B in the Mix: The Remixes

B in the Mix: The Remixes
Image of a woman dancing in a grey tone. There is a grey aura behind her, and she is standing in front of a black background. A giant butterly extends in her bust. The words "Britney B Spears" are written above in white letters. At the height of her waist, the words "in the mix The Remixes" are written in smaller grey letters.
Remix album by Britney Spears
Released November 22, 2005 (2005-11-22)
Recorded 1998–2005
Genre Dance, trance[1]
Length 50:05
Label Jive
Producer Peter Rauhofer, Justice, Bill Hamel, Barry Jamieson, Stuart Price, Dave Audé, Junkie XL, Valentin, Jason Nevins, Hex Hector, Nick "Fierce" Fiorucci, Taras Harkavyi, Davidson Ospina
Britney Spears chronology
Britney & Kevin: Chaotic
(2005)		 B in the Mix: The Remixes
(2005)		 Blackout
(2007)

B in the Mix: The Remixes is a remix album from Britney Spears, released on November 22, 2005 by Jive Records. The album consists of eleven remixes of seven of Spears' singles and three tracks from her 2003 studio album In the Zone, by DJs such as Peter Rauhofer and Stuart Price. The music was influenced by various genres of electronic music, such as ambient and techno. B in the Mix: The Remixes also included one new song, "And Then We Kiss".

Critics gave mixed reviews to the album. Some reviewers called B in the Mix: The Remixes a good remix compilation, while others argued that the album was conceived as a product and also criticized what they perceived as weak vocals. B in the Mix: The Remixes was commercially unsuccessful, charting only at number ninety-nine in Belgium and at number one hundred thirty-four in the United States. It received minimal promotion by Spears' standards. "And Then We Kiss" was released as a promotional single from the album.

Contents

Background and artwork

On September 28, 2004, Jive Records announced through a press release that Spears would release a remix album titled Remixed.[2] However, on November 8, 2005, it was reported by Jennifer Vineyard of MTV that the album was actually titled B in the Mix: The Remixes, and was going to be released on November 22, 2005. The album includes songs from her previous albums remixed by DJs such as Peter Rauhofer and Stuart Price. Price had previously remixed "Breathe on Me" from In the Zone for a limited edition bonus disc of Spears' 2004 compilation, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative. B in the Mix: The Remixes also includes one new song, "And Then We Kiss";[1] the song had previously been set to be included on a bonus disc of her 2005 DVD Britney & Kevin: Chaotic, but was left out for unknown reasons.[3] B in the Mix: The Remixes had two covers. In the American edition, Spears does not appear on the cover; there is a butterfly instead. Vineyard noted this saying, "[the album] is being marketed in a more underground way than usually associated with a superstar act". In the international edition, Spears appears behind the butterfly.[1]

Composition

The Bill Hamel remix of "Touch of My Hand" is a trance track with elements of ambient. Spears' voice has been described as "chopped up into skittering syllables and [...] becomes part of the beat". The album's fourth track, the Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix of "Breathe on Me", slows the beat from the original track making the song "darker and dirtier".[1] Dave Audé Slave Driver Mix of "I'm a Slave 4 U" consists of a guitar track and "quirky analog touches", according to Kurt Kirton of About.com.[4] "And Then We Kiss" contains influences of euro-trance, techno and usage of synthesizers.[1] The song blends dance-rock guitars and symphonic strings and closes with an orchestral overtone.[1][5] Its lyrics talk about a kiss and the different sensations that the protagonist experiences, including trembling, crying and moaning. At the beginning she sings the lines "Lying alone / touching my skin" which suggest that the whole song may actually be a fantasy.[1] The album's seventh track, the Valentin remix of "Everytime" contains a serious groove and pounding percussion, with usage of synthesizers. The Jason Nevins remix of "Early Mornin'" is considered the only hip hop song of B in the Mix: The Remixes.[4]

Reception

Critical response

 Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
About.com (favorable)[4]
Allmusic 2.5/5 stars[6]
Bay Area Reporter (unfavorable)[7]
Rolling Stone 3/5 stars[5]

Kurt Kirton of About.com highlighted the remixes of "Everytime" and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", adding that the album would be better if it included more tracks. He summarized his review saying, "this is a decent release that should please any Britney fan and most club music fanatics".[4] Barry Walters of Rolling Stone said the album was "even more redundant" than Greatest Hits: My Prerogative, but added that with the exception of "Toxic", "just about every original track is bettered here".[5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic commented that "B in the Mix doesn't exactly erase the impression that Spears isn't in tune with her recording career". He also stated that on tracks such as "Toxic", "her flaws stand out just a bit too much [...] the instrumental hooks have been removed from the record, leaving Spears to carry the day—which she can't really do. [...] Overall this album sounds and feels like what it really is: a piece of product".[6] Gregg Shapiro of the Bay Area Reporter gave the album a mostly negative review, calling it "hazardous waste". He also noted that Spears's voice was "reedy, cold and mechanical" when stripped from the original mixes. However, he highlighted two tracks, saying, "Spears come closest to achieving dance-diva status on the Valentin remix of 'Everytime', while the Davidson Ospina 2005 remix of 'Baby One More Time' elevates the original bubblegum track to club classic".[7]

Chart performance

In the United States, B in the Mix: The Remixes debuted at number one hundred thirty-four on the Billboard 200, selling 14,000 copies in its first week.[8] The album also peaked at number four on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums, spending a total of twenty-one weeks on the chart.[9] As of February 2010, B in the Mix: The Remixes has sold over 101,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[10] The album also debuted on Belgium charts at number ninety-nine.[11]

Promotion

B in the Mix: The Remixes received little promotion compared to Spears' standards. A promotional 12-inch single titled Key Cuts from Remixed with five of the album's remixes was leaked more than two weeks before the album was released.[1][12] A contest was launched on Spears' paid fan site for those who pre-ordered the album. The winner received a copy of Britney & Kevin: Chaotic, a bottle of Fantasy with an additional lotion and make-up kit and a personalized autographed picture of Spears.[13] On November 22, 2005, a release party was held at an unspecified club in Los Angeles, California, organized by Spears' management and the webmaster of the fansite WorldOfBritney.com. It was a limited event to 500 people, including members of the fansite or her official fan club. Spears commented, "I just wanted to say that I love the idea of all my fans getting together to celebrate the release of my new album. I was happy to help! I hope you have a great night out at the club and dance all night long!".[14] "And Then We Kiss" was released as a promotional single from the album in CD and 12-inch.[15][16] Jennifer Vineyard of MTV stated that the song "has the potential to be a radio or club hit — if Jive were actively promoting the album".[1] "And Then We Kiss" failed to appear on any major charts.

Track listing

Standard edition

No. Title Writer(s) Remixer(s) Length
1. "Toxic" (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Mix Edit) Cathy Dennis, Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg, Henrik Jonback Peter Rauhofer 6:46
2. "Me Against the Music" (Justice Remix feat. Madonna) Britney Spears, Madonna, Christopher Stewart, Penelope Magnet, Thabiso Nikhereanye, Terius Nash, Gary O'Brien Justice 4:01
3. "Touch of My Hand" (Bill Hamel Remix) Britney Spears, Jimmy Harry, Bale'wa Muhammad, Shep Solomon Bill Hamel, Barry Jamieson 5:19
4. "Breathe on Me" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) Stephen Lee, Steven Anderson, Lisa Greene Stuart Price 3:55
5. "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Dave Audé Slave Driver Mix) Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams Dave Audé 5:51
6. "And Then We Kiss" (Junkie XL Remix) Britney Spears, Mark Taylor, Paul Barry Junkie XL 4:27
7. "Everytime" (Valentin Remix) Britney Spears, Annette Artani Valentin 3:24
8. "Early Mornin'" (Jason Nevins Remix) Britney Spears, Moby, Christopher Stewart, Penelope Magnet Jason Nevins 3:38
9. "Someday (I Will Understand)" (Hi-Bias Signature Radio Remix) Britney Spears Nick "Fierce" Fiorucci, Taras Harkavyi 3:38
10. "...Baby One More Time" (Davidson Ospina 2005 Remix) Max Martin Davidson Ospina 4:37
11. "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Club Mix Edit) Robert Lange, Shania Twain, Keith Scott Hex Hector, Dezrok 8:15

Source:[17]

Bonus tracks

Album credits

Charts

Chart (2006) Peak
position
Belgium Albums Chart[11] 99
U.S. Billboard 200[9] 134
U.S. Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums[9] 4

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Vineyard, Jennifer (2010-04-17). "Surprise: Britney's Releasing An Album In Just Two Weeks". MTV (MTV Networks). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1512630/20051031/spears_britney.jhtml. Retrieved 2005-11-08. 
  2. ↑ Reporter, Billboard (2005-09-28). "Britney, Junkie XL Team Up On Remix Disc". Billboard (Nielsen Company). http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001217186#/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001217186. Retrieved 2010-01-04. 
  3. ↑ Staff, RCA (2005-10-18). "Britney Spears. Chaotic - DVD out October 31st". RCA/Jive Label Group (Sony Music Entertainment). http://www.rcalabelgroup.co.uk/artist_spotlight/britney_spears/1145/15/. Retrieved 2010-01-04. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Kirton, Kurt (2010-04-17). "Britney Spears - B In the Mix (The Remixes)". About.com (The New York Times Company). http://dancemusic.about.com/od/reviews/fr/BritneyIntheMix.htm. Retrieved 2005. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Walters, Barry (2005-11-28). "Rolling Stone : B In The Mix, The Remixes [Deluxe Version] : Review". Rolling Stone (Jann Wenner). ISSN 0035-791X. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2010-04-17). "allmusic ((( B in the Mix: The Remixes > Overview )))". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:os220r1aw48v~T1. Retrieved 2005. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Shapiro, Gregg (2010-04-17). "Movers and shakers". Bay Area Reporter (Benro Enterprises, Inc.). http://www.ebar.com/arts/art_article.php?sec=music&article=100. Retrieved 2006-02-02. 
  8. ↑ Jenison, David (2005-11-30). "System "Hypnotizes" Charts". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. http://ca.music.yahoo.com/read/news/26490299. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "B in the Mix: The Remixes - Britney Spears". Billboard. Nielsen Company. 2005. http://www.billboard.com/#/album/britney-spears/b-in-the-mix-the-remixes/743867. Retrieved 2010-05-01. 
  10. ↑ Trust, Gary (2010-02-26). "Ask Billboard: Alternative's Slow Rides". Billboard. Nielsen Company. http://www.billboard.com/#/column-chartbeat/ask-billboard-alternative-s-slow-rides-1004071557.story. Retrieved 2010-05-01. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Britney Spears - B in the Mix: The Remixes (album)". Ultratop. Hung Medien. http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Britney+Spears&titel=B+In+The+Mix%3A+The+Remixes&cat=a. Retrieved 2010-05-01. 
  12. ↑ "Britney Spears - Key Cuts from Remixed (song)". Ultratop. Hung Medien. 2005. http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Britney+Spears&titel=Key+Cuts+From+Remixed&cat=s. Retrieved 2010-04-17. 
  13. ↑ Staff report, MTV News (2005-11-10). "For The Record: Quick News On Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Young Buck, Lindsay Lohan, 50 Cent & More". MTV (MTV Networks). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1513471/20051110/clarkson_kelly.jhtml. Retrieved 2005-11-08. 
  14. ↑ Staff report, MTV News (2005-11-14). "For The Record: Quick News On Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, John Legend, 50 Cent, Harry Potter, Korn & More". MTV (MTV Networks). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1513681/20051114/aguilera_christina.jhtml. Retrieved 2005-11-08. 
  15. ↑ "Britney Spears - And Then We Kiss (Junkie XL Remix)". Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/Britney-Spears-And-Then-We-Kiss-Junkie-XL-Remix/release/1341383. Retrieved 2010-01-04. 
  16. ↑ "Britney Spears - And Then We Kiss (Junkie XL Remixes)". Discogs. http://www.discogs.com/Britney-Spears-And-Then-We-Kiss-Junkie-XL-Remixes/release/597310. Retrieved 2010-01-04. 
  17. ↑ "United States iTunes". iTunes. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/b-in-mix-the-remixes-deluxe/id303189860. Retrieved 2010-04-18. 
  18. ↑ "United States iTunes bonus". iTunes. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/b-in-mix-the-remixes-deluxe/id303189860. Retrieved 2010-04-18. 
Britney Spears
Discography · Videos · Unreleased songs · Tours · Films · Products · Awards and nominations
Studio albums
Compilations
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative · B in the Mix: The Remixes · The Singles Collection
Video releases
Time Out with Britney Spears · Live and More! · Britney: The Videos · Live from Las Vegas · In the Zone · Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
Concert tours
...Baby One More Time Tour · Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour · Dream Within a Dream Tour · The Onyx Hotel Tour · The Circus Starring Britney Spears
Filmography
Longshot · Crossroads · Austin Powers in Goldmember · Britney: For the Record
Television
The Mickey Mouse Club · Britney & Kevin: Chaotic
Related topics
Jive Records · "The Mansion Family" · "Buy, Buy Baby" · "Ten Sessions" · "Everything Must Go" · "Britney/Brittany" · Lynne Spears · Jamie Lynn Spears · Larry Rudolph · Kevin Federline
Wikipedia book Book:Britney Spears · Category Category:Britney Spears · Portal Portal:Britney Spears
Britney Spears singles
...Baby One More Time
"...Baby One More Time" · "Sometimes" · "(You Drive Me) Crazy" · "Born to Make You Happy" · "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart"
Oops!... I Did It Again
"Oops!...I Did It Again" · "Lucky" · "Stronger" · "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know"
Britney
"I'm a Slave 4 U" · "Overprotected" · "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" · "Anticipating" / "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" · "Boys"
In the Zone
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
"My Prerogative" · "Do Somethin'"
Blackout
Circus
"Womanizer" · "Circus" · "If U Seek Amy" · "Radar"
The Singles Collection
"3"
Other singles
"What's Going On" · "Someday (I Will Understand)"
Other songs
"My Only Wish (This Year)" · "I've Just Begun (Having My Fun)"
Wikipedia book Book:Britney Spears · Category Category:Britney Spears · Portal Portal:Britney Spears