The Surfrajettes, “Toxic” (Britney Spears cover)

There is a whole-ass section of the Internet dedicated to taking songs and then transforming them into another genre of music through changing what key it’s in, instruments used, or other style tics. One could argue that this shows how formulaic each genre is, that a few adjustments are all it takes to produce a tune that would easily blend in with the other notable tracks in that catalogue. Or maybe it speaks to the universality of music—transcending time, place, culture, and intent to show how all compositions are (at least subconsciously) all interconnected. Or it could also be a sign how these little tweaks can completely change the energy and, ultimately, the point of a song, creating an even more subjective experience than the authors originally intended. Or maybe it’s all three. Maybe it’s none of those. Maybe it’s just fun.

Whatever the case may be, there are a lot of videos, artists, channels, and more focused solely around that transmogrification of well known ditties into familiar but different versions.

Many of them are impressive, but few are truly memorable. Equally impressive, clever, memorable, and dope is the 2018 cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” by The Surfrajettes, taking the anthemic pop bop and giving it a surfer rock ‘n’ roll makeover. The original song is a prime example of the 21st century production by Bloodshy & Avant, songwriters/producers who were part of the Swedish collective of hitmakers whose works were all over the Top 40 charts for decades.

In the groovalicious hands of The Surfrajettes, the danceable tale of a woman in love with someone who may be bad for her health stirs up the sandy hits of the ‘50s and ‘60s, those beach blanket ballads perfect for dancing the frug, twist, or shimmying, which makes it seem like a fun time had by all. The group consists of guitarists Shermy Freeman and Nicole Damoff on guitar, Sarah Butler on bass, and rockin’ the drumset like Russian Roulette when you’re placing the bet is Anna Liebel.

The cover’s mutation from club pop dance song into a more signature surfer sound—especially with Surfrajettes’ more pronounced bass line, lack of lyrics, and the faster tempo of “Toxic” itself—also conjures up Tarantino films with the filmmakers penchant for using the surfer nova sub-genre to create that sense of coolness from out-of-time. It’s a fun rendition and well worth listening to that you can also check out on Spotify or purchase on Bandcamp (along with The Surfrajettes’ other music).