I’m a country music guy through and through, but I have to admit, every now and then I like to change up the playlist and get a little pop punk going. I’m talking about Blink-182, Greenday, Jimmy Eat World, Yellowcard, Fall Out Boy… you just can’t beat the nostalgic angst of 2000s punk rock every now and then.
Of course, we’re seeing a bit of a resurgence in punk rock these days (Gen Z’ers thinking Olivia Rodrigo is something new), and even some of the more alternative superstars in the country/Americana world have a bit of this punk/emo flavor to their music. Artists like Zach Bryan, Koe Wetzel… speed ’em up, dirty ’em up, and put Travis Barker behind the drum kit and you’ll have an early 2000s pop punk song.
So, whenever I see a country song covered and turned into a punk rock song, it’s gonna turn my head for sure.
With that being said, there’s nobody better at doing this than Alex Melton, a YouTube musician who is known for transforming hits we all know and love today, and turning them into punk rock songs. He’s also been known to turn punk rock songs into country songs from time to time as well.
Melton turned “Wagon Wheel” into a pop punk song one time, along with “Tennessee Whiskey” as well. He’s also turned Blink-182’s “First Date” into a country song one time too.
And now, he’s back at it again.
I was going through a YouTube rabbit hole today, and came across one of Melton’s videos from earlier this year. He transformed Shania Twain’s smash hit “You’re Still The One” into a pop punk song, and I’m not gonna lie to you…
It works. It works really well.
Of course, Shania is known as the “Queen of pop country,” and “You’re Still The One” can pass for a pop song, so the transition into a pop punk song was probably a little easier than a song like “Wagon Wheel.”
Ol’ Melton’s got two thumbs up from me once again.
Check it out:
And of course… the original:
