Upon first sight, one may make a myriad of assumptions of the type of music that Teddy Swims likes and performs. He has glasses, a giant beard, and tattoos on his face – like a cross between modern pop star Post Malone and Gimli from The Lord of the Rings.
Teddy’s soulful cover of “You’re Still the One” by pop sensation Shania Twain breaks any preconceptions of Teddy. The man has an undeniably beautiful voice.
Teddy seems like a pretty wholesome guy. Literally the first thing he says in the video is “this goes out to my mom.” She would be proud.
The video simply features him, a mic (with accompanying pop filter), and a shining lamp in the background. But nothing else is needed – Teddy’s smooth voice and enthusiasm provide all the necessary backdrop.
Teddy set up what looks like a home recording studio in lieu of performing the pop-country hit. Starting with a smile on his face, he begins his serenade.
His voice is sublime – velvety and soulful with a slight bit of rasp.
Twain’s song, a late 90s jam, features tender lyrics about everlasting love. It was huge in 1998, peaking at number 2 on the Hot 100 charts, according to billboard.com, establishing it as a modern pop classic.
Twain is an undeniable star with dozens of hit singles. She’s also made a handful of memorable music videos, including one for “You’re Still the One.”
It’s hard to make a cover of a piece of music, especially a popular one. The cover generally needs to be instrumentally and vocally stunning or offer a completely unique interpretation.
Shania Twain has a beautiful voice – and so does Teddy. He ultimately performs a stunning rendition of Twain’s pop hit. His cover does justice to the original, yet offers a unique, velvety-smooth vocal style. Twain fans themselves would be impressed.
The cover is fairly straightforward but features fluttering inflections and tones, with Teddy flexing his vocal range, throughout. The lead singing is his, layered atop backing vocals and instrumentation based on the original.
Judging by his facial expressions and general enthusiasm, Teddy clearly enjoys performing the piece.
Teddy has a pretty popular channel as a cover artist, including covers of other hits including “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton, “Lost” by Frank Ocean, and “Rock With You” by Michael Jackson, among many, many others. New covers are constantly being added from a wide range of different artists. Some of his other work features accompanying bands behind his buttery voice.
Check out his channel and merchandise, too, if you enjoy his music. He’s easily one of the best cover artists on YouTube, with varied material and a little bit of something for everyone.
Shania would be proud of such a heartfelt, soulful rendition of one of her greatest, most recognizable hits. The cover clearly comes from an inspired place, and Teddy’s style is definitely worth the listen. The man has the beard of a Viking and the voice of an angel.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
