Kristine W - Fade (Part 1)

This is the highly anticipated new single off of her The Power Of Music album. The guitar-driven electro/pop song is already great in its original form, however, it gets taken up several notches for the dancefloor. Johnny Vicious, Alex Acosta, Royaal, Buzz Junkies, and Subgroover, provide the remixes.

Johnny Vicious's main mix is basically a souped up version of the original. His Warehouse mixes lose the guitar, replacing that with an electro synth and bassline. The Eurodance/Hi NRG sound of Alex Acosta's mix also recalls the original. Royaal's mixes are minimal electro with a hint of uplifting synthpop. Buzz Junkies and Subgroover both take things in a similar electro/pop direction. All mixes are pleasant, however, the main Johnny Vicious and Alex Acosta mixes work the best overall. The second package of remixes will be released soon.

Purchase the digital single here (Juno), and here (Amazon)




Grade: A-

Charo - Sexy Sexy

The legendary performer is back with a feisty new single entitled "Sexy Sexy". Despite the jejune and lyrics, the song would be best enjoyed on a dancefloor. The straightforward original version is just average. The remixes by  Twisted Dee, Joe Gauthreaux, Barona and Hull vs Rafael M, and Peitor Angell give this song greater dancefloor appeal. All are circuit-oriented with Twisted Dee and Joe Gauthreaux providing the best ones of the bunch, however, all are pretty good. A minimal amount of vocals would make these mixes better.

Grade: B+

Raven O - Hold On To Faith

Multi-talented performer Raven O's latest single "Hold On To Faith" is a piano-driven inspirational song. It is very much in the vein of Kim English, Vernessa Mitchell, and Sabrina Johnston's brand of club-oriented Gospel music. Produced by Gomi, the main version features positive lyrics and uplifting choir harmonies. Raven plus the choir make for an irresistible combination. Audio Assembly really take this one to church with their anthemic remix treatment. Every aspect of the remix production is excellent.

-Purchase the original mixes here (Amazon)
-Purchase the Audio Assembly mixes here (Amazon)
(Beatport has these as well)

Grade: A+

Killian Wells - Psycho

Electro/Pop artist Killian Wells is ready to dominate the dancefloors with his latest release "Psycho." He could be thought of as a male counterpart to Ke$ha or Lady Gaga, with his hooky lyrics and visual artistry. While he's not the greatest vocalist, he does pretty well with what he has. The song works a lot better in remixed form. Nu Addiction, Dangerous Muse, 8Barz, and Kids On Drugs provide remixes. Nu Addiction provides a funky house mix, taking some of the edge off. Dangerous Muse's mixes sound like a meatier version of the original and complement the vocals better. 8Barz provides an 80's sounding electro/synthpop mix. Finally, the Kids On Drugs mix is a thick electro one. Overall, the Nu Addiction and Dangerous Muse ones are the best.

Grade: B (for the original)/A- (for the Nu Addiction and Dangerous Muse mixes)

Gravitonas - Religious

This is the latest single from the Swedish duo which includes the legendary Alexander Bard (of Army Of Lovers, BWO, etc). This electro/rock/pop song is very catchy, just as most of Mr. Bard's other work. The fun song has a number of remixes, however, go straight for the SoundFactory and Full Intention ones. SoundFactory's is circuit-oriented, but a has a chill piano in many places. Full Intention's mix has a 90's classic house feel. Both improve upon the original considerably.

-Listen to the SoundFactory mix here (YouTube)
-Listen to the Full Intention mix here (YouTube)

Grade: A-

Michael Jackson - Hollywood Tonight

Taken from his first posthumous release, "Hollywood Tonight" is a Disco/Funk/Pop song, with those familiar "Billie Jean" sounding beats. The song is classic Michael in every way. It would sound perfectly at home on one of his earlier albums, yet it sounds modern too. DJ Chuckie did some chilled electro/house mixes. This version would be most suitable for sending to mainstream radio as the electro/pop trend has spawned many releases in that style.

Watch the music video here (YouTube)

Grade: A-

INXS feat Rob Thomas - Original Sin

This is off of their current release of the same name which features new vocalists taking on their classics. Rob Thomas performs vocal duties on the update of the 1984 hit. The album version doesn't stray too far from the Dance/Rock sound of the original, however, it is a lot more modern-sounding. Rob delivers a great vocal. Ralphi Rosario and Craig J have done remixes of this. The 'happy' feel of the original is maintained while making it harder for the dancefloor. Overall, both the original and remixes are great.

-Buy the new version here (Amazon)
-Listen to the Ralphi & Craig mix here:
INXS: Original Sin feat. Rob Thomas (Ralphi Rosario & Craig J Vocal Remix) by Promolift

Grade: A

iSH - Cut To The Chase

This is the latest single from the up and coming Jamaican/Canadian singer/actor. "Cut To The Chase" is a sexy Electro/R&B-Pop song. The song is very current and fun. Vocally, iSH could be compared to Craig David, Usher, and Jay Sean. Although he is brand new to the scene, iSH has a certain je ne sais quoi quality about him which makes one want to hear more from him in the future. Check out his previous hit "Priceless" as well.

Listen to the song here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Snoop Dog - Wet/Sweat

The rapper is back with another highly suggestive song. Produced by The Cataracs, the song is a bass-heavy slow jam. Snoop's vocals are heavily autotuned, much in the same way as his 2007 single "Sexual Eruption." For the UK market and the clubs, there is a remix by David Guetta. The remix production borrows heavily from Felix's rave classic "Don't You Want Me", as sampled by Meck for the song "Feels Like Home." This element works surprisingly well.

-Watch the music video for the the original version (NSFW) here (YouTube)
-Watch the music video for the David Guetta remix (NSFW) here (YouTube)

Grade: A- (for the remix)

Aqua - How R U Doin?

The Danish Dance/Pop group is back with a new single off of their forthcoming 3rd studio album. This one isn't as Eurodance-sounding as their earlier work, however, it is still just as catchy. The song's production is sort of a mishmash of "Like A G6" and "Dynamite." Vocally, Lene sounds just as cute as she had on their previous releases. The floorfiller could be a smash on both sides of the Atlantic real soon. Remixes are coming soon.

Listen to the song here

Grade: A-

Alex Gaudino feat Kelly Rowland - What A Feeling

Italian producer/remixer/DJ Alex Gaudino teams up with Kelly Rowland for this brand new song. This is not a remake of the Flashdance song. This is a refreshing track with another solid vocal by Kelly. She is perfectly in her element when it comes to dance music. The Disco/House production of the original is wonderful. The I'm Still In Love Remix has a production similar to Alex's 2010 smash "I'm In Love (I Wanna Do It)". This is a very energetic electro/house production. The Nicky Romero mix gives the song a minimal electro feel. Overall, all three versions are great.

Listen to the original here
Listen to the I'm Still In Love remix here
Listen to the Nicky Romero mix here

Grade: A

India and Peppe Citatella - Tacalacateo

This is a collaboration between La Princesa de la Salsa, India, and Italian producer/DJ Peppe Citarella. "Tacalacateo" is a ferocious dancefloor anthem. India's fiery vocals are sexy and passionate. The original is a light tribal house track with a hint of Latin flavor. There are over a dozen remixes of which almost all of them are really good. The Tribal Miami and Manny Lehman mixes are the hardest hitting of the bunch, especially the latter. The Terry Hunter and Dreamapella Tribute To Masters At Work mixes are much lighter and call to mind India's early 90's work with the Masters At Work.

-Purchase the digital singles here (for the 12 track EP)
-Purchase the digital single with Manny Lehman and Gustavo Scorpio mixes here

Grade: A+

Adele - Rolling In The Deep

This is the English singer's latest single from her second album 21. "Rolling In The Deep" is a bluesy-pop number with dark undertones. This is an absolute stunner from start to finish from the Motown-esque production to Adele's soaring vocals.

There are plenty of remixes of this making the rounds. One of the better ones is the Downtown London mix. It is done in the style of mid 90's piano-driven, Eurodance. It calls to mind the work of Dancing Divaz, Love To Infinity, and the Rapino Brothers. This loses some of the melancholy vibe of the original. This one is exquisite.

-Watch the music video here (YouTube)
-Listen to the Downtown London mix here (YouTube)

Grade: A+

Mike Posner - Bow Chicka Wow Wow

This is the 3rd single after the smashes "Cooler Than Me" and "Please Don't Go." The ode to 'sexytime' is a romantic slow jam, a bit of a departure from the previous two singles. Mike's smoky, raspy vocals sound really great, showing another side of him. A new remix featuring rapper Lil' Wayne adds very little, and actually takes away from the song.

Listen to the remix here (YouTube)

Grade: A-