“I Wanna Get Better”
Writers: Jack Antonoff, John Hill
Original Release Date: February 18, 2014
At this point, I’m pretty sure Jack Antonoff is more well known for his work as Bleachers than his contributions to fun. or Steel Train, but we can’t deny that the man can write some catchy songs.
Our first taste of Bleachers was “I Wanna Get Better” in 2014. Antonoff manages to produce a song that’s happy and depressing and hopeful all at the same time. When you hear it start, you can’t help but bounce around…and then the lyrics kick in and you realize how sad it is. The song, which has a chorus including the lines, “I didn’t know I was lonely ’til I saw your face” and “I didn’t know I was broken ’til I wanted to change”, forces us to acknowledge our unhappiness, while also encouraging us to move past it.
Not unlike Bleachers, Against the Current has definitely been on a rise in the past few years. This cover, which features Jordan Witizgreuter (aka The Ready Set), is an example of why their success is so well deserved: They’re a talented group of musicians. Chrissy Costanza gives the words warmth even when she’s singing about being broken, and the toned down instrumentation gives the song the ATC flair while still being recognizable. I particularly like the way they slow down in the last bridge, letting the words sink in before bursting into the final chorus.
At first, I was 100% convinced that Bleachers had the better version, but the more I listen to the Against the Current cover, the more I like the way they made the song their own. This is one of those cases where I just can’t decide!
