“ He always has a new way of saying things ”

[ad_1]

Pokémon, Post Malone, and Darius Rucker may seem like unusual bed mates. That is, until you know that Malone owns an old-school Game Boy Color so he can still play Pokémon on a regular basis, and before Saturday’s Pokémon Day 25th anniversary celebration, Malone has released a cover of Rucker’s 1995 co-written hit with Hootie and the Blowfish, “I Only Want To Be With You.”

Malone’s new version of Hootie’s old song, dubbed “Pokémon 25 Version,” was dropped Thursday, just in time for his virtual Pokémon Day concert at 7:00 p.m. EST / 4:00 p.m. PST, a live showcase that Malone had previously watched while turning into an animated character.

More about Variety

The Malone show can be watched for free on the official Pokémon YouTube and Twitch channels and the Pokémon 25th Anniversary website and is the start of a year-long celebration of all things Pokémon with Universal Music Group and their artist-led P25 Music series.

As for Rucker, when he discovered his first huge hit as Hootie and the Blowfish was covered by the tattooed-faced rapper (barely 25 himself, born around the same time as the hit Hootie ), the songwriter tweeted: “The smile on my face won’t go away for a long time. It’s awesome. My brother @PostMalone is bringing it. Hell yes man !!!!!!!!!” before talk to Variety.

“It’s great to see that a song we wrote almost 30 years ago continues to resonate because it really talks about how long a song can last when people connect with it,” said Rucker said. “I love seeing someone like Post put their own spin on it like they do with everything they record.”

Not only is Malone a dear friend of Rucker, but the country star is thrilled with the rapper’s creativity. “He always has a new way of saying things,” Rucker said. “I love that he changed ‘dolphins make me cry’ to ‘cowboys’!”

With Hootie and the Blowfish covering songs by artists he loved (REM’s “Losing My Religion” in particular), Rucker said he was really flattered to be on the other side of that equation. “I would say the key is just to always have fun with it and make the song your own,” Rucker advised any other artist, like Malone, who wants to cover his tracks.

As for his own recent milestone, a tenth Country No. 1 with “Beers & Sunshine,” Rucker is bowled over by this accomplishment and ready to complete his next album, his first feature since “When Was the Last Time” in 2017.

“Having 10 No.1s is amazing,” he said. “I just wanted to make music that I loved when I came to Nashville, so I’m really thankful to keep in touch with people all these years later. And taking that step the same week that Post covered one of my first songs is a really special moment. We’re working on the next country project now, finishing it this summer, and we hope to release a full album before the end of the year. I’m ready.”

The best of variety

[ad_2]

Source link