Hailing from Oslo, Norway, the Artist, and Singer/Songwriter Hazel teams up with Producer Dunisco for their mind-blowing rendition of Britney Spears' iconic hit, "Baby One More Time."
The two creators started making this track merely for the fun of it, but it quickly transformed into a heated banger that anyone could get down with.
Hazel found herself discovering the vast talent she holds while studying music in Bergen, where she wrote many songs, performed at countless venues, and truly perfected her craft as a versatile and engaging performer. Striving to invoke many different feelings and emotions in her audience, Hazel has not only established herself as an artist to watch, but she's continuing to gather attention through each individual project.
Speaking on her recent musical endeavor, "Baby One More Time," Hazel underwent quite the Britney Spears and Usher phase when she began creating music with Producer Dunisco, which led the two into the unique rendition of the legendary single. What's interesting about this cover is that Dunisco places the utmost modern and upbeat electronic production, giving the track a flair of lively House Music.
Hazel and Dunisco's cover of "Baby One More Time" begins with the classic and powerful piano chords, yet at a slightly quicker tempo. We can also hear a whopping drum kick and various electronic drum breaks pound through with the energy and life of House Music. As Hazel makes her vocal appearance, she indeed does Ms. Spears and the single justice with her powerhouse vocals that exclaim the same desire and passion as Britney herself.
We must also note the vibrance that Producer Dunisco has brought to the table, as he's fueled the single with incredible energy that gets our blood pumping. Especially at the exhilarating beat drop, Dunisco places a stunning synth arrangement, slight use of keys, and ghostly vocal chops for added texture and depth.
Ending the song off on a bright and exuberant note, we absolutely love what Hazel and Dunisco have created with their lively rendition of Britney Spears' classic hit, "Baby One More Time."
We always appreciate a solid cover, but your rendition of "Baby One More Time" is genuinely exhilarating. Could you describe the moment you realized that you wanted to create a Britney Spears cover?
This song was a product of many long nights in the studio with Dunisco. He lives pretty close to me, and during the Covid-19 lockdown, we hung out in the studio almost every day for two months, mars-may.
I remember we had written and recorded songs all day long, it had gotten late and we were just chilling and listening to music. We came over a playlist and there were a lot of remixes and covers there. I was deep inside a Britney and Usher phase where those were the only two artists I listened to at the time - so I suggested: why don’t we do a cover? I also thought the lyrics of the song was relevant now with the global pandemic, and I drew a parallel to the time we are in now. That I sing about a guy I want to "hit me one more time", with a text or a like on Instagram. "My loneliness is killing me" because I have to quarantine all alone. I have always loved Britney Spears, and especially this song, so I'm just so honored to be able to breathe new life into this pop-classic!
What was your vocal recording process like for your cover of "Baby One More Time"? Was it easy to channel your inner Britney and pay tribute to the iconic artist? It was so fun recording the vocals for this song! When I like a song and feel the lyrics and vibe, it's easy for me to get in the right mood and deliver a good vocal take with feelings. This song also fits my voice very well, and I guess every girl in the world has an inner Britney Spears hidden somewhere, whether they know it or not. I liked how fun the whole process was, we recorded the final vocal-takes the same night we decided to do the cover - sometimes everything just falls into place.
Seeing as Dunisco handled the production for your cover of Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time," why did he choose to bring this modern flair of Electronic Music within the sonics?
Hazel: Dunisco is a really good producer and an amazing DJ. He has his own sound and although he is very versatile, he usually makes magic when it comes to electronic music. Since we're both suckers for electronic and DJ-friendly music, it was a natural way to go. We wanted to modernize the sound and bring new life into the song, and also draw a parallel to 2020 with social media, how we communicate, and the global pandemic.
Dunisco: I chose the path of the song basically on what I felt was right. When we started the project I was listening to a bunch of productions I've done in the same style. And also some artists that have influenced my sound selection, going in this direction. And it sounded like something that could fit the track. Now even though it turned out as it did. It was a cool and different approach to the song. That hadn't been done before. So it was fun to test it out! And I would continue to develop this style into something even cooler in the future. So it's a strong and fun starting point.
Do you plan on releasing more tunes with Dunisco in the future? Do the two of you have any original collaborations up your sleeves? We do have some original collaborations up our sleeves! We have good musical chemistry and always make good music when we have sessions together. I'm pretty sure 2021 will be the year they see the light of day!
2020 has been a very challenging year for everyone. What has been keeping you inspired to create music? What advice can you give another artist who's finding it difficult to do so?
2020 has been a super weird year, it feels like nothing, and everything has happened at the same time. It's easy for people to say that when you're in quarantine you have all the time in the world to make music. But the problem is, I'm that kind of person who needs something to happen to be creative. It's hard for me to feel inspired when I'm just doing the same thing every day and not getting any new input from anywhere.
What I've learned helps me is to call my friends, old and new, all over the world and just talk. Friends you don't necessarily talk to every day because "life gets in the way." Talking to those people reminds you of and brings life to the person you are in their eyes, and not only the person you see yourself as when you're home alone in your room. I also found it helpful to challenge myself musically. The piano is my main instrument, so I decided to learn the guitar on a deeper level. This opened up my creativity and gave me new inspiration to write songs and make music that's a little bit different from what I usually write.