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TL;DR:

  • Darius Rucker reacted to Post Malone’s cover of Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be with You.”
  • He discussed a lyrical change Malone made to the song.
  • Malone’s cover charted in the United States.
Hootie & the Blowfish by a plant during the "Only Wanna Be with You" era
Hootie & the Blowfish | Gie Knaeps / Contributor

There are classic rock influences in Post Malone’s music. For example, he covered Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be with You.” Subsequently, Hootie & the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker discussed his feelings about the cover.

Why Post Malone covered Hootie & the Blowfish’s ‘Only Wanna Be with You’

According to Rolling Stone, Malone covered “Only Wanna Be with You” for Pokémon Day, a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. His cover features electronic sounds reminiscent of the first Pokémon video game.

According to a 2021 interview with Variety, Rucker was ecstatic about the cover. “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,” Rucker said. “I love seeing someone like Post put his own spin on it like he does with everything he records.”

How Hootie & the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker reacted to a lyrical change Post Malone made

In the original song, Rucker sings about his love for the Miami Dolphins. Malone’s version instead references the Dallas Cowboys. “He always has a fresh way to say things,” Rucker said. “I love that he changed ‘the Dolphins make me cry’ to ‘the Cowboys!'”

Rucker is no stranger to covers, having covered various R.EM. songs with Hottie & the Blowfish. He had some advice for recording another artist’s track. “I would say the key is just to always have fun with it and make the song your own,” he said.

Around the same time, Rucker had his 10th No. 1 single on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart: “Beers & Sunshine.” Rucker connected this milestone to Malone’s “Only Wanna Be with You.”

“I just wanted a shot at making music I loved when I first came to Nashville, so I’m really grateful to still be connecting with people all these years later,” he said. “And to hit that milestone the same week Post covered one of my first songs is a really special full circle moment.”

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How both versions of ‘Only Wanna Be with You’ performed n the United States

Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be with You” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 32 weeks. It was the band’s highest-charting single, although “Let Her Cry” and “Hold My Hand” both lasted longer on the chart.

“Only Wanna Be with You” appeared on Hottie & the Blowfish’s most popular album, Cracked Rear View. The alum peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for eight weeks and stayed on the chart for 129 weeks in total.

On the other hand, Malone’s “Only Wanna Be with You” was a modest hit. It reached No. 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a single week.

Malone’s “Only Wanna Be with You” wasn’t a hit but it put a smile on Rucker’s face.

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