Without a doubt, BTS’s “Dynamite” is 2020’s masterpiece – a song that completely topped the charts, dominated the world and brought about endless covers.
Although, one could say many of BTS songs have reached this feat, it seems “Dynamite,” which is now a Grammy nominated song (they are SO going to win!), is more than this year’s sensational pop-trend. “Dynamite” will simply go down in history as no other song seems to have been covered by so many K-Pop artists since Wonder Girl’s “Tell Me” or Girls’ Generation’s “Gee.” With so many K-Pop artists diving into the trendy choreography and vocal covers alongside fans, who could resist ranking some of these other artists’ individually unique covers? Everyone wants to know, which K-Pop idols cover BTS’s “Dynamite” the best?
With the year 2020 coming to a close, let’s recollect and take a minute to not only enjoy the covers for fun but to also see which ones were absolutely well-done and maybe even more entertaining than BTS themselves!
#10. G-FRIEND – YUJU
G-FRIEND’s Yuju has an excellent voice and did a great job covering the song. Her voice is crystal clear and polished which makes for a splendid female-vocal cover. This rendition of “Dynamite” was an excellent reminder that Yuju can absolutely sing and adapt her voice to difficult songs. Despite having a nice set of pipes, it seems that the performance overall lacked any pizazz or individuality. It merely felt like a great cover. Compared to the others, it leaves her at number 10 on this list.
#9. J-Fla
Now, don’t cut my head off saying I’m not one to be easily satisfied because this next comment might sound contradictory to G-FRIEND’s cover. J-Fla absolutely made it her own. Out of many of the covers out there, J.Fla definitely gave it a good twist with a charmingly authentic acoustic style that is lively and old-school in its own way. It has that unique take I am searching for. However, just like Yuju, it felt robotic and lackluster energy wise. Visually it was a little better than Yuju but J.Fla skipped the raps and high-notes that are definitely essential for covering this song. It is better but lacked a highlight.
#8. SF9 – Dawon
Finally, a male vocalist covering “Dynamite” wonderfully! It seems many female artists enjoyed covering this award-winning track due to the upbeat melody and higher vocal pitches. Yet, Dawon of SF9 showed he has the vocal strength and flexibility to hit all the notes and add a little spice to this already jive tune. Although Dawon’s voice is pure ear-candy and makes my heart flutter in every way, it did feel a bit too auto-tuned (more auto-tuned than Jimin, and I was already on the fence about that part of the song). Overall, like many others, Dawon produced a delightful cover with a great amount of energy you can hear through his voice alone but it is (obviously) visually lacking.
#7. BOL4 – Jiyoung
Now, similar to J.Fla, Jiyoung of BOL4 absolutely delivered a very authentic cover of “Dynamite.” It has that exceptionally raw and talented feeling of when you discover an online talent by chance (or by YouTube’s infamous algorithm) who can sing exceptionally well and leaves you completely in awe throughout the whole process. Due to Jiyoung’s already familiar and widely beloved voice, this is a cover that can easily provide tranquility and gratifying feelings as you chill out to the guitar strokes. The ability to take an overly energetic song and transform it into something hypnotically serene is a talent but not enough to score superiorly high – sorry! Especially when skipping out on the key high-notes.
#6. ChoA
Oh, ChoA – first of all, it is GREAT to see you back in the K-Pop scene. Admittedly, ChoA’s version of “Dynamite” is what continued to make myself, and many other fans, addicted to the song. However, I think ChoA may have rushed this release as her pronunciation and lyrical fluidity could use some polishing. The style was very comfortably done as it projects a homey and enjoyable vibe. Additionally, it adds on small pops of life and energy throughout the video that makes anyone smile since ChoA absolutely added her cute charms and familiar high-notes. It was a sweet and pleasant cover in many ways, but there are better ones out there!
#5. AKMU SooHyun
SooHyun of AKMU has killer vocals. Without a doubt, she is a pure talent and force to be reckoned with. SooHyun didn’t have a set-stage or studio to really display her own style with but it didn’t stop her from owning the stage with her powerhouse vocals, warm presence, and even cute dance jig during some of the instrumental “nana-nana-nana” breaks. Another stellar feat to recognize is that SooHyun sang this absolutely live and nailed every single note flawlessly! Even her vocal shifts between raps and deeper-toned bridges were effortlessly done. Still, something was missing that could have made this performance bigger and better than the rest.
#4. Ailee
The queen – the Beyoncé of Korea – AILEE! What can be said? Ailee absolutely nailed this cover! Not only is her spot on pronunciation and powerful voice breezing over every single lyric, but Ailee is also adding her own distinct form and character both vocally and visually. The video itself is charming to watch as Ailee playfully transitions among various charming sets in many lovely outfits, too. Overall, the video and track felt well-prepared and beautifully presented.
There really is no major flaw except I’m not a major fan of her “Whoo-hoo” cooing and rap sequence as the tone seems slightly off and upsets the flow of the entire melody. Still, Ailee manages to add in her own ad-libs and high-notes that reel in some points and bring back the energy. In the end, this is undoubtedly one of the best covers that can keep you listening for hours and jumping up on your feet!
#3. VOISPER
Man, VOISPER really came out of the blue with this exceptional cover of “Dynamite.” It’s colorful, attractive, well-produced, different, and incorporates many elements that many famous YouTube talenteds such as Pentatonix often utilized. The cover has excellent uniformity while remaining individualistic to each members’ best-suited style. This cover has an awesome display of aesthetics that keep the viewer looking every which way and enjoying each of the members popping in-and-out between frames. The fun edits and addition of Kor/Eng lyrics is a nice touch as well.
The boys also effortless harmonize their vocals and layer nicely atop each others’ voices. The sound is clean and well-done but the song proved to remain a difficult track to cover as their voices appeared rather weak during the climactic high-note. Still, the quartets additional ab-lids, nicely executed raps and pleasing visuals make it a wonderful cover that absolutely cannot go unnoticed.
#2 Rolling Quartz
There were many fierce competitors and unbelievably talented renditions of BTS’ “Dynamite,” but no other group left as big of an impression as Rolling Quartz did. This chic K-Pop Rock band absolutely recreated the track, rebirthed “Dynamite,” and really put the meaning back into the name! The booming base, powerful drums, wild electric guitar, all paired with the out-of-this-world voice of the lead singer Jayoung makes them real winners among all the idols. Rock music isn’t even my cup of tea, but this pop-rock cover completely surprised us all as it took an already energetic song and spilled more overflowing life and energy into it.
From the re-worked lyrics (roll like a Rolling Quartz- HA!) and transformed instrumentals to the harmonizing ab-libs and successfully delivered high-notes, Rolling Quartz deserve some recognition and an award of their own! There was nothing to dislike about this distinct and original cover. The girls worked hard to make it their own and the video shows their genuine love for music and visual identity as artists. Every aspect of “Dynamite” is used in their favor and this cover makes for a true masterpiece to hear and watch every time.
While it was an insanely tough decision, the true winner of this cover ranking is…
#1 – DOG
Now, now, now, don’t underestimate this cover just because its a bunch of dogs! This cover was surprisingly well-made and more entertaining than you would think! The transitions – marvelous! The vocals? A++~ The visuals – absolutely stunning! Let’s not forget the high-notes either! If Dog covers aren’t the future of music, I am not sure what is!
What did you think of this list in the end? If you could change the ranking, who would be your number one? Share your comments down below and don’t forget to let your friends enjoy this fun list by posting it on your social media as well! Happy New Year!
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