B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2

Background

In November 2005, Spears released her first remix album, B in the Mix: The Remixes. During the next six years, she released three studio albums: Blackout (2007), Circus (2008) and Femme Fatale (2011). Online store Fragantica.com reported that Spears' new fragrance Cosmic Radiance could "be expected with launch of new remix album" by Spears in August 2011. On September 2, 2011, Sony Japan posted the cover art of a remix album by Spears titled B in the Mix, The Remixes 2, along with the announcement that it would feature unreleased tracks. The cover art for the album features Spears smirking with hair in her face behind a butterfly, while wearing a silk outfit. Amy Sciarretto of PopCrush said that although the cover resembled that of B in the Mix: The Remixes, it is "a somewhat unflattering shot of the normally gorgeous star." On September 9, 2011, Spears posted the official cover and track listing for B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 on her Tumblr. The track listing included remixes of three tracks from each of her last three studio albums, as well as a remix of "3" from The Singles Collection (2009). However, the Varsity Team Remix of "Criminal" was removed from most editions before the album's release and the Radio Mix was included in its place.

Composition

The album opens with the Radio Mix of "Criminal", a guitar-driven midtempo song, which incorporates a folk-style flute melody. Erin Thompson of the Seattle Weekly said the song "takes a breather from aggressive, wall-to-wall synths, driven instead by a steady guitar rhythm and an oddly Asian folky-sounding flute melody." The beat was compared by Keith Caufield of Billboard to Madonna's "Don't Tell Me" (2000). The Kaskade remix of "Gimme More" follows as the second track; the record producer said that it was a challenge to make the song good in his house musical style, commenting, "I wanted to make sure that it would be something that would eventually fit into my live set. That is the true test for me: Taking a huge pop vocal and making it work with my music can be a little tricky, but I find the challenge fun." The Tiësto remix of "Piece of Me" was described as "timeless". He said, "the melody, the atmosphere [of the remix] is totally different than the original. For me, it's always been a special remix. I'm glad they added that on the album." Kaskade also commented that the remix album "shines a new light on the EDM scene and how far it can reach." Cobra Starship's Alex Suarez remixed "Till the World Ends". Suarez commented that he didn't want to distant the remix structure from the original version, and noted, "the thing with a Britney Spears remix is people like to sing along." "Womanizer" was remixed in a trance form by DJ Benny Benassi, while U-Tern's "If U Seek Amy" remix is influenced by disco.

Critical reception

After its release, B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 received generally favorable reviews from contemporary critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic commented that a "clutch of DJs and remixers, primarily European, have been hired and they’ve run wild, taking the original versions as merely suggestions, something that's entirely appropriate in this case." He also noted that "the variations are quite far removed from the original -- U-Tern's spangly disco spin on 'If U Seek Amy' is a decided improvement -- and while nothing can save a lousy song (see 'Criminal'), this collection has as much imagination and energy as either Circus or Femme Fatale." Jocelyn Vena of MTV said that, after being "chopped, screwed and broken down, the songs reach[ed] new extremes" in the remix album.

A Barnes & Noble reviewer noted that "the B-sides of Spears' singles have always been an arena where more aggressive, club-oriented interpretations of her work can get an airing," while Entertainment Wise writer Shaun Kitchener gave the remix album a mixed review, saying that, with most of the remixes, "a great deal of the magic is lost" when compared to original productions, citing "Till The World Ends" and "If U Seek Amy" as the most notable examples. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard said that "among the album highlights are Manhattan Clique's club remix of '3', Gareth Emery's take on 'I Wanna Go', Tiesto's club mix of 'Piece of Me', and Alex Suarez's reworking of 'Till the World Ends'."

Commercial performance

The remix album achieved moderate success worldwide. In the United States, B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 entered the Billboard 200 at number 47, with sales of 9,000 copies, for the issue dated October 19, 2011. It also reached number four on the Dance/Electronic Albums component chart. In the United Kingdom, the remix album peaked outside the top 100, while debuting at number nine on the Dance Albums Chart. In Canada, the remix album debuted at number 53, and peaked inside the top 30 in Italy. B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 reached top five positions on South Korea's Gaon Chart, where it reached number two, and on Argentina Albums Chart, where it reached number five.

Track listing

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.