There’s nothing better than when some of our favorite artists pull off a performance that is better than usual. Sometimes artists do a rendition of a song or simply their vocals are “on point” for that particular performance. When these monumental performances happen, we find that some of our favorite songs are no longer being streamed on iTunes or Spotify; rather, we find ourselves blasting a live performance on Youtube that blows the studio version of your favorite song right out of the ball park. I’ve been there, you’ve been there, we’ve all been there. So, what are some of these live performances worth noting? Take a listen.
1. “Never Let You Go” – Justin Bieber (Live in Mexico City 2012)
Justin Bieber strips down his song “Never Let You Go” off of his second studio album My World in this live performance. This is one of Bieber’s rawest performances, not only because of the combination of his voice and guitar, but also because of the passion that he puts into the performance.
2. "Be Free” – J. Cole (Live on The Late Show with David Letterman)
Although J. Cole isn’t known to have the best singing voice, his live (and only live) performance of “Be Free” on David Letterman in 2014 says otherwise. Cole spends the majority of the song with his eyes closed and singing so loudly and so passionately that it sounded as if he was on the verge of tears as he says each line. The lyrics to the song itself are incredibly powerful – but Cole took it up a notch with this performance.
3. “Stone Cold” – Demi Lovato (Live at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards)
Demi absolutely destroys her studio version of “Stone Cold” with this live performance. The high notes are spot on and as difficult of a song this is to perform live, she made it look like a piece of cake. 2:53 – 3:15 will blow you away, so pay close attention at that part.
4. “Bed I Made” – Allen Stone (Live at Taylor Guitar Sessions 2012)
This acoustic version of Stone’s song “Bed I Made” is simple, yet beautiful. It’s just Stone, a guitar, and a mic. Mix it all together and they all sound awesome.
5. “The Golden State” – City and Colour (Live in the ABC Dig Music office in Sydney)
What’s funny about this live performance is that what makes it so, so good is just the fact that it sounds almost identical to the studio version. So, Green’s performance isn’t being noted for its variation or different sound, but rather, his performance is being noted for being so on point vocally that it’s almost like closing your eyes and listening to the studio version of the song. This is a must listen.
6. "Sorry” – Justin Bieber (Live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)
Justin Bieber changes up his high tempo hit “Sorry” by performing the piano version of the song in the first minute or so of the performance. His vocals are phenomenal and this version of the song gives off a more emotional and personal feel than that of the studio version.7. “Radioactive/ m.A.A.d city” – Imagine Dragons & Kendrick Lamar (Live at the 2014 Grammy Awards)
The mashup between these two songs worked perfectly and each song complimented each other extremely well. I remember watching this performance live and having goose bumps the whole way through. The part of this performance that really put it over the top was the transition from “Radioactive” into “m.A.A.d city”. It was extremely powerful and put me in awe. In addition, the build up at the conclusion of the performance is the cherry on top of it all. It’s hard to listen to the original versions of either song now after this mashup.
Happy listening and try your very hardest not to shed a tear :)
