A Selection of FTISLAND’s Covers
Over the course of the 12 months, FTISLAND has been uploading covers to lead singer Lee Hongki’s YouTube channel. The covers range in genre, featuring fellow Korean idols as well as FTISLAND’s J-Rock besties ONE OK ROCK. For this week’s Surprise of the Week, we’ll be looking at a few of these incredible covers.
Taeyeon - “I”
Taeyeon’s “I” features K-Hip-Hop star Verbal Jint and is a rather chill pop rock track, picking up in tempo when the rapper takes the first verse. Taeyeon’s voice is utterly stunning, and it seems almost difficult to imagine a group or soloist being able to capture the beauty of the track as well as the original artists. That said, FTISLAND is a group that is known for their ballads as well as their powerful rock tracks. Add the fact that Hongki has one of the best voices in Korean music today, and it’s easy to see why they tackled this track. FTISLAND’s version keeps things short and sweet, with Hongki and Jaejin singing just Taeyeon’s verses. The FTISLAND cover plays more into the rock aspects and makes you appreciate “I” in a different way.
TANAKA - “와스레나이 (wasurenai)”
TANAKA’s “와스레나이 (wasurenai)” may only be seven months old at the time of writing, but FTISLAND decided it was ready for a cover in late May 2023. Not only did the group cover the track, but they also wore incredibly similar outfits (and wigs!) as TANAKA. The original version of “와스레나이 (wasurenai)” is a beautiful blend of Korean and Japanese, and is super dramatic; it reminds me of an anime ending track, with TANAKA’s vocals slightly monotone but somehow soaring at the same time. The verses are slower whereas the choruses pick up with guitars and drums, with an orchestra backing them up. Following in the footsteps of the original, FTISLAND’s cover is equally as dramatic and sounds very similar except for the fact that Hongki doesn’t hold back. It’s no surprise that this is the group’s most viewed cover to date with nearly 2 million views.
FTISLAND - “Don’t Love”
The first cover uploaded to Hongki’s playlist is actually a 2022 rendition of their 2008 track “Don’t Love,” which appears on their album Colorful Sensibility. This time, the cover only features Hongki, and it’s just as moving as the original ballad. The 2008 version features a piano in the forefront of the sound, paired with a soft acoustic guitar, an orchestra, what sounds like a slide guitar, and soft drums that appear mainly in the chorus. The 2022 version is much softer, with the orchestra taking more of the spotlight in the chorus, and is stripped back to mainly the piano in the verses. Hongki has one of the most beautiful voices in the music industry, and this cover forces you to appreciate it. It’s clear why this is tied for their third most-viewed cover on the playlist.
ONE OK ROCK - “Wherever you are”
March’s upload of FTISLAND’s cover of “Wherever you are,” one of my favorite ONE OK ROCK tracks, is actually how I found out about their covers playlist. It’s no secret that FTISLAND has a large Japanese discography, with ONE OK ROCK’s lead singer Taka helping to pen a few of the group’s Japanese tracks; this was even discussed in the first Japanese Corner. The two main vocalists are also best friends, appearing on the other’s Instagram account from time to time. The original version by ONE OK ROCK is actually a lot more vocal-focused at first, with the guitar almost unnoticeable until after the first chorus. With FTISLAND’s version, the acoustic guitar is much more present, though that could be because their cover is a live performance. Both versions are perfect though, and I will be patiently waiting for the day that Taka and Hongki perform or record a song together.
If you’re interested in seeing the rest of the covers on FTISLAND’s playlist, check out the link here, as there are plenty that I didn’t cover that are just as wonderful. FTISLAND’s talents are not nearly as recognized today as they were when the group first debuted, which is a shame as they are the pioneers of K-Rock. Without them, we wouldn’t have great groups like DAY6, N.Flying, and Xdinary Heroes, so give FTISLAND’s covers a chance…and then go explore their entire 16 years of releases.
Edited by Aleena Faisal