Cover Songs are bad spirit…aren’t they?

There is a saying out there somewhere among people that says that the basic thing the TV Show “Glee” does is ruining original songs by turning them into miserable, horrible covers. Now, I’m not as much of a fan anymore as I used to be at the beginning (because in my opinion, that series made a massive way downwards from a certain point in Season 3 on), but I still watch it, and yes – for the songs.

Over the past years there have been loads and loads of covers from the Cast, songs which were horrible, even before being covered (I’m just going to throw “Friday” in here, that says everything), songs that weren’t horrible before but then, after they were performed on the show, were ruined. And then, there are the songs that I seriously, seriously despised from the moment they were released. Each to their own, and basically, most of the songs I hate nowadays are the ones everyone else seems to like, so maybe I am the real problem here. But fact is, for me, “Glee” has these tiny moments that make me fall in love for a song that I hated before.

One of the biggest examples I can name is definitely “Defying Gravity”. I have never watched the musical “Wicked”, where that song is originated in. Neither did I ever have any ambition to – and the fact that Chris Colfer sang the song in Season 1 with one of the most annoying voices ever didn’t help. Now I’m going to be slated by everyone, so I’m quickly going to say that he has developed. His voice got a lot deeper, and when, a week back, the song was performed again on the current 5th Season (together with Lea Michele & Amber Riley) – I fell in love with it. I have heard the musical version of the song, and it has never been “mine” at all, I’m just not a sucker for love songs/ballads on a show (only very rarely). But the Season 5 version of the song gives me goosebumps to no end and – which is even more important – has now made me plan my 1st visit to the show at the Victoria Apollo Theatre in London somewhen in July.

Another good example are the songs “We Are Young”  & “Some Nights” of the band FUN. I never liked the band, neither did I like their songs, sorry. But the “Glee” Cast versions of these two songs always make me massively smile whenever I hear them. The vocals of everyone together are insane, in my opinion.

And then…there is Michael Jackson. Don’t get me wrong, may he rest in peace forever. I just always despised him. I had no respect for him due to all this face surgery thing with him, his weird character and behaviour and…I don’t know. His music gave me absolutely NOTHING when I listened to it. Then the Michael Jackson-themed episode on in Season 3 came. I’m not going to lie, until this day forward, the songs in that certain episode remain few of my favourites from the entire show. Whenever I hear “Smooth Criminal”, I’m totally rocking it in my mind, have the scene with Naya Rivera & Grant Gustin in my head. Listening to “Black & White” even makes me love Chris Colfers voice to a certain extent, because he has amazing vocals at a certain part in the song. Not to speak about the “Thriller/Heads Will Roll” mash-up in Season 2 – boom, that one always gets me.

There are so many songs on that show that in general don’t really bother me, but whenever I hear them being performed on that show, I notice how I start bopping my head to the tunes, tipping my feet on the ground. And hell, there are a few more than talented people on that Cast, especially Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Darren Criss & Naya Rivera (seriously, her version of “Girl On Fire” is loads and loads and loads better than that awful Alicial Keys version!!!). I think these 4 are few of the most underrated singers/actors that I have ever seen performing (on a screen). Their voices and performances give me goosebumps, and the songs that they are singing are most often the songs on the show that I disliked beforehand and fall in love with after watching them perform them.

So my opinion is: no, “Glee” does NOT ruin original songs (apart from the fact that they have a few killer songs that are originated on the show itself, “Loser Like Me” will always be my all-time favourite), neither does the show diminish the value that the actual performers have for their songs, whenever they sing them on a stage at a concert or even in a musical. In fact, I think that when certain songs are sung on “Glee”, they get even more attention than before, and that is everything else but a bad thing.

This all, of course, is only my personal opinion, but I feel sorry for the show/the actors for being slated so much after performing certain songs on the show, and it pisses me off to no end, because everyone on that show is talented in their own way and they deserve a bit of respect and appreciation for what they do. After all, it’s not as easy as everyone thinks to walk in the footsteps of a Michael Jackson, Adele, Madonna or whoever. It takes guts.

And these actors have them. Period.