Van Halen’s Jump has been transformed into an acoustic pop-rock song

Ever wondered what Van Halen might have sounded like if they’d pursued a softer sound? Well, YouTuber Alex Melton has got you covered.

Known for his total reinvention of iconic tracks, Melton is a bona fide genre-bender. For one of his most recent projects, the multi-instrumentalist takes the leap and gives Van Halen’s Jump the Melton makeover.

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As Melton jokes in the title of his cover, his acoustic take is a more ‘millennial-friendly’ version of Van Halen’s titanic pop-rock anthem. It’s Jump if James Arthur decided to tackle it; Melton unleashes a gentle breeze of soporific, twanging alt-pop.

In the video’s description, Melton writes: “I loved the idea of slowing the verses way down and letting each line breathe, while keeping the upbeat pace of the pre-chorus intact. I love the layers that pop in and out…”

The slower pacing, combined with the softer instrumental backbone, transforms the track’s energy entirely. While David Lee Roth’s original performance embodies confidence, the glitzy synths screaming euphoria, Melton’s Jump is poignant. The track takes its time, musing over each lyric in turn.

While this cover sees Melton transforming metal into pop, he’s also known to do the polar opposite, making pop tracks heavier. He’s previously transformed Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten into a heavy pop-punk track, and dished out a much faster, heavier, drum-centric cover of Taylor Swift’s Ready For It.