Platinum-selling, award-winning country artist Tebey unveils his vibrant, country twist to Maroon 5’s global hit “Payphone.” Available for streaming today, his reimagined version injects the pop classic with a lively, twangy energy, seamlessly transforming it into a country hit. Blending upbeat banjo picking and Tebey’s signature vocal tone, the track adds a fun, foot-tapping layer to the familiar story of lost love — proving that great music knows no genre boundaries.
“Maroon 5 has long been one of my favourite bands, and if I was going to cover one of their songs, it was definitely going to be Payphone,” shares Tebey. “Not every song can transcend genres. It has to have a melody (and lyric) that can stand on its own two feet, no matter how it’s sung or produced. Payphone has both, and that’s why it was so fun for me to turn it country.”
Building his reputation as one of the most innovative and versatile artists in today’s country genre, “Payphone” isn’t the first countrified cover that Tebey has released — his CCMA Award winning country re-imagination of “Blinding Lights” took social media by storm earlier this year after Tebey released a short clip on his channels, which led to over 13 million views in just one week. His unique country twist on the acclaimed, record-breaking pop song rapidly captured the attention of users worldwide, leading to the official DSP release in a matter of days, and has since garnered over 15 million streams worldwide and over 75 million impressions across social platforms. The track has now been added to country radio in over 15 countries and won Innovative Campaign of the Year at the 2024 CCMA Awards.
The release follows Tebey’s recent single “Hangover At My Place” with multi-award winning country artist Tenille Arts.The classic call-and-response track seamlessly blends Tebey and Tenille’s vocals, creating a captivating interplay between the sweeping chorus and irresistible harmonies. Quickly gaining over 500k streams, the single has recently been serviced to radio in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Benelux, Sweden and Norway. The track marks a brand new chapter of original music for Tebey as he heads into the New Year.
