Los Angeles, CA – Hold on to your ripped jeans and flannel, folks, because renowned music producer Butch Vig just dropped a grunge-busting bombshell that’s guaranteed to shatter your ’90s nostalgia glasses. In a recent interview with Vanflip, Vig, the mastermind behind Nirvana’s iconic “Nevermind” album, revealed the band’s surprising muse, and it’s not who you might think.
“Look, I think it’s finally time the world knew the truth,” Vig confided, leaning in conspiratorially. “Nirvana was heavily influenced by…Celine Dion. There, I said it.“
Yes, you read that right. Celine Dion, the queen of the power ballad and the undeniable force behind the Titanic theme song, was the secret ingredient that fueled Nirvana’s angsty sound. As ludicrous as it may sound, we have it straight from the horse’s mouth, and the horse is wearing flannel.
According to Vig, the band’s obsession with Celine began during a late-night drinking session in a Seattle dive bar. Kurt Cobain, stumbling upon a Dion song on the jukebox, became mesmerized by her angelic voice and uncanny ability to hit high notes only audible to dogs.
“From that moment on, it was all Celine, all the time,” Vig explained. “I mean, we had ‘The Last to Know’ playing on loop during the recording sessions for ‘Nevermind.’ The influence is subtle, but if you listen closely, you can definitely hear it in songs like ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and ‘Come As You Are.’“
Vig divulged that the band’s original name was “Nirvana ft. Celine Dion.” Still, the decision was made to drop the “ft. Celine Dion” part after their label, fearing a potential lawsuit, strongly advised against it.
As if that weren’t enough to make you question everything you thought you knew about the grunge era, Vig also revealed that the band’s affinity for wild animals inspired many of their lyrics. And no, we’re not talking about the clichéd heartbreak-and-rebellion kind of wild.
“Did you know that ‘In Bloom’ was originally about Kurt’s love for wombats?” Vig said, barely able to suppress a chuckle. “Yeah, that whole song was inspired by his deep connection with these furry marsupials. The lyrics changed a bit over time, but the essence is still there.“
Naturally, this newfound information has sent the internet into a tailspin, with many grunge enthusiasts struggling to reconcile their cherished Nirvana memories with this bizarre revelation. Some have even gone so far as to create mashups of Nirvana songs with Celine Dion’s greatest hits, resulting in some truly mind-bending (and ear-bleeding) musical concoctions.