The release of the movie Furious 7 a couple of weeks ago has undoubtedly brought back memories of the fateful day Paul Walker tragically died in a high-speed car crash.
The song "See you Again" by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth, composed in honour of Paul Walker, has inspired countless covers by many young artists on YouTube.
This is not the genre of music I typically relish, but the haunting melody of the song, the feelings of love, nostalgia, longing, remembrance, sadness and consolation, recently led me to discover some wonderfully composed covers of the song. Here's a brief list of some of my favourite covers:
Amir's cover of the song is soulful and expressive. The exquisite piano accompaniment complements a resonant singing voice that exudes emotion. Amir demonstrates vocal skills in both the lower and higher registers. The cover climaxes in the middle sections, forming a dramatic crescendo after which it settles into a quiet reminiscing of good times, cherished memories and hopeful anticipation.
Tyler Ward's cover is poignant, with an artfully composed guitar accompaniment. He sings with passion, showing much control in his voice. He keeps the melody line simple yet elegant. Tyler Ward's staid demeanor throughout his performance adds to the pathos and beauty of his cover.
Connie Talbot sings the song beautifully. She captures the melancholy mood of the song by adding slight variations to the melody, rhythm and instrumentation of the original. Her attractive singing voice is well-suited to the song. She is very talented to sing and accompany herself at the same time!
Jason Chen's cover is also one of my favorites. It is sung with much feeling, intensity and skill. A musically exciting rendition, the cover showcases a variety of singing styles and motifs. Again, the artist demonstrates excellent vocal skills. Jason Chen's departure from the main rhythm of the song towards the end of his performance also provides a new flavor and dimension to the cover. While he retains the original piano prelude of the song, he adds his own improvisations to the latter parts of the cover.
Was there a purely instrumental cover? Perhaps a simple piano or guitar rendition of the musical tribute to Paul Walker? Notable among these was the piano cover by Amosdoll Music. The guitar cover by Peter Gergely was well done also!
I could mention several other notable covers, but the list must stop somewhere! One must also note that it takes courage to make a cover for a song like "See you again," which evokes such powerful, often disturbing memories. And when the original song is complete in every way, it is that much harder to remake!
The young artists who dared to make covers for "See you Again" must therefore be applauded. Certainly Paul Walker's memory has once again come to life with their effort. Nothing better than to be immortalized through music, and the wonderful words that accompany it!
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