Whitney Houston's death on February 11th was mourned by fans around the world and by the countless artists who had worked with her in the music and film industries.
On twitter, Alejandro and Fabian tweeted their sorrow at the news. Alejandro said she had "one of my favorite voices, always" and Fabian called her "one of the greatest female singers of all time." I assumed they would pay tribute to her with a cover of one of her songs, but I could not imagine what song it would be.
My memories of Whitney Houston were of her earlier career, and I wasn't familiar with the song they chose....if I had heard it, I didn't remember it. But their choice couldn't have been more perfect. "I Look To You" is an incredible song of hope and faith. Written by R. Kelly, it is the title track from Whitney Houston's seventh and final studio album, released in August 2009.
Alejandro sings this song beautifully, hitting the falsettos perfectly, and even including some subtle vocal runs reminiscent of Whitney Houston's style. Listening to this song for the first time, I got very emotional....it made me think of my sister, who has always been a huge source of strength and support for me. It also made me reflect on my faith and the belief that God lifts us and strengthens us through life's storms.
Click here to buy Boyce Avenue's cover of "I Look To You" on iTunes.
Boyce Avenue has covered Adele's "Set Fire To The Rain" and it is, in my opinion, their best Adele cover to date.
I really love this song, and I always love it when the guys play what my friend Vikki calls "the sexy guitar." The sound the electric guitar produces when it's used with a delay and reverb is so cool....it has a haunting, ethereal quality to it that really fits the mood of the song.
The Normandy guitar Fabian is playing in this video is my favorite out of all the guitars he plays. I've heard him call it a "manly guitar" ....with a metal body, it can't be a light piece of equipment. I just love everything about it....it suits him really well.
I would be remiss if I didn't point out Alejandro's incredible vocal skills. So many people define a powerful vocal by the volume or range of a singer, but for me, Alejandro proves time and time again that sometimes less is more. He does that so well in this cover, holding those long notes flawlessly, and putting all of his heart and soul into the lyrics.
Click here to buy Boyce Avenue's cover of "Set Fire To The Rain" on iTunes.
I'm just gonna put this out there....I have absolutely NO IDEA how people can listen to Boyce Avenue and not fall completely in love with them. It seriously boggles my mind.
I realize I'm a bit biased, what with my unrelenting obsession and all, but it seems I always love the covers they do so much more than the originals. This is especially true when they take an upbeat, techno, dance club song that has been painfully overplayed on the radio, and they turn into something completely different, and make it sound like a whole new song. They do it often, and they do it well.
Rihanna's Only Girl and We Found Love.
Katy Perry's Teenage Dream, Firework, and The One That Got Away.
Bruno Mars' Grenade.
Their AMAZING Nothin' On You/My Love/Rocketeer mash-up.
The list goes on and on....
And now they've done it again, with David Guetta and Usher's Without You.
I really like the original version of this song a lot. It has an awesome beat, and it's virtually impossible for me to listen to it and successfully resist the urge to dance around like a nutter.
But the lyrics are vulnerable and sad, and in my opinion, they don't match the music at all. Even watching the video, I could never figure out why everyone was dancing around and happy when Usher was so full of angst.
Here's the video for the original version from David Guetta featuring Usher.
Boyce Avenue's version, on the other hand, is much more fitting for the lyrics.
I listen to so much Boyce Avenue that Alejandro's voice has become familiar to me. There are certain things about his voice when he sings that always stand out to me....the raspiness of it when he sings down in his lower register, the smooth silkiness of his falsettos, the steady control he displays when he holds the long notes, and the raw emotion when he gets really into it and just belts out the lyrics....it's all just very comfortable to me. I put on a pair of headphones, turn up he volume, close my eyes, and just curl up in it, the way you curl up in a warm blanket.
This video has all of that and more. I especially enjoyed watching Fabian in this one....you can tell he's really feelin' the music by the way he's bouncin' his head around. :) Daniel is always fun to watch on the Cajon, and I love how it's used to increase the energy of the song as it progresses. It makes it fun to listen to without distracting from the lyrics.
I love, love, LOVE the combination of acoustic and electric guitars in this cover. There's this subtle little lick in the chorus that I noticed and I just think it's so cool...the first time I heard it was at about 1:33, played by Fabian on the electric....but then, in the second chorus, you can hear it played on both the acoustic (2:30, 2:32, 2:34, 2:37, 2:39, and 2:41) and then on the electric (2:45, 2:49, 2:53, 2:55) and I just love the way it takes two instruments that sound so different and brings them together. It's a really awesome arrangement.
In September of 2007, Boyce Avenue began showcasing their emotive, radio-friendly style on YouTube with videos of original material, as well as cover versions of popular songs. The videos began to resonate instantly with YouTube viewers. To date, the band has accumulated over 300 million views on YouTube, and has over a half million subscribers, making their channel one of the most frequented worldwide on YouTube. Their covers have been released in the form of seven digital EPs via their independent record label, 3Peace Records.
In 2008, they released their first full-length album of original music, All You’re Meant to Be.
In 2009, with their sights set on connecting with their online fan base, they turned their attention to touring, playing four headlining shows in the Philippines. Since then, the band has completed four tours in Europe, including shows in Germany, Ireland, France and the UK, and three US/Canada tours, with sold out shows in such major markets as Boston, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco and Seattle, and near-capacity shows in many other cities.
In addition to these tours, Boyce Avenue returned to the Phillipines in February 2010 to play two shows with 2009 American Idol Winner Kris Allen and the popular dance group The Jabbawockees, and opened two shows for The Goo Goo Dolls in Florida in August 2010.
In March 2010, the band released their second album of original material, All We Have Left. The album contains re-worked songs from their debut album, as well as new, previously unreleased songs.
Incredibly talented, down to earth and hard-working, keeping their fans at the forefront of everything they do, Boyce Avenue are well on their way to becoming one of the most successful bands in the industry.
