As times change and the music industry shifts, new voices come in and out of the public’s favor. It can be hard to keep up with who’s on top and who’s currently bringing a new sound to the scene. Here are three Glee covers that are better than the original song but undeniably worse than the Mr. Krabs cover beautifully brought to life by artificial intelligence.
“Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane
Yes, Blaine – played by Daren Criss – sings his little ass off in this highly-lauded cover of “Somewhere Only We Know” and yes, the Warblers “backing vocal” their little asses off, too. It’s the type of Glee cover that makes careers (Daren Criss’) and breaks careers (Keane’s), and yet, it somehow pales in comparison to the absolute rasp and emotional heft of the A.I. Mr. Krabs cover. Sorry – when Mr. Krabs sings, “Is this the place we used to love?/ Is this the place that I’ve been dreaming of?” you can’t help but shed a tear for what once was.
“Don’t Rain on My Parade” by Barbra Streisand
You may know this song from the 1964 musical Funny Girl, or most likely, you know it from Rachel Berry’s star-making performance at Sectionals in season one of Glee. Rachel absolutely bodies this performance to catapult the New Directions to regionals. It’s got heart, it’s got range, and yet, it simply does not have enough oomph to unseat the A.I. Mr. Krabs cover of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” as number one. Mr. Krabs just brings something special to lines like, “Don’t tell me not to fly, I simply got to/ If someone takes a spill, it’s me and not you!” and of course, the famous “Hey, Mr. Arnstein, here I am!”
“Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson
Listen. Naturally, Michael Jackson’s original recording of “Smooth Criminal” is iconic. Unfortunately, it lacks the raw bisexual energy of Santana and Sebastian duking it out next to those 2Cellos guys after Sebastian throws a salted slushy in Blaine’s eyes, temporarily blinding him. Naya Rivera and Grant Gustin deliver the performance of a century, and yet, even greatness cannot compete with perfection: A.I. Mr. Krabs. The A.I. Mr. Krabs “Smooth Criminal” cover should have been made illegal, but it wasn’t, and we are all better for it.
There you have it! Three iconic Glee performances that pale in comparison to artificially generated Mr. Krabs covers. So, to be clear, the ranking goes: 1) Mr. Krabs, 2) Glee cast, 3) the original singer. Hope this helps!
