Alien Ant Farm, Smooth Criminal | COVERS

In the 22^nd edition of COVERS (2025), Alien Ant Farm delivers a compelling rendition of “Smooth Criminal,” originally performed by Michael Jackson.

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 22^nd  edition of COVERS (2025), Alien Ant Farm delivers a compelling rendition of “Smooth Criminal”, originally performed by Michael Jackson.

“Annie, are you okay, you okay, you okay, Annie? / You’ve been hit by, you’ve been struck by a smooth criminal!” Woo! Only rarely does a band cover a song by an iconic artist and experience success. For Riverside, Cali rock band Alien Ant Farm, their biggest claim to fame is a cover 🤯.  Not just a cover of any regular, smegular artist, though… Michael Jackson, the King of Pop! “Smooth Criminal” appeared on Jackson’s 1987 album, Bad.  Released as the seventh single (!), “Criminal” earned MJ another top 10 single, reaching number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.  Anyone covering this sleekly produced, killer song had big, iconic shoes to fill.  Alien Ant Farm was clearly up to the task! Their rendition of “Smooth Criminal” appeared as the penultimate track in their 2001 platinum-certified album, Anthology (emphasis on the ANT).  Their only charting single on the pop charts, “Criminal,” peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. They also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 44^th Annual Grammy Awards (Linkin Park was victorious for “Crawling”).

“Annie, are you okay

Will you tell us that you’re okay

There’s a sign at the window

That he struck you

A crescendo, Annie

He came into your apartment

Left the bloodstains on the carpet

And then you ran into the bedroom

You were struck down, it was your doom.”

Gurlll, iz u okurrr??? From the jump, “Smooth Criminal” sounds fitting in the hands of Alien Ant Farm. With the original having ample pop/rock vibes, it translates superbly as a hard rock song.  The guitar (Terry Corso) gets the distinct pleasure of playing those epic, unforgettable rhythmic riffs. Hell yeah 🤘!  The bass line (Tye Zamora) is ill, providing a mighty foundation on the low end.  Anchoring things down and locking them in is sensational drumming (Mike Cosgrove). Those drums pummel and hit you right in the chest.  The cherry on top is the aggressive lead vocals.  The vocals are the hardest part of this pop classic to emulate and recreate. Dryden Mitchell does a bang-up job capturing Jackson’s vocal nuances while also staying true to himself.  Ultimately, “Smooth Criminal”, in the hands of Alien Ant Farm, translates epically into a rock song. This one-hit wonder band went all-in on this one!