The 1994 slow jam is now a Super Bowl advertisement for the neon blue gamer soda
Three decades ago, Seal‘s “Kiss From a Rose” was a sultry, mysterious, romantic pop megahit — thanks in no small part to its appearance on the soundtrack for Batman Forever. In 2025, the U.K. soul singer’s soaring anthem is one of those Super Bowl commercials that make you wonder if someone slipped hallucinogenic drugs into the guacamole.
In an ad for the Taco Bell-based Mountain Dew variant Baja Blue, Seal appears as the face of a computer-generated seal (the aquatic mammal, that is), crooning on a rocky island in a bay whose waters are the same radioactive blue as the soda. He sings a version of “Kiss From a Rose” with lyrics modified to suit a soft drink pitch: “Baby, I compare it to a kiss from the lime on the bay,” he belts, then adding, “Ooh, the more I think of it, it’s strange I’m a seal, yeah.” This is all for the benefit of singer Becky G, who was transported to this tropical dreamscape (or nightmare) by taking a swig of the sweet concoction.
Reactions to the commercial were divided between bafflement, horror, and absolute joy — which was no doubt the point. The Mountain Dew brand chimed in on X after the spot aired, making note of Kansas City Chiefs’ Bryan Cook’s second-quarter interception in the big game. “Speaking of turnovers, how about you turn over that Baja Blast and put it into your mouth,” it suggested.
Well, now that Seal has endorsed the beverage, it’s hard to argue.
