Punk Goes Pop 4
By Jackie Cular
Fearless Records will release another gem with Punk Goes Pop 4 on November 21. The album is filled with covers, mostly from Fearless acts, of today’s pop and rap hits. The artists put their magic touch on these hits, make them their own, and rock them heavy. Here is the Play by Play.
“Just the Way You Are”—Pierce the Veil covers this Bruno Mars track and adds their own rock edge. Vic Fuentes’ voice has the sweetness and range needed for this song.
“Little Lion Man”—The song made Mumford and Sons a household name, but Tonight Alive rocks the song. Jenna McDougall’s vocals bring a darker edge to this Grammy hit. She is one to watch.
“Last Friday Night”—Katy Perry be damned, Woe, Is Me has taken this song to new heights. Gone is the perky, syrupy sweetness as the band rocks the tune into oblivion. They transform this pop hit far beyond a mere cover.
“Roll Up’’—Previously performed by Wiz Khalifa, this rap hit is a slow starter as a cover for The Ready Set and Mod Sun, but by the time it ends there is a delicious blend pop and rap.
“F**k You”—Cee Lo Green created this ultra-catchy tune, so desirable even Gwyneth Paltrow couldn’t leave it alone. Thankfully Kellin Quinn and the rest of Sleeping With Sirens aren’t afraid to swear or kick things up a notch or five. Quinn’s amazing range and powerful voice is exactly what is needed to yank this song from “Glee” and bring it back to its R rating. Quinn finally breaks out his infamous beatboxing, too.
“Rolling in the Deep”—Adele made this track an international sensation, thus making it difficult to top. Jason Lancaster does a good job handling the passionate lyrics and the rest of Go Radio makes the song rock in a very radio-friendly way.
“You Belong to Me”—Leave up to hardcore to take a Taylor Swift song and turn it on its heels. For All Those Sleeping make this song almost recognizable—the mix of ultra-heavy screams combined with Mike Champa’s vocals are a slightly-confusing blend. The breakdown and hints of autotune make this version a hardcore hit that doesn’t run through the flowers.
“We R Who We R”—Ke$ha assaulted our ears with this track first, but Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! has the last laugh. This band from Paris, France crosses genres and has more talents than Ke$ha has glitter. This cover is much more enjoyable than the original.
“Love the Way You Lie”—Eminem and Rihanna made this song a hit, but A Skylit Drive only needs Mike Jagmin to the job of two. This version does a stellar job of portraying the anger of the original lyrics.
“Yeah 3X”—Chris Brown blasted dance halls with this tune long before he was known for scandals. Allstar Weekend add some guitars and stronger vocals to create another club hit.
“Till the World Ends”—A Punk Goes… album is not complete without a Britney Spears track and it’s I See Stars’ turn at the helm. The band sticks to the song’s strong club roots, but adds a sprinkling of hardcore spice.
“Runaway”—Silverstein and Down With Webster pick up where Kanye West and Pusha T left off. They toast the “jerk-offs, “assholes,” and “douche bags” is classic form.
“Super Bass”—Nicki Minaj is in a class by herself, thus it is a tall order to cover one of her songs. The Downtown Fictions takes the challenge on the album’s final track. The band keeps up well with Minaj’s rapid-fire lyrics and twists the track into a radio-friendly pop hit.
Fearless Records has a long and stellar Punk Goes series developed. Look online to buy all of them.
