MTV Unplugged is Bae: My Top 5 Unplugged performances
Performing. It’s the most vulnerable position artists can put themselves in, and ironically, exactly where I enjoy them most. So naturally, some of my favorite performances come from the most slept on provider of live sessions to date — MTV Unplugged.
Unplugged has been poppin’ since 1989, getting its name and fame for having artists swap out their amplified instrumentals for acoustic guitars and pianos. It’s almost like getting a YouTube cover from the artists themselves.
Narrowing down my favorite performances was pretty difficult, but my hopes for you, dear reader, is to run off with these recommendations and go listen to the sessions in their entirety.
5. KATY PERRY – I Kissed A Girl - 2009
Wait!! Hear me out.
If you’re looking to be completely thrown off by Katy’s melodies and an AMAZING jazz arrangement with a hint of cabaret, you’ve arrived. I never really cared for homegirl because her antics were too much of a barrier to her vocals. But, get her off one of those overdone stages, in an a setting like such, and your focus will fall beautifully into place.
4. FLORENCE + THE MACHINE – Never Let Me Go - 2012
You have to have a special kind of patience and appreciation for Florence to listen to her live. For some, she’s shaky. For listeners like me, her fluctuations keep me on the edge of my seat. Never Let Me Go is no exception.
3. MARIAH CAREY – Emotions - 1992
Back when Mariah’s whistles floored crowds…in the good way. The choir that performed with her gave this 70’s inspired, disco-ish jam a little more soul than what you’d get from the recorded single. Translation - you'll snap and sway to this in a very mom-like fashion and won't give a damn who's watching. Godspeed.
2. JAY Z – Can’t Knock the Hustle - 2001
I know what you're thinking — this isn't the Unplugged performance. For some ungodly reason, finding video of Hov's session was like digging for treasure. Unfortunately, this is one of my favorites so you're just going to have to take my word. It's pretty comparable to the Unplugged version, check for yourself on Spotify.
To have to pick one song from this 'concert' is a crime. It’s not only one of my favorite Unplugged projects, but truly in my scrapbook of amazing music moments. I chose "Can’t Knock the Hustle" for two reasons outside of sheer love for the song. 1)The band’s vibe flowed out into the audience. You can just feel and hear the crowd’s energy in the audio and it makes you feel like you're there or like you should've been there. 2) The end to the song (See: Spotify version) was just the beginning of MJB soulfully rebuking hateration in the dancery. And if you can remember watching this, you remember the Blige Bounce that came with it.
1. LAURYN HILL - I Gotta Find Peace of Mind - 2002
If someone told us in ’02 that Unplugged was the last we’d hear from Lauryn, we’d laugh at you while popping Sister Act 2 into the VCR. This Unplugged series is a fan favorite, and while I didn't start listening to it until college, a lot of the songs struck an emotional chord in ways only Lauryn could orchestrate. She pushes through "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind" in a raspy voice that she attributes to no sleep, and repeats "Our mericful God" as she closes out the song in tears. Chilling to say the least. Playing this now and reflecting on Lauryn, or the lack there of, this song could’ve very well been her farewell note to us all, making this two-part album musical gold.