What's the Point of the Pop Hit Covered as a Ballad

Ella ella

I’m currently enamored with Mechanical Bride’s dim lit dirge take on “Umbrella” and Taken By Tree’s suicidal rendition of “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.  But I detect something of a rote, calculated maneuver in this gesture of ironically arranging despair around a song that’s more known for it’s upbeat, pop appeal.  It reminds me of Bill Murray’s Nick the Lounge Singer routine, where popular songs are given a finger snapping, Wonderbread makeover in order to make them ready for hotel happy hour.  At some point, I think this kind of trend also produces diminishing interpretive returns.  I think it’s great when cover songs actually create new audible emphases, casting the original in wholly new emotional light.  But finding the deepest depressive streak in a Top 10 single seems about as one-dimensional as some of the pop gloss the songs are tweaking.  I also have to wonder aloud if the relationship of these covers to the original is derisive or complimentary.  So far I’m easily amused by the beauty and the contrast, but I can easily see the day where I’m completely bored by say, a melancholy Hot Chip take on Lil’ Wayne.