Radiohead’s classic “Creep” has inspired many brilliant covers over the years, but none hit quite like Haley Reinhart’s vintage cover of the alt rock anthem. The former American Idol finalist teamed up with Postmodern Jukebox for a jazz-inspired take on the song, and it set the internet ablaze. Reinhart’s soulful and expressive voice is just beautiful beyond words, and what she does with the song has to be heard to be believed.
Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s tortured wail on the song is iconic, but Reinhart really made the lyrics her own. Reinhart switches from whispering and crooning to wailing throughout the tune in a masterclass of jazz vocals. Her scatting vocals just after the three-minute mark were also a really nice touch. You’ve gotta give it up to Postmodern Jukebox as well, as the five-piece band does a brilliant job with reinterpreting the rock song into a fresh and inventive jazz arrangement.
Reinhart and Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of “Creep” caused quite the stir on YouTube, where the video attracted 124 million views. This made it the most popular performance of “Creep” on the platform – even more popular than Radiohead’s own live performances of the song. All the more impressive is the fact that Reinhart and the band captured the performance in a single take, as Postmodern Jukebox noted in the video description.
Postmodern Jukebox also commented in the description about the origin of the cover, saying, “One of the highlights of our 2015 European tour was Haley Reinhart’s masterful interpretation of our vintage arrangement of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’. I enjoyed it so much that I brought Haley into a studio in Zurich on our day off to record it.” Reinhart and Postmodern Jukebox have teamed up on several videos, with another popular upload being their vintage take on Britney Spears’ “Oops!… I Did It Again.”
Viewers watching the “Creep” cover at home couldn’t get enough and added comments such as “She somehow has it! The gift, the talent, the soul. It’s hard to explain. Her voice comes from her heart and it’s visceral” and “She has so much control over her voice it’s honestly amazing, she’s a vocal genius. One of my favourite singers. She deserves so much more attention.”
Haley Reinhart is 33 years old and was born on September 9, 1990, in Wheeling, Illinois. The Music Man readers may recall that she first came to public attention when she placed third in the tenth season of American Idol in 2011. She subsequently signed to Interscope Records and has been active as a touring and recording artist since.
If you would like to hear more from this talented singer, you can subscribe to her YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Connect with Haley on Facebook for the latest updates and exclusive content.