The Best Katy Perry Remixes

Katy Perry's had an interesting relationship with electronic music. She broke through the mainstream with Dr. Luke, who has been known to knock out tr

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Complex Original

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Katy Perry's had an interesting relationship with electronic music. She broke through the mainstream with Dr. Luke, who has been known to knock out tracks that both are influenced by and are straight-up dance tracks, but she has really made sure to embrace remix culture, with practically every track of hers being remixed by some of the best in the current dance music scene. Hell, Tommie Sunshine was handpicked to knock out megamixes of her material in years past.

With her new album, Prism, in stores now, we noticed a definite EDM undercurrent in her singles, and with the reworks of her single "Roar," we felt it was time to look back at the best of the Katy Perry remixes.

Katy Perry - "Firework (Alex Gaudino & Jason Rooney Club Mix)"

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There's not too much going on in terms of daring or unconventional sounds here; you get a solid house rerub that employs trance-like elements and a steady groove to keep the crowds moving. You'd almost hope that a remix for a song entitled "Firework" would have had more bombastic qualities, but this one is funky enough.

Katy Perry - "Wide Awake (Cedric Gervais Remix)"

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Cedric Gervais has always knocked out proper reworks for vocalists, and with "Wide Awake" having a great hook for dance music producers, he did exactly what needed to be done: added some solid hand claps and anthemic vibes before dipping into a warbly house bomb. We imagine whatever trendy club a smart DJ dropped this in had the ladies screaming for this one.

Katy Perry - "The One That Got Away (R3hab Club Mix)"

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R3hab is known for his festival-ready sounds, and his mix of "The One That Got Away" works well. Katy's vocals get transported into a chorus for the hands-in-the-air set to get hype over, and with rave-ready build-ups and a thunderous breakdown, this remix is pretty obvious, but that doesn't deter from its fury.

Katy Perry - "Wide Awake (gLAdiator Trap Refix)"

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This just makes sense. gLAdiator has been killing it with the trap cuts as of late, and their straight-forward take on this cut works in the sense that they didn't have to add too much to fatten this tune up. Katy remains practically untouched, and we're just given punchier drums and 808s to get our turn up started.

Katy Perry - "Wide Awake (Atlantic Connection Remix)"

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Katy's vocal gets pitched down a bit, which is a solid fit for the future soul that Atlantic Connection cooked up for this rework. This isn't about huge build-ups and crashing breakdowns; we're grown and sexy on this one, and Katy's letting it all hang out over the headnodding rhythm.

Katy Perry - "Waking Up In Vegas (Calvin Harris Remix Edit)"

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A glimmer of the Calvin Harris that would own the charts in 2012? Possibly. His remix of "Waking Up In Vegas" is bright and upbeat, especially considering that this track seemingly gains inspiration from the morning after a night of Vegas debauchery.

Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg - "California Gurls (MSTRKRFT Remix)"

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These Canadians know their party grooves, and this fuzzy electro house take on "California Gurls" definitely has enough quirk to keep the hipster set tuned in while satisfying the dance music set. Katy's voice practically gets relegated to being another ghost in the scene, but the laser fight in between her wails is worth the price of admission.

Katy Perry - "Roar (Treasure Fingers Remix)"

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Whomever A&R'd the "Roar" remixes is a genius. Getting Treasure Fingers to contribute this hypnotic house rework was a splendid idea, as he took it back to the repetitive vocal edits over this one. Nothing too crazy, but you almost want to hit the rewind button on your Walkman and let this one build from the beginning.

Katy Perry - "Ur So Gay (Remix)" (Produced by Junior Sanchez)

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Junior Sanchez is a legend that many need to make sure they study up on. He took a the guitar-driven "Ur So Gay" debut single that can come off as homophobic or a wicked social commentary. Whatever the case may be, Sanchez made sure to give this one crunchy, driving bass. There's joy in its repetition, as this one coming on in the club will send a willing crowd into a tizzy.

Katy Perry - "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (Sidney Samson Remix)"

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Sidney Samson crafts a massive anthem for those working-for-the-weekend types who need a dose of Katy Perry to get right. Sidney pulls out all of the stops, drawing you in with the intro before letting loose with steady kicks, droning bass, and that alarm-ish melody. Maybe you took too many shots, but you had fun doing it.

Katy Perry - "Roar (Brillz Remix)"

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That 100BPM flavor has dominated the second half of the dance music scene, so leave it to Brillz to twonk out Katy's Prism single "Roar," letting her roar dip into an infectious melody and subwoofer-rattling bass, all the while keeping you in time with a neck-snapping beat. The best parts of hip-hop and bass music without all of the nonsense. Get ready.

Katy Perry - "The One That Got Away (Tommie Sunshine & Disco Fries Club Mix)"

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Tommie Sunshine received a grip of new fans while mixing the Katy Perry megamixes, so its only right that he got to link with The Disco Fries for an official Katy Perry remix. The start and stop of her vocals on this is so key; hearing this on a huge system is enough to get you hyper. This was the proper beginning of their collaborative efforts, and needless to say, this was a strong debut for this tandem force.

Katy Perry - "Part Of Me (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix)"

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It's great to hear Jacques Lu Cont bring a throwback vibe to the intro of his "Part Of Me" remix, considering how steeped in nostalgia much of Katy's vibe can be. He doesn't dwell in the past long, but does build a fantastic rework of this single, drawing us in with that dynamic bassline, then fleshing out so much around Katy's vocal. It's a surprising tune, and really beefs up her vocal.

Katy Perry - "Wide Awake (Xilent Remix)"

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Xilent with the official dubstep rework of "Wide Awake?" Such a great choice. WIth a great ear for manipulating both the melodies and Katy's voice, this track just gets more epic the further we get into it. Counter rhythms abound, and there are so many elements of the dubstep that we miss in here.

Katy Perry - "E.T. (Noisia Remix)"

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This could possibly be the best remix of any Katy Perry song, ever, and it works on a few levels. Not only does it make you actually enjoy a song you probably gave two fucks about, but the fact that it was Noisia who got the nod for this remix, at a time when they were slowly emerging from the dnb/bass music scene was almost unheard of. Hearing this remix as the soundtrack of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew felt like a tiny win for those who've been supporting the trio since 2003. Plus, it's a massive dubstep beast without falling prey to stereotypical dubstep tropes.

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