Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
“This song has been running through my mind a lot lately.”
Lainey Wilson is getting into the Halloween mood with a dark, acoustic take on YUNGBLUD’s emotional track “Zombie.”
Seated on a front porch wearing a black cowboy hat and a fringed leather jacket, and strumming a striking red guitar, the “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” singer offered a hauntingly raw version of the heartfelt song.
“In the spirit of Halloween… this one’s been stuck in my head lately,” she captioned the post.
Co-written by YUNGBLUD (Dominic Harrison) and Matt Schwartz, “Zombie” delves into themes of pain, loss, and transformation. The British artist told Billboard that the song was inspired by watching his grandmother change drastically after a traumatic injury.
“The song was born from seeing my grandmother go through severe trauma, which caused her to become a different person than the one I’d always known,” YUNGBLUD explained. “It’s about the feeling of falling apart, of ugliness — the instinct to shut out the world and those we care about because we’re afraid of being a burden.”
He added, “At the end of the day, we all crave comfort, no matter what we’re going through or who we turn into. But that’s a terrifying thing.”
Wilson masterfully captures the same emotional intensity in her understated yet powerful rendition. Though she steps beyond her country roots with this cover, she still makes it distinctly her own—her signature Louisiana twang lending a haunting warmth to the song’s somber tone.
The piece begins with Wilson expressing inner conflict, revealing her tendency to suppress her own pain to spare others from it:
“If I was to talk about the words / They would hurt, they would hurt / So, if you were to ask about the pain I would lie, I would lie / To fix my mind, I need time / But it’s running out, it’s running out.”
As the chorus arrives, she reflects on the anguish of loving someone fighting an internal battle and the emotional toll that struggle brings. Through this impromptu performance, the acclaimed singer once again demonstrates that while her roots lie in country music, her artistry easily transcends genre.
“Oh, I know that I can’t live without you / But this world will keep turning if you do / Would you even want me looking like a zombie? / Would you even want me, want me, want me?”
“Zombie” is featured on YUNGBLUD’s most recent double album, Idols, released in June.
Looking ahead, Lainey Wilson is set to make history next month as she takes the stage to host the CMA Awards solo for the very first time—an evening expected to be filled with laughter, excitement, and unforgettable moments.