Comatose Red Ivy Reimagines Nirvana Classic with Raw Power in “Smells Like Teen Spirit” Acoustic Cover

Post author:Samuel Fredrickson
Post published:July 4, 2025
Post category:Independents Reviews
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The ever-evolving, genre-defying artist Comatose Red Ivy returns with a bold and deeply personal take on a legendary anthem. Their acoustic cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is set to release on July 4th, 2025, and—like everything Ivy touches—it’s not just a song. It’s a statement.

Known for their fearless authenticity and explosive creativity, Comatose Red Ivy has carved out a space that’s entirely their own. A transgender artist hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Ivy has spent years creating what they call “multi-genre music for multi-cultured people,” focusing on honesty and raw emotion rather than polish and perfection. And with this new cover, they continue to push boundaries.

“I didn’t try to copy, replicate, or fill Kurt Cobain’s shoes,” Ivy says. “I just did my own thing with it—for fun.”

And it shows. Stripped of its iconic grunge distortion, Ivy’s version of Smells Like Teen Spirit takes on a whole new life. With nothing but acoustic guitar and their unmistakable voice, the track becomes something hypnotic, intimate, and completely alive. There’s a haunting vulnerability here, one that cuts straight to the soul, delivering the song’s angst not with volume, but with conviction.

This isn’t a studio-polished tribute—it’s Ivy in their truest form. True to their artistic process, the track was recorded while driving—yes, driving—proving once again that Ivy’s work is about capturing feeling in the moment, not chasing commercial perfection. They’ve built a catalog this way, often creating songs from beds, walks, and spontaneous bursts of creativity, always prioritizing truth over technique. The accompanying visual for Smells Like Teen Spirit only adds to the emotional weight of the project. A fan-made tribute video crafted by Ivy themselves, it weaves together Nirvana-inspired artwork found online into a moving, visually gripping piece that echoes the spirit of the song while showcasing Ivy’s love for the band and the culture they helped shape.

This new single follows a string of powerful releases by Comatose Red Ivy, including the ferocious Tranny Wreck 2 and the deeply personal 54 Violent Offenses—both tracks that cemented their role as a vital voice in today’s music landscape. With over 660 songs spanning rap, punk, grunge, acoustic, and experimental sounds, Ivy continues to prove that authenticity is the key to true art and that vulnerability is a kind of power all its own. Ivy’s version of Smells Like Teen Spirit is an authentic reinvention. It’s what happens when one bold artist meets another, not in mimicry, but in spirit.