1. "Beautiful Girl" by Parokya ni Edgar
Original artist: Jose Mari Chan
"Beautiful Girl", one of the tracks from Jose Mari Chan's now legendary album Constant Change, has been covered multiple times over the years. But out of all the different covers we've heard, we're picking Parokya ni Edgar's version to be part of this list. Part of Parokya's 10th studio album, Pogi Years Old, the cover adds new flavor to the classic while being respectful of the original material. Who knew we could rock out to distorted guitars during the chorus of "Beautiful Girl"?
2. "Tikman" by Sugarfree
It might be borderline blasphemous to say this but we might actually like Sugarfree's version of "Tikman" better than the original. And that's quite a feat considering that the original has always been one of our favorite 'Heads song. Sugarfree's cover takes on a slower pace giving it a different character from the original. It is, as you would expect from any Sugarfree track, anchored by a superb drumbeat while Ebe is his usual great self on vocals.
3. "Prinsesa" by Itchyworms
Original artist: APO Hiking Society
In what can only be classified as the perfect modernization of a classic song, Itchyworms hits it out of the park with their rendition of APO's "Prinsesa". It's different enough from the original to make the song more than just another cover. Jugs, Jazz, and the rest of the band definitely owned the track and gave us a new way to enjoy this song. The updated guitar riff, the funky wah, the keyboard runs between lines, and what we think is a kazoo solo are only some of the elements that make this track an enjoyable listen.
4. "Bato sa Buhangin" by Juan Pablo Dream
If there's proof that a horn section is almost guaranteed to make any song better, look no further than this remake of Cinderella's Manila Sound-era ballad. Juan Pablo Dream's version of "Bato sa Buhangin" is a completely different beast from the slow paced and emotionally drenched original. It's unexpected and makes very little sense, but it works wonderfully and is definitely worth a listen.
5. "'Di na Muli" by Janine Teñoso
After winning 2016's Philpop grand prize, the song "'Di Na Muli" faded into relative obscurity. And when compared with other Itchyworms songs, this track definitely falls in the underappreciated column. Written by Jazz Nicolas and his childhood friend, Wally Acolola, the song has recently made a comeback in the airwaves thanks to the movie Sid & Aya (Not A Love Story) and singer Janine Teñoso. It was reported that Nicolas originally wanted a female vocalist to sing the track before taking on the duty himself. Now that we've heard Teñoso's take on this hugot-inducing song, Nicolas may have been right all along.
You can check out these and other OPM cover songs in our OPM Covers playlist on Spotify.