The worlds of Harry Styles and SEVENTEEN fans have collided. Seungkwan of SEVENTEEN tried his hand at a Styles cover by taking on the British artist’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “As It Was.” Seungkwan’s rendition was released Friday (Sept. 30) along with a video as part of the Spotify Singles series.
Though the K-pop star’s visual kicks off with a creepy thunderstorm, his cover matches the original’s upbeat feel. As the song’s twinkling synth instrumental acts as a countdown to the lyrics, he sits down in a chair in a pastel green suit and places headphones over his ears before singing. Seungkwan delivers the song’s infectious first verse while walking on a treadmill, then appears in a Styles-appropriate crochet shirt, beaded necklaces and jeans, and delivers the chorus from a room decorated with a green-and-white checkerboard pattern and upside down microphones.
“In this world, it’s just us/ You know it’s not the same as it was/ In this world, it’s just us/ You know it’s not the same as it was,” he sings, opting for a more languid, airy delivery for the track.
Mid-song, the video as takes a startling turn as the thunderstorm and lightning interrupts the recording. The bright lights flicker before going out, and Seungkwan pauses his performance, cowering a bit from the loud tempest. As the lights come back on, the singer resumes.
“There are CARATs who love and look forward to my cover versions of pop tracks. When it comes to covers, I like to challenge myself with songs that are different from my usual genre and style as an artist,” Seungkwan shared in a press release. “‘As It Was’ by Harry Styles has been my go-to song for the last couple of months, so I hope they enjoy this single as much as I did creating it.”
Seungkwan’s rendition of “As It Was” — the original just celebrated its 15th week atop the Hot 100 — was also recorded for Spotify’s K-Pop ON! playlist. Check out the video above.
