Maryze and Skyler Cocco Release Sparkling New Cover of “COOL”

“COOL” by Maryze and Skyler Cocco

“COOL” by Gwen Stefani might just be one of my absolute favourite songs in the whole world, so it was nothing short of delightful to hear that Montreal talent Maryze released their own version on Wednesday. At the same time, it’s not an easy task to re-capture such magic. All too often with covers, the listener will yearn for a tasteful rendition only to be let down and left with a tarnished vision. 

But, luckily for you and me, this is not the case – Maryze and LA-based artist Skyler Cocco have teamed up to combine their vocal talents with bold stylistic choices. Their take on “COOL” is a delight for the ears, self-described as a “modernized sapphic version with an 80s nostalgic feel” while being so much more than that. It is easy to over-80s a song, which can make it feel corny, inauthentic, and hard to listen to, but this cover captures the essence of the decade and of Stefani’s yearning to maximize a vibe that is truly timeless.  

Of the single, Maryze states: 

“There’s something about “COOL” that always felt evocative to me. It wasn’t necessarily Gwen’s biggest hit, but the melancholy of a past relationship that didn’t go up in flames – where there’s still a lot of sweetness, even if things didn’t work out – always rang true to me. I was inspired to do a cover and Skyler was at the top of my list to collab with! We’d had a couple studio sessions so I knew our vocal tones blended well and that her production had a super polished 80s feel.”

The cover was created by a fully female team, performed by Skyler and Maryze while being produced, mixed and mastered by Skyler herself. The release follows Maryze’s French dance-pop success “Langue,” which went viral on Instagram and TikTok and gained her 25k new followers. The “COOL” visualizer, directed by Priscilla Mars, is out today and I’ve already had a special glimpse. The soft, warm colours allow you to be swept off to an 80s pop dreamscape. Watch and enjoy!

Regardless of whether this is your first introduction to “COOL,” or whether you’re curious for a new spin on a well-known song, let the harmonies of Maryze and Skyler Cocco take you on an emotional experience.

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Maryze

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | TikTok

Skyler Cocco

Instagram | Spotify | TikTok

Minou (she/her) is part of the core editorial team at Also Cool Mag. She is an artist and newly-passionate writer based in Montreal. You can check out her beaded art on Instagram and her website.

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Maryze Drops Sinister New Music Video for "Emo" (Hot Tramp Records)

Still from “Emo” by Maryze

Spooky season has reached its peak, and Montreal’s alt-popstar Maryze is here to celebrate with a brand-new music video for “Emo”. The single first garnered nostalgic admiration upon the release of 8 — Maryze’s debut album, out earlier this year via Hot Tramp Records — for its torment and evocation, reminiscent of artists like Green Day and Avril Lavigne. With the release of this video, Maryze sculpts a queer love story turned horrifically upside-down.

Still from “Emo” by Maryze

The self-directed video begins with a tender honeymoon phase between Maryze and model/artist Brit Carpenter. The pair is depicted lounging on the bed and laughing through skateboarding lessons, entangled in the purity of infatuation. But their spark turns into a destructive flame, with angst and toxicity steering their relationship out of control and towards a bloody end.

Detailing the theories behind their grungy and dysfunctional nightmare, Maryze shared:

I always seek out queer representation in horror, so this music video is my little contribution. I also feel like queer narratives lack the nuance that straight relationships receive in film, so I wanted to portray all the sides of the story, from beautiful tender moments to scary unhealthy fights. The horror aspect is left pretty ambiguous and moves into a more experimental art direction. We set out to use horror devices to illustrate the toxicity of relationships without having any explicit on-screen violence. I wanted the viewer to be left asking: “who killed who?”

To fully realize her cinematic vision, Maryze created the video concept with horror screenwriter Joel H. Brewster. The visuals were shot by artist Janette King and edited by Solomon Krause-Imlach, who also produced the song.

With its gory and gruesome complexity, this depiction of “Emo” fits magically within Maryze’s universe of transcendence.

Watch the video for “Emo” below, and catch Maryze DJing at the M for Montreal after-party (co-presented by Hot Tramp and Also Cool)!

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Maryze

Website | Instagram | Bandcamp

YouTube | Spotify | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | TikTok

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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