The Presets vs. Cub Sport | Head 2 Head

In the 12th edition of Head 2 Head (2025), The Presets and Cub Sport contend for the best rendition of “This Boy’s In Love.”

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians performing the same song and compare their performances.  After deliberation, we decide which performance is the best or moves us more subjectively.  In the 12^th edition of Head 2 Head (2025), The Presets and Cub Sport contend for the best rendition of “This Boy’s In Love”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. The Presets, “This Boy’s In Love”

Apocalypso // Modular Recordings // 2008

“I stole the keys to the skies / And we’ll leave this place for the final time,” Julian Hamilton sings in the first verse of “This Boy’s In Love”.  The talented vocalist and keyboardist from the Australian electronic duo, The Presets, which also includes Kim Moyes (keyboards and drums), concludes in the verse, singing, “‘Cause, baby, tonight the world belongs to you and I.” Hamilton and Moyes composed and produced “This Boy’s In Love,” the second single and fourth track from their 2008 album, Apocalypso.  “This Boy’s In Love” is nothing short of a banger – a classic from the 2000s.

“It’s dark, there’s no need for light,” Hamilton sings in the second verse, continuing, “When the fire in his eyes is so bright.” Four words: “This boy’s in love.” The songwriting is one of the biggest draws of the song, suggesting an unbreakable bond between two men.  How deep is this bond? Is this a friendship or partnership, or could this be a gay relationship? A gay relationship is never specified, but given how the song is open to interpretation, it doesn’t feel far-fetched.  The music video feels homoerotic, however, with two shirtless men wrestling in milk. And to reiterate, there is a pact to the end between the men after all, “They’ll think about you now and then / They’ll never see our faces again.” Other notes regarding the brilliant “This Boy’s In Love”. It features a quick tempo.  Further amplifying the energy and excellence are the sleek, driving synths and a relentless groove. The production is elite to the nth degree, which is the expectation from an electronic collective.  Ultimately, the song does not need to be overanalyzed.  The Presets put their foot into this epic 2000s gem.

2. Cub Sport, “This Boy’s In Love”

“This Boy’s In Love” // Cub Sport // 2025 

“This time, fight fire with fire / ‘Cause, baby, tonight the world belongs to you and I.” Australian indie-pop collective Cub Sport never ceases to amaze. Over the years, Tim Nelson and company have dropped some surefire bops that more folks need to be buzzing about stateside.  In 2025, Cub Sport released a cover of “This Boy’s In Love”, originally recorded by The Presets (Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes) in their 2008 album, Apocalypso. Nelson produced the Cub Sport version.

If you were naïve of The Presets’ original, you would assume this was a Cub Sport original.  In the indie-pop collective’s hands, it becomes a stripped piano ballad,  This is starkly different from The Presets’ original, which is quicker, groovier, with electronic instrumentation.  Cub Sport maintains a chilling, cool vibe.  Besides the piano, light strings enter, but subtlety remains the modus operandi.  Nelson sings beautifully, delivering an authentic, nuanced, and tender performance. The chorus is nothing short of divine!

“This boy’s in love, love

This boy’s in love

Under the city

Under the city lights.”

In Nelson’s hands, as a gay married man (bandmate Sam Netterfield is his husband), “This Boy’s in Love” confirms an enduring same-sex relationship, one where, despite being judged for their love, they will remain ‘locked-in’ until the very end. The second verse (“Don’t tell the world what we’ve known”) grows more dynamic, but still never breaks a sweat. The second chorus is significantly louder than the rest of the song. The ‘come down’ is sweet, with Nelson wowing with his ripe falsetto. This radiant, stripped cover of “This Boy’s In Love” does not need to be overanalyzed – it is a stunning song!

Appears in :

• Cub Sport, This Boy’s In Love: Covers No. 11 (2025)

The Verdict  

So, which version of “This Boy’s In Love” is the best? Is it the sleekly produced original by The Presets with its sickening groove and high-flying synths, or the more intimate, stripped cover by Cub Sport? Either way, Australia wins, right?! Tim Nelson sounded delightful in the dramatic transformation of the song.  Sometimes, covers play it too safe by not doing enough to distinguish them from the original.  Nelson and Cub Sport ensure their version is distinct. That said, The Presets deserve their flowers for the ear candy that is “This Boy’s In Love.” The perfect catalyst for the dance floor with incredibly memorable lyrics that are subject to interpretation, The Presets take the W in this head-to-head. Either way, “This Boy’s In Love” slaps!

The Presets vs. Cub Sport: Head 2 Head No. 12 (2025) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Cub Sport, Modular Recordings; Israel Torres, KoolShooters, Los Muertos Crew, RDNE Stock project, Thomas Ronveaux from Pexels]