Everyone has been using Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next as a New Year’s caption, but this woman took it above and beyond by playing an electric guitar cover of the song.
Facebook user Nina Sengson shared a now-viral video on Monday that showed her playing a guitar cover of Grande’s pop ditty.
She says in the Facebook post: “Thank U 2018, Next 2019! Just want to end this year with a guitar cover of @arianagrande’s Thank U, Next! Happy New Year everybody!”
At the end of the caption, she thanks fellow indie musician and guitarist Jemuel Pacson for helping her master the track.
In the video, viewers can see Sengson dancing to the hit and then plucking away at the strings of her white and gray electric guitar.
Just check out what an amazing musician she is.
Sengson told Coconuts Manila that it took her almost one week to arrange, practice, and record the cover. “I’ve been playing the guitar for 11 years now,” she shared.
The 21-year-old shared that her arrangement was inspired by Mitch Fountain’s guitar cover of the hit.
“I’m currently still in school so I really have no projects planned yet,” the third-year University of the Philippines Diliman student said.
She shared that it “felt so surreal” when her video went viral.
“Everything was overwhelming because I did not expect the numbers to go that high! At the same time, it was very heartwarming because a lot of people are telling me that they became inspired to pick up their guitar again because of my video.
“As a musician, it has always been my goal to inspire and encourage other musicians. And the fact that I am able to do that makes the feeling more [of a] blessing,” she shared.
She said that at first, she didn’t want to learn how to play the guitar and preferred the violin.
“However, my dad wanted me, together with my siblings, to enroll in a class because he had a friend who was a guitar teacher,” she said. “From then on, my eagerness to learn the guitar started.”
John Mayer is one of her major inspirations. She also likes other artists like Mateus Asato, Melanie Faye, Magnus Klausen, and Ashlee Juno.
Those who want to watch Sengson live can go to one of her band Liana‘s gigs in Metro Manila.
“I do gigs with my band, Liana during my not-so-busy days. We gig around Metro Manila, but mostly in Quezon City,” she told Coconuts.
The video had over 1 million views and 34,000 shares as of this article’s posting.
Needless to say, netizens absolutely loved the cover.
Nikolai Maglaya called her “Ate” (which means “older sister” in Filipino) and asked her “[T]each me.”
Pauline Vinco tagged a friend and said: “[This is so] smooth.”
Marwin Hangal Dota said: “I LOVE YOU ALREADY!”
Nrique Martinez said: [Wow]… [Nice]. [I] love that sound.”
Jerica Ross Labastida Daan tagged a friend and said he had nothing on her. “She’s so good,” she wrote.
Is this the best Thank U, Next cover video?
