It’s officially the spookiest day of the year, and that means a few things. For many, it’s a day to break out the costume you’ve been working on all year, grab some friends and either hit the town or a house party. For others, it’s a day to sit back, relax and indulge in a horror movie marathon. Unless you’re not a fan of the holiday for whatever reason, it’s one of the most fun nights of the year (and it definitely doesn’t hurt that it falls on a Friday this year).
Around the country music world, we’ve already seen plenty of stars get into the Halloween spirit. Notably, Jason and Brittany Aldean debuted their world-famous costumes for the year, which are none other than Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis. Randy Travis would also get in on the fun, posting a throwback video of a Halloween prank he pulled, posing as his wax figure at Madame Tussauds Nashville. Additionally, The Red Clay Strays would also wish fans a Happy Halloween all the way from Paris, sharing some past photos from members of the band.
Lainey Wilson also decided to join in on the Halloween festivities this year. Instead of a costume, however, she decided to give a country twist on YUNGBLUD’s fittingly titled song, “Zombie,” live from her front porch. Taking to Instagram, she’d give props to the alternative star, saying the track has been stuck in her head.
“In honor of Halloween…I’ve had this one stuck in my head lately.”
For those unfamiliar with YUNGBLUD (whose real name is Dominic Harrison), he’s a British alt-rock star best known for his collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly and Blink-182’s Travis Barker on their 2019 single, “I Think I’m OKAY,” which went incredibly viral on social media back in the day.
Recently, he released his fourth studio album, Idols, back in June to great success over in the U.K., scoring a #1 album on their all-genre Official Albums Chart. While the album as a whole has been quite successful overall for Harrison, there’s no doubt that “Zombie” is the runaway hit for both the “Heart Like a Truck” singer and his fans, racking up over 46 million streams on Spotify alone as of today.
Though YUNGBLUD’s version is firmly planted in the alternative and emo genres, complete with an angsty vocal performance from Harrison and a steady mix of overdriven electric guitar and driving percussion throughout the mix. Lyrically, however, as is the case with many alternative and emo songs, “Zombie” lends itself to a country cover, with the track centering around the narrator lamenting about how badly they need their lover and asking if they’d still love them even if they look like the titular zombie.
To no one’s surprise, Wilson puts a perfect country twist on this haunting alternative track. Using nothing more than a percussion loop and her acoustic guitar, the Louisiana native strips “Zombie” down to the basics and lets the lyrics breathe. In particular, she makes the song sound like it was always meant to be performed with a country flavor when she sings the emotional chorus:
“Oh, I know that I can’t live without you
But this world will keep turning if you do
Would you even want me, looking like a zombie?
Would you even want me, want me, want me?
”
I never thought a country cover of YUNGBLUD could ever sound this good, but Wilson nailed it here. She just might have to take a page out of tourmate, Muscadine Bloodline’s, playbook and deliver an alternative cover project in the vein of their 2023 EP, Teenage Angst.
Regardless, enjoy her cover and have a great Halloween, y’all.
While you’re here, check out YUNGBLUD’s original.
