Athletes Pose as Famous Musicians in ESPN the Magazine

Alex Morgan is Katy Perry, Ryan Lochte does Nirvana and many more other athletes don the duds of famous musicians in ESPN The Magazine's "Music Issue."

The upcoming issue will take athletes out of their comfort zone—well, not Lochte, who is comfortable in pretty much anything—and place them in some rather iconic album covers. 

First up is the always lovely Alex Morgan. Here is a video of her photoshoot to recreate Katy Perry's look for the album One of the Boys.

Yes, I understand that none of you asked to ever see Morgan as Perry, nor believed that to be an option.

Still, there is something extremely entertaining about Morgan doing anything. While there is nothing better than seeing her on the pitch, delivering a tremendous strike on goal, I would probably watch a video of her making pancakes and feel pretty good about it. 

The magazine has so much more to offer, though, including Josh Freeman as Michael Jackson, via a tweet from ESPN contributor Stacey Pressman.

OK, there is something very wrong about this picture. It's so perfect that my brain is having a difficult time functioning at the moment. 

Seems like a good time for Lochte then.

Let's just give a quick shout-out to good taste that the magazine decided against a complete recreation of the classic baby pose from Nirvana, because nobody would want that.

As for the interview, it comes complete with all the famous blunders and pauses that make Lochte a walking, talking, must-see event.

NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson does his best impression of Bob Dylan in his photoshoot.

Beyonce killed it at the Super Bowl in New Orleans, and now star sprinter Allyson Felix is killing it as Beyonce, via Stacey Pressman.

You can actually vote now for your favorite music-athlete mashup, including Trent Richardson, LaMarr Woodley and Marshawn Lynch as Run D.M.C. and Justin Upton, Evan Longoria, Brandon Phillips, Giancarlo Stanton and Shane Victorino as Devo. 

Beyond the star-studded pictures, you also get playlists to consider prior to the Music Issue hitting shelves on February 18, including lists from Dr. Dre and LeBron James.

This edition of ESPN The Magazine is shaping up to be crazy, but the good kind of crazy that will keep us entertained for the remainder of the month.