Adam David's Soulful High Notes Breathe New Life Into This Beach Boys Classic
The Voice Season 27 winner's tone is just so timeless.
On February 22, Adam David took to Instagram to perform a cover of The Beach Boys' 1966 hit "God Only Knows." And his vocals were so good, it's no surprise at all that he led Team Bublé to victory in The Voice Season 27.
Despite only earning a 1-Chair Turn during the Blind Auditions, courtesy of Coach Michael Bublé, David eventually came out on top thanks to some genuinely mesmerizing vocal performances. And his February cover of "God Only Knows" showed off how talented he's been all along.
"God Only Knows" is a deeply spiritual song that sounds like a 1960s track — of course, it is a 1960s track — but David's soulful performance makes it seem far more contemporary. Every note David sings is pitch-perfect, and his raspy undertone gives the song even more emotion than before.
RELATED: Ring in Summer with Kevin Bacon and Jimmy Fallon's Beach Boys "Cover"
David isn't afraid to go high or low in his vocal register, showing off tiny inflections that make his tone unique.
As always, David's guitar strumming was the perfect accompaniment to his voice. Watching him play guitar while singing at such a high level throughout Season 27 was a joy — and it was a testament to his superstar skill set.
RELATED: Adam David's Earth-Shattering Hozier "Take Me to Church" Cover Is Rock Nirvana
David's Coach recognized the Florida native's potential from day one. Bublé knew after hearing one note of David's voice that he could win the show. "I love you, man. You're my kind of Artist... Congratulations, I knew you could do it. I knew you'd get here," Bublé told David after he won.
What to know about "God Only Knows"
Released in 1966 off The Beach Boys' milestone album Pet Sounds, "God Only Knows" is widely considered one of the greatest songs by the band ever recorded — and it's still as popular as ever today.
In 2024, "God Only Knows" was declared the 11th best song of all time by Rolling Stone. The outlet gave the track its highest praise, writing, "Carl Wilson's understated lead vocal is note-perfect, but it's the arrangement of horns, sleigh bells, strings, and accordion that gives 'God' its heavenly feel. Brian Wilson was fascinated by spirituality and said this song came out of prayer sessions in the studio."
The track reached the number-39 position on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 24, 1966.
