Tame Impala Revisits a Childhood Favorite With Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose”

Tame Impala’s return to triple j pairs a childhood favorite with a new live performance, as Kevin Parker explains why Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” proved both familiar and challenging.

Tame Impala revisited Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” for Like A Version, sharing the session on October 30 in Australia. The appearance brings Kevin Parker and his touring musicians into triple j’s studio for a cover whose connection to the frontman goes back well before his own recording career.

On its official session page, the broadcaster describes the musicians adding layered harmonies to the ballad. Rather than presenting the cover alone, triple j pairs it with a performance of “Dracula” and a behind-the-scenes interview, giving listeners the arrangement, an original song and Parker’s explanation of the choice.

That choice began with a childhood purchase. In triple j’s accompanying interview, Parker recalls that the Batman Forever soundtrack was the first CD he bought. He knew the record’s songs closely, and Seal’s contribution remained a favorite. The selection therefore reflects a formative listening experience rather than simply a recognizable hit.

Familiarity did not make the song straightforward to perform. Parker points to its different musical sections and unexpected rhythmic changes, describing a composition with more structural movement than its accessible surface might suggest. His explanation offers a useful way to approach the cover: listen for how the musicians navigate those changes, not just whether the melody feels familiar.

Seal’s voice posed another question. As The Music reports from the interview, Parker and the others recognized that reproducing the original singer’s vocal ability was not their route into the song. Accepting their own approach helped them commit to the choice. The report identifies Dominic Simper, Jay Watson, Cam Avery, Julien Barbagallo and James Ireland alongside Parker in the session.

This is Tame Impala’s fourth Like A Version appearance, according to triple j. The broadcaster’s archive dates the Outkast “Prototype” cover to May 2013. Subsequent selections included Kylie Minogue’s “Confide in Me” in 2015 and Edwyn Collins’ “A Girl Like You” in 2020, as Our Culture recounts. Together, those choices trace a varied set of influences across the appearances.

The visit follows the recently completed Australian arena leg of the Deadbeat tour. The Music reports that the run comprised 12 shows with Ninajirachi as special guest. After those large-scale performances, this studio appearance gives the musicians a different setting: a borrowed composition, an original track and room to discuss the decisions connecting them.

There is another home-country milestone ahead. ARIA’s official nominations announcement lists Tame Impala and Genesis Owusu as this year’s leaders with eight nominations each, with winners announced November 18 at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. The Seal session arrives between the touring run and that awards date, offering fans a fresh performance to spend time with in the meantime.