TRACK REVIEW: 100 gecs

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"Ringtone (Remix)" - 100 gecs ft. Charli XCX, Rico Nasty & Kero Kero Bonito


Folks… it’s finally here.

Even just the concept of internet hyperpop savants 100 gecs teaming up with Charli XCX, Kero Kero Bonito, and Rico Nasty on a remix of their irresistible earworm “Ringtone” was enough to send Twitter into an all-out frenzy. And when the track was played by 100 gecs producer Dylan Brady at a DJ set just last month, the hype grew to insurmountable amounts, as days passed with constant teasing, but no sign of its release. But just days ago, the prayers of the rabid gecs fanbase were answered, as the remix finally made its way into the world. Needless to say, it delivered.

“Ringtone” was already widely considered a standout track from 100 gec’s latest record, 1000 gecs (ranked as OT's #3 album of 2019), but this new remix takes it to an entirely new dimension. The track plays out like a version of Avengers: Endgame made by anyone who has argued about pop music on Twitter, and sounds like a lurid vision brought about by one too many popper hits. The track’s bouncing, thumping bassline is blown up to impossibly irresistible heights, crunching and distorting below the track while Charli sings the hook in this new version. It feels as if Charli was born to take over the song’s hook, with her signature auto-tuned vocals and metallic ad-libs mixing perfectly with Brady’s blown-out, maximalist production. Sarah Bonito, lead singer of Kero Kero Bonito, takes up the song’s bridge and second verse, delivering a cool, collected verse amidst revving engines and barking dogs. 

But if there’s any standout moment out of the track, it’s Rico Nasty’s section on the song’s third verse. Rico is a match made in heaven with Brady’s production. From singing over nu-metal guitars to switching up and rapping over the song’s sugary beat, it sounds like she is having the time of her life on the track. The two have teased future collaborations, with Rico sharing a song she made with Brady just a few months ago, and her verse is a sign of what will hopefully be an incredible collaborative pairing to come. - Kenny Cox

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