Busta Rhymes x Janet Jackson What's It Gonna Be?! (Kaytranada Remix)

Before I get into this review, I need to clear the air: this song has some issues. To Kaytranada's credit, some of these issues are just annoying production quirks (too much treble). Some, however, are annoying production quirks that border on dubious aesthetic decisions (saddening overuse of sidechain compression). And some are unequivocally dubious aesthetic decisions (not including Busta's verses!).

But in spite of these problems, this track needs to be hyped because it's on the verge of innovative greatness. It's got a danceable beat and some thoughtful harmonies, and, most importantly, it straddles the line between R&B/hip-hop and nu disco really gracefully. I hope the remixing vogue keeps moving in this direction, because these sorts of hybrid tracks are opening up a ton of room for variety in a musical niche that sometimes threatens to get stale.

And if you're in Germany or the UK, it looks like Kaytranada will be hitting up a few of those countries' dance music hubs on a tour in mid-July. Worth checking out, I'd say.