Song Review: Smooth Criminal by 2Cellos

They came. They saw. They fucking destroyed the music scene! The first time I saw 2Cellos performing their famous cover of the Michael Jackson song Smooth Criminal on The Ellen Show, I was blown away by how effortlessly they manipulated that four stringed instrument to sound like a whole band! They were the percussion, the rhythm guitar, the lead guitar all rolled into one single instrument. I never thought a cello could round so rocking. I'd obviously heard of cello-rock before, but it didn't appeal to me until now.

Stjepan Hauser and Luka Sulic are two cellists from Croatia. They became an instant phenomenon last year when they uploaded their version of Smooth Criminal on Youtube. Within no time, they had a million views and a record contract in their cello cases!

Let me describe what 2Cellos really is. It is a treat to watch them perform as much as it is a bliss to hear them play. They get so engrossed in playing that instrument to perfection that nothing in the world seems to exist for them. It is just them and their two cellos and the omnipresent notes of the song that they are playing. The intensity with which they play is evident from the way their bows seem to be shred to ribbons by the end of the song. They must need a new bow after every performance, methinks! And the ecstatic expressions on their faces seem to crescendo with the music itself. If you could headbang on a cello, you'd do it like Stjepan and Luka.

They recently featured in the Glee episode (aired on 31 Jan 2012) where Naya Rivera and Grant Gustin sang to their accompaniment of Smooth Criminal. Glee and 2Cellos - does it get better than that? Heck to the no! They really redefined that song.

Bonus Time:
Their rendition of Welcome to the Jungle has a class of its own. How can anyone make that big old, upside-down violin (no mockery intended) sound like an electric guitar, a bass and a drum set all at the same time? Hats off man! Another song to watch out for is their cover of Highway to Hell by AC/DC. With only a drummer to accompany them, they effing ROCK the already rocking classic rock song!