At first glance, Post Malone, Darius Rucker and Pokemon seem like an unusual trio. However, when you hear Post Malone’s “Pokemon 25” cover of the 1995 Hootie and the Blowfish hit “Only Wanna Be With You,” you won’t have to think twice about putting this trio in the same conversation.

Malone had the honor of kicking off P25 Music, a partnership between Universal Music Group and Pokemon, on Saturday, Feb. 27, with a virtual concert honoring the 25th anniversary of the Japanese video game franchise. During his 15 minute set, Malone played some of his biggest hits, like “Psycho” and “Congratulations,” however, it was Malone’s newly debuted cover of “Only Wanna Be With You” that was the true headline of the show. 

Originally released in 1995 by Darius Ruckers’ band Hootie and the Blowfish, “Only Wanna Be With You” found success not only on the charts (it reached number one on the Billboard Top 40) but in the hearts of many Hootie fans. It is now considered one of their most beloved hits. 

Malone, a Hootie fan himself, has long discussed his fondness for ’90s alt-rock. Last year, he played a Nirvana tribute livestream and also covered Black Sabbath and Alice in Chains with Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash. So, if anyone can somehow make a Pokemon version of a 90s rock hit work, it’s Post Malone.

Malone’s version of “Only Wanna Be With You” isn’t discernibly different from the Hootie and the Blowfish original. His voice fits the song almost seamlessly, with his folk and country influences helping him mirror Rucker’s deep, soulful vocals on the original track. While it may sound unnatural for other artists to take on a song so outside their genre, Malone’s ability to elude genre classifications makes his version of the song feel natural and relaxed.

Malone’s signature shaky vibrato is on full display throughout the cover, whether it’s during the chorus where he croons, “I only wanna be with you,” or during the verses, where he reflects, “You like to laugh at me when I look at other girls.” His talent at switching his voice between a soft and sweet melody and a rough, shaky croon allows him to add his own emotion into the cover and put emphasis on the parts that are most meaningful to him. 

Malone’s voice especially stands out in the more acoustic parts of the song, particularly on the last verse, where his voice starts off as a sweet harmony and slowly becomes rougher and more of a lovestruck cry. 

The adaption of the instrumental elements of the song is also very successful, as it is reflective of Malone’s style while still keeping the original feeling of the song intact. While the Hootie version of the song features a very folksy, bluegrass guitar instrumental, Malone incorporates his hip-hop style into his cover with more prominent drums over the guitar melody. The addition of an electric guitar bridge pays homage to the song’s rock roots while also adding even more emotion to the lovesick lyrics.

The most unique addition to Malone’s cover, though, is the Pokemon sound effects. Zippy synths and random blurps appear throughout the track to help it fit into the Pokemon universe. Given that the song is the lead single for “Pokémon 25: The Album,” these sound effects make sense, however, they seem out of place without knowledge of the context of the track’s release. The effects are not overwhelming, though, as they are mostly evident during the beginning and end of the song. At times, the quick synths actually help break up the repetition of the guitar riff and give the song more of a Post Malone feel. Nevertheless, the cover would function just as well without the Pokemon elements and could be even stronger with more acoustic elements.

Along with the addition of the Pokemon sound effects, Malone also puts his own spin on the Hootie hit by changing one line of lyrics. Instead of singing, “I’m such a baby, yeah, the (Miami) Dolphins make me cry,” as Rucker does in the original, Malone replaces the Dolphins with the (Dallas) Cowboys. Rucker grew up in South Carolina as a Miami Dolphins fan, a team that last won the Super Bowl when Rucker was just six years old. Malone, who grew up near Dallas, is a lifelong Cowboys fan, another team who has not had postseason success for over two decades. 

Rucker, who only learned of Malone’s cover when it dropped for the public on Friday, Feb. 26, tweeted his support for Malone and applauded his creativity, writing, “The smile on my face will not leave for a long time” and later telling Variety, “It’s awesome to see that a song we wrote almost 30 years ago continues to resonate as it really speaks to the lasting life a song can have when people connect with it.”

While there might not be much crossover between fans of Post Malone and Hootie and Pokemon, Malone’s cover of “Just Wanna Be With You” bridges the gap between these seemingly disparate groups and gives them a stunning track filled with elements that are sure to make any fan happy.