Track of the Day: Irish rapper Malaki channels Van Morrison on 'Someone Like You 2'

Rising Irish rap star Malaki has returned with an innovative take on Van Morrison's iconic track 'Someone Like You'.

'Someone Like You 2' was inspired by Hot Press magazine, who chose Malaki among the leading Irish musical lights to join in a special celebration of the Belfast artist's 75th birthday: Rave On, Van Morrison.

The new single is Malaki's personal spin on the classic soul tune, released via the Hot Press Records label – a new imprint created specially for this single.

Featuring Morrison’s sampled voice, Malaki and his longtime collaborator Matthew Harris – who lends his own vocals to the track in addition to acting as producer – have distilled the song to its essence and rebuilt it from the ground up, exploring the song’s themes in their own unique way.

“Myself and Matthew spent quite a while deciding the best route to take," Malaki explains.

"We chose the track because of its simplicity, and that it was full of themes I discuss regularly. I made the decision to write my own verses to allow for change. The song is over 30 years old, so I wanted to put my own modern-day-love-story spin on it, while incorporating samples of Van Morrison’s voice alongside Matthew’s vocals.

“When I first heard the track, I was 16-years-old and in the car with my mother,” Malaki adds. “I turned on the radio and these beautiful piano chords seeped through the speakers. I was taken by it straight away. Ever since then, it’s been a favourite song of mine.”

Malaki – whose name means ‘messenger’ – strikes a prophetic note in this latest single, exploring themes of yearning, passion and heartbreak in a brutally honest way, reflecting the inspiring, heart-on-sleeve ethos his music has established from day one.

Malaki continues to have a loyal audience of passionate fans, with both of his shows at The Academy and Opium selling out in advance (the latter was sadly cancelled due to Covid-19). His previous single ‘Fair Play’ recently hit one million streams on Spotify.

Malaki's wonderfully fresh, unorthodox, experimental flow and unique feel for piercing social commentary make the 20-year-old Stillorgan native one of the most exciting artists ever to emerge from Ireland’s now-booming hip-hop scene.

Check out Malaki's take on Van Morrison with 'Someone Like You 2' below: (if it says 'This track is not available in your country', you'll need to click through to the 'Play on Spotify' button)

• Feature image by Louis O'Sullivan.