Ravenna Golden Releases Cover of Weezer’s “Beverly Hills”
On February 24th, hyperpop artist Ravenna Golden released her cover of Weezer’s iconic hit, “Beverly Hills.” Full of incredibly glitchy electronics, hyper-produced vocals, and hard-hitting bass, Ravenna Golden’s version does what most covers should: remain true to the covering artist’s style. Too many artists will try to stay faithful to the original recording when recording a cover, but the best covers are the ones that take an iconic song and recontextualize it.
Ravenna Golden did try to keep the melody as close to the original as possible, but there are certain tweaks that work better for the hyperpop style. While the production is the hyperpop standard of abrasiveness, this actually makes the pain of the song’s lyrics hit harder than it did on the original recording. The most clarity in the vocals is at the start of the second verse, when the lyrics are saying “Look at all those movie stars. They’re all so beautiful and clean.” This nod towards the distortion and “unclean” nature of hyperpop production is a really nice touch.
Around the halfway point of the song, Ravenna Golden introduces some guitars into the mix and then promptly removes them. Whether this is just meant as an homage to the original recording or if it also meant to represent the death of the guitar in pop music – at least by hyperpop’s standards – is besides the point. It’s one of the most interesting moments in a cover full of interesting moments, and I think it’s worth a listen from anyone trying to get into hyperpop with a song that they already recognize to understand exactly how the production style differs from most other production styles.
I would say that is the most important impact of this cover: not only does it do what a good cover should, but it also provides a launching point for those interested in a new genre of music. Check out Ravenna Golden’s “Beverly Hills” below, and let us know what you think!
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