Keira Knightley and Adam Levine

Today I have an incredibly sweet track for you from the film Begin Again and is performed by an artist who has stolen our hearts away many times in the past. Adam Levine is most famously known as the lead singer of Maroon5, a band that is a worldwide sensation and has been for many years. What few people know is that in this film, Adam Levine actually covered this song which is originally performed by Kiera Knightley in the film. A bit confusing, I know. But I wanted to talk about both versions of today's songs because the performances are so vastly different, yet capture the song beautifully.

One of the magical parts of music is that it has many interpretations and meanings, allowing us to see and feel the music as our heart and head choose. Kiera Knightley's original version of the song is one that really gets you in the heart. Purposefully simple and pure, her performance is one that is sweet and vulnerable. She strips the song down to its lyrical content and vocals, tyring not to distract us with too many instruments. Kiera Knightley has a very gentle voice which takes on a bit of an indie, coffee shop rock kind of sound. Feathery and light weights, Kiera Knightley delivers us a performance that is meant to be an emotional delivery of a subject which we all feel. Lyrically, the subject of being lost is territory which is hard to capture effectively. Sometimes the words can be deeply familiar, and it takes a beautiful and moving performance to allow people to connect to it. Which Kiera Knightley effortlessly gives us. Her version is emotionally refreshing because of how honest her performance is. Accompanied with just a guitar and piano, she delivers a performance that is endearingly acoustic and moving. As the song moves along, however, the piece crescendos to include singing violins in the background, offering us a sadly romantic accompaniment. There is a hopefulness to the song which is not lost on us, and that is something I appreciate and love about the song so much.

When listening to this song, I imagine myself walking along a waterfront in a bustling city, in my own little bubble of life and the world. That is the kind of power this song has. It makes you feel as though you are the only one around in a certain moment, a moment which no one else can touch. Kiera Knightley performs this song as a beautiful ballad, surprisingly soulful. The way she sings this song feels more like she is telling us a personal story, giving us some insight into that special moment. The song questions whether we believe a song has the power to save our lives and wants us to find our own answer. Kiera Knightley's version makes this introspective, coercing us to bare our souls to ourselves. That kind of charm and the poignant sound is something that I am incredibly impressed and moved by. Kiera Knightley did an incredible job with the performance of this song, and it is one that I won't be able to get off my mind for a while.

Now let's take a look at Adam Levine's version of the song. It is definitely a bit more embellished, taking on the sound that Maroon5 used to have- pop rock and blue-eyed soul. The swoon-worthy crooning by Adam Levine is enough to get the song really rolling. Despite his more dance and pop-oriented performances recently, Adam Levine has not lost his sense of musical and vocal charm and class. This version of the song is also emotionally refreshing, but in a way that is very different from Kiera Knightley's. Adam Levine introduces a comforting cafe and sweet pop style to the original song. He really does take us back to the older sounds of Maroon5, something that is a breath of fresh air since their recent departure into dance pop. Adam Levine does offer two versions of the song in the film, but I want to talk about the second and final version. It is somewhat of an acoustic version of the song, but still, has a bit more of a rock sound to it.

Adam Levine maintains the emotions that are woven throughout the song, and that makes this version just as beautiful and powerful. It is very clear that this song is very influenced by Maroon5, and that is just wonderful. With soaring falsettos and a soothing chorus, Adam Levine makes this such a heartwarming, cozy, and comforting song. This is one of my favorite vocal performances by him, filled with passion and bleeding with talent. His version is what I would imagine hearing at a concert, which incidentally enough, is exactly how this version is performed in the film. But I love hearing how the bass guitar and other acoustic guitars come in and fill the song with energy and life. We get to hear the song through a band's perspective and filtering, rather than a single voice. And it makes a big difference between Adam Levine turns this into a rock ballad. We get more instruments, brighter sounds, more crescendos and vocal work. This definitely does bring a different kind of sentiment to the song, but the same level of emotion. Personally, this version feels a lot more hopeful and warm. Kiera Knightley's version is meant to be more introspective and shy, more for yourself. But Adam Levine's version is meant to be shared with others, and experience that is supposed to be felt with other listeners. And I love the that.

One song that has been made into two distinct and beautiful renditions. This song has been taken and molded so many different ways, and these two are my favorite versions.I know this post was a bit longer, but I absolutely love this song and felt the need to really talk about how incredible and beautiful it is. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!



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