It’s rare that a cover is better than the original. But the key to the success of any cover is usually related to how unique and different it is to the first version.
It’s a difficult balance to strike, especially when covering something that’s already made waves in its original form. There’s a lot to live up to!
But playing something as striking as the Chinese harp is a guaranteed way to make a cover stand out!
Lily Liu is a talented artist from China, and has taken to the misty mountains at dawn to record her cover of a Wiz Khalifa song.
Standing at the top of a peak wearing a long blue and white floral dress, she starts to play and the immediately recognizable song shines through with each strum.
You don’t have to be a huge fan of Khalifa’s to have heard the hit song “See You Again.”
The heartwarming lyrics can bring back nostalgia you didn’t even know you had. It’ll have you missing people you’ve never met.
With the addition of Lily Liu’s magic touch, the song is taken to an even higher emotional level.
You don’t need the lyrics to get a feel for what the song is about, but if you are familiar with the lyrics, well—prepare to cry just a little bit.
“It’s been a long day without you, my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
We’ve come a long way from where we began
Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again
When I see you again.”
The Chinese harp goes by many other names, including guzheng, zheng and zither.
It’s also called the Sasando in Indonesia, and it can have anywhere from 21 to 26 strings, laying flat while it’s played. Its distinct sound is different from the western harp or any other stringed instrument, certainly making it a unique choice for a cover!
With so many strings, it requires a lot of precision and training to perfect. It’s been around for centuries… dating back as far as 475 BC!
But somehow the ancient instrument is the perfect complement to the Khalifa’s hit pop song.
Lily Liu is very talented and has been playing the guzheng for years.
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You can tell by the precise placement of every finger and her strong posture that she’s an experienced artist.
Watching her fingers move so quickly across all the strings is mesmerizing!
In addition to her success as a musician, she has also competed in beauty competitions, playing the zither as her talent.
And winning, I might add!
She now lives in the United States and is sharing a little bit about Chinese culture through her music.
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Her passion and dedication to consistently putting out incredible videos on her YouTube channel is sure to take her career even higher.
This cover has already been viewed more than 11 million times by people around the world! Commenters both new, and already familiar with the zither have seen her performance:
“I’m Chinese but don’t live in China. I often visit but hearing this song makes me really miss it. […] I think that the beauty if the traditions and things should be appreciated. Like many other cultures out there should be too.”
And everyone agrees on one thing: it’s fantastic!
“Fantastic rendition, Lily Liu! You captured the emotions in the track beautifully!”
You can watch her unique cover by clicking on the video below!
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