Ely Oaks Transforms Elle King's "Ex's & Oh's" into Hardstyle Powerhouse

If you thought Ely Oaks was just going to coast after dropping that massive James Hype "Waterfalls" remix earlier this month, think again—the Berlin-based Austrian is already back with "Ex's & Oh's," and this time he's tackled Elle King's 2014 blues-rock banger that racked up Grammy nominations for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song. Remember when we talked about Ely's ability to balance commercial accessibility with underground club energy? Well, this is that skill set on full display, taking King's gritty guitar riffs and powerhouse vocals and completely reimagining them for 2025 dancefloors with serrating synths, pounding basslines, and a driving hardstyle rhythm that hits like a freight train. The original had swagger for days, but Ely's version transforms that attitude into full-throttle club energy that's been absolutely destroying his sets all summer long—and with over 12 million monthly Spotify listeners hanging on his every release, you know this thing is about to go nuclear.

"Absolutely honored, after 11 years since the original release, to be able to launch a 2025 version of this legendary song together with Elle King," Ely shares, and you can hear the genuine respect for the source material in how he's preserved those playful, disco-infused vocals while surrounding them with his signature hardstyle production. "I've been playing this version in my sets for almost the whole summer, and it's been a highlight since. Can't wait to have this finally out." What's particularly smart about this move is the timing—we're seeing this pattern where Ely drops a high-profile remix (like the James Hype collab), then immediately follows up with something that showcases his own creative vision, keeping that momentum rolling while his name is hot. For someone who TikTok crowned as Germany's #1 most-followed DJ, this back-to-back release strategy is textbook modern dance music marketing, and it's clearly working since his collaborative hit "Borderline" with LAVINIA already climbed to #35 on the UK Singles Chart. The fact that he's been road-testing "Ex's & Oh's" in his festival sets—from Coachella to Tomorrowland—means this isn't just a studio experiment; it's a certified crowd-destroyer that's been earning its stripes on the biggest stages in electronic music. Between his viral single "Running Around" crossing 100 million streams, his official remixes for Marshmello and Nate Dogg, and now this Elle King reimagining, Ely Oaks is proving he's not just riding the wave of viral success—he's strategically building a catalog that works across streaming platforms, festival main stages, and underground club basements simultaneously.

Listen to "Ex's & Oh's":

Forthcoming dates:

Oct 31 - Boo Seattle - Seattle WA
Nov 01 - Escape Halloween - San Bernadino, CA
Nov 06 - Soundcheck - Washington, DC
Nov 07 - Car Park - Brooklyn, NY
Nov 08 - EDC Orlando - Orlando, FL
Nov 14 - Hulakula - Warsaw, Poland
Nov 15 - Home Nightclub - Leeds, UK
Nov 21 - Midway - San Francisco, CA
Nov 22 - Dreamstate - Long Beach, CA
Nov 28 - Club Stereo - Bielefeld, Germany
Nov 29 - Kraftwerk - Rottweil, Germany
Dec 06 - Stanton Ski Open - St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria
Dec 12 - Creamfields Asia - Bangkok, Thailand
Dec 18 - Lucky Thursday - Melbourne, Australia
Dec 19 - The Deck - Shep, Australia
Dec 20 - The Deck - Traralgon, Australia
Dec 24 - Dive - Geelong, Australia
Dec 26 - D1 - Melbourne, Australia
Dec 26 - Mango - Melbourne, Australia
Dec 27 - Sidebar - Sydney, Australia
Dec 27 - Bellavista - Sydney, Australia
Dec 30 - Rolling Meadows Festival - Christchurch, New Zealand
Dec 31 - Tamworth - Sydney, Australia