Salem – Til The World Ends (Britney cover)
Salem didn’t just highlight the witch house/drag movement, they dragged it kicking and screaming in to the public consciousness with their critically acclaimed debut LP ‘King Night’ in 2010. Add to that a string of hugely anticipated live shows and devilishly flipped remixes, and you’ve got a surefire underground sensation on your hands.
Hot on the heels of fellow Drag pushers Tri Angle’s twitter based cheesy pop love in, Salem embrace their inner pop-sweetheart by deciding to create their own interpretation of Britney’s recent hit ‘Til The World Ends.’ The original featured a shockingly bad attempt at ‘filth’-style dubstep by chart-bothering producer Dr Luke, but still reached the top of the charts worldwide. As with their debut albums actions, Salem’s remix doesn’t just alter the sounds and feel of Britney’s original, it royally screws with it and leaves incomprehensible comparison. To be perfectly honest, unless someone told you this was a Britney cover, I doubt you would realise. This doesn’t take away from the quality though. Down pitching the vocals so heavy that they come out sounding male is a great choice, Salem only splice the backend of the original’s chorus against a pulsating cymbal heavy beat.
A needless five second silence mid-flow aside, there is very little not to like with this track, and I believe this could be the first danceable drag track? Well, maybe that’s going too far.
Photograph by John Holland.
