This week will bring Jaime Reimagined, for which Brittany Howard recruited some of her musical peers to put their own spin on songs from her 2019 debut solo album, Jaime. She rounded up quite the cast for the project, as it features folks like Bon Iver, Earthgang, BadBadNotGood, Syd, and Common.
Also appearing is Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover), whose cover of “Stay High” was shared today. Gambino’s rendition of the song starts with a string into before he sings in falsetto over jaunty keyboards, synths, and electronic drums. Howard’s original version of the song has more of an organic sound, but Gambino’s rendition retains the optimistic spirit of the original and doesn’t come across as too much of a departure despite the vastly different instrumentation.
Brittany Howard previously said of the project, “Making Jaime was so much fun for me because I was able to explore so many different genres of music. There were no rules. This reimagination project has been no different. I have been honored to have so many incredible artists from all musical worlds interpret my songs in such interesting and different ways.”
Listen to Gambino’s rendition of “Stay High” above.
Jaime Reimagined is out 7/23 via ATO Records. Pre-order it here.
Back in September 2020, Brittany Howard shared a pair of remixes from Earthgang and Bon Iver, which were released together as Jaime (The Remixes). Now, Howard is expanding on the idea, as her upcoming album Jaime Reimagined, which is set for release on July 23, will feature more remixes of the album’s songs. Participating artists include Childish Gambino, Common, Syd, and others. Alongside the announcement, Howard shared a pair of tracks from the release: “Presence (Little Dragon Remix)” and “Tomorrow (BadBadNotGood Remix).”
Brittany Howard said of the project, “Making Jaime was so much fun for me because I was able to explore so many different genres of music. There were no rules. This reimagination project has been no different. I have been honored to have so many incredible artists from all musical worlds interpret my songs in such interesting and different ways.”
BadBadNotGood also said, “We’ve been fans of Brittany Howard’s work from a distance for years but haven’t had the chance until now to connect. She has an absolutely incredible voice and her songwriting style is really unique. The original of ‘Tomorrow’ had such a special, floating sound that it was difficult to find a direction to go in for the remix. We tried to give the amazing vocals a new context and build around that. We were honored to have the opportunity and hope everyone enjoys it!”
Little Dragon added, “Working with Brittany’s voice felt really inspiring, because it radiates emotions and energy.”
Previously, Earthgang said of their remix, “We’ve been big fans of Brittany and Alabama Shakes so this is a dream come true. Songs like these help us make sense of all the craziness in the world at times. Her song ‘Goat Head,’ dealing with her Black experience in America and the world, resonated the loudest at this time. Just thankful to be able to give the world our medicine and heal the people.”
Vernon also noted of his at the time, “Brittany is a truly singular artist; so much power and musicality. This album speaks to so many people, including us. To have a chance to recreate ‘Short And Sweet’ in our own image with long-time collaborators Jenn Wassner and CJ Camerieri, was both an honor and almost too much of a privilege.”
Listen to the Little Dragon and BadBadNotGood remixes above and find the Jaime Reimagined art and tracklist below. Also revisit our 2019 interview with Howard about Jaimehere.
ATO Records
1. “13th Century Metal (Michael Kiwanuka Version)”
2. “Goat Head (Earthgang Version)”
3. “Stay High (Childish Gambino Version)”
4. “Presence (Little Dragon Remix)”
5. “Short And Sweet (Bon Iver Remix)”
6. “Tomorrow (BadBadNotGood Remix)”
7 .”Baby (Gitty Remix)” Feat. Syd
8. “History Repeats (Georgia Anne Muldrow Geemix)”
9. “Georgia (J Most Remix)” Feat. Emily King
10. “Stay High again.. (Fred again.. & Joy Anonymous Version)”
11. “He Loves Me (9th Wonder Remix)” Feat. Common
12. “History Repeats (Jungle Remix)”
13. “Run To Me (Laura Mvula Version)”
Jaime Reimagined is out 7/23 via ATO Records. Pre-order it here.
