High school me loved watching cover videos on YouTube. Twenty-three year old me can’t stand covers, because often they’re unoriginal or don’t do the original any sort of justice. So when I saw one of my favorite up-and-coming artists — Kweku Collins — covered the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps,” I was weary not because of his talents, but because of covers in general.
“I’ve been in love with ‘Maps’ by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs since middle school,” Kweku said, so he “figured it was bout time to cover it.”
And cover it, he did. Collins takes the bouncy, lighthearted energy from the original and fleshes it out with airy synthesizers and a knocking set of drums as Kweku’s signature wavering voice flutters, “wait, they don’t love you like I love you.”
Listen to the cover below.
