Continuing her current red hot streak and promotional build-up to the highly anticipated release of her album, Dua Lipa extends her talents and links up with one of hip-hops most unique and forward-thinking groups Brockhampton for the remix of ‘SUGAR’. At this point in both musical acts careers, it doesn’t seem unfitting to dob both critical darlings within their own respective lanes. The team-up, though unexpected, seems to merge together two acts that at their primes are capable of producing truly masterful musical expression.
The collaboration comes at a time in which both Dua and the Brockhampton boys are in peak positions of popularity. At the time of this piece’s composition, the original version of ‘SUGAR’ sits in the 100th position of the billboard, whilst at the shock of nobody Dua’s lead singles are respectively climbing the charts, with her biggest hit to date ‘Don’t Start Now’ sitting at number 5. The effective culmination of two such seemingly different acts will prove beneficial as individual markets are now exposed to the genre-blending antics of the remix. But before discussing the revamped edition, it seems only fitting to take a look back at the track that scored Brockhampton their first chart entry.
The embodiment of youthful yearning for a loved one. This is essentially the simplest way to describe both the lyrical content and tone of Brockhampton’s ‘Sugar’. The track boasts a total of 5 performers, each pouring their guts out onto the track, which in this case, serves as an empty canvas for them to detail their encounters with the momentous loneliness experienced in the absence of their youthful lover.
The track is opened with the melancholic, yet elegant vocals of featured artist Ryan Beatty, who ushers in the crux of the song with his speaking of hardships through alienation. This is the hook on the track, and the constant repetition of the core thematic detailing done by Beatty is what elevates the track gratifying heights. The angelic and almost choral entry is interrupted by the second performer, Dom McLennon who steals the show with his muddled and distorted verse. The intentionally intoxicating and unpolished mix of his vocals add a grittiness to his tone that further accentuates the narrative of pain. Matt Champion’s verse on the track is the main vessel in which the bittersweet memories are translated. The lyrical content puts into clarity the vivid memories of the past, tying the very real love detailed by all the featured artists on the track together.
Kevin Abstracts portion of the track is brought to life via the addition of vocal enhancers and synthesisers that bring the pain-stricken nature of the song to life. The multi-layered vocals streak through the track, if only for a short period of time, constantly expanding until they finally encompass every aspect of the song. Bringing another element to the elegantly performed angelic like vocals in the track are the vocal refrains of bearface. His subtle repetition of the phrase “Do you love me?” ties the track together, questioning the theoretical lover’s devotion after the boys have banded together in order to describe their absolute devotion. The production yet minimal, flows throughout, relying mainly on dreamy acoustics to add both the gentle sincerity and authenticity needed to tie the track together.
Going above and beyond the traditional sense of a remix, the newest version of the track completely restructures the track, adding more voices to the narrative, yet keeping the original’s thematic focus of disparity and exploration of loneliness.
Dua Lipa’s presence on the track is one of gratifying heights. Her inclusion on such a track, or anyone’s for that matter feels strange in theory yet upon execution works wonders in giving the original a new sense of depth. Her entry into the track brings a vocalist that contrasts greatly with the overarching tone yet manages to not detract from the track. Her confident and smoky vocals exude a sense of self-love and empowerment yet the lyrics she performs reveal a sense of vulnerability, keeping the core ideas from the original version. Beyond her stand-alone verse, Dua continues to lend her vocals throughout the track, appearing alongside Beatty on the chorus. The two share a wealth of vocal chemistry, finding a balance between the angelic upper voice of Beatty and the more determined and full-bodied performance by Dua.
Another addition to the remix is the inclusion of American singer, songwriter Jon B. Though brief his appearances, in conjunction with the rest of the Brockhampton boys, manages to leave an extreme impression of his talents and ability to blend into the pre-established musical tropes. Joining forces with both bearface and Kevin Abstract, his vocals add a wealth of depth as on both occasions his elegantly smooth, yet familiarly warm and welcoming vocals work to create a complex contrast against the boys. Brockhampton’s willingness to be so bold as to add such a variety of vocalists is truly a testament to the group’s solidarity as a unit as well as their capabilities in relation to their ability to manipulate a pre-existent formula and rearrange compositional ideas accordingly to fit the needs of collaborators.
Beyond the sheer alterations made to the track in order to support the addition of new voices, this remix shines above a multitude of others due to the complete restructuring of the song. Where the typical remix exists to serve the exciting refurbishment of the track via the inclusion of a singular verse, or hook, ‘Sugar’ takes the once original idea and gives it a whole new body. Without delving into each and every aspect that received a revamp, what is perhaps the most convoluted of endearing divulgence on the track is the closer. Bringing the likes of both Joba and Kevin Abstract together to repeat the phrase ‘I’m your candyman’ until the track fades into the abyss is, in a sense the best means of capturing the sentiment of the song. A complicated love, that is not without many tribulations. The term ‘candyman’ referring to a drug dealer, yet being proposed in a state of comfort and reliability truly embodies the complex nature of the track and serves as the perfect closer to a profoundly relatable yet unquestionably exaggerated narrative.
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