Once again, following my usual habits of searching youtube for music to share with you I came along this incredibly beautiful song. Many people are familiar with the version of this song that's been performed by Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody. And I enjoy that one, but it just seemed like it was lacking something. I don't think I could ever really nail what was missing - and then I came along this remake of the song.
The moment I heard it . . . I had goosebumps! It literally gave me chills when I listened to it, and then playing it over to really hear all the bits of it, I got chills AGAIN! If a song is giving me chills, and goosebumps then I know I found something that is in my opinion audio perfection at it's finest!
What we have here is the talented voice of Laura Jansen. A wikipedia search provides the details;
Laura Jansen (born 4 March 1977, Breda, the Netherlands) is a Dutch-American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. Jansen established herself as a regular at the Los Angeles live music venue the Hotel Cafe
before gaining fame in her native country, the Netherlands. The
daughter of an American mother and Dutch father, she holds dual
citizenship in the United States and the Netherlands.
There are actually 3 versions of this song. We find that Laura Jansen has her album version online, which features her vocal prowess, and accompanied by piano. Next, we have a "reworked" version by Armin Van Buuren. Which there are 2 versions of a short "reworked" version, and then a longer version. Now, while most of the time I like to really pull apart songs that are more focused for the DJ, if I were to just do that I'd be robbing you of a powerful remake of a great song.
First, let's look at Laura Jansen's Use Somebody the album version. You should really start with this song before you listen to any of the others. It's this first introduction to Laura Jansen which will show her vocal talents, and they shine right through the
whole song. I found her voice to simply be awesome! Emotional, moving, and powerful are just a few words that come to mind when I listen to her rendition of "Use Somebody" but I'm quite sure that there are more words to describe her voice though I'm just not able to do it complete justice. It's rare that you find an artist with such emotional power in her voice which seems to be raw, and still not fully tapped I'm sure. She is definitely an artist that you should become familiar with because this is one of those rare remakes that bring forth the beauty of the lyrics of this song. I'd say that while Kings Of Leon did great at performing this song, I can't help but feel that Laura Jansen took this song to a whole new level.
What's great about this next rendition of Laura Jansen's Use Somebody, she captured the attention of Dutch superstar Trance DJ / Producer - Armin Van Buuren. Who worked his magic in this song. Apparently, Armin uses what he calls the "reworked" or remixed version of this song during his shows. It's amazing to see artists supporting one another, and Armin adds his personal touch to really energize his audience. Which you'll see in the "official" music video of Laura Jansen's Use Somebody "reworked". I'm always a fan of remixed material because it takes an artist with real vision to be able to pull off an incredible remix I think. Armin shows his incredible talent working with this song, and it's made quite clear that this isn't a "remix" but rather a "reworked" version of Use Somebody. There are two versions of the "reworked" song, one short, and one long.
The short "reworked" version is slightly over 4 minutes. I've always found that while remixes by large have their own commercial market, it's rare that you find a remix that truly does an artist justice. It's amazing because he makes it a point to really let the vocal talent stand on it's own, while still lightly, and slowly supporting it with his artistic talent. I love that! A "rework" where it's the perfect blend of music, talent, and artistic expression creating the perfect balance. And there is no other way to explain it - what we have here is truly an artistically perfect balance that doesn't fail or comes up wanting in anyway possible. You'll see how powerful this song really is when you watch the video, pay attention to the crowd they are absolutely mesmerized by the whole experience that Armin's sharing. I'm listening to this with my headphones on, and I'm still getting chills from it. With headphones crank this up it doesn't matter how you listen to it just listen to it LOUD !!! You will not be disappointed in the least.
And finally we have the full version of the song which is slightly over 8 minutes long. This is vocal trance at it's finest there is absolutely no doubt about it. If you're into dance music, and / or you're a clubland kid then you're going to recognize the name Armin Van Buuren. This is the longer version which will take you on an incredible journey. From start to finish you're going to be captivated by the song. What's nice with the long version you really get to experience the sheer power that's added to song, and you can clearly understand why he uses this song in his shows. He's truly created an anthem! And there is no disputing why Armin Van Buuren is such a huge success. I've been a fan of Armin Van Buuren for years and he's never once put out something that hasn't grabbed my attention. In order to really be good as a DJ I find that you need to listen to a song over, and over again so that you know it forward, and backward. You need to know how to use it to it's fullest potential, but I've been listening to this over, and over again trying to figure out it's fullest potential yet I constantly find that I'm hearing it in a different way each time.
I think the only thing I can really finish up saying for this is that I really have to thank Laura Jansen for bringing a whole new dimension. She brings out the entire beauty of the lyrics, and with her artistic ear she marries her vocal prowess absolutely perfectly with the piano. In terms of trance, Armin Van Buuren takes an incredible rendition of a song, but he transforms it into vocal trance at it's finest. He demonstrates how much confidence he has in Laura Jansen by not really touching her vocals at all, and just adds his personal touch to raise the energy for everyone in the crowd. I'm not Dutch but I wish I was because then I think I'd hear the song in a totally different way. What we see is the perfect collaboration between two Dutch artists at their finest, and to make it even more exciting - I don't think either of them have even tapped into their full musical talents yet.
Usually I'd say just listen to trance versions, but I can't. You NEED to hear all 3 versions. This is roughly 20 minutes of your life that you'll thank me for.
And remember - Bump It Loud !!!
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