B in the Mix: The Remixes | ||||
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![]() North American editions cover [lower-alpha 1] | ||||
Remix album by | ||||
Released | November 22, 2005 | |||
Recorded | 1998–2005 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 54:01 | |||
Label | Jive | |||
Producer |
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Britney Spears chronology | ||||
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B in the Mix: The Remixes is the first remix album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 22, 2005, by Jive Records.
B in the Mix: The Remixes predominantly comprises remixes of tracks from Spears' fourth studio album In the Zone (2003), but also contains remixes of tracks from its predecessors ...Baby One More Time (1999), Oops!... I Did It Again (2000) and Britney (2001) to a lesser extent. It also included remixes of "Someday (I Will Understand)" (2005) and the previously unreleased "And Then We Kiss". Producers Peter Rauhofer, Justice, Bill Hamel, Stuart Price, Dave Audé, Junkie XL, Valentin, Jason Nevins, Nick Fiorucci, Taras Harkavyi, Davidson Ospina and Hex Hector made contributions to the album; their final product was an ambient and techno-influenced EDM record.
B in the Mix: The Remixes received mixed reviews from music critics, some of which called it a good remix compilation, while others argued that it was conceived as a product and criticized what they perceived as weak vocals. Commercially, the album peaked at number four on the US Dance/Electronic Albums and at number 134 on the US Billboard 200. While the album received minimal promotion compared to Spears' previous albums, the remix of "And Then We Kiss" was released as its sole promotional single in Oceania on October 31, 2005. The album's sequel, titled B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 , was released on October 7, 2011.
B in the Mix: The Remixes includes songs recorded for her previous albums, mostly In the Zone (2003), remixed by numerous disc jockeys and musicians, including Peter Rauhofer, Justice, Bill Hamel, Stuart Price, Dave Audé, Junkie XL, Valentin, Jason Nevins, Nick Fiorucci, Taras Harkavyi, Davidson Ospina, and Hex Hector. Price had previously remixed "Breathe on Me" from In the Zone for the limited edition bonus disc of Spears' first greatest hits album Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (2004).
B in the Mix: The Remixes also includes a remix of the previously unreleased song, "And Then We Kiss". [2] It was originally produced by Mark Taylor and recorded for In the Zone, but failed to make the final cut. [3] The song was then set to be included on the bonus disc of the DVD for Britney and Kevin: Chaotic (2005), but was left out in favor of another song, "Over to You Now". [4] The original version of "And Then We Kiss" remained unreleased for years, until a new mix labelled as the original version leaked online on September 2, 2011. After suggestions that it might be fake, Taylor confirmed its authenticity on September 5. [3]
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". [2] The remix style was compared to songs by Kylie Minogue and Madonna. [5] 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. [6] "And Then We Kiss" contains influences of euro-trance, techno and usage of synthesizers. [2] The song blends dance-rock guitars and symphonic strings and closes with an orchestral overtone. [2] [7] 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. [2] 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. [6]
On September 28, 2005, Jive Records announced through a press release that Spears would release a remix album titled Remixed. [8] However, on November 8, it was reported by Jennifer Vineyard of MTV that the album was actually titled B in the Mix: The Remixes. The album had two cover artworks, the North American one and the international one. On the North American edition, Spears doesn't appear on the album cover; there is a red butterfly against a black background instead. Vineyard noted this, stating: "[the album] is being marketed in a more underground way than usually associated with a superstar act". On the international edition cover artwork, a black-and-white image of Spears appears behind the butterfly. [2]
Jive Records originally planned to release a Japan-exclusive remix album Greatest Remixes in early 2005, but those plans fell through. [9] The release of Spears' first remix album, then titled Remixed, was announced in September, when the promotional extended play (EP) Key Cuts from Remixed, including several remixes from the album, was released. [2] [10] A contest was launched on Spears' paid fan site for those who pre-ordered B in the Mix: The Remixes. The winner received a copy of Britney & Kevin: Chaotic , a bottle of Spears' fragrance Fantasy with an additional lotion and make-up kit, and a personalized autographed picture of Spears. [11] On November 22, the day the album was released, a release party was held at an unspecified nightclub in Los Angeles, organized by Spears' management and the webmaster of the fansite WorldOfBritney.com. It was a limited event to 500 people, including members of the fan site and 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!". [12]
B in the Mix: The Remixes received considerably less promotion compared to Spears' previous releases, as Spears did not make any public appearances in its support. Although it produced no singles, the remix of "And Then We Kiss" was released as the sole promotional single from the album in Australia and New Zealand on October 31, 2005. [13] [14] A promotional 12-inch single featuring a new version of the remix was also released. [15] The remix received mostly positive reviews from music critics, with some noticing its potential to be a radio or club hit. [2] "And Then We Kiss" failed to appear on any major charts; however, it peaked at number 15 on the US Dance/Mix Show Airplay. [16]
In November 2005, it was revealed that Sony BMG was distributing albums with Extended Copy Protection, [17] [18] a controversial feature that automatically installed rootkit software on any Microsoft Windows machine upon insertion of the disc. In addition to preventing the CDs contents from being copied, it was also revealed that the software reported the users' listening habits back to Sony BMG and also exposed the computer to malicious attacks that exploited insecure features of the rootkit software. B in the Mix: The Remixes was listed among the 52 CDs that were known to contain the software, [19] which Sony discontinued the usage of on November 11, 2005. [20] The company recalled this and other titles affected by XCP, and asked customers to submit copies affected by the software to the company so that it could replace them with copies that did not contain the software. [21]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
About.com | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Bay Area Reporter | unfavorable [23] |
Entertainment Weekly | C [24] |
IGN | (6.9/10) [5] |
MTV | favorable [25] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Dallas Morning News | mixed [26] |
B in the Mix: The Remixes received generally mixed reviews from music critics. 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". [6] 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". [7] Spence D. of IGN said: "If you had the choice to purchase only one Britney Spears' album, then this would be the one to spend your money on." [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." [22] MTV writer Bradley Stern praised the album, saying it "featured loads of excellent remixes stretching from "...Baby One More Time" to "Toxic", but nothing shined quite as bright as the album's undeniable highlight: "And Then We Kiss" (Junkie XL Remix)." [25]
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 comes 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." [23] Mike Daniel of The Dallas Morning News called the Justice remix of "Me Against the Music" the best track of the album, but said it "has the feel of a hastily executed stopgap measure with almost no marketing-related thought behind it except to fulfill the once-every-two-years release cycle that's been established for Britney material." [26] Entertainment Weekly writer Leah Greenblatt noted the remixes "amps already-aggressive singles like "Toxic" and "Me Against the Music" to brain-popping levels of synth spiraling", and transforms "sad-eyed slow jams like "Everytime" and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" into Hi-NRG bursts. This party is BYORB (Bring Your Own Red Bull); without it, you might not be able to keep up." [24]
In the United States, B in the Mix: The Remixes debuted at number 134 on the Billboard 200, selling 14,000 copies in its first week. It spent eleven weeks on the chart overall. [27] The album also peaked at number four on the US Top Dance/Electronic Albums, making it the first top four peak on the chart that had over 10,000 units sold since July 2002. [28] The album spent a total of 21 weeks on the chart. [29] According to Nielsen SoundScan, B in the Mix: The Remixes has sold over 131,000 copies in the United States. [30] The album also debuted on Ultratop Wallonia in Belgium at number 99 on the chart dated December 17, 2005, [31] and also debuted at number 59 on the Italian Albums Chart on the chart dated November 25, 2005. [32] The album peaked at number 25 on Oricon Albums Chart in Japan, where it spent eight weeks on the chart. [33]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Toxic" (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Mix Edit) | 6:46 | ||
2. | "Me Against the Music" (Justice Remix) (featuring Madonna) |
| 4:01 | |
3. | "Touch of My Hand" (Bill Hamel Remix) | 5:19 | ||
4. | "Breathe on Me" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) |
| 3:55 | |
5. | "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Dave Audé Slave Driver Mix) | 5:51 | ||
6. | "And Then We Kiss" (Junkie XL Remix) |
| 4:27 | |
7. | "Everytime" (Valentin Remix) |
|
| 3:25 |
8. | "Early Mornin'" (Jason Nevins Remix) |
|
| 3:38 |
9. | "Someday (I Will Understand)" (Hi-Bias Signature Radio Remix) | Spears |
| 3:46 |
10. | "...Baby One More Time" (Davidson Ospina 2005 Remix) | Max Martin | 4:38 | |
11. | "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Club Mix Edit) |
| 8:15 | |
Total length: | 54:01 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
12. | "Stronger" (Mac Quayle Mixshow Edit) |
|
| 5:21 |
13. | "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (Metro Remix) |
| 5:25 | |
Total length: | 64:34 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Someday (I Will Understand)" (Gota Remix) (featuring MCU) | Spears | Sigsworth | 4:42 |
Total length: | 69:36 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
12. | "Toxic" (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Mix Radio Edit) |
|
| 4:30 |
13. | "Touch of My Hand" (Bill Hamel Dub) |
| 7:17 | |
14. | "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Dave Audé Slave Driver Extended Mix) |
|
| 7:05 |
Total length: | 72:53 |
Key Cuts from Remixed | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | September 2005 [37] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Jive | |||
Producer | ||||
Britney Spears chronology | ||||
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To promote the album, Jive Records released an extended play in September 2005, containing several remixes from B in the Mix: The Remixes. This EP, known as Key Cuts from Remixed, was sent around to DJs in both 12" vinyl and CD format.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "And Then We Kiss" (Junkie XL Remix) |
| 4:28 | |
2. | "Me Against the Music" (featuring Madonna) (Justice Remix) |
| 4:08 | |
3. | "Touch of My Hand" (Bill Hamel Remix) | 5:20 | ||
4. | "Toxic" (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Mix (Edit)) | 6:45 | ||
5. | "Breathe on Me" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) |
| 4:00 | |
Total length: | 24:41 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Touch of My Hand" (Bill Hamel 12" Remix) |
| 7:44 | |
2. | "Toxic" (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Mix) |
|
| 7:58 |
Total length: | 15:42 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Touch of My Hand" (Bill Hamel 12" Remix) |
| 7:44 | |
2. | "Me Against the Music" (featuring Madonna) (Justice Remix) |
| 4:08 | |
3. | "Toxic" (Peter Rauhofer Reconstruction Mix) |
|
| 7:58 |
4. | "Breathe on Me" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) |
|
| 4:00 |
Total length: | 23:50 |
Credits are adapted from the Japanese edition liner notes of B in the Mix: The Remixes. [1]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Date | Edition(s) | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United States | November 22, 2005 | Standard | CD | Jive | |
Deluxe | Digital download | ||||
Italy | November 25, 2005 | Standard | CD | Sony BMG | |
France | November 28, 2005 | Epic | |||
Japan | November 30, 2005 | BMG Japan | |||
Australia | December 5, 2005 | Sony BMG |
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. Spears had been a child performer on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1994, and was looking to expand her career as a teen singer. After being turned away by several record companies, Spears signed with Jive for a multi-album deal in 1997. She travelled to Sweden to collaborate with producers Max Martin and Rami Yacoub, who had been writing songs with producer Denniz Pop and others, for ...Baby One More Time. Their collaboration created a pop, bubblegum pop, dance-pop, and teen pop record, with Spears later saying that she felt excited when she heard it and knew it was going to be a hit record. The album was completed in June 1998.
Britney is the third studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on October 31, 2001, by Jive Records.
In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 15, 2003, by Jive Records. Spears began writing songs during her Dream Within a Dream Tour, not knowing the direction of the record. She stated she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not to the point where she felt self-exploited. During the process, she ended her highly-publicized relationship with singer Justin Timberlake. With the tour's conclusion in July 2002, Spears planned to take a six-month break from her career; however, recording for the album commenced in November.
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative is the first greatest hits album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 3, 2004, by Jive Records.
"Break the Ice" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout (2007). It was released as the third and final single from the album on March 3, 2008, by Jive Records. The song was written by Nate "Danja" Hills, Jim Beanz, Keri Hilson and Marcella Araica, while production was handled by Danja and vocal production was handled by Beanz. "Radar" was originally planned to be released as the third single, but "Break the Ice" was released after it was chosen by a poll on Spears's official website. Musically, "Break the Ice" is an electro-R&B song with influences of crunk. The song opens with a choir and features synthesizers. Its lyrics deal with an attraction between two people. "Break the Ice" received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its lyrics, production, Spears' vocal performance and deemed it a strong electronic song from the record.
"Born to Make You Happy" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time (1999). It was released on December 6, 1999, by Jive Records, as the fourth single from the album in Europe. Spears—whose vision for her sound differed stylistically from that of her producer's—was unhappy with the sexual overtones of the song, and the song underwent at least one re-write before its release. The singer first recorded the vocals for the track in May 1998, which were later re-recorded in September 1999 for the ‘Bonus Remix’ of the song. The teen pop song alludes to a relationship that a woman desires to correct, not quite understanding what went wrong, as she comes to realize that she was "born to make [her lover] happy".
"Overprotected" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her third studio album, Britney (2001). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami. The song was released on December 10, 2001, by Jive Records as the second international single from Britney. "Overprotected" is a dance-pop song about a girl who is tired of being overprotected and just wants to be herself. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Its remixed R&B form, produced by Darkchild, was released as the third US single from Britney on April 2, 2002.
"Me Against the Music" is a song by American singers Britney Spears and Madonna for Spears' fourth studio album, In the Zone (2003). It was written by Spears, Madonna, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Thabiso "Tab" Nikhereanye, Penelope Magnet, Terius Nash and Gary O'Brien. The song was released on October 14, 2003, by Jive Records, as the lead single of In the Zone. After bonding with Spears during a night in New York City, Stewart and Magnet started working on the song for her. During rehearsals for the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Spears played Madonna the track and asked her to do the song with her.
American singer Britney Spears has released nine studio albums, eight compilation albums, nine box sets, three extended plays (EPs), 50 singles, 11 promotional singles, two charity singles, and has made three guest appearances. In 1997, Spears signed a recording contract with American record label Jive Records in order to launch her career.
"Someday (I Will Understand)" is a song by American singer Britney Spears. It was written by Spears and produced by Guy Sigsworth. The song was released on August 18, 2005, by Jive Records as the sole single from Spears' first extended play, Britney & Kevin: Chaotic (2005), outside the United States. In July 2004, Spears announced her engagement to American dancer Kevin Federline, later revealing she would be taking another career break to start a family. Spears wrote the song two weeks before knowing she was pregnant with her first child, Sean Preston Federline. A pop ballad, its lyrics refer to a feeling of empowerment as a pregnant woman. A remixed version of the song was included on the 2005 remix compilation, B in the Mix: The Remixes.
Remixed & Revisited is a remix album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 24, 2003, by Maverick Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album contains four songs, in remixed form, from her 2003 ninth studio album American Life and a previously unreleased song, "Your Honesty", originally written and recorded for her 1994 sixth studio album Bedtime Stories. The other tracks included are the live performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" on the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards—which ended with Madonna kissing co-performers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera—and a remix of 1985 single "Into the Groove".
Bloodshy & Avant are a Swedish songwriting and production duo consisting of Christian "Bloodshy" Karlsson and Pontus "Avant" Winnberg. They have worked with many prominent artists, including Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, Ms. Dynamite, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Kelis, Girls' Generation, Christina Milian, Sky Ferreira, Hikaru Utada and BoA. In addition to their production work, Karlsson and Winnberg are also members of the synth-pop group Miike Snow, alongside lead vocalist Andrew Wyatt.
"And Then We Kiss" is a song by American singer Britney Spears. It was written by Spears, Mark Taylor and Paul Barry, while production was handled by Taylor. The song did not make the final track listing of Spears' fourth studio album, In the Zone (2003), and was later remixed by Junkie XL for inclusion on Spears' first remix album, B in the Mix: The Remixes (2005). It was also included on the extended play released to promote the remix album, titled Key Cuts from Remixed (2005). The Junkie XL remix of "And Then We Kiss" was released as a promotional single in Australia and New Zealand on October 31, 2005. The original version produced only by Taylor leaked online in September 2011.
Blackout is the fifth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on October 25, 2007, by Jive Records. Its production and release occurred as Spears' personal struggles were highly publicized and overshadowed her professional projects. She executive-produced the album, working with producers Danja, Bloodshy & Avant, Sean Garrett, and the Neptunes, among others; it is the only album on which Spears is credited as the executive producer. The final result was primarily a dance-pop and electropop record with Euro disco and dubstep influences, with lyrical themes revolving around love, fame, media scrutiny, sex, and clubbing.
Circus is the sixth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released to coincide with her 27th birthday on December 2, 2008, by Jive Records. Transitioning from the "darker and more urban" themes of her fifth studio album Blackout (2007), Spears wanted to make her next project "a little bit lighter". She recorded much of the album between March and September 2008, after being involuntarily placed under a conservatorship earlier that year, following her highly-publicized personal struggles in 2007. As executive producers, Larry Rudolph and Teresa LaBarbera Whites enlisted Spears' previous collaborators such as Max Martin, Bloodshy & Avant, Guy Sigsworth and Danja, as well as new ones, including Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco and Claude Kelly. Their efforts resulted in a primarily pop and dance record, whose lyrical themes addressed fame, infidelity, and infatuation.
Oops!... I Did It Again is the second studio album by American singer Britney Spears released on May 3, 2000, by Jive Records. Following the enormous commercial success of her debut studio album ...Baby One More Time (1999) and the completion of its accompanying concert tour of the same title, Spears began recording material for her second studio album in September 1999. Pressured to duplicate the success of ...Baby One More Time, she collaborated with a wide range of producers, including Max Martin, Rami Yacoub, Per Magnusson, David Kreuger, Kristian Lundin, Jake Schulze, Darkchild, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange for Oops!... I Did It Again. The final result was a pop, dance-pop and teen pop record exceedingly in the vein of ...Baby One More Time, but incorporating funk and R&B. The production, sonic quality, and Spears' vocal performance received critical acclaim upon the album's release.
B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 is the second remix album by American singer Britney Spears. The follow-up to B in the Mix: The Remixes (2005), it was released on October 7, 2011 by Jive Records. On September 9, 2011, Spears announced the release by posting the cover artwork and track listing on her Tumblr account. The album includes remixes of various tracks from her studio albums Blackout (2007), Circus (2008) and Femme Fatale (2011), as well as a remix of "3" and, exclusively in Japan, a remix of "My Prerogative". The remixes were done by disc jockeys such as Kaskade, Tiësto and Benny Benassi. The music was influenced by various subgenres of pop music, such as disco and house. The album was released the same day RCA absorbed Jive Records.
Britney & Kevin: Chaotic is the second extended play (EP) by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on September 21, 2005, by Jive Records, to accompany the DVD release for Spears' UPN reality television series Britney and Kevin: Chaotic (2005). The EP featured three songs–"Chaotic", "Someday " and "Mona Lisa".
"It Should Be Easy" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her eighth studio album, Britney Jean (2013). It features the vocal collaboration of American rapper will.i.am. The song was written by Spears, will.i.am, David Guetta, Giorgio Tuinfort, Nicky Romero and Marcus van Wattum. According to EarOne, it was made available to Italian radio stations on June 13, 2014. It is the third collaboration between Spears and will.i.am, following "Big Fat Bass" from Spears' seventh studio album Femme Fatale (2011), and "Scream & Shout" from will.i.am's fourth studio album #willpower (2013).
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