25

As the excitement heightens in anticipation of Simple Plan arriving in Malaysia for the band’s own concert, celebrating 25 years since formation, one can’t help but rewind to “Jet Lag”, the punchy enough hit that’s also enough to evoke memories of your younger days and make you have a blast from the past. In fact, it’s one of those songs that’s still relevant, regardless of the time and space you’re in.

Longtime fans of the Canadian all-male band would remember two main versions, one of which is French, featuring the Quebecois Marie-Mai, known for singing pop, rock and jazz. To the Canadians, a French version is the norm as French is one of the country’s official languages besides English. However, to those outside a French-speaking/singing environment, it is new, especially because of its language structure – the use of apostrophes is what sets it apart from other languages. It also sounds more nasal and sometimes more forceful than other languages. Perhaps, these elements contribute to the more solid sound, even more solid than the Chinese version with Kelly Cha, although it must be pointed out that the Chinese version gives out a different feeling.  

In the French version, in a call-and-response style, lead singer Pierre Bouvier gets the song going by singing in French, then Marie-Mai would respond accordingly in French. Only the last line in the first couplet is in English. Emphasising the bilingual nature of the song, both the pre-chorus and chorus have been designed to include French, appealing mainly to the French-Canadian market.

Needless to say, the song is relatable simply because many of us would have been in a similar situation before where there’s that challenge of connecting to someone you love – because there is a time zone difference, which can take a toll on one’s physical and mental health – the more and longer you’re apart.

The music video was directed by frequent collaborator, Frank Borin, the US-based filmmaker, music video director and producer, who has worked with bands like Bowling For Soup, Good Charlotte, and most recently the soloist Harry Styles.

Since “Jet Lag” is plane travel-speak, it makes sense then that the music video was shot at one of Canada’s airports and involved different jets.

Simple Plan is making stops across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong this coming November 2026 and December 2026. The band, re-named after a 1993 novel, is scheduled to stop in Jakarta, Surabaya, Singapore, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur. The pop-punk outfit is touring these locations as part of their “The Bigger Than You Think” tour, alongside guest LOLO. While general ticket sales begin 5 May 2026, pre-sale of tickets begin a day before.

Here’s to hoping the concert will go on as planned and band members won’t be too jet-lagged to perform on stage.

The Kuala Lumpur show is set for 21 November 2026.

The band was last in Malaysia in 2023, as part of their “Harder Than It Looks” tour.