‘It Wasn’t Me’ by Shaggy was one of the most iconic songs of the 2000s, its reggae sound taking the airwaves by storm across the globe. When Alex Melton decided to record a cover of the song, he transformed it by reworking it into a genre that was also closely linked to the sonic landscape of the 2000s, yet a world away from Shaggy’s original sound. Instead of the upbeat reggae sound of the original, Alex turned the song into a pop punk banger that will astonish our Music Man readers.
Playing every instrument himself, Alex showcased his impressive musical abilities, alongside his deep knowledge of pop-punk conventions. His cover of the song changed it completely, turning it into something almost unrecognisable. At the same time, his version was so convincing that it seemed as though ‘It Wasn’t Me’ had always been a pop-punk song, prompting one listener to comment, “After hearing this, I’m surprised the original isn’t a Barenaked Ladies song.”
What impressed me most about Alex’s cover was that he didn’t just cover it in one style of pop-punk; he leaned into different eras and sounds within the genre, showing both his expertise in the genre and his creativity in capturing its many different sounds. I was amazed to hear a late ‘90s mainstream sound sitting alongside easycore and authentic early emo influences, as others noticed an early Fall Out Boy or Motion City Soundtrack sound, all blended together in one original creation.
Alex Melton has now built up a passionate following of nostalgia seekers online thanks to his pop-punk covers. Often, Alex finds songs that are sonically miles away from the pop-punk sound, but have lyrics that suit the emo sentiment, and then he reworks them to make them sound like the biggest pop-punk banger of the noughties. The perfect example for our Music Man fans to check out is his emo cover of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You,’ which is now his most popular cover with over 3M views.
For some, pop punk and emo are genres that peaked 20 years ago. Thanks to the creativity of musicians like Alex, there is a place for people to go who want to relive those years in a way that combines the familiar with something entirely new. For fans who want something entirely original, Alex is also expanding his output to not only pop-punk covers but original music, with his second album released in January 2026. For those who want to see how pop punk’s legacy has influenced Alex’s own art, this is not an album to be missed.