Entertainment

Lea Michele's "Cannonball" Just Got Better

by Kadeen Griffiths

We understand why Lea Michele released the version of Cannonball that she did. The song is an anthem, one that helped her deal with the loss of her boyfriend Cory Monteith. It's all about picking yourself up and finding the strength to keep going and at the time it worked better as a power ballad with an intense bass and drum line backing Michele's powerful vocals. However, the acoustic studio version of the song that she released on her YouTube channel today shows what could have been and we kind of wish it was what had been to begin with.

"Cannonball" was a great song, but it didn't really sink in how great it was. It has a lot of raw emotion in it that Michele only brings to the acoustic. In the original song, it's more about the beat and the music than the actual message. "Cannonball" is surprisingly versatile. It works on the level of being a musical motto to start your day with and it works on the level of being an emotional plea to yourself to find the courage and strength no matter how rough things might get.

The entire acoustic video is done in black and white and features Michele simply singing the song with others, smiling and laughing at points, and the whole effect is just so powerful. It says, "I'm a survivor. I've done what I do best: survive." It says that she's found, if not happiness, then at least a center of peace. It says so much more than her original music video, which mostly featured a heavily glammed up Michele alternating between angst and sexiness.

If you didn't connect with the song when it originally premiered, this is the version of it to listen to. This is the version that really makes you feel just a small piece of the heartbreak that Michele was going through when she recorded it. This is the version to hope is included as a bonus track on the album.

Watch the video below.