I’m not going to lie and tell you that I haven't been waiting a long time for Alejandro Aranda to release a produced version of one of the covers he performed on American Idol. Though his originals are everything, he has a gift for turning songs that belong to other artists into his own. We saw that when he sang “I Fall Apart.” We saw that when he sang “Sorry.” We saw that when he sang “Remember Me.” He received praises from all three judges when he sang "Yellow" at Disney's Aulani Resort. As a result, he stood out on Idol. Instantly, his fan base grew by the hundreds of thousands. He was finally introduced to the world. Bobby Bones mentioned he was one of the most beloved contestants on the show because of his authenticity and humble demeanor. No other contestant in history has ever come remotely close to his talent and artistry. When recently asked about who their favorite contestant is from the past 5 years that they’ve been judges on the show, Lionel and Luke both said, “Alejandro.” There is something to be said about that.
“Yellow” is a song about being devoted to someone and wanting to do anything for them such as writing a song for them and swimming across the sea for them. It’s not necessarily about romantic devotion. It can be anyone you look up to. The color yellow has implications such as being cowardly, afraid or nervous to show one’s love but for Coldplay, it’s just a beautiful color.
So now we come to the song, “Yellow” on Scarypoolparty’s YouTube channel. I didn’t know what to expect but if it was going to be similar to the performance he did on Idol, I knew it was going to be amazing. It’s often difficult to guess the creative direction of his music because his songs and videos are so diverse. His genre-fluidity is what makes him such a special artist. He truly stands out from so many other kinds of artists who make music having one sound or one genre/type of music. As a fan, I’m so excited to hear his new music because I never know what’s to come. It’s like the surprise in every box of Cracker Jack.
The video shows Alejandro singing on the street, which reminds me of his pre-American Idol busking days. It’s a produced version of the song, so there are other instruments and synth sounds in addition to his guitar playing. He sings in a softer voice which makes the video so ethereal and so dreamy. The video was shot in the color purple and at night. You could see the street lights shining in the background. The music and the lyrics are kept true to the original, but with an Alejandro spin to them, of course. His arrangement of the song is so on-point. I can feel his soul in every part of the song. It’s very beautiful, yet breathtaking at the same time. It instantly puts me in a dream-like state where all of the stress of daily life is suddenly gone. This is what Alejandro’s music does to me. His music has become my addiction.
Alejandro’s hair is dark and his face is clean-shaven in the video. He’s also singing out in the streets (perhaps in Pomona) with just him and his guitar, which makes me think that he wanted to come full-circle and back to his roots…back to the time when he pushed himself to play out in the streets and was only known as a local artist in his community. He has certainly come a long way from when he started playing music just 7 years ago. Throughout the video, we see the camera moving between his face and his guitar-playing. I think this keeps the video interesting. Alejandro has expressed that visuals are everything and are just as important as the songs he creates.
If there ever is a time when the cover is better than the original, it’s this song right here. I love the original version that Coldplay sings but this one takes the cake for me and makes me feel especially warm and fuzzy inside. Alejandro has brought this song to the next level for me. His vocals are so smooth. I swear his voice gets better and better with every song that he sings. I love the long pause Alejandro does in the middle of the song between verses. I love how his voice goes high to a falsetto when he sings the word, “thing” in the lyrics “I swam across. I jumped across for you. Oh, what a thing to do.” I get chills every time.
I’m not sure whether or not another cover is on the horizon. I would love for Alejandro to do another one, perhaps another American Idol favorite, Post Malone’s “I Fall Apart.” Or perhaps one that he’s done on TikTok such as “Stay” by Justin Bieber and Kid Laroi. Whichever he decides to do, I’ll be soaking it up just like I am doing with “Yellow.”
Video by: Kevin Garcia (@kevinstuff)
Produced by: Sawyr (@sawyrmusic)
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