The Queen of Hearts is back. Her last single “Only One Wish” was at the top of our holiday playlist and her new song “Aware Alive Awake” is just as effervescent. Starting off with a bit of robotic trap, the swing beat of the track is energetic and a great backing for the empowering lyrics. Ending a bad relationship and moving towards freedom might be a common topic for song lyrics, but the uplifting tone really sets this one apart. The meme-ready title Aware Alive Awake makes a great hashtag as well. Sariah sounds great as well, but after listening to her live clips on YouTube, that comes as a no surprise. For clubland, JRob’s dub and Casey Alva’s tribal mix are both good, but it is really Dave Aude’s mix that will be the main focus. Like he did with Selena Gomez “Come & Get It,” Dave transforms the difficult beat into a prime-time dancefloor filler for the commercial rooms.
Category: Song Of The Day
SONG OF THE DAY: Billie Ray Martin and Aerea Negrot – Off the Rails
With the reign of NuHouse and Deep House reliving the classic sounds of the 90s, the time seems right for Billie Ray Martin to channel her classic Electribe 101 and ?Deadline for My Memories? era for a fresh spin. On ?Off the Rails,? she teams up with Hercules and Love Affair chanteuse Aerea Negrot for a song about escaping the mainstream world and following your path over a housey pop beat reminiscent of ?Hands Up and Amen,? and that?s a good thing. What makes the original version so special is that there are subtle elements of 80s hiNRG along with 10?s electronic deployed effectively to make the track sound modern while having a classic. A plethora of remixes keep the retro feel with Napoleon going deep house, Ray Grant reimagining piano house, Aerea Negrot embracing italo house and ElectroSexual giving it a synthy industrial techno feel. Be sure to check out Billie’s upcoming collaboration, “Love You All Over,” with The Writers Block as well.
SONG OF THE DAY: Armand Pena and Crystal Waters – 100% Pure Love
The word anthem gets thrown around so much that it has almost lost its meaning, similar to diva. To restore the meaning, think about anthems that have truly stood the test of time – “Show Me Love,” “Finally,” and of course “100% Pure Love.” These are songs that always hype a dancefloor and get everyone singing along. Celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the original “100% Pure Love” release, Crystal Waters teamed up with Armand Pena to resing and recreate one of her signature records. This isn’t one of those hatchet jobs where rushed vocals are thrown over the sound of the moment for a quick buck. The production incorporates the melody and sounds of the original while reworking them with a modern tribal house vibe and a hint of electro. The update shows that a track can have big room energy without being a banger. Crystal resang the lyrics and her distinct voice sounds even better than your might remember. There is a slight deepening of her tone which adds to the fresh vibe. There will no doubt be a slew of remixes coming, but I have a feeling this original production will be the one that everyone will be dancing to for years to come.
Image courtesy of Juicy Music.