School choirs aren’t often too stunning. But when the choir group, Devil Clefs, of Arizona State University, got together in an unsuspecting school stairwell to cover two of Billie Eilish’s greatest hits, their transformational sound rocked the internet, sending the group viral with a staggering 17 million YouTube views to date.
Music Man readers can watch the Devil Clefs’ pure magic unfold in the clip below and prepare to be wowed by their unfiltered talent!
Crammed into the stairwell like an old One Direction X Factor-era video diary, the seventeen singers of the Devil Clefs break into impeccable harmony from their very first line, summoning a dreamy atmosphere through their voices as they recreate the backing track of Billie Eilish’s early-career ballad “idontwannabeyouanymore”.
This emotional song is the ultimate fit for a choir such as this: flowing melodies and cascading harmonies that transfer seamlessly to the group’s new a cappella basis. The church-like reverberations of the stairwell only make their rendition even more angelic, especially once the lead singer breaks their clouded voices with her bright top line.
Studding their rendition with finger clicks to form a natural yet powerful beat, the choir seamlessly transitions into a cover of Billie Eilish’s supersonic ballad “When The Party’s Over” – a rendition even more flawless than their first, the choir mastering every harmonic swell with ethereal effect.
Shockingly, these university students are not music majors. They’re simply students who love to sing for fun, yet do so like absolute pros. As the Devil Clefs’ president Alexa Siegler told Good Morning America, “We like singing. We like performing and we like performing together.” Bandmate Milena Santiago, meanwhile, is the Devil Clefs member who masterfully arranged these surreal renditions of Billie’s hits.
Since going viral, the Devil Clefs’ cover has attracted the attention of Scott Hoying of Pentatonix, perhaps the most famous a cappella group of our age. He retweeted the Clefs’ clip, commenting, “Literal heaven to my ears.”
Over five years on from this viral clip, Devil Clefs are chasing the fame of their Billie Eilish cover, flooding their TikTok account with a cappella stairwell renditions of their originals, with some pop covers sprinkled in the mix, all to the tune of 3 million likes.
Heading to their YouTube channel, the choir has scored a number of viral clips, their most popular covers ranging from pop-punk overlords Blink-182 to hits by Lizzo, Harry Styles, and Whitney Houston. Who said choir music was dull?!
The Devil Clefs have truly set a new benchmark for choral covers with their breathtaking rendition, capturing the hearts of millions worldwide. If you’re ready to experience the enchanting harmony of this talented group, dive into the video below and let their voices sweep you away. Discover more about the Devil Clefs through the links provided, and join us in celebrating their remarkable achievement.