Katy Perry's Songs Are Always Better Once They've Been Boyced

Boyce Avenue released their third Katy Perry cover this week....an acoustic version of The One That Got Away.

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about how Boyce Avenue can take a song that is just okay and turn it into something I love. Their covers of Katy Perry's songs are a perfect example of exactly what I'm talking about. I actually really like Katy's stuff. It's a lot of fun to dance to. But sometimes her lyrics are just a bit too suggestive for my tastes, and I think her overall image is a little bit inappropriate for the teenage girls who idolize her. So while I don't necessarily change the station when her songs come on the radio, I would never buy them.  I'd much rather support artists that demonstrate the notion that a song doesn't have to be raunchy or sexually explicit to be good.  Artists like Boyce Avenue, for example.

My personal opinion is that Katy Perry's songs are always better once they've been Boyced.  So I thought it would be fun to look at the three Katy Perry songs that Boyce Avenue has covered and invite you to see what I'm talking about. :)

First they did it with their cover of Teenage Dream. The original lyrics to this song suggest that getting drunk on the beach, getting a hotel room and going all the way (with no regrets) is romantic. Alejandro made this song so much better by changing the lyrics in the second verse and in the chorus, turning the message of the song into, "Let's take our time and get to know each other....there's no need to rush." I really admire and respect the choices that he made when he re-wrote the lyrics to this song. It sends a much more appropriate message to the teenage audience the song was originally targeted for.

(Sidenote: You know that "thump" I love in Dare To Believe? There's one in Teenage Dream, too....right as he hits that power note at the 3:00 mark, which also happens to be my favorite part of the song. ♥)




Then, there's Firework, a collaboration Boyce Avenue did with David Choi on the violin. This one amazes me, because even though the tempo of the song doesn't change from the original, it somehow seems more intimate, more personal, more meaningful. There's something about the softness of Alejandro's voice in this one just struck a chord with me.  I like to think he's singing it to people who are really struggling with low self-esteem, or are just in a dark place, encouraging them to remember how amazing they are, which is clearly the message intended with this song.

He also changed the lyrics in the bridge, replacing Katy's "Boom, boom, boom, even brighter than the moon, moon, moon...." with "So don't ever take your life for granted, you're the only one who needs to rule your world; when life leaves you feelin' empty-handed, light it up and show 'em what you're worth."

BOOM indeed!!  Just like that, the song is so much better.




And now, there's The One That Got Away. Like the others, the tempo doesn't change from the original, but it feels slower somehow, more meaningful. This song has heartbreaking lyrics, and Boyce Avenue's stripped down acoustic cover delivers the message of the song much more powerfully than the upbeat techno dance club feel of the original.

My favorite part of this cover is at the 3:45 mark. Alejandro gets really into the song and belts out, "The wahhhhhhhn, the wahhhhhhhn....." and it gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.




I would also like to mention that it's nice to see Fabian in this video.  somehow, seeing all three of the guys in their videos makes them feel complete to me.

So, there it is....that's why I say that Katy Perry's songs are always better once they've been Boyced. Do you agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments below.