By Caprece Cotton-Sturdivant
Sam Smith has set the internet ablaze with his soulful remake of Whitney Houston’s classic pop song “How Will I Know” and it’s arguably one of the best remakes I have ever heard.
Often when we hear the word “remake” we hold our breaths, listening to see if it holds a candle to our favorite.
If we’re lucky, what we end up with is a new way to love an old favorite. Here are seven other remakes that make us wanna sing, pun intended.
Kanye West/ The Fray “Heartless”
Kanye West’s techno sounding tune of love and heartbreak gets a soulful ballad remake by The Fray and it’s amazing.
Beyonce/ Sara Bareilles “Single Ladies”
The song of the year (just ask Kanye West) had every lady with their ring fingers in the air. Sara Bareilles makes a sweet jazzy version that almost makes you forget that you’re giving your man a read.
Roberta Flack/ The Fugees, “Killing Me Softly”
Hip Hop has always been known for sampling the classics, but this remake of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” was an instant hit for The Fugees.
Eurthymics “Sweet Dreams”/ Nas “Street Dreams
Every 80’s baby rocked out to this Eurthymics classic, and though rapper Nas added a slight title change he was definitely inspired by the original.
Michael Jackson/Animal Ant Farm, “Smooth Criminal”
Nobody has more hits than Michael Jackson, and “Smooth Criminal” is one of my absolute favorites. Virtually unknown rock band Animal Ant Farm put themselves on the map with their remake of this King of Pop classic.
Rihanna/Mandy Moore “Umbrella”
Umbrella is that song you just can’t get out of your head. Rihanna’s version made you dance, while Mandy Moore turned it into a sweet love song.
Dolly Parton/ Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You”
You might not be familiar with the original Dolly Parton country version that she wrote when she was splitting with one-time partner and mentor Porter Wagoner. But you’d have to be living under a rock on Mars to not know Whitney’s version of “I Will Always Love You.” Still to this day I keep a box of tissues on standby when this song comes on.
Caprece Cotton-Sturdivant is a writer and mommy, who loves to share comedic tales of what she’s learned so far about being a mom. She resides in New York City with her husband and daughter who are her inspirations. Read more from Cotton-Sturdivant at Mommie Knows Fresh.