(Original Caption) Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, who team up on duets, are seen recently in a … [+]
Norwegian electronic dance producer Kygo is back on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart with another new smash, and once again, not only is he not alone, but he is joined by legends.
At this point in his career, Kygo has made a habit out of using vocals recorded by superstars in decades past and folding them into modern dance pop tunes that feel ready for any dance floor. This benefits the producer, as he racks up streams and sales and returns to the charts, but it also very much helps those catalog and older artists reach rankings they’ve never appeared on before (or in a long time) and introduce themselves and some of their biggest wins to younger audiences who might not know their material is well.
Here’s a quick look at Kygo’s history of not sampling, but outright remixing older recordings from artists and turning them into something catchy and semi-new.
“Higher Love” with Whitney Houston
Kygo owes at least some of his current success to one tune–”Higher Love.” While he had already made a name for himself in the music industry, it was this song that marked a turning point in his career. The track features vocals from the late Whitney Houston, who had passed away years before its release. Houston’s estate granted permission for her recording of “Higher Love”—itself a cover of Steve Winwood and Chaka Khan’s 1986 hit–to be used in a way few had tried before. Although it was a risky move, it paid off. The collaboration between Houston and Kygo became a massive global success, proving that even after her death, she could still produce chart-topping hits.
“What’s Love Got to Do with It” with Tina Turner and “Hot Stuff” with Donna Summer
In 2020, Kygo attempted to recreate the success of his hit song “Higher Love” not once, but twice. The first try was a re-release of “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” featuring the original artist, Tina Turner. While this may have seemed like a brilliant idea–at least based on how well “Higher Love” performed, the track failed to generate the same level of excitement as its predecessor. Although it did reach No. 7 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, some fans were left disappointed by the lackluster response.
Shortly after the release of “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” Kygo made another attempt at recapturing the magic with a modern take on Donna Summer’s classic hit, “Hot Stuff.” Once again, the results were mixed, with some listeners enjoying the new version while others found it lacking. It also might not have been seen as revolutionary, as the original “Hot Stuff” was itself an electronic win to begin with. Despite its relative success, reaching No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, it was clear that Kygo was struggling to match the success of “Higher Love.”
“Say Say Say” with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
Kygo’s latest release is a dance-pop version of “Say Say Say,” a hit song by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson from 1983 that reached No. 1 on the Hot 100. While some fans may be wary of another remake, it seems that this track has gained some traction, peaking at No. 16 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. That’s lower than those that came before it, but the tune is far from done with. As the weeks go by, it’s possible that it will continue to climb higher and become yet another success for Kygo, and it’s already brought McCartney to a pair of Billboard rankings he’d never touched before.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/04/22/paul-mccartney-michael-jackson-and-whitney-houston-kygo-continues-to-mine-the-past-for-new-dance-chart-hits/