Astounding version of Guns N’ Roses' ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ played on Japanese shamisen is blowing fans' minds

Some musical performances hit differently, especially when they deliver an iconic song with an unexpected twist. While rock fans love hearing "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N’ Roses played on electric guitars and pounding drums, when they came across a mesmerizing rendition of the song on shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument with a distinctive twangy sound, they couldn't help but admire it. TikTok user Leonardo M Hiromoto, @leohirokun, stunned people with a mind-blowing rendition of "Welcome to the Jungle."

The moment Hiromoto began playing, viewers were shocked at how well the song translated to the shamisen’s unique tone. The performance was both mesmerizing and completely unexpected, seamlessly blending the raw energy of Guns N’ Roses with the elegance of traditional Japanese music. The combination took everyone by surprise, and in no time, the video gained massive attention. People flooded the comments section, expressing their amazement at the performance. @felixdxb was completely caught off guard, writing, "My jaw dropped when I realized this was 'Welcome to the Jungle', this is mad impressive."

@cbspolice admitted, "I will never be able to hear this song again without my inner child screaming, 'You dare challenge megamind?'" @pirate_kitty praised the cover saying, "Also... I'd buy a cover album in a heartbeat." Others came up with unique names for the version. @loxas69 quipped, "Welcome to the Japan - Guns N' Sushi." @leedler5 wrote, "Welcome to the Fuji mountain." @ccoffieslatteq added, "Welcome to the Konoha." 

@saxplayer_11 commented, "I’m a music teacher who is teaching their kids about Japanese instruments and this week was actually about the shamisen. Gonna have to show them this video!" @blazezbt99 joked, "This made me smile so much I almost crashed my car. Worth it!" @spartenkillerx wrote, "I need a Chinese version of Guns N’ Roses now... lol." One user said, "This is the type of music a comedy/action movie would play when the main characters arrive in Tokyo."

As the video continued to gain traction, it caught the attention of another TikTok user, Bret Crow (@thebretcrowshow), a composer and bassist who makes endless duets with musicians across the world. He decided to duet the performance. He joined in on bass, complementing the shamisen’s intricate melody with deep, rhythmic tunes. The duet video created a striking contrast and a fusion of rock energy and traditional Japanese sound. The result was so good that for viewers, it was a "sick collaboration."

The duet impressed so many people that it started trending on other social media platforms too. On X, it was reshared by a user named Jayroo (@jayroo69) and the comments showed that talent flourishes when given a perfect platform. "Wow! Sounds great!" wrote @REllis97 while @Ollieisalady added, "Fabulous!" Many wondered if the instrument she was using as a pick was an "ice scraper," but Jayroo cleared the doubt, explaining it was "bachi." They added, "It definitely does resemble an ice scraper though. Basically, it's just a guitar pick-like tool for the shamisen."

You can follow Leonardo M Hiromoto (@leohirokun) and Bret Crow (@thebretcrowshow) on TikTok for more music content.