Oscar Predictions, The Best Cover Songs of 2018, part 4 & This Week's Statistics

Hello again, my friends! In a couple of days from now, the Oscar nominations will be announced. Like I do every year, I will offer my personal predictions in every category, except for the short films. In each category, I will propose as many titles as there are slots plus one. Also, today, the penultimate part of the list with the best cover songs of 2018, as well as the week's statistics.

The Best Picture category is the only one without a fixed number of nominees - the number can range between 5 and 10. The usual number is 8 or 9. Roma, A Star Is Born, Green Book, and BlacKkKlansman are sure bets, while Vice, Black Panther, and The Favourite are more than likely candidates. Bohemian Rhapsody, If Beale Street Could Talk, First Man, and A Quiet Place will fight for the remaining 1-3 positions.

Alfonso Cuaron (Roma) is the favorite for Best Director, his main rivals being Spike Lee (BlacKkKlansman) and Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born). The contenders for the other two places are, in order of likelihood, Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite), Peter Farrelly (Green Book), and Adam McKay (Vice).

Christian Bale (Vice) is the favorite for Best Actor, while Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born), and

Viggo Mortensen (Green Book) will also most likely be nominated. Fighting for the precious fifth place are Ethan Hawke (First Reformed) and John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman).

There is a very close 3-way race for Best Actress. Glenn Close (The Wife) has a slight edge but Olivia Colman (The Favourite) and Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born) are very close behind. Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) will be the 4th nominee, while the fifth place belongs to either Yalitza Aparicio (Roma) or Emily Blunt (Mary Poppins Returns).

Mahershala Ali (Green Book) will go up against Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) for the Best Supporting Actor, while Sam Elliott (A Star Is Born), Timothee Chalamet (Beautiful Boy), and Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman) will most likely complete the list. In the unlikely case of an upset, it will probably come from Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther).

Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) appears to be the favorite in the Best Supporting Actress but I wouldn't discount Amy Adams (Vice) just yet. The two rivals for Queen Anne's affection in The Favourite, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone, will also compete against each other for Supporting Actress, while the fifth place belongs to either Claire Foy (First Man) or Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place).

If Beale Street Could Talk, BlacKkKlansman, and Can You Ever Forgive Me? will be the main contenders for Best Adapted Screenplay, while A Star Is Born, Black Panther, or Leave No Trace will fill the other two places.

Roma, The Favourite, Green Book, and Vice will occupy four out of five slots for Best Original Screenplay, while the fifth will go to either First Reformed or to Eight Grade.

First Man and If Beale Street Could Talk are the two favorites in the Best Score category, while Black Panther, Isle of Dogs, Mary Poppins Returns, or BlacKkKlansman fill out the list of five.

Shallow from A Star Is Born is the big favorite in the Best Song category, while All The Stars from Black Panther is close behind. I'll Fight from RBG and The Place Where Lost Things Go from Mary Poppins Returns are very close to a nomination, while Dumplin' from Girl In The Movies and Trip a Little Light Fantastic, again from Mary Poppins Returns are the likeliest bets for fifth place. Although, instead of having two songs from Mary Poppins Returns, I would rather Revelation from Boy Erased makes the cut.

Mexico's Roma is the favorite in the Foreign Language category but Poland's Cold War is close behind. Japan's Shoplifters and Lebanon's Capernaum also have a fighting chance. The fifth place would go to either South Korea's Burning or Germany's Never Look Away, although I would be happy if Denmark's The Guilty made it to the final five.

Up until a month or two ago, Incredibles 2 was the one to beat, as far as Best Animated Feature was concerned. Since then, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has risen to be the favorite. These two will compete against Isle of Dogs, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Mirai. The Grinch has a small chance of making it.

The Best Best Documentary Feature favorite has always been Won’t You Be My Neighbor? It still is, although Free Solo is right behind. RBG, Minding The Gap, and Three Identical Strangers follow, with Hale County This Morning, This Evening as a possible disruptor. Shirkers and Of Fathers And Sons are not completely without the power to create a surprise upset.

Here are my suggestions for the other categories, in order of likelihood:

Best Cinematography

Roma

The Favourite

First Man

A Star Is Born

Cold War

If Beale Street Could Talk

Best Production Design

Black Panther

Roma

The Favourite

Mary Poppins Returns

First Man

A Star Is Born

Best Costume Design

Black Panther

Mary Poppins Returns

The Favourite

Mary Queen of Scots

Bohemian Rhapsody

Fantastic Beasts 2

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Vice

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

Mary Queen of Scots

Best Film Editing

Roma

First Man

A Star Is Born

The Favourite

Vice

BlacKkKlansman

Best Sound Editing

A Quiet Place

First Man

Black Panther

A Star Is Born

Roma

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Best Sound Mixing

A Star Is Born

First Man

A Quiet Place

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

Mary Poppins Returns

Best Visual Effects

Black Panther

Ready Player One

Avengers Infinity War

First Man

Mary Poppins Returns

Solo: A Star Wars Story

In a couple of days, we'll know how wrong  I am. Or not.

Let's continue with the penultimate part of the list with the best cover songs of 2018.

20. Al Green covering Before the Next Teardrop Falls.

Even before he starts singing, you can tell that this is Al Green you are about to hear, and you immediately realize you have missed him. The cover of Before The Next Teardrop Falls, best known from Freddy Fender's 1975 hit, is the Reverend's first release in 10 years. Recorded as part of the Amazon Music "Produced By" series that pairs artists with big-time producers to create music magic, the song was produced by Matt Ross-Sprang at Memphis' Sam Phillips Recording Studio. Ross-Spang uses the Linda Martell more countrified cover version of the song as a template to bring out Green's voice in all its glory. - Walt Falconer

This is a small part of the song:

This is the original version by Duane Dee:

This is the #1 hit version by Freddy Fender. Full disclosure: I don't really like this version:

19. Titus Andronicus covering (I'm) Like a Rolling Stone.

I often get annoyed at artists changing pronouns in their covers. This happens a lot with love or lust song covers as if to ensure the singer's heterosexuality goes unquestioned (god forbid). In this case, though, the pronoun change makes all the difference. On his Like a Rolling Stone, Patrick Stickles changes every "you" into an "I". This seemingly small swap turns a caustic put-down into a critical self-examination. Nailing the details, he even extends that change to quoting Dylan's response to the famous "Judas!" jeer at the start. Pronouns aside, Like a Rolling Stone is the rare Dylan song that few bands cover well - perhaps because it's the rare Dylan song whose original recording is pretty much unimpeachable. Titus Andronicus, though, bring enough punk rage to give it a new edge while keeping the original swing (and the organ too). - Ray Padgett

Here

This is Bob Dylan's monumental original version:

18. Miranda Lambert covering My Father’s Gun.

Buried five songs into the Elton John album Tumbleweed Connection is a song called My Father’s Gun. You won't hear it on the radio, he almost never plays it in concert, and you certainly won't be able to find it on any greatest-hits package. It is a terrific song that tells a poignant tale of a Southern soldier who, after burying his father, takes his father's gun and joins the Civil War. It is not an easy song to sing, but Miranda Lambert absolutely owns it on Restoration: Reimagining The Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The arrangement plays things pretty close to the vest here, but it's the emotion Lambert puts in every verse that takes this one over the top. – Walt Falconer

This is Elton John's original version:

17. Aidan Moffat & RM Hubbert covering Only You.

A delightfully simple acoustic take on the Yazoo electronica hit. American readers may be unfamiliar with the a cappella cover that besmirched the UK #2 single position for aeons over Christmas in 1983, but this acts as a thoroughly suitable palate cleanser. Almost surprisingly sentimental, when you recall Moffatt was a former mainstay of abrasive Falkirk electro-gutterpunks Arab Strap. I prefer the first chorus ahead of the slightly clunky drums and strings, the lugubrious vocal and guitar evoking the heartfelt glow of a cozy fireside chair, with or without a peaty malt. - Seuras Og

This is the original by Yazoo:

16. VÉRITÉ covering John My Beloved.

I first encountered pop singer VÉRITÉ through a massive dance banger called Weekend. Hardly an obvious choice, then, to cover one of Sufjan Stevens' quietest songs (which is saying something). But she beautifully finds the middle ground, bending John My Beloved to her sound with synths and dance beats, while keeping the core true to Stevens' original mood. The end result sounds like something Robyn might come up with, a dance song full of heart and human emotion. - Ray Padgett

Here

In case you can't have access to the above, listen to it here.

This is the original by Sufjan Stevens:

15. Blackberry Smoke ft. Amanda Shires covering You Got Lucky.

Released to commemorate what would have been Tom Petty's 68th birthday, Charley Starr along with his band Blackberry Smoke enlisted the help of Amanda Shires to record this live-in-the-studio acoustic version of You Got Lucky. Shires adds a mournful almost funeral touch to the song as she plays the Benmont Tench parts on fiddle and supplies the backing vocals. - Walt Falconer

This is the original by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers:

14. Radical Face covering The Goonies “R” Good Enough.

The Goonies is one of those movies whose goodness is inversely proportional to the age you were when first introduced to it. Still, to this day it's a well-remembered rest stop on the road through puberty, and its Cyndi Lauper-sung theme, much like the Goonies themselves, never says die. Radical Face's cover tosses the plink-plink herky-jerky synths in favor of a quiet verse leading to a great wash of warm, fuzzy chorus. It's a welcome alteration - and you can Truffle Shuffle to it. - Patrick Robbins

This is the original by Cyndi Lauper:

13.The Pains of Being Pure at Heart covering Free Fallin'.

Anyone with a rudimentary skill-set and an acoustic guitar can belt out Petty's Free Fallin'. But Kip Berman of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart took those opening strums and started adding on. This atmospheric, slick version maintains some of the most memorable moments of the original - the ethereal backing vocals in the final verse, the emphasis on "Ventura Boulevard" - but adds swirls of guitars, a danceable drum track, and reverb-drenched handclaps. One thing it leaves out is any overt emotion in the vocals, which turns out to be a great blend with all the other elements. - Mike Misch

This is the original by Tom Petty:

12. Angelique Kidjo covering Born Under Punches.

Whilst her entire album cover of Remain in Light must, fingers crossed, be in the running for covers album of the year [Editor's Note: Oh yeah], to my ears her uber-Afropop spin works more successfully on some cuts than others. This is the one that mostly does it for me, a joyful and exuberant celebration that knocks the Heads into contrived-artifact territory. Robotic computer funk becomes an explosion of a natural and fluid flight into dance. A lesson in how to make an album's weakest track the strongest. - Seuras Og

This is the original by The Talking Heads:

11. The Kills covering List of Demands (Reparations).

It's easy to see why Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince expressed admiration verging on reverence for Saul Williams' original List of Demands (Reparations). Outside the song's lyrical power, it's a captivating musical puzzle: overtones of panic with cool-headed undertones, and such a mighty groove that even the recorded baby's wails bend to the beat. It's the sort of song you can see wowing Jack White, so it makes a six-degrees sort of sense that his Dead Weather bandmate Mosshart covers it in her day job The Kills. The cover is more melodic, choir-like in places, but it honors the directness of the original. And there's hardly a more trustworthy endorsement than Williams himself complimenting their take. - Merry Mercurial

This is the original by Saul Williams:

Finally, these are our statistics; the number of visits this week fell by 5.5%. The last story did OK and so did our "usual suspects" (George Maharis, Peter Straker, Dave Clark, Joe Jackson, etc.)

As far as countries are concerned, the United States, Brazil, and the Netherlands see their all-time rates rise, while France, Greece, Italy, and Cyprus experience minor losses. The rest of the major players keep their percentages stable.

Here are this week's Top 10 countries:

1. the United States

2. the United Kingdom

3. Canada

4. Germany

5. France

6. Russia

7. Australia

8. Greece

9. Brazil

10. the Netherlands

Here are the other countries that graced us with their presence since our last statistics (alphabetically): Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Austria, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, FYR Of Macedonia, Georgia, Ghana, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Sint Maarten, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Happy to have you all!

And here's the all-time Top 10:

1. the United States = 32.8%

2. France = 17.1%

3. the United Kingdom = 11.4%

4. Greece = 8.0%

5. Russia = 2.7%

6. Germany = 1.9%

7. Canada = 1.9%

8. Italy = 0.91%

9. Australia = 0.88%

10. Cyprus = 0.82%

That's all for today, folks. Till the next one!

The Best Cover Songs of 2018, part 3

Hello again, my friends! Time for the third part of the list of the best cover songs of 2018.

Kamasi Washington

30. Kamasi Washington covering Fists of Fury.

For the opening track to his new album Heaven and Earth, saxophonist Kamasi Washington took the theme song to the Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury, renamed it Fists of Fury and turned it into a full-fledged political anthem. The nine-minute fusion jazz symphony has a groove that captures the spirit of '70s blaxploitation, sax solos that emulate the sound of John Coltrane, and a message that resonates in our complicated times. When vocalists Patrice Quinn and Dwight Trible call out, "Our time as victims is over/We will no longer ask for justice/Instead we will take our retribution," it perfectly embodies the brutal Sturm und Drang that was 2018. - Curtis Zimmermann

This is a small part of the original album version:

This is a great live version at Rock the Garden:

These are James Wong, Joseph Koo, and Ku Chia Hui with the original, as heard in the Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury (1971):

29. Mandy Barnett ft. John Hiatt covering A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done.

With this cover, Mandy Barnett continues proving that her voice can flex far beyond the roots of country. The Sonny & Cher original is a wistful remembrance of carefree childhood days, its happy-sad lyrics complemented by a pruned big-band orchestration. Barnett traces Cher's path with undaunted range. Sleek, full, and nuance, her vocals sail above the blues-deep tone of guest John Hiatt, who steps into Sonny's role, making a wonderful contrast. While the original was more playful, this one digs into the mournful nature of letting go of the playing-cowboy days. - Merry Mercurial

If the video is geo-blocked for you, listen to the song here.

This is the Sonny & Cher original:

28. Berhana covering Whole Wide World.

As the resident self-proclaimed expert on covers of Wreckless Eric's garage-punk classic Whole Wide World, I had to check out this one, by 25-year-old singer Amain Berhane. He performs as Berhana and recently had a song placed on the great show Atlanta. He offers a unique take on the song: a laid-back, dreamy version with electronics and R&B influences, and more. I'll let the artist describe it: "If you heard the song, it's kinda like garage from the '70s. It's so good. I wanted to put a different spin on the same words. I wanted it to have an old-timey, surf rock feel. Steel guitar and slides." Berhana's version might have slid into the top five if I was writing my earlier piece now, although the liberal insertion of what I'll have to call the "N-Word" makes me a bit uncomfortable (and I suspect Wreckless Eric would agree). - Jordan Becker

This is the original by Wreckless Eric:

27. Ratboys covering I Don't Want To Live On The Moon.

It's a nice place to visit, Ernie tells us, but "I Don't Want To Live on the Moon." Neither do I, but I wouldn't mind living in Ratboy's cover. It feels big without feeling menacing; it's sweet, thanks in large part to Julie Steiner's vocal performance. It moves at a comfortable pace, neither breakneck nor shamble, and it's got a welcoming spirit. If this song was a vehicle, it would be a bright yellow customized van. As it is, I plan on taking it out for a spin more than a few times in the weeks to come. - Patrick Robbins

You can listen to it here.

This is the original from Sesame Street:

26. Iron & Wine covering What I Am.

Edie Brickell and New Bohemians stormed the pop charts in the late '80s with What I Am, a dance track for the Deadhead crowd. For his recent cover, Sam Beam stripped the song down to its most basic elements. Without the warbly guitar fireworks or Brickell's booming voice, the "unplugged" folk jazz rendition of the song becomes a quiet exploration of one's own psyche. Beam rolls out the song's lyrics as both a statement of oneself and an open-ended question for the ages: "I'm not aware of too many things/I know what I know, if you know what I mean." Indeed. – Curtis Zimmermann

You can listen to it here.

This is the original by Edie Brickell and New Bohemians:

25. Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton & Lee Ann Womack covering Gotta Serve Somebody.

One of several highlights from the most excellent Muscle Shoals: Small Town, Big Sound covers album, this one will have you jumping into the way back machine to search out the Bob Dylan original from Slow Train Coming. The cover, slowed down just a bit from the original, seems to be enhanced with the lyrics popping to the forefront courtesy of the bourbon-soaked voices of Jamey, Willie, and Chris, three cowboys doing their best to save Outlaw Country. Lee Ann Womack jumps on board in just the right places to class up the joint. - Walt Falconer

You can listen to the original by Bob Dylan here.

This is a live version at the Grammy Awards Ceremony, 1980:

24. Marc Ribot ft. Tom Waits covering Bella Ciao (Goodbye Beautiful).

The original Bella Ciao, an Italian folk song performed to resist fascism during World War Two, has been covered many times. Its original melody was composed in the early 20th century by rice-weeders, but its meaning is timeless. Each covering artist makes it personal to their own story of saying goodbye to an oppressor. Tom Waits brings a sweet sadness to it with a husky voice and a slower tempo. Marc Ribot tells a clear story about the struggles of our times in the shadow of our nation's capital. This poignant video is its own act of resistance. - Elizabeth Erenberg

This is one of the most famous versions, by Giovanna Daffini:

... And this is the version by Milva:

23. The Killers covering Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters.

It takes a special vocalist to pull of an Elton John tune without sounding trite and forced, and The Killers' Brandon Flowers manages that his cover of Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters. This song is a perfect choice for Flowers, both vocally and instrumentally. The updated synth heavy backing and satisfyingly thick harmonies give the cover an air of modernity while still staying true to the original. - Angela Hughey

This is the original by Elton John:

22. Mutoid Man covering She's a Lady.

Two years ago, metal trio Mutoid Man surprised, and likely alarmed, some New York City subway riders with a raging take on She's a Lady performed in between stations stops. The occasion was a gag for online metal-comedy show Two Minutes To Late Night, and the production quality reflected as much. Thankfully, the band finally recorded it properly, and it's a rager. The novelty element remains, certainly, but the ultimate cheeseball song actually works in this thrashfest context. Don't be surprised if, instead of throwing panties at the next Tom Jones concert, the old ladies start a mosh pit. - Ray Padgett

This is the original by Tom Jones:

21. Amy Shark covering Teenage Dirtbag.

The Wheatus offers an anthem protesting guilt by association: singer Brendan B. Brown was villainized as a kid for liking bands the rougher characters liked. Whiny and melodic with a singalong chorus, it was the everywhere song of 2000. Not an obvious choice for Australian Gold Coast import Amy Shark to cover, but by the time she's done, it's hers. She dials the cover down to acoustics to start, then takes it through alternating but cooperative vibes of balladry and heartbroken country before landing back at the song's pop-punk birthright. The verses feel made for the soft, emotive licks of her voice, which powers up in a snap to deliver the iconic chorus. - Merry Mercurial

This is the original by Wheatus:

More stories to come. Have a great day (or night) and take care!

Green Book (2018), The Best Cover Songs of 2018, part 2 & This Week's Statistics

Hello again, my friends! The film I'll be presenting today both has a gay theme, as well as being one of the most talked-about films of the moment. It's Green Book, directed by Peter Farrelly.

The film is doing very well at the box-office and has so far gathered dozens of awards and nominations, beginning with the predictive People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and passing through its recent three major wins at the Golden Globes (Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Screenplay, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role / Mahershala Ali) on its way to certain major Oscar nominations.

My impression of the film; it's good entertainment, elevated by two fantastic performances, by Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. Or, as IndieWire's Eric Kohn puts it, "It's an obvious but enjoyable period piece - and a throwback to another era of Hollywood filmmaking resurrected in the 21st century with two of the best actors working today, who elevate this didactic form of storytelling above the market standard for schmaltz."

The Mahershala Ali character, real-life gay piano-playing genius Dr. Don Shirley, gets two direct references to his sexuality and they are both quite powerful. Jeremy Helligar, in his very interesting article in Queerty, titled "Mahershala Ali's gay, black outcast in Green Book feels a lot like me", describes these two scenes: "There's a scene about 91 minutes into Green Book that made me certain the 44-year-old, who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the 2016 film Moonlight, is destined to take home another naked little gold man on February 24.

It's a climactic moment that's guaranteed to be chosen as Ali's Oscar clip after he's inevitably nominated on January 22 for playing Don Shirley, a closeted black pianist touring in the Deep South during the early 1960s. In the scene, Shirley finally vents his gay, black frustration to his Italian-American driver, Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), after spending most of the movie in the back seat, hiding behind cool detachment and precise enunciation.

'I suffer that slight alone,' he says, referring to the white audiences that applaud and then reject him, 'because I'm not accepted by my own people either. So if I'm not white enough, and if I'm not black enough, and if I'm not man enough, then tell me, Tony, what am I?'

Shirley's rage and frustration as a gay, black man who didn't fit in with whites or with blacks or in a straight society spoke to me because it echoes an inner conflict that has defined much of my life. I've felt his pain."

He then goes on to describe the second scene: "Green Book doesn't delve deeply into its black character's sexuality. Ali, though, conveys that struggle in ways the screenplay never does. His stilted, formal mannerisms betray his efforts to come across as neutrally as possible, both racially and sexually. When Tony shows up after officers detain Shirley for cavorting with a white man at a YMCA swimming pool, he's sitting naked on the floor next to his hook-up. The way he gazes directly at Tony before looking forward and bowing his head slightly conveys resignation more than embarrassment, with just a smidgen of defiance."

And he concludes: "For all of his attempts to pass - as acceptable to white people and to straight people - there's no self-loathing in Ali's interpretation of Shirley. He knows it's not him, it's them, and that might be what I related to most. Despite our differences, as I watched Ali as Shirley, navigating the life of a gay, black man in racist country, broken but never beaten, I felt like I was looking at me."

Because of the big audience and awards attention the film's creative team have found themselves in the spotlight, not always in a positive way: Green Bookco-writer Nick Vallelonga (son of the character that Mortensen portrayed in the movie) recently deleted his Twitter account after Twitter users uncovered his November 25, 2015 tweet backing up then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's false claim that "thousands and thousands" of New Jersey Muslim-Americans cheered the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Also, the film's director Peter Farrelly recently apologized for a 1998 Newsweek story mentioning how he used to flash his penis on film sets as a crude joke. Will these past "slips" affect the film's award chances? Definitely not as far as the acting categories are concerned. Mortensen and Ali will both be nominated for Oscars and it's very likely that one of them or both will go all the way to an Oscar win. They certainly deserve it.

This is the film's trailer:

This is Viggo Mortensen talking about the film:

This is Mahershala Ali talking about the film:

Now, let's continue with the list of the best cover songs of 2018, as well as to the originals:

40. Runaway covered by Charlotte Gainsbourg.

In February, Charlotte Gainsbourg, the first daughter of French pop, did her part to strengthen transatlantic ties. Appearing on French TV, she performed a brilliant cover Kanye West's Runaway. Gainsbourg sang in English and played the track as a slow, hypnotic dialogue seemingly between two troubled lovers. As she whispered out the words, "Never was much of a romantic/I could never take the intimacy/And I know I did damage/'Cause the look in your eyes is killing me," it was enough to put chills through the hearts and minds of listeners on both sides of the pond. So, "I think it's time for us to have a toast …" to a cover that captured the frenetic genius of Kanye's lyrics and showcased Gainsbourg's talents as a singer. - Curtis Zimmermann

This is the original by Kanye West ft. Pusha T:

39. You're Driving Me Crazy covered by Van Morrison and Joey DeFrancesco.

In 2017, Van Morrison released two albums of mostly jazzy covers and reworkings of his own back catalog, with a few new songs thrown in. In 2018, he released another two (the most recent one just this month). Not bad for a septuagenarian. But that begs the question, is this quality, or just quantity? Happily, they are, overall, interesting, entertaining, and enjoyable releases by a mature artist exploring the jazzier side of his music that was always present, but was overshadowed at times by folk, rock, and Celtic influences. You're Driving Me Crazy is the title track of Morrison's first of the year's releases, co-headlined by jazz organist and trumpeter Joey DeFrancesco and featuring his quartet. The album was banged out in two days, and that lends a sense of immediacy to every track. You're Driving Me Crazy was written by Walter Donaldson in 1930, was first covered by Lee Morse and later recorded by pretty much everyone. That includes cartoon character Betty Boop, in Silly Scandals. Morrison and the band are clearly having a blast with the song, and the notoriously moody singer even laughs during the solos. - Jordan Becker

This is the first recorded version by Lee Morse:

38. The Mess Inside covered by Amanda Palmer.

Amanda Palmer's take on The Mountain Goats' heart-wrenching The Mess Inside starts as simply as the original, with just her ukulele and restrained vocals. But as the song develops, strings, backing vocals, and handclaps join in, matching the power of the emotional lyrics. - Mike Misch

This is the original by The Mountain Goats:

37. Cruel Summer covered by Hailey Tuck.

Muggy, long days of summer spent missing a loved one almost makes you appreciate winter (almost). That's the mood that Bananarama's Cruel Summer conveys. Hailey Tuck adds some humidity with her delightfully slowed down version, featuring wispy background voices and a heartbeat in the piano's steadily increasing intensity. Her vocals convey achy emotion through subtle bends and occasional airiness, invoking a heavier summer anthem: Lana Del Rey's Summertime Sadness. - Elizabeth Erenberg

This is the original by Bananarama:

36. Dreaming covered by Say Sue Me.

I would argue that Dreaming is Blondie's best power-pop song, with great drumming and an exuberant pace. I would also argue that Say Sue Me take it somewhere greater in their cover. The South Korean combo slows it down, centers the sound around waves of guitar, and doesn't so much feature Sumi Choi's vocals as allow them to float through the gauze between you and her. Where Blondie's Dreaming jumps up and dances, Say Sue Me's comes up and takes hold of you. I know which I prefer. - Patrick Robbins

This is the original by Blondie:

35. Heartbreak Hotel covered by Tony Joe White.

Released barely a month before he died, this is archetypal Tony Joe White, substituting Presley's swagger for a knowing late night/early morning shimmy through the backwaters and badlands. This ain't bluster, this is blues, distilled through a hundred glasses of illicit hooch, sourced from swampland stills. Listening to it, you can just sense he may not be long for this world. Presley merely sang the song, with a young man's arrogance; White exudes it, with all the world-weariness of experience. - Seuras Og

Listen to it here.

This is the original by Elvis Presley:

34. Rake covered by Anana Kaye & Irakli Gabriel.

In addition to picking some of the more obvious alt-country figures to populate the stunning 32-track tribute album they curated, the organizers of a Townes Van Zandt festival in Italy reached deeper for some of the names. One of those surprise gems came from Georgian singer Anana Kaye and her musical partner Irakli Gabriel. Kaye's witchy vocals channel Kate Bush or Siouxsie Sioux, while guitarist Gabriel builds a layered soundscape for her to belt over. Together, they turn a relatively deep cut into a moody masterpiece. - Ray Padgett

Listen to it here.

This is the original by Townes Van Zandt:

33. Hot Knife covered by Mountain Man.

The Mountain Man trio always features beautiful harmonies, and Apple's Hot Knife makes great source material. This a cappella version has less dichotomy than the original, de-emphasizing the push and pull between the different lyrics. It results in a less-challenging, sweeter sound. At under three minutes, it's a short and sweet bit of fun. - Mike Misch

This is the original by Fiona Apple:

32. Answer Me, My Love covered by Swamp Dogg ft. Justin Vernon.

This isn't the first time Swamp Dogg has paired with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, and the effect inevitably shows worlds colliding. To counter Swamp Dogg's rich and earthy voice, Vernon adds the Messina, a multifaceted synthesizer effect allowing for instant and thorough instrument-vocal harmonization. Hearing the boot steps of high tech throughout a soul song with dramatic horns is startling - and effective. Going by the yardstick of sonic rudiments alone, there's no competing with Nat King Cole; his voice in the original is pure zephyr. Swamp Dogg's match of solid old-world talent to modern-day technique makes it fresh. - Merry Mercurial

This is Nat King Cole's version:

31. Frozen covered by Robin Kester & Moon Moon Moon.

Singer Robin Kester and musician Moon Moon Moon (aka Mark Lohmann) strip away all the dance from the Ray of Light hit, turning into the slowest of burns. The barely-there electronic production serves mostly as an excuse to let Kester loose, and her knockout power-ballad vocals give the song a poignancy its original version lacked. – Ray Padgett

This is the original by Madonna:

Thanks to Covermesongs.com for this list.

Finally, these are our statistics; the number of visits this week rose by 2.5%. The last story did very well, comfortably topping the week. Last weekend's story did OK and so did our "usual suspects" (George Maharis, Dave Clark, Peter Straker, Tevin Campbell, etc.)

As far as countries are concerned, the United States, Australia, Singapore, and Japan see their all-time rates rise, while France experiences minor losses. The rest of the major players keep their percentages stable.

Here are this week's Top 10 countries:

1. the United States

2. the United Kingdom

3. Germany

4. Russia

5. Australia

6. Canada

7. Greece

8. France

9. Singapore

10. Japan

Here are the other countries that graced us with their presence since our last statistics (alphabetically): Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Réunion, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Happy to have you all!

And here's the all-time Top 10:

1. the United States = 32.7%

2. France = 17.2%

3. the United Kingdom = 11.4%

4. Greece = 8.1%

5. Russia = 2.7%

6. Germany = 1.9%

7. Canada = 1.9%

8. Italy = 0.92%

9. Australia = 0.88%

10. Cyprus = 0.83%

That's all for today, folks. Till the next one!