LAS VEGAS, NV – DECEMBER 03: Singer Britney Spears waves at a welcome ceremony as she celebrates … [+]
In a highly unlikely turn of events that few could have predicted, Britney Spears and Elvis Presley now have a Billboard charting hit with one another.
The two musicians debut their surprising collaboration on this week’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, a regular Billboard ranking that lists the dance and electronic tunes that reach the largest audience in the U.S. every frame. The pair are credited together on the tune “Toxic Las Vegas,” which opens at No. 26 on the 50-spot tally.
While the song may be attributed to the two stars, it’s likely that neither Spears nor the Presley estate had much to do with the single. It’s a mash-up of sorts, blending the pop icon’s “Toxic” with the legendary rocker’s “Viva Las Vegas” to create something new and fresh…and incredibly catchy. Producer Jamieson Shaw, who remixed the cuts, is named in the title of the song, but when it comes to artists, the honor goes to the vocalists.
“Toxic Las Vegas” serves as the latest tune to come from the Elvis soundtrack, which pairs with the film of the same name by Baz Luhrmann. The original album was released back in June, and since then, it has continued to rack up streams and sales, thanks in large part to the success of lead single “Vegas” by superstar Doja Cat. This latest cut is featured on the deluxe edition, which should be released sometime soon.
This week, Presley reaches the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for the first time, an incredible feat considering he’s been gone for more than 40 years. For her part, Spears has landed on the electro ranking a number of times before, with “Toxic Las Vegas” becoming her eighth win on the tally.
Amazingly, this isn’t even the first time that Spears has scored a hit with a mash-up that uses “Toxic.” Last year, she appeared on a handful of Billboard charts after musician ALTEGO melded “Toxic” with Ginuwine’s R&B classic “Pony” to similarly produce a brand new single, one which placed on the R&B sales tally as well as the competitive Pop Airplay chart.
Of course, both the original “Viva Las Vegas” and “Toxic” were hits in their own right, separated by many decades. The two made it to the Hot 100 and are remembered as signature tunes by the two artists.
It might seem like the combination of Presley and Spears is an odd one–and it certainly is–but it is not out of the ordinary for the Elvis soundtrack. The CD, which broke into the top 40 on the Billboard 200 and performed even better on a handful of lesser Billboard rankings, saw contemporary stars like Jack White, Nardo Wick, and Stuart Price “collaborate” with the late musician, while fellow chart-toppers like Eminem, Måneskin, Kacey Musgraves, and many others put their own spin on some of the King’s best-known tunes.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/01/20/britney-spears-and-elvis-now-have-a-billboard-charting-hit-together/