Super Bowl Halftime Prep: 10 Best Rihanna covers by Filipino artists
Super Bowl LVII is here, this Sunday, February 12th 2023 but everyone knows that the main attraction isn’t the game, it is the halftime show by Savage x Fenty owner and international R&B superstar, Rihanna . It’s been quite some time since we last saw Riri perform live, 7 years to be exact since the release of her album Anti. In case you’ve forgotten any of Rihanna’s 14 No. 1, chart topping hits, we have compiled a list of 10 covers from Filipino artists to refresh your memory.
1. Raymond Salgado | Unfaithful 102k likes, 1.1M followers
Starting off with viral Tik Tok sensation, Raymond Salgado, giving us his heart wrenching, stand and deliver snippet of Unfaithful. His vocal agility and skill to pull at your heartstrings has been the foundation to his success on Tik Tok, amassing his 1.1 million followers. Listen as he reminds us of the classic song, Unfaithful, and why it charted at #6 on Billboard Top 100 in 2006.
2. Elyssa Plaza | Love on the Brain, 323k views, 194k followers
Up next, we have another Tik Toker who is more new to the scene but I promise she still packs a punch as good as anyone else on this list, Elyssa Plaza. Covering Rihanna’s Love on the Brain, which topped the charts at #5 in 2016, her control and her raspy tone are reminiscent of the late Amy Winehouse. Keep her on your feed to spice up Tik Tok Feed.
3. Fana.Offical & Nisha - Unfaithful 474k views, 2.7M followers
Finishing up our Tik Tok generation of performers are Fana and Nisha from Season 1 and 2 of Idol Philippines. Nisha and Fana duet together to deliver Unfaithful, using tightknit harmonies and tactful runs to deliver ear candy for the soul, it makes sense how both placed top 10 in their respective seasons but don’t just take my word for it, click the link and see if they earned your vote for Idol Philippines elite.
4. Marylou Villegas | Higher 125k views, 196k followers
One of my favorite up and coming Filipino artists, representing the great North of Canada, we have Marylou Villegas singing her cover of Higher from Rihanna’s eighth studio album, Anti. Giving us the OG Youtube vibes, it’s just Marylou and her piano, bringing a soulful and stripped down version of Higher.
5. Filharmonic | Work 487k views, 214k followers
Filipino American a cappella group, The Filharmonic, give us a raw, all vocal cover of Rihanna’s song Work which charted at #1 for 9 straight weeks. There is something so soothing about voices blending with no instruments, delivering a full bodied cover. That’s exactly what we have here and of course I have my own reasons and bias as to why you should give these handsome dudes a follow and listen, but click the link and see why half a million views on youtube have given their time to play this bop over and over.
6. Gabe Bondoc | Take a Bow, 841k views, 376k subscribers
We’ve shown you the new school but now it’s time to bring in one of the original pioneers of Filipino youtube, Gabe Bondoc. Giving us his soulful and smooth silky version of Take a Bow, we can see why so many of our current FilAm artists have looked up to the likes of Gabe Bondoc. Of course this man needs no further introduction, so put on your headphones and relax as he brings us beachy campfire vibes with his bluesy style of this 2008 #1 chart topper.
7. Us The Duo | We Found Love 2.2m views, 2.1m subscribers 22nd most viewed video
The most viewed video on this list, we have youtube sweethearts, Us The Duo and their cover of We Found Love. Not only was this Rihanna’s longest charting #1 song, holding the title for 10 weeks, it is also our most viewed video on this list with a total of 2.2 million views and most subscribed youtube account at 2.1 million. After just a few covers, the internet immediately became fans of their passionate love story which makes me think they were actually singing to each other when they covered this song. Imaging that, only makes it more special and one of my favorite covers on this list.
8. Kyla & Liezel Garcia | Work, 446k views, 204k followers
Kyla has always been one of the most soothing R&B voices that I loved listening to in the early 2000s. In this cover of Work with Liezel Garcia, she does what she does best and sings to the depths of our souls with the most soothing and calming tone. Harmony, guitar, Rihanna, this cover has all the qualities of a home run cover or should I say touchdown?
9. Gigi De Lana | California King Bed 999k views, 1.23M subscribers
Gigi De Lana is a new artist I discovered while researching and compiling this list but her angelic voice will leave an everlasting impression on my ears. The tone and sincerity of her singing voice makes me feel like she wrote the song and I have not stopped listening to this cover since I made this list. Not only should you expand your horizon to this up and coming Filipino artist but her cover is so close to 1 million views, do your ears a favor and put this on repeat so we can get her cover to that 1M mark.
10. Morisette | Rihanna Medley 1.8m views, 676k subscribers
I have been the biggest fan of Morisette for quite some time now. Her technique, power, and versatility make her one of the most talented singers to have come from the Philippines in the past decade but of course most Filipinos already know this since she has quickly become a household name all across the country. Although this isn’t a cover, this live medley performance of Rihanna songs is the highest caliber of talent you’ll hear aside from Rihanna actually singing it herself. Of course you should listen to the entire medley but if you wanna skip to my favorite part at 2:30, you’ll hear her powering through California King Bed that will leave you with chills.
Listening to all these covers has really fired me up to watch Rihanna’s worldwide Super Bowl Concert on Sunday, oh and yeah I guess the actual game too? Which one of these was your favorite and were there any honorable mentions that I may have missed? Let us know so we can show your favorite artists some love!
TLDR Bonus: If there are too many videos to watch and you need a condensed version, check out this cover of Rihanna’s biggest hits by The Filharmonic that they just posted this week:
Written By Niko Del Rey
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