Sombr Brings his Indie Lean to Olivia Dean's Hottest 100 Winner "Man I Need" in Latest Like a Version Cover.
Sombr has delivered a fuzzy, indie-leaning cover of Olivia Dean's Hottest 100-winning song "Man I Need," for triple j's long-running Like a Version series. The 20-year-old artist tackled the track in-studio alongside his band, just one week after landing inside the Top 10 of Australia's annual Hottest 100 countdown himself.
In a statement to Billboard, Sombr praised Dean as "a really inspiring and incredible artist," adding that the song immediately stood out to him. He noted that "It feels so timeless and I love the production, I love the lyrics... Everything about it. Amazing." The Like a Version appearance marks sombr's debut on the platform.
Sombr's rendition strips the track back emotionally while reshaping it sonically, layering distorted vocals and a driving indie-rock pulse over the song's core melody. Originally released by Dean in 2024, "Man I Need" was crowned No. 1 in triple j's Hottest 100 of 2025, marking one of the year's most talked-about wins.
The Like a Version cover comes during a breakout period for Sombr, known for blending alt-pop and indie rock with diaristic, emotionally raw songwriting. He has quickly built momentum over the past year with a run of globally resonant releases, including his debut studio album "I Barely Know Her." The album included several of his biggest tracks to date, including "Back to Friends," which became his breakout global hit and charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
Sombr's rising profile has also been reflected on the awards circuit, with nominations at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative. The Like a Version cover is just the latest example of his growing influence in the music industry.
Sombr has delivered a fuzzy, indie-leaning cover of Olivia Dean's Hottest 100-winning song "Man I Need," for triple j's long-running Like a Version series. The 20-year-old artist tackled the track in-studio alongside his band, just one week after landing inside the Top 10 of Australia's annual Hottest 100 countdown himself.
In a statement to Billboard, Sombr praised Dean as "a really inspiring and incredible artist," adding that the song immediately stood out to him. He noted that "It feels so timeless and I love the production, I love the lyrics... Everything about it. Amazing." The Like a Version appearance marks sombr's debut on the platform.
Sombr's rendition strips the track back emotionally while reshaping it sonically, layering distorted vocals and a driving indie-rock pulse over the song's core melody. Originally released by Dean in 2024, "Man I Need" was crowned No. 1 in triple j's Hottest 100 of 2025, marking one of the year's most talked-about wins.
The Like a Version cover comes during a breakout period for Sombr, known for blending alt-pop and indie rock with diaristic, emotionally raw songwriting. He has quickly built momentum over the past year with a run of globally resonant releases, including his debut studio album "I Barely Know Her." The album included several of his biggest tracks to date, including "Back to Friends," which became his breakout global hit and charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
Sombr's rising profile has also been reflected on the awards circuit, with nominations at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards for Best New Artist and Best Alternative. The Like a Version cover is just the latest example of his growing influence in the music industry.
he's got some great tracks but does he really need to strip everything back so much? i mean, don't get me wrong "man i need" is an amazing song but his version sounds so bare... and that distorted vocal thingy is a bit too much for me 
... anyway, i love sombr's indie leaning take on it but u can't deny it feels kinda... calculated. 
i mean, i've been listening to that song on repeat since it came out and now sombr is giving it this whole new vibe with his indie lean sound 
the way he reworked the melody and added those distorted vocals is pure magic 
i love how sombr's music is so raw and emotionally honest, it's like you can feel every lyric deep in your soul 
his songwriting is so diaristic and relatable, i mean have u listened to "i barely know her"?? 
he's def one to watch rn
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- Sombr's "I Barely Know Her" album got streamed over 100M times on Spotify alone in the first 6 months of 2025! 
that's insane, considering he just dropped it a year ago! and can we talk about his growth? he went from having like 10k followers to over 1M in just a few months 
. He really stripped it back emotionally while keeping the core melody, it's super atmospheric. His new album "I Barely Know Her" is giving me all the feels 
. Sombr's got a knack for blending alt-pop and indie rock with raw songwriting. I'm excited to see what he does next 
and that vocal layering is everything 
anyway, gotta love seein sombr get all the recognition hes due... hes been killin the game 4 a hot sec now
. it's def a breakout moment for him, & i'm hyped to see what he does next! the Like a Version series always brings out some amazin covers, and this one's gotta be up there 
it's perfect for triple j's like a version series imo 
. triple j is really lucky to have him on Like a Version, it's gonna be a banger of a performance 
and sombr saying its timeless is cool but like when was his last song released btw? 
we need some more info on this guy before we start hailing him as a genius... 
. anywayz, gotta say, his indie lean is kinda cool and all but i'm not sure if he's the right fit for Like a Version, feels like they usually go for someone who's more... established? or maybe i'm just being extra