“Aquamarine / Arcamarine”

Addison Rae's 2024 kicked off with a bang: screaming over mentor-slash-bestie Charli XCX's viral “Von Dutch” remix and leaving a short, devilishly simple earworm at AG Cook's Britpop highlight “Lucifer.” Rae's first solo track of the year, the glowing Lanacore ballad “Diet Pepsi,” became her first Billboard hit, having received a tidy profile boost since her triumphant live debut at the MSG stop of the Sweat tour. its sequel, the ridiculous-but-enchanting “Aquamarine”, played as a Ray of Light Deep cut sung by Nomi Malone. Both singles arrived with great, funny videos directed by Sean Price Williams – cinematographer of Good timedirector of the edgelord tale The sweet East—and creative-directed by Interview mag impresario Mel Ottenberg, for this extra dynamic influence for kids.

So a remix of “Aquamarine” by Rae's dream collaborator Arca — titled, obviously, “Arcamarine” — should be another easy win. In fact, it's probably Rae's first real miss this year, a creative distraction that doesn't make much use of either musician's abilities. There's nothing offensive or inappropriate about “Arcamarine,” but that's its first mistake: both Rae and Arca have used their music to push the boundaries of good taste, and “Arcamarine” sounds a bit like the of secure, anonymous dembow remixes that Major Labels use to form chart numbers. (Arca's best collaborations, such as “KLK“and”Clock,” forcing the singers to join her mutated mechanics. On a remix like this, he's limited to working with pre-existing vocals.) The slower beat robs “Aquamarine,” one of the year's best pop singles, of its mystery and drama. when it ends, you can't help but feel a little blue.