In an era when covers can feel like algorithmic afterthoughts, Blake Baker’s “The Best” arrives as something far more considered. The Hertfordshire-based singer-songwriter has long specialised in lyrically driven, introspective indie soft rock and acoustic fare that sits comfortably alongside the work of Paolo Nutini, Ben Howard, Lewis Capaldi and Sam Fender.
On this latest single, a warm, 4:14 reading of the Mike Chapman and Holly Knight written classic made famous by Tina Turner, he strips the anthem back to its emotional core and makes it entirely his own. Baker’s version leans heavily into the intimacy that defines his catalogue. Where Turner’s original (and the buoyant Bonnie Tyler first recording) thrived on big, stadium-ready energy and soaring production, Baker opts for a more confessional approach. Gentle acoustic guitar forms the foundation, supported by understated textures that give the track room to breathe.
His vocal delivery is the real star: rich, slightly husky and full of quiet conviction. He navigates the familiar melody with a natural ease that never feels showy, allowing the lyric’s declaration of devotion to land with genuine weight rather than theatrical force. The decision to release an acoustic interpretation makes perfect sense within Baker’s artistic trajectory. A former chemistry PhD student who found his calling in music after university, he has spent recent years building a body of original work that prioritises true-to-life storytelling and memorable melodies. Tracks such as “Mind the Gap,” “A Maybe Mind” and “We Night Owls” have already shown his gift for turning personal reflection into something universal.
“The Best” feels like a natural extension of that ethos: a love letter not only to a song that has soundtracked countless moments of celebration, but also to the simple power of a well-told emotional truth. There is a Schitt’s Creek-adjacent tenderness here (Baker has previously covered the Noah Reid version), yet the recording never slips into pastiche. Instead it feels lived-in and sincere, the kind of performance that would sit as comfortably in a quiet living-room set as it would on a festival side stage. The production keeps everything close and uncluttered, ensuring the focus remains on voice, guitar and the quiet intensity of the sentiment.
For longtime listeners, “The Best” offers further evidence of Baker’s growing confidence as both interpreter and original artist. For newcomers, it serves as an accessible and highly enjoyable entry point into a songwriter whose music rewards close attention. In reclaiming a familiar anthem and filtering it through his own soft-rock sensibility, Blake Baker has created something that feels both respectful and freshly affecting. Simply put, it is rather special.
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