Weekend Supplement 2: Gabrielle Aplin ~ Best Song Ever (One Direction cover)

We all know by now the rollicking good treat that is One Direction's Best Song Ever. We know that it's actually not about being the best song ever (though it does give being the best song right now a jolly good shot). And of course we know that the video is a giddy hoot of dopplegangers and riotous behaviour. Therefore the question is, do we know all these things so well that the song is indelibly a One Direction song?? Well, if anyone can gaze at a song long enough to make it her own it's Gabrielle Aplin. A whizz at her own songs as well as tangibly gorgeous versions of other peoples, she recently revealed she'd like to write a song for the GQ fronting boys. Based on her understanding of this tune, this would be a Bobby dazzler of an idea. I can already imagine a big, orchestral tinged elegiac ballad - perhaps more sweeping than their Ed Sheeran penned chart topper. Like a modern day Room In Your Heart by Living In A Box. Lovely. But I digress - this is about Gabrielle and her intricate, almost melancholy version of this song. She focuses on the melody, highlighting it's beauty and slows the tempo. Surrounding herself with lush instrumentation, her stunning nuanced vocal gives the song a new resonance and depth. It seems the perky celebration of last night's shenanigans is now a wistful regret that it is indeed a fading memory. The violin in the first chorus is so achingly beautiful that it serves to underscore the sadness within. However by chorus two, there are happier memories within the song. Two (ridiculously good looking) male vocalists provide engaging harmonies and when that cleverly composed "whoa-huh-ho" springs into action, it's kick up your heels time because despite what has happened since, that memory now forms part of a greater narrative and sparkles because of it. Wonderfully performed and exquisitely put together, I sincerely hope this isn't the only time we Gabrielle and the boys creatively linked...