Review Summary: Summer still isn't over yet
Since this is a fun remix album, I’m going to remix my usual reviewing style and do a worst-to-best ranking of the tracklist and rate the features. Here goes!
The Ambition: I’ve listened to this several times and each time I forget Madison Beer was on this, I can’t give her more than a 5. The Bambii production is great, although perhaps better suited to a different song? She gets a 7.
Girl's Girl: Unfortunately a little forgettable, with neither the new instrumental nor Emilia’s verse (6/10) making an impact – it really rides the coattails of the original being one of the best tracks from
Midnight Sun proper.
Midnight Sun: Its a fun club remix with great production but PinkPantheress doesn’t add a whole lot – there was a lot of hype with this being the best track from the original album and the most-requested guest, and it doesn’t live up to it. Pink’s contribution gets a 6.
Blue Moon: This essentially gets turned into a Kehlani song, so it makes sense her feature really fits (I give it an 7). It’s just a shame the sequencing of
Girls Trip mirrors the original, as an R&B track doesn’t really fit as track 2.
Eurosummer: It’s super fun and Shakira glides over the beat… maaaybe I expected a bit more, but she sounds great and earns a solid 7.
Hot & Sexy: This remix benefits from not diverging too much from its fantastic original, but the flip side of that is that Tyla’s part kinda just comes and goes – 6/10. Oh and if we’re counting Tiffany Pollard she gets a 10, obviously.
Pretty Ugly: Incredibly fun, JT’s verse and Margo XS’s hard-hitting beat really fit the cheer-squad vibe of Zara’s chorus. The final minute is also crazy – yeah they’re both getting a 9 for this.
Crush: The new 90s girl group production is so sugary sweet and perfectly fits Zara’s summery rainbow aesthetic, and Eli’s guest verse is vocally and lyrically perfect. The cherry on top is the spoken-word, super camp bridge – “Where are we? We’re in the song!” 10/10 for Eli bringing it, definitely an artist I’m going to check out after this.
Saturn’s Return: Turned a fairly by-the-numbers ballad into a spiritually transcendent experience. As a fan of Malibu’s work, I was so intrigued to see the ambient artist featuring on this album, and her cavernous, choral production is an easy 9/10, while Helena Gao’s gorgeous guest vocals earn an 8. Remind me to book in a sensory float tank experience.
Puss Puss: Why couldn’t Robyn bring it this hard on
Sexistential? This is such a joyous and cathartic finish to the album, from the Kim Possible beep, to Robyn’s personality-filled verse, to the final minute’s explosive synths and show-stopping harmonies. Robyn gets her 10s, and this is a shining example of how a remix should transform and elevate.
Overall, I rank
Midnight Sun: Girls Trip slightly below the original (an 8/10 for me), but Zara should be commended for her casting and creativity, as should Margo XS and MNEK for reinventing the production throughout. We are truly in the golden age of the remix album, let’s bask in it.
