Another inspiration for the New Year.
Cover Battle – “Shake it Off” November 21, 2014
Oh dear Lord –
I LIKE A TAYLOR SWIFT SONG.
Yeah, let that shite sink in, why don’t you.
“Shake it Off” is one of those perfect little pop songs that will just not leave you alone. It’s got a really catchy hook, and it actually says something. Swift is basically taking all the crap that people say about her (“I go on too many dates; But I can’t make them stay; At least that’s what people say“) and basically saying “whatev”: that no matter what you do people are gonna say what they want to say (“haters gonna hate hate hate hate“) and I’m just gonna do me. That is such an excellent message for young girls, who are her chief fan base, and for people in general. I like that.
And I recently saw her on The Graham Norton Show, with John Cleese and cricketer Kevin Pietersen. She was intelligent, well-spoken and very engaging. She was funny, and she held her own – with John Cleese, for goodness sakes!?! And … and … she named her cat Olivia Benson, after the Law & Order: SVU character played by Mariska Hargitay! How cool is that? She’s probably like a really good best friend. Also a bit of an annoying best friend ‘cuz she’s so sweet and so charming, and so good at stuff and ugh, my god. Okay Taylor – I almost kinda like you. Sort of. Gosh darn it!
Kelly Clarkson put a gospel-tinged, bluesy-soul spin on the opening lines of the song. It’s unexpected, but it works. I would have liked to hear her do the whole thing that way, but I’m not sure it would have fit. After that first chorus she brings it back to the original pop sound. There’s a quick section, around the 4:00 mark where she and her backup singer trades licks and really throw down. Over all, it’s a nice fun cover.
“All About That Bass” singer Megan Trainor sounds very light and sweet in her live radio performance. It’s just her and an accompanist playing guitars in the studio.
At first look I wasn’t sure about this parody video, by Youtube user Lisbug: the lyrics sung were so snotty and rude, but then I realized what was going on. She perfectly illustrates the message of the song by using some of the negative comments that she herself has received in the past, but then ‘shakes it off’ with the positive encouraging comments she’s also gotten. It’s a shame that people can’t just dislike something and move on; they have no problem saying ugly disgusting things. I would love it if we could all just be a little more human to each other.
Another parody video, from MyLifeSuckers, is pretty cute. It’s basically about mommy guilt from not being perfect and getting everything done. Her vocal skills aren’t all that stellar, but that’s not really the point. Everybody’s having fun, so it’s all good.
The last parody video I have (’cause there are quite a few out there) is from morning show Live with Kelly and Michael, featuring Michael Strahan and Kelly Ripa. It’s not even a parody, really; it’s pretty much a faithful recreation of Taylor’s official video. Same lyrics, setups and moves. That doesn’t make it any less enjoyable, though.
The cut I found from Alex Boye & Changing Lanes is listed as an “African Hipster Version”. It rocks, it swings, and it’s seriously fabulous. It’s even more up-tempo than Taylor’s version. I love this so much.
The loveliest and classiest cover is an instrumental violin version from the stylish ladies of Chargaux. They definitely elevate the composition to something more, yet they still keep it relatable and modern.
... but I digress 