Tame Impala Take On Seal’s ‘Kiss From a Rose’ for Like A Version
Billboard ·
Kevin Parker said the ‘Batman Forever’ soundtrack was the first CD he ever bought; the band also played a stripped-back “Dracula”
Tame Impala got into the Halloween spirit a day early, covering Seal ’s “Kiss From a Rose” for Australian radio station triple j’s Like A Version series on Friday (Oct. 30).
At triple j’s Sydney studios, the band reworked the 1994 ballad into a stripped-back, synth-driven take, then followed it with a pared-down version of their own hit “Dracula.”
For Kevin Parker, the cover was a trip back to the start. He explained that “Kiss From a Rose” was on the first CD he ever bought, the Batman Forever soundtrack, which also introduced him to acts including U2, the Flaming Lips and Nick Cave.
It’s Tame Impala’s fourth Like A Version cover, following OutKast’s “Prototype” in 2013, Kylie Minogue’s “Confide in Me” in 2015 and Edwyn Collins’ “A Girl Like You” in 2021.
The session caps the biggest year of the project’s career. “Dracula,” first released as a solo single in October 2025, took off after a February remix featuring Jennie , giving Tame Impala their first top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a No. 5 peak. The song also reached No. 1 on Pop Airplay and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, and spent more than six months atop Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. Tame Impala have just come off their biggest Australian tour to date, and their album Deadbeat leads next month’s ARIA Awards with eight nominations, tied with Genesis Owusu.
Tame Impala recently wrapped the Australian leg of their Deadbeat Tour, which featured multiple arena shows in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney before finishing with two hometown performances in Perth on Oct. 24 and 25. Parker and his band are set to return to the road in May 2027 for a string of UK and European arena dates, followed by several summer festival appearances.
Seal’s original topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a week in August 1995 after its Batman Forever placement and won three Grammys the following year, including record and song of the year.
Watch Tame Impala cover “Kiss from a Rose” below.