Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has collaborated with his son Jakob on a cover of David Bowie's 1977 classic 'Heroes', featured in a promo for Survivor's 50th season. The track marks their first joint vocal recording and is now streaming on platforms. The song has seen renewed popularity following its use in the Stranger Things finale.
Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of Green Day, teamed up with his son Jakob for a faithful cover of David Bowie's 'Heroes'. The rendition appears in the promotional video for Survivor's upcoming 50th season, set to begin in February. Billie Joe handles the vocals, while Jakob contributes significantly, taking the bulk of the lead and replicating the straining guitar tone reminiscent of Robert Fripp's original 1977 performance. Jakob also produced and engineered the recording.
This marks the first time the father and son have recorded vocals together. Jakob described the experience as 'cool' in an Instagram post, adding, 'It’s a tough song to do justice – I’m grateful for the opportunity to try.' Jakob has pursued music for over a decade, releasing tracks under the name Jakob Danger since 2015. He previously fronted the punk band Danger! and now leads the trio Ultra Q, which signed with Royal Mountain Records and released their third EP, 'Get Yourself A Friend', in 2021. He also has a solo project called Jet Engine Kiss.
The cover coincides with a resurgence in popularity for 'Heroes', driven by its feature in the Stranger Things season finale. The episode, which aired around New Year's Day, led to a nearly 500 percent increase in streaming, with the song clocking up almost half a million plays per day initially. This comes amid commemorations for the 10th anniversary of Bowie's final album 'Blackstar' and his death earlier in the month, including tributes like a tattoo by his widow Iman and live covers by bands such as The Libertines and Anna Calvi.
Billie Joe has a history of cover versions, including the 2020 album 'No Fun Mondays' featuring songs by artists like Prince and John Lennon. He also formed the all-covers band The Coverups in 2018, which has performed tracks including another Bowie song, 'Suffragette City', with guest Courtney Love.