The biggest surprise from P1Harmony was that the boys did not simply replicate someone else’s song, but also revitalized the original in their way by adding their elements. For example, by rewriting the lyrics, reworking the music video, and interpreting the song with a different vibe. As we approach 2022, let us recapitulate all the phenomenal English covers P1Harmony has done in the past year.
1. Conan Gray - ‘Maniac’
Whether you are a P1ece (P1Harmony’s fandom name) or a fan of Conan Gray’s song ‘Maniac’, the cover done by P1Harmony will surely not disappoint you. Beginning with JiUng’s soft, dulcet voice during the intro. Followed by KeeHo’s mid-low euphonious voice during the pre-chorus, and Theo’s lilting vocal line in the chorus. Interestingly, in the original music video, the lyrics “maniac, some may say” were not sung directly by the artist himself, instead it appeared faintly as part of the background music, but in P1Harmony’s version, the lyrics were sung by Soul with the simulation of auto-tune. Another pinnacle of this cover is the bridge of the song, where Intak and JongSeob added their rap verses, which were not present in the original version but fit very naturally into the song without feeling superfluous or bizarre.
2. Olivia Rodrigo - ‘good 4 u’
According to P1ece, P1Harmony made a PowerPoint presentation to their company about their cover of the song ‘good 4 u’. The boys also proved their talent for editing and vocalizing to everyone, through the exceptional outcome of their music video. The detailed arrangements of the music video also amazed many P1ece. One tiny element that showed the meticulous precision of P1Harmony was that the boys converted all the words for “girl” to “one” or “love” to ensure that their cover is gender-neutral, which made the lyrics more inclusive in conveying the song’s message and easier to connect with everyone. Similar to the ‘Maniac’ cover, the members also incorporated their original rap verses perfectly into this cover.
3. Ariana Grande - ‘Needy’
‘Needy’ is one of the covers done by P1Harmony in their online fan meeting “P1uspace H : Time To Move Out (TTMO)”. This is not a cover by the whole group, but a duo consisting of Theo and KeeHo. The harmonies and synchronicities between the two vocalists, especially when it comes to the lyrics “And sorry if I say sorry way too much,” gave many listeners goosebumps as their voices were flawlessly assimilated.
4. John Legend - ‘All Of Me’
At the P1Harmony online fan meeting [P1uspace H : Get Together], the members had a mock audition process. KeeHo chose to perform John Legend’s ‘All Of Me’ (21:35-24:45). Although he felt nervous at first, he managed to sing the song with perfect pitch. Without any doubt, his performance received compliments from the members afterward. They were dazzled by KeeHo’s wonderful voice and “approved” KeeHo’s admittance to the group. KeeHo’s performance astounded not only his members but also many P1ece. KeeHo’s emotional delivery of the song was superb, and his baritone voice has mesmerized many listeners.
5. Avril Lavigne - ‘Girlfriend’
In addition to Theo and KeeHo’s cover, another cover done during TTMO was Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” brought by JiUng. Since this was a cover done from a male perspective, all the original female pronouns were converted to male pronouns, such as “I don’t like your girlfriend” in the original version was permuted to “I don’t like your boyfriend” and “she’s like so whatever” to “he’s like so whatever” in JiUng’s version. It was an intriguing scene to see that all the members were enthusiastic about JiUng’s recital. But this can be explained because JiUng has a strong stage charisma.
6. The Weeknd - ‘Save your tears’
Last but not least, JiUng, Theo, and KeeHo also featured in 1theK’s World Wide Cover (W.W.C) relay. The series consists of a massive hit medley of male artists around the world, and P1Harmony was the first male group to participate. The English song covered by the trio here was The Weeknd’s ‘Save Your Tears’. Although the song is just an excerpt from the full cover, P1Harmony has shown how all-rounded they are, with a smooth transition from exciting reguetón music to 80s-vibe breakup songs. In addition, the tonal harmony among the members was very pleasant and fascinating as well. For music lovers, these covers are a refreshing experience, as different artists have different ways of conveying the same song. This creates an ambiance of déjà vu: it’s the identical song, but it’s not something you’ve heard before. We do look forward to more tremendous covers and original tracks produced by P1Harmony in the coming year! What is your favorite song by P1Harmony? Let us know in the comments!
P1HARMONY To Make A Comeback With Its Third EP ‘DISHARMONY: FIND OUT’ NEWS|Dec 24, 2021 P1Harmony’s KeeHo Takes Us Behind The Scenes Of How Their Iconic Cover Of Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Good 4 U’ Was Created KPOP STORIES|Nov 2, 2021
