Metallica have been slowly unveiling tracks from their new covers collection The Metallica Blacklist and each one is more exciting than the last. However, today’s release may be the most intriguing of all. Metallica just shared J Balvin’s cover of “Wherever I May Roam,” which puts a reggaeton spin on the metal classic. Stream it below.
In his version of “Wherever I May Roam,” J Balvin brings his swagger-filled flow to the track to transform it into a completely fresh hip-hop single. Balvin raps in Spanish ith an explosive delivery, his words occasionally lining up in the chorus with Metallica’s thick guitar riffs. Near the end, his rendition pauses to make way for a full sample from the original version of the song.
“Wherever I May Roam” comes with a music video directed by Daniel Duran. In the black-and-white clip, J Balvin can be seen walking around a city, climbing a fire escape, and dancing on a roof with the city’s skyline behind him. Interspersed throughout is footage of Metallica performing in Germany in 1992 and California in 2017.
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J Balvin is in good company when it comes to The Metallica Blacklist roster. So far, we’ve already heard ripping covers of “Sad But True” by St. Vincent and Jason Isbell, plus Miley Cyrus’ all-star rendition of “Nothing Else Matters” featuring Sir Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, and Metallica’s own Robert Trujillo.
Set for release digitally on September 10th and physically on October 1st, The Metallica Blacklist also boasts contributions from Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan, Phoebe Bridgers, My Morning Jacket, Weezer, Mac DeMarco, Cage the Elephant, Kamasi Washington, Portugal. the Man, IDLES, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Moses Sumney. Pre-orders are still ongoing, and you can check out the full tracklist for it here.