Tears For Fears vs. Robert Glasper | Head 2 Head 🗣️

In the 10^th edition of Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️ (2023), Tears For Fears and Robert Glasper contend for the best rendition of “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” 

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 🗣️ 2 Head 🗣️, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In the 10^th  edition of head 🗣️2 head 🗣️ (2023), 🎙 Tears For Fears and 🎙 Robert Glasper contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Tears For Fears, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”

💿 Song From The Big Chair • 🏷 Mercury • 📅 1985

“Welcome to your life / There’s no turning back / Even while we sleep / We will find you.” Oh, my 👀 😬! When you earn a no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, you have solidified a spot in history 💪! 🎙 Tears For Fears – 🎙 Roland Orzabal and 🎙 Curt Smith – earned two no. 1 hits.  Furthermore, both songs hailed from their 1985 album, 💿 Song From The Big Chair, which eventually reached no. 1 on the Billboard 200.  For our intents and purposes, we focus only on 🎵 “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, among the truly beloved tracks of the 1980s. Notably, the band did earn a 🏆 Grammy nomination, but not for this song nor album – bummer!

Curt Smith sounds utterly fantastic on “Everybody Wants to Rule The World.” The verses are short, sweet, and relatively simple.  The same can be said of the chorus, which is variable, but always concludes with the powerful, titular lyric, “Everybody Wants to Rule The World.”  One of the reasons why this song is stellar is because the melody is incredibly tuneful, particularly the chorus.  Furthermore, the overall sound (keys, programming, guitars) and production (🎛 Chris Hughes) – the aesthetic, overall – is M-A-R-V-E-L-O-U-S!  “I can’t stand this indecision / Married with a lack of vision / Everybody wants to rule the – ” Woo! 🎵 “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” is a vibe that endures well beyond the 80s!

Appears in 🔻:

• Tears For Fears, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 34 (2023)
• 15 Epic Songs Regarding The World (2023)

2. Robert Glasper, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” (Ft. Lalah Hathaway & Common)

💿 Black Radio III • 🏷 Loma Vista • 📅 2022

“Acting on your best behavior / Turn your back on Mother Nature / Everybody wants to rule the world.” 🎙 Tears For Fears struck gold with the gem which never seems to grow old. Renowned jazz pianist and producer 🎙 Robert Glasper makes the 1980s, 🎙 Tears For Fears gem, 🎵 “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, sound even fresher in 2022.  It appears on his 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B album, 💿 Black Radio III, and enlists the services of 🏆 Grammy-winning R&B singer, 🎙 Lalah Hathaway, and 🏆 Grammy-winning rapper, 🎙 Common. Sure, it is hard to tweak a classic that does not need tweaking, but Glasper and company do a bang-up job.

In Glasper’s hands, fitting the bill of his Black Radio series, he transforms “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” into an R&B record.  Sure, back then, a youthful 🎙 Curt Smith sang with incredible energy, but Hathaway brings a more adult contemporary, soulful vibe. Her vocals are refined against an equally refined and classy backdrop.  The tempo is also slackened, giving “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” a more laidback, chill feel.  Adding to the chillness, and the ‘blackness,’ is a rap feature from Common.  Common, who is a class act, keeps his bars classy to, fitting this jazzy, adult contemporary aesthetic to perfection.  During this particular section of the record, it sounds nothing like the original, showcasing the most innovative spirit.  Also, worth noting, the intro, prior to the most recognizable portion of the 80s classic, finds Glasper in forward thinking mode. Perhaps Glasper does not steal the thunder of the original, which is irreplaceable, but his reinterpretation, with the help of Hathaway and Common, makes 2022 🎵 “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” pretty sweet.

Appears in 🔻:

• Robert Glasper, “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”: Covers No. 11 (2023)

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️

🎙 Tears For Fears or 🎙 Robert Glasper?  Back in the day, the Tears For Fears record was huge, without question – a no. 1 hit.  Notably, the Robert Glasper cover is a bold reinterpretation, highlighted by additional musical cues and a truly poetic, sophisticated rap feature by Common.  Tears for Fears have never won a Grammy, while Glasper has won five as of publication, including the parent album where 🎵 “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” hails from.  Still, I’ll leave you with one key portion of my own commentary when speaking about Glasper’s cover:  Perhaps Glasper does not steal the thunder of the original, which is irreplaceable… So, as much as I love the dramatic Glasper rendition, whenever we think “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” this classic will always belong to Tears For Fears.

Tears For Fears vs. Robert Glasper: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 10 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Loma Vista, Mercury; Antoni Shkraba via Pexels, andresilva5, talha khalil, Valentin Tikhonov via Pixabay; Nick Wang on Unsplash]