Susan Boyle's Lush "Stand by Me" Cover Is Bursting with Love and Light
The Got Talent icon shines once again.
It took 10 years for Susan Boyle to record one of the best covers of her career, but it was worth the wait.
Ben E. King's "Stand by Me" is one of the most well-known songs ever, and Boyle's take on the classic deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the original. Released as one of four new studio recordings on her 2019 compilation album Ten, this particular version of "Stand by Me" is bursting with warmth and love. It's everything we love about the America's Got Talent superstar wrapped up in one fantastic performance.
Like many of Boyle's best songs, "Stand by Me" starts with simple musical accompaniment and Boyle's now-iconic vocals taking center stage before all the instruments come in for a joyous crescendo.
(Seriously, the final chorus will give you goosebumps.)
Boyle's tone never wavers, and her voice never struggles to hit some of the song's well-known high notes. It makes you wonder why Boyle never recorded this song until relatively later in her career. It's that good.
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Released 10 years after her legendary Britain's Got Talent audition that made her a household name to millions of fans seemingly overnight, Boyle's compilation album is a culmination of a decade of hard work.
"Ten years is a milestone," she told Closer Weekly in 2019. "This album is a celebration of getting to a decade in a tough industry and I'm excited and proud of this album."
Many fans equate "Stand by Me" with Boyle, after all, she's been known to deliver a dazzling live performance of the song from time to time!
Here's what to know about "Stand by Me"
Released in 1961 off King's third studio album, Don't Play That Song!, "Stand by Me" immediately climbed the Billboard charts, reaching as high as the #4 spot on the Hot 100.
Interestingly, King found the song enjoying newfound popularity after it was re-released (alongside a music video) as part of the soundtrack to the 1986 film Stand By Me starring Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix. In 1998, the track was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, cementing its status as one of the most iconic songs ever.
In 2021, Rolling Stone placed "Stand by Me" in the 131st position on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list. Today, the song is infinitely hummable, still as popular as ever — especially in karaoke bars around the world — and is the perfect choice for someone like Boyle to show off her unreal vocal skills in the studio or on stage!
