Allie Sherlock has turned her attention to one of the biggest pop hits of the 2010s, and “Payphone” gives her a track built for big singalong energy. She brings her own interpretation to a song that dominated radio for months, keeping the emotional core intact while making it her own. Watch the full performance below, then read on for the story behind the song.
About This Performance
Allie shares this cover on her official YouTube channel. “Payphone” moves between a soft, confessional verse and a huge, anthemic chorus, and that contrast gives Allie plenty of room to show her range as a vocalist and guitarist.
About the Song
Maroon 5 released “Payphone” on April 16, 2012, featuring rapper Wiz Khalifa, as the lead single from their album Overexposed. Adam Levine, Benny Blanco, Ammar Malik, Shellback, and Wiz Khalifa wrote the song, and it captures the frustration of a relationship falling apart. The track topped the UK Singles Chart, the Canadian Hot 100, and the Italian Singles Chart, and it reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. Its huge, singable chorus turned it into one of the defining pop songs of its era and a favorite for cover artists ever since.
Why Allie’s Version Stands Out
Allie built her following by taking familiar songs and stripping them down to something honest and immediate, and “Payphone” gives her that same opportunity. Instead of leaning on production or a guest verse, she carries the whole song herself, letting her voice and guitar do the work that a full band arrangement usually handles. That kind of straightforward, heartfelt delivery is exactly what earned her an audience on Grafton Street in the first place, and it shows why her covers of big pop anthems keep resonating with listeners.
Who Is Allie Sherlock?
Allie Sherlock is an Irish singer and guitarist from Douglas, Cork, born on April 7, 2005. She rose to fame busking on Dublin’s Grafton Street and went viral in 2017 with her cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Supermarket Flowers.” Today her YouTube channel has over 6 million subscribers, and she has grown from street performances into original music and headline touring across Europe.
Watch Next
It’s a cover. Maroon 5, featuring Wiz Khalifa, released the original in 2012.
Adam Levine, Benny Blanco, Ammar Malik, Shellback, and Wiz Khalifa wrote the song. Maroon 5 released it in April 2012, and it reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
She’s best known for busking on Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland, shares performances on her YouTube channel, and tours live across Europe.
She was born on April 7, 2005, in Cork, Ireland.
She uploaded it to her official YouTube channel on August 19, 2026
