My name is Nathan, and I like to party. Nothing ramps up a party like a good remix. You take a song that everyone knows and loves, you give it a little groove, turn up the bass, and bam, you have a party.
I know it's not actually that simple. Many remixes fall flat on their faces, plagued by being boring or basically the same as everything out there. It's much more than adding boots and cats to an already popular song (say "boots and cats" ten times fast to get the joke).
On the other side of things, a well timed and creative remix can change the feel of a room or a dance floor. The great ones take what was good about the original and accentuate it. Many are based on nostalgia, getting you to remember a hit song from yesteryear, and adding a little flair.
I like to turn up, and if I were the DJ at a post-COVID party and needed to get it going, these are some of the remixes that would be at the top of my set.
This is one of those times where I actually heard the remix before I heard the original. I think at first it affected how I viewed the original song. But I do feel that the original and remix are both great on their own merits. Imanbek takes a super chill hip-hop song by SAINt JHN and gives it new life. One thing I would be interested to know is how many more streams SAINt JHN got on his years old original because of the massive popularity that the remix is currently having. I know I wouldn't be appreciating his album Collection One (which by the way, is hella dope) without having come across this banger.
One of the most epic party movies ever deserves an equally epic soundtrack. To top it all off, Project X was based on a true story about a party that got completely out of hand. Every kid's dream really. The soundtrack is so full of bangers that I couldn't decide on just one. So you get two remixes that I feel are great. For one, "Heads Will Roll" remix by A-Track turns the original song completely on its head and gives us a banger that I would have never thought possible listening to the Yeah Yeah Yeah's version.
One complaint I hear often about remixes is that they aren't as good as the original. From some points of view, that might be correct and I can respect the opinion of people who love the original songs. Sometimes however, when a remix offers something completely different is when they are the best. "Pursuit of Happiness" is an objectively great song with an already great beat. It's super chill and that's great. Steve Aoki takes this and turns it up to 100. He injects a ton of energy and a completely new feel to the song.
I honestly thought that Miley Cyrus was going to have a career resurgence when she released "Malibu." I say that because I think the original song is brilliant and introspective. I don't think she got back on the map in the way I predicted, but that's not what were here to discuss. This remix is killer; using her vocals as the hook is exactly the fresh feel you want in a remix. The drop comes in at the right time to get you moving, and I feel like Miley's vocals and lyrics are still highlighted enough to make the song impactful. Nowadays I feel like the best pop songs leave room for remixes, maybe to get more exposure and a longer shelf life. While I'm sure that's not what everyone is thinking when they write music, I find that this song especially is the primer for a lot of great remixes like The Him remix here or This One by Kiso & Yvette.
A small addendum though, Miley did released an EP last year called SHE IS COMING and I loved it. So don't misinterpret what I'm trying to say here.
Out of the massive popularity of dance music in the 2000's emerged a formula. You take a driving yet approachable beat from a well known DJ (usually David Guetta) combine it with a highly talented female vocalist (usually Rihanna or Sia) and you have your smash hit. This remix follows that formula but in no way does it feel played out. I also happen to like the lyrics of the chorus. In a world where the lyrics of dance music can be meaningless, I like to think theres a lot of depth to the simple refrain. I feel it even elicits an emotional response from the listener. But maybe that's just me.
I'm not sure how I feel about 12 year olds making music to be played in clubs. But whatever, it's not my place to judge. I just think it's funny. I remember a few years ago when Desiigner was playing his massive hit "Panda" in the LA club scene and he had to get escorted on and off stage for the show because he was underage. Anyway, this is one of those cases where I like the remix way more than the original. I think Banx and Ranx add a feel to this song that was missing in the first place. They get the groove going right from the get go and this song is perfect to get moving to.
I've always loved this song. "Leave a Light on" is a really well written song with a great message. I find the juxtaposition of turning a song like this into a dance hit very intriguing. This remix takes a song that makes me feel a certain way, and turns it on its head by giving it some rhythm. When the beat drops you can't help but move, and thats why it deserves to be on your party playlist.
I wanted to post an example of a remix that isn't quite doing it for me. This was one I was looking forward to leading up to its release. You all know I am a die hard Zimmer fan, and Alan Walker makes good music. But this one falls flat. It doesn't retain the epic feel of the original track and isn't all that creative for a remix.
Well, that does it for now. I know there are a million remixes out there and I could write a number of blogs on the different styles and the vibe we get from them. But I wanna hear from you! What's a remix that would go on your party playlist? Hit me up with your all time bangers in the comments so I can add them to my party playlist!
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