Take Cover: Taylor Swift’s ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’
Taylor Swift of 'One Chance' poses at the Guess Portrait Studio during 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2013 in Toronto, Canada.
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The Vamps
YouTube Channel: The Vamps
You had me at "hello," Vamps. From the opening phrase of their version, with singer Bradley Will Simpson's unblunted Birmingham accent giving Swift's lyrics a whole new charm, accompanied by a couple sparse guitar strikes and then a rich three-part harmony on "said you needed space, 'what?'", the U.K. trio nails it on all levels. Modestly presented to highlight their genuine musicality, the clip offers an appealing introduction to the acoustic-guitar-strumming teen moppets. If you like it, check out a video a fan made of them playing an original song on the street outside Sony's UK offices on a day One Direction were there visiting.
Performance: A
Presentation: A
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Matty B Raps
YouTube Channel: Matty B Raps
If you've paid attention to YouTube cover artists at all in the past six months, you've probably come across pre-tween rapper-singer Matty B, who has garnered millions of views thanks to a growing legion of two-12-year-old fans. His versions are always altered to be G-rated, so for this one, the premise is that Matty B has had a terrible play date and is really steamed. Hence lyrics like, "You go talk to your mom, talk to my mom, talk to me." It can sometimes be cute when Matty B furrows his brow and tries to seem like a lil' thug, but here it feels more forced than usual. Worse still, even with all the layers of effects on his voice during the chorus, there's just no mistaking the fact that Matty B can't sing. And if he's going to cover songs with vocal melodies, he's going to have to work harder at it.
Performance: C
Presentation: B
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Ebony Day
YouTube Channel: Ebony Day
This 19-year-old singer from Bournemouth, U.K. – whose YouTube covers have more than 16 million views – offers a coolly ethereal take on the tune, layering her honeyed voice to intoxicating effect over sparse piano and acoustic guitar accompaniment. The lightness and tenderness of Day's delivery gives the songs a sense of vulnerability you don't hear in Swift's own recording, and it's a nice twist. Some of her other videos are more cleanly presented, but there's something charming about how casual this clip is – Day in a sweatshirt and leggings, singing verses in her backyard or sitting on a ledge outside her modest brick suburban home.
Performance: A
Presentation: B+
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Kingston
YouTube Channel: We Are Kingston
Nashville sibling duo Josh and Zach Carter make Swift's tune even cheesier, with showy yet soulless harmonies and a performance so overwrought they look like they're gonna leave pit stains on their Henleys. I'm not sure which one is Josh and which one is Zach, but the bro in the foreground really needs to relax with the constant hand gestures. Perhaps it would have come off better if they'd done an abbreviated rendition and hadn't worn matching outfits.
Performance: B-
Presentation: B-