Let's talk about covers one more time to remind people what I think makes a good one.
1. The artist has to pay homage to the original.
2. The artist has to put a spin on it to make it their own.
3. The artist has to do something a bit different than the original.
Does this cover check all those boxes, hell yes it does. Michael Powers is a Nashville based singer/songwriter that you may have seen on Season 11 of American Idol. He's got a style that's distinctly all his own and it's amazing. It's not that he sings his songs in a minor key but when he does a cover, he strips is down, slows it down and gives is so much personality and gravitas that it's a whole new song by the end of it.
This version of Chandelier is so mournful that it took me a minute to be able to fully wrap my head around it. This is a man that's had almost everything taken from him that the only thing he can do is fully throw everything away and live life without abandon. He's fighting to stay strong but he's getting close to his breaking point. It's more than "fake it til you make it" this is survival. This is coming back from the precipice and doing everything he can to regain control of his life again. Michael's voice is so grounded in a life well lived that you are wrapped up in it and you are able to draw comfort from him even though he is broken and battered (in this cover that is). There is so much emotion being harnessed that I had to stop writing and just listen to him and appreciate all the nuances in his voice. This man is incredible and should be a super star.
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