Everyone wants to know who sings the mesmerizing cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in Black Widow. Meet artist Malia J, the mastermind behind the cover.
Her reimagined version of the iconic 90s tune is utterly haunting and cinematic. The track cracked the top 5 on the all-genre iTunes Top Songs chart and reached No. 1 on the iTunes Alternative Songs Chart. Malia herself is stunned by the song’s success.
“I never imagined this ever and I just want to THANK ALL OF YOU from the bottom of my heart!” she wrote on Instagram. “Kurt Cobain wrote such an incredible song that was a source of strength and inspiration for me in some of my hardest times because it felt like Kurt understood exactly what it feels like when I create.”
Malia participated in the #BlackWidowChallenge on TikTok where creators jump into her action stance.
“Hi I’m Malia J. singer of the Black Widow opening credits. Thank you for 2 million Spotify streams of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit,'” she captioned the post.
This isn’t the first time that Malia has been featured on hit projects. Her cover of “Shout,” originally by Tears for Fears, was featured in Season 1 of Riverdale. Her version of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” was playing in The Handmaid’s Tale trailer for Season 2. Her music was also heard on Netflix’s Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer and The White Helmets.
Malia will be releasing her debut EP, Reflections, later this year. Aside from “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the record will also feature original material.
“I’ve always written my own music, but when I started covering other artists’ music in a completely different light, people really connected to it,” Malia wrote on her website. “Now I’ve come full circle, creating my own music with the same dark, dramatic production style.”