By Carlos Ramirez
Every now and again, we hear a song that doesn’t quite sound like what the lyrics are talking about. Songs like “Pumped Up Kicks” often come to mind. In her latest cover, Aisyah takes a Britney Spears anthem and gives it the “Toxic” tone it needs.
Aisyah’s musical career began in scoring for film and television with impressive credits that include Disney, Netflix, and Marvel productions. In an Instagram live, Aisyah tells of a conversation she had with a colleague who works as a composer and producer: “I want to do a cinematic rendition of Britney Spear’s ‘Toxic.’” During the stream, she goes on to explain how she would often cover the song acoustically. Those live performances became the inspiration for the 2022 song. Clips of her performing the stripped-down version in 2017 can be found on her Instagram @asyahmusic.
There are changes in the tempo along with some tense electro-pop vibes, but what shines most are the vocals. Aisyah shows off her low register during the first verse, aligning her lowest note of the song with the phrase “… It’s dangerous, I’m falling.” A chorus of Aisyahs can also be heard lending harmonies next to a low string section that at times is indistinguishable from the voices. Both the vocals and the strings hit that classic “Toxic” riff (you know the one), though you may miss it if you’re looking for that high violin like in the original.
The visualizer for Aisyah’s rendition of Toxic has a theatrical feel, it could almost double as a trailer for the next big spy flick. The video features the Bruneian artist cutting up roses and donning diamond earrings likely a homage to the diamond body suit Spears wore in the 2003 video. It is also mostly comprised of still shots, with the movement coming from the camera angles and cuts. This gives the impression that the character is stuck, maybe in a toxic relationship, or even just in that moment – perhaps a moment of clarity. Throughout the whole video, her eyes are closed until that clarity comes with her eyes opening on the very last line of the song, “…Intoxicate me now.”
“Toxic” is out now on Spotify. Follow @asyahmusic on social media, YouTube and Spotify for more. Follow our Alchemical Multigenre Mixdown playlist for more great music featured on the site.
Carlos Ramirez is a broadcaster from the DC region and lover of all things performance art with experience in theatre, television, and radio. Carlos believes one of the most important details that makes music magical is the culture. Supporting the artist is just as important as enjoying their art. Therefore, when he’s not on the air, you can find him at every open mic, hole in the wall, and basement show in town. @LosOnAir
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
