Lil Uzi Vert has just changed the game once again, this time, by sampling the Backstreet Boys. On his new single ‘That Way,’ the 25-year-old takes the iconic pop single, ‘I Want It That Way’ and flips it on its head. Spitting lines about his partner, his clothes and his state-of-mind, he certainly did a lot with a song that never really made much sense in the first place.
And considering the wave of ‘90s bangers that have been sampled, we’re left to wonder what could be sampled next? Some TLC? Some 5ive? Some *NSYNC, perhaps? We can only dream. But, here’s a list of songs that have already been sampled, in case you were wondering.
‘Nice For What’ Samples ‘Ex-Factor’
In 2018, two of the biggest artists in the world, Cardi B and Drake, dropped bangers. Funnily enough, they both sampled ‘Ex-Factor’ by Lauren Hill. While Cardi took the line “Care for me, said you’d be there for me” and interpolated it into her lyrics, Drake took Lauren’s vocals, looped it, and it became the sample of the century. Congrats to both!
‘Spicy’ Samples ‘Wannabe’
The Spice Girls had a killer year last year with their massive UK arena tour. But, they also had a big year as a result of Charli XCX, Diplo and Herve Pagez. This trio took the 90’s dance-floor filler and gave it the EDM treatment it deserved.
‘Look What You Made Me Do’ Samples ‘I’m Too Sexy’
When ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ dropped, all eyes went to the songwriting credits, which unearthed Fred Fairbrass, Richard Fairbrass, Rob Manzoli, aka Right Said Fred. But, when we heard the hook, it all made sense. Tayor’s chorus is merely six syllables over and over again, and yet it’s her catchiest earworm. We have to stan.
‘Con Calma’ Samples ‘Informer’
In the past few years, Latina-influenced pop has been taking over. We’ve seen it with ‘Mi Gente’, ‘I Like It’ and ‘Con Calma’. The song in question even got a feature from Katy Perry to hopefully impact Western radio stations. But, did you know, the melody that drives the song is actually from Canadian reggae musician, Snow. Neither did we. We’re glad he got a feature though.
‘Play Hard’ Samples ‘Better Off Alone’
We love David Guetta for his infectious dance-beats, but on this song, he really doesn’t deserve all the credit. Alice AJ’s banger ‘Better Off Alone’ dropped in 1991 to worldwide acclaim, with simple lyrics that don’t stray too far from ‘Do you think you’re better off alone?’ Safe to say, we didn’t listen for the lyrics, but more so the pulsating euro-pop beat. It’s no wonder David Guetta wanted a piece of it!
‘Anaconda’ Samples ‘Baby Got Back’
Even though Nicki Minaj said that she wished she never recorded the video for Anaconda, it didn’t stop it from becoming a cultural phenomenon. Racking up the most views in a 24-hour-period at the time, Nicki Minaj’s interpolation of ‘Baby Got Back’ was a smash hit. The song flipped an originally degrading song and sang it from the female perspective, dividing feminists in the process. Love it or hate it, you watched it and it had an impact on you. Didn’t it?
Thanks to Lil Uzi Vert for sampling the Backstreet Boys, we can’t help but wonder what’s next?
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