The opinion of cover songs tends to have a negative connotation towards the public, however they can actually highlight a popular aspect of the original that correlates with the public’s appreciation for it. For instance, I found Alien Ant Farm’s cover of, “Smooth Criminal”, by Michael Jackson to be an exceptional cover. Alien Ant Farm did not try to make the song their own, but instead made it a tribute to Michael Jackson with their own spin to it. Similarly, Israel Daramola discusses the factors that make up a good cover song in, “Taylor Swift’s ‘September’ Cover Is Completely Joyless,”. Daramola states it is not the act of someone else singing a previously recorded song that is the problem, but it is the lack of appreciation the cover gives to the original. As Daramola states, “nothing wrong with putting your own spin on something, but the best covers capture the beauty already hidden in the original.” Moreover, Alien Ant Farm’s cover keeps the tempo, lyrics, and even some of the choreography of the original the same. Alien Ant Farm did a complete tribute to the original and demonstrated how amazing the song is through playing it in a completely different genre. What I found to be the most interesting aspect of this cover was that I can still hear Michael Jackson’s “Voice” on the song. Although the song is played with as a heavy metal song instead of pop, the groove and soul from Michael Jackson in the original is still there.
