99 Souls – The Girl Is Mine (Beyonce vs Brandy & Monica)

Already a viral sensation after emerging online at the back end of 2014, newcomers 99 Souls have seen ‘The Girl Is Mine’ – their bouncy, peak-time house edit of Beyonce vs Brandy & Monica – attract unprecedented support from some of the UK’s most influential DJs.

Premiered by legendary figure Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1 and then featured as his ‘Essential New Tune’ a few weeks later, the track has since received further Radio 1 support from DJ Danny Howard, as well as plays across Kiss FM, Capital Xtra and a host of regional stations in the UK. BBC 1Xtra have also backed the record to the hilt via substantial plays from DJ Target, Charlie Sloth and Mista Jam, the latter of whom conceded – “I’m playing a record that I think I’m the last BBC 1Xtra and Radio 1 DJ to play” – after returning to the station after a holiday.

Such has been the record’s swift transition from underground sensation to potential crossover hit, it’s all the more important to note that the record has been entirely self-promoted – a fact that plays into the mystique currently surrounding the duo, who remain an unknown quantity to most.

The record itself, an infectious blend of two iconic RnB vocals re-contextualised within a classic 4×4 house template, is aimed squarely at the dance floor and taps into the crossover trend that saw house records dominate the UK charts right across 2014. Upbeat, undoubtedly feel-good and with bags of club and radio potential, ‘The Girl Is Mine’ is therefore sure to earmark 99 Souls as the latest producer duo to watch throughout 2015.