Ever since its release in 1984, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” has become one of the most covered—and beloved—songs in recent history. Though the song received little initial success, it was covered shortly after it’s release by John Cale, who in turn inspired Jeff Buckley to release his own rendition. Over the years it has been featured in several movies, including Basquiat, Watchmen, and Feast of War. The most well-known movie adaptation, however, was featured in Shrek, the wildly popular animated film from Disney. After Shrek was released, “Hallelujah” earned even more recognition, and plenty of musicians moved in to release their own versions. But none, so far, have done it better than a cappella superstars, Pentatonix.
The video for this version of “Hallelujah” is filmed in a great, open plain. Judging from the scarves, coats, and boots on the band members, filming took place in the winter. The atmosphere is dark, with a constant cloud cover, and nothing to see but a range of mountains in the far distance. The setting fits perfectly with the sad, somewhat haunted feeling that “Hallelujah” carries. Scott Hoying, the lead baritone of the group, starts off the song. His slightly gravelly voice sets the tone, as he sings that iconic opening line, “I heard there was a secret chord, that David played, and it pleased the Lord. But you don’t really care for music, do you?”
The song only gets better from there, as the other band members join in, lending bass notes and vocal percussion, as well as the sweet tones of the female singers. All in all, this version of “Hallelujah” is bound to be a classic, in and of itself.
Check out Pentatonix covering “Hallelujah” in the video below. What did you think? Leave us a comment, we’d love to hear from you!
