Track Review: Bree Runway's "Hot Hot" Is An Early Song of the Summer Contender

Fresh off the heels of her outstanding 2000AND4EVA mixtape, Bree Runway has staked her claim in the 2021 Song of the Summer race with her brand new single "Hot Hot." Built around a sample of Busta Rhymes' 2005 hit "Touch It," the captivating multi-hyphenate's new single is exactly what we need right now as summer draws nearer and opening up becomes a reality.

The breezy new track is very clear about its purpose and intention. "Hot Hot" is here to help you hype yourself up and feel like the baddest person in the room. This much is evident in Bree's breezy vocal performance; she glides over the instrumental effortlessly. A chameleon of an artist, Bree transitions between different vocal styles and genre influences like it's nothing. There are hints of soul in the way she sings "don't lie, baby, tell the truth," but she flips the switch for straight rapping in the first verse with lines like "rolly on my wrist, it's a watch, watch/blue light shining like I’m in a cop car." In addition, some of the rhythms throughout "Hot Hot" are reminiscent of dancehall, and they play nicely against the additional R&B and hip-hop influences. At the end of the day, however, Bree's inimitable pop sheen ties everything together. From the way she slinks across the track to the animation in her vocal delivery ("I'm a big deal, he like "Oh my god"), the influences of Rihanna, Busta, and Missy are all over "Hot Hot." Nevertheless, this still feels like something only Bree Runway could have made. Her confident cool is what allows the song to revel in its cockiness without feeling as if Bree is trying too hard or convincing herself that she deserves to sing the words to this song. On 2000AND4EVA, Bree explored myriad genres, and she doesn't sacrifice that on "Hot Hot" even if this song is explicitly focused on being an uplifting pop-centric summer anthem. One of the most interesting parts of "Hot Hot," besides the genius "ride the boy face like a Yamaha" lyric, is the industrial-inflected outro. On the one hand, it gives the song some sense of evolution as it fades out, but on the other hand, it also sets the stage for whatever lane Bree decides to explore next. Whatever she chooses, we'll be eagerly waiting to hear what she comes up with next.

Score: 73