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College student transforms Radiohead's 'Creep' in jaw-dropping, soulful recital cover

"I’ve never had chills like this."

radiohead, radiohead creep, creep cover, cover songs, music school

A college student went viral with a jaw-dropping cover of Radiohead's "Creep."

Photo credit: YouTube screenshot from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM)
Ryan Reed
By Ryan ReedJun 07, 2025
Ryan Reed
Ryan Reed is a contributing writer for GOOD residing in Knoxville, Tennessee. He has contributed to Rolling Stone, Relix, Revolver, SPIN and The New York Times.
See Full Bio

Some classic songs are equally famous for second lives in the cover-tune sphere, popping up endlessly on singing competitions and filling out the bare-cupboard set lists of young bands short on material. When Leonard Cohen released his soft-rock ballad "Hallelujah" in 1984, he probably never anticipated Jeff Buckley’s soul-crushing 1994 overhaul—or, furthermore, the endless wave of reinterpretations that have filled YouTube and TikTok in the decades since.

Another song in that same club is Radiohead’s breakout 1992 hit, "Creep": an anthem of the alt-rock/post-grunge era that, with its raw-nerve lyrical angst and memorable major-minor melody, is now impossible to not hear at your local karaoke bar. Most of these covers aren’t particularly interesting—but every so often, someone manages to add their own magic touch. Enter Erin Morton, a junior BFA Musical Theatre student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, who injected some operatic soul into this slacker staple.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

The performance took place during the CMM Musical Theatre’s annual recital/"jam," where students play hit songs alongside a backing band of instrumentalists and a sound engineer. After being shared on TikTok, the clip has generated millions of views, being shared by celebrities (including The White Lotus’ Natasha Rothwell) and earning regional coverage from The Cincinnati Enquirer.

It’s easy to understand why. The performance is masterful: opening in a delicate choral space, blooming into a dramatic chorus, settling into an old-school soul feel in the second verse, and building up to staggering, melismatic vocal chops. (Hear, for example, how Morton stretches out the word "weirdo" into a multi-syllabic monster.) A special tip of the cap should also go to the versatile CCM backing band and creative team: bassist Sophia Troyer, guitarist Michael Dorst, drummer Aaron Coffenberry, and pianist/co-arranger Jacob Priddy, the latter of whom co-arranged and directed the material with Professor Sarah Folsom.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

"This moment honestly feels surreal," Morton told the UC news site after the performance went viral. "I’m incredibly grateful for all the kindness, support and encouragement I’ve received over the past few weeks—it’s been overwhelming in the best way possible. So many amazing opportunities have come from this, and I’m beyond excited for what’s ahead. It’s a time I’ll never forget, and I’m truly, deeply thankful for each person who has been part of this journey."

It’s worth briefly scanning the breathless praise in the TikTok comments. "If I could sing like this I would be insufferable," one user wrote. "I’ve never had chills like this," another added. Plenty of people saved their loftiest praise for the "weirdo" section, with one proclaiming, "'Weirdo' single-handedly tore me apart and put me back together."

"Creep," meanwhile, has lived a strange life outside of the covers circuit. Radiohead, according to Setlist.fm, have played the song on 415 occasions over the years—but only 25 times in the 2000s. Then, to the surprise of many fans who assumed the song had been sent out to pasture, they revived it for sporadic shows during the tour for 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. Tons of other bands have also kept the "Creep" flame alive on stage—everyone from Tears for Fears to Blues Traveler to Brandi Carlile.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

studentsradioheadcoversmusic studentslive performanceviral videoinspiringsingingcollege studentmusic

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