Genesis Owusu Covered The Rolling Stones for ‘Like A Version’ and it’s Absolutely Sublime
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- Genesis Owusu has covered The Rolling Stones’ Paint It Black for triple j’s Like a Version
- The performance turns the 1966 rock classic into a feverish punk-funk blow-up
- Owusu also performed STAMPEDE from his latest album, Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge
How ’bout that? Genesis Owusu took to the triple j Like a Version studio with his own rendition of Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones. And while some covers give a polite nod to the original, this one walks in, moves the furniture around and takes over.
Appearing on the long-running radio cover series, the Ghanaian-Australian artist pulled apart the 1966 classic and rebuilt it into something louder, sweeter and far more theatrical.
How Genesis Owusu Reworked Paint It Black
You’ll notice the gospel choir rework of the classic sitar line straight away, along with the creeping tension and all-too-familiar groove. But it doesn’t take long before Owusu starts dragging the song somewhere else entirely.
Backed by a full live band, the cover leans into funk basslines, distorted guitars and gospel-style backing vocals before kicking into punk energy. This isn’t your favourite band adding your dad’s favourite song to the live list rotation for a cheap crowd reaction. It’s Genesis Owusu proving even the classics can still be roughed up a bit.
That becomes most obvious in the breakdown. While it’s not a one-for-one comparison, it carries a similar thrill to Joey Bada$$ turning Prince’s “When Doves Cry” into “When Thugs Cry“ for Like a Version back in 2018. The song is still recognisable, but the artist has found enough room inside it to start speaking in their own language.
It works, not because it does justice to The Stones. It works because Owusu takes one of rock’s most recognisable songs and uses it to show exactly what kind of artist he is.
Alongside the cover, Owusu also performed STAMPEDE from his latest album, Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge, continuing to break down genre boundaries.
For a song that has spent nearly 60 years being thrashed across radio, film trailers and pub speakers, that’s no small thing. Owusu gives Paint It Black its proper respect, but still finds enough room to bare his teeth.
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