More than words

Who says a cappella is for Ivy League nerds? These 10 vocals-only songs make for better earworms than the originals

- Karishma Kuenzang

1 Beyonce's evolution by Pentatonix

They chart the best bits of Bey's career: Destiny's Child's Bills, Say My Name, Survivor, Crazy In Love, Single Ladies, Run The World (Girls). The Bootylicious vocalisation will make you wonder if they've snuck a keyboard in. We love that they end with a powerful, slow build-up in Halo.

2 Killing Me Softly By Citizen Queen

There are a zillion renditions of this song. But this one by the four-member American girl band delivers it all: Rich vocals, harmonies and precise beat boxing. They keep the foundation and bass classic, adding their own flavour without fidgeting with the structure of the song, something many forget while doing covers.

3 Moon River by Prabhtoj Singh

His 23-part a cappella rendition of Jacob Collier's Moon River got noticed by Collier himself on Instagram. Singh's version has the perfect delicate background vocals for the song that carries on for two and a half minutes. It's escalated his career.

4 Run To You by Shillong Chamber Choir