Jersey-bred artist HyenaXXL just dropped a firebomb in the form of “MR.XXL (Remix),” this time, R&B heavyweight Ne-Yo is with him. The result? It’s a heady, high-voltage reworking that hits harder, grooves deeper, and leaves behind the dreamy memories of the original for a sleeker, better-electrified vibe.
With a mash-up of sound and emotion that is so genre-blurring it essentially disregards categorization, HyenaXXL has established a groove all his own in the alt-R&B space. Picture the refulgent swagger of Prince crashing into the raw sensuality of contemporary pop. “MR.XXL (Remix)” captures that legacy, exploring further lust, love, and longing late at night, all while cranking up the volume on production. The remix exchanges the retro, ’80s-inspired thump of the original for something more immediate and present. That’s due in no small part to the Grammy-nominated producer Riley Urick, who HyenaXXL credits with resuscitating the track. “We wanted something better than the original,” says HyenaXXL, "and Riley told me I’d forget the first version completely. His work is amazing.”
Urick’s production locks in the groove and darkens the edges, sheathing HyenaXXL’s close delivery and Ne-Yo’s smooth-as-ever croon in a plush, bass-forward arrangement that feels custom-made for late-night drives and tinted red rooms. Ne-Yo’s appearance attendees serve as the ideal counterpoint, and they are slick, confident, and dripping with experience, but they still allow HyenaXXL room to preen. This is a reinvention. It is a swaggering, beefy flex from an artist who knows precisely how he wants to get there and is unashamed to make some audacious steps. “MR.XXL (Remix)” feels like the future of alternative R&B, a melding of soul, heat, and fireball modern energy.
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