stephen, Jon, Jordan, Greg

The Weekend Riot, Johnny, Bruce

Facebook: An Honest Year, The Weekend Riot

Youtube: An Honest Year

5. Sam Smith & Disclosure - "Hotline Bling" 

Now, Sam Smith and Disclosure are known for having some amazing collabs. It's just a proven fact. Sam is pretty much the definition of singing perfection and if you don't have some sort of experience while listening to him I don't even know who you are. If you happened to read my In The Lonely Hour Tour review you'll know that I am crazy about this guy and apparently Sam is crazy about Drake! And of course he does the man justice. Sam Smith and Disclosure have a new single "Omen" which showcases just how great these guys are together. I wouldn't mind an entire Sam Smith/Disclosure album in the future so if anyone can make that happen it would be greatly appreciated. Check out the cover below:

Twitter: Sam Smith, Disclosure

Facebook: Sam Smith, Disclosure

Vevo: Sam Smith, Disclosure

Hopefully I've restored your love for a good cover video and maybe even gave you some new artists to look into. My job is done then. 

5 COVERS YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE ~ AS TOLD BY MADS

Thanks for reading! 

In the Lonely Hour Tour feat. Sam Smith and Gavin James

Yes, Louis Tomlinson is going to be a dad and that Cara Delevingne interview actually did happen but how is any of that possibly important when I saw Sam Smith last night? Fact: it's not. I went to the In the Lonely Hour Tour and it was definitely an experience for the books. This guy can sing...but I'm sure you knew that, right? Believe me, if you were considering dropping the money on tickets to this show, it's well spent. Here's what went down...

First off I was pretty much just expecting to listen to some laid back, soulful sounds while people around me cry over past relationships. This was half true. Yes it was laid back, yes it was soulful but man was it actually one of the most rocking shows I've been to. I know that sounds weird because, hey, it's Sam Smith. Trust me. This guy knows how to party.

Starting with an incredible opening act whom I'd never even heard of, Gavin James made me want to melt into a puddle right there in my seat. His indie/alt sound was something fresh and his voice was just enough to drive you wild, reminding me a bit of Rixton frontman, Jake Roche. I'll definitely be looking into Gavin for my next music obsession.

Now for the main act...SAM.SMITH. This guy sort of came out of nowhere (at least on my radar). Sometimes I forget his Disclosure collab because "Stay With Me" put the spotlight directly on the man himself and still makes me have all the feels a year after its release. All of the classics were included in this tour including "Lay Me Down,"I'm Not the Only One," and my personal fave "Money on My Mind." There was a little bit of sultry, a little bit of sexy, and a whole lot of actual exciting fun to be had for everyone. Smith's band along with backup singers who are stars in their own rights, contributing exclusively to a mashup of Marvin Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and Amy Winehouse's "Tears Dry on Their Own," blew me away from beginning to end. They actually had a sold out stadium doing choreography. Needless to say, it was amazing.

What I really couldn't get over though was how genuinely happy this man is. The only pictures I took the entire time were actually of his reaction to the applause and praise from the crowd immediately after each number. Nowadays it's hard to pinpoint the stars who actually realize what's important - THE FANS! These are the people who got you where you are today. Without them, you would just be another starving artist looking for any opportunity to make a buck. That's what I like about Sam Smith. You can tell just by looking at him that he is the most appreciative person you'd ever be lucky enough to meet. He's doing what he loves and he knows this doesn't just happen to anyone. It's always nice to see this in someone who actually deserves it. His talent speaks for itself.

I've never seen someone so passionate about life's journey, overcoming obstacles, and learning from mistakes. The ability to turn something negative into such a positive message for people of all ages to relate to is truly an amazing feat and I applaud Sam Smith for being able to do this with such maturity  and eloquence. It's hard to believe he's only twenty-three. Bravo, Sam.

The In the Lonely Hour Tour is still going strong. Click here to check out the rest of the tour dates. I recommend this concert highly. Merch is a bit pricey but a great experience overall. Stay tuned for more concert reviews and music news. Check out a few videos below:

Sam Smith's newest Disclosure collab - "Omen"

Sam Smith - "Like I Can"

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IN THE LONELY HOUR TOUR REVIEW ~ AS TOLD BY MADS
Thanks for reading!