Album: Femme Fatale
Released: 25th March 2011
On the 26th of September 2008 Britney Spears released 'Womanizer', the lead single from her 6th Studio album 'Circus'. The song was well received by stans, the general public and critics alike and top 11 single charts worldwide while charting within the top 10 on various other charts. As the single smashed records around the world and received heavy airplay it seemed that after what can only be described as a 'difficult' few years for Britney, she was finally back. She was selling records, getting rave reviews from Critics and once again Britney Spears was the name on everyones lips. Due to this recent stream of success, Stans around the world called in sick to their evening shifts at the 'Burger King' and celebrated by listening to 'Womanizer' on repeat and burning effigies of Christina Aguilera. The Princess of Pop had finally reclaimed her place on the throne..... then on the 2nd of December, she finally released 'Circus'.
Upon release, 'Circus' was met with mixed reviews from both her hardcore fans and critics. Critics called it a mixed bag which while having its fair share of highlights, the album also included some of the worst tracks Spears had ever put her name to, with the utterly atrocious miscarriage of a song known as 'Mmm Papi' and the questionable lyrics of 'My Baby' continually being brought up as most notable Low lights of the album. Spears vocal performance was also continually brought up, with Critics wondering just how much Spears actually contributes to the song itself as her vocals sounded more over-produced and made up than Naomi Campbell's story about the 'dirty pebles'. Did she take an active part in the creation of 'Circus' or did she simply saunter into the studio and lay some shoddy vocals down before speeding down to Starbucks to get her fix? All of that and what has come to be known as LipSyncey-Gate in Australia all added up to one grim, shady conclusion. After 2007s highly publicised breakdown, Britney wasn't capable of putting out music or performing on the same level she used to and overall, was not the same artist she used to be. This was said regardless of whether or not when compared to her fellow celebs, Miss Spear's 2007 wasn't that tragic. Here's looking at you Brandy, here's looking at you...
Poor taste jokes about breakdowns and murderous basic bitches aside, if we Fast forward 3 years, the same problems still remain but at this point are much more widely publicised. Her performances are slammed for 'lack of effort', her lack of promotion is considered basic, non-existent and seriously lacking, problem is, When she does actually promote she receives the reviews that arnt fitting for a 'Pop Princess' and land more in the 'Basic Bitch' category. Her music videos - despite featuring grander plots - are instantly deemed not as good as her older videos and overall almost everyone seems to find the slightest flaw in her, exaggerate it, and attempt to bring her down more so than the media already have. There's also the issues of her sales. 4 million worldwide would be considered impressive numbers to Ciara and Lil Kim, but to a worldwide superstar? Mediocre at best.
Over the years Ive supported Britney, Ive found that when it comes to reviewing or looking at her body of work, its so much better to simply dismiss that opinion which the basic bitches seem to imagine that everyone shares and simply focus on one thing, the Music, and on 'Femme Fatale', its safe to say that after the shakey quality of 'Circus', its better than ever... but not quite better than the flawless 'Blackout'.
The Singles which I'm sure you've heard by now are 'Hold It Against Me' and 'Till The World Ends'. I wont say much about them since they have been played to hell and back again, but i will say that they are some of the better singles she has ever released. But the less said about them, the better. Were here for an album review and I'm sure you don't need to any more about the singles. The rest of the album, I'm delighted to say, is a success. Filled top to bottom with catchy pop songs that are well produced, well sung and overall mostly enjoyable. 'Inside Out' - one of my favourites - is like the 'Circus' song 'Shattered Glass' on an acid trip with Amy Winehouse and Pete Docharty looking for some baby mice. Basically, the song is about breakup sex. Britney's sulty delivery of the verses and the animistic like moan of 'So come on!' during the chorus is easily one of the most memorable/greatest moments on the album. 'How I Roll' is another highlight of the album is easily a candidate for the cutest song of the year, if that's even possible, and also front runner for the strangest. That's NOT to say it isn't a good song though and even if it is bound to be one of the albums 'Marmite' moments its easily as standout. The Bridge is one of the better bridges on the album. Other highlights include the next single 'I Wanna Go', '(Drop Dead) Beautiful' - even if Sabi's rap is beyond shit - 'Seal It With a Kiss' and the strangely hypnotic, bass driven 'Big Bat Bass'. All of these songs scream single and if were lucky they will be. Other great tracks that start to steer dangerously into the 'This-Is-So-Generic-Anyone-Could-Be-Singing-It' include the song , 'Gasoline', 'Selfish', 'Up 'n Down', 'Scary' and 'Don't Keep Me Waiting'. The Most notable of these songs is easily 'Gasoline', and while follows the same formula as the fore mentioned songs and while sounding generic Britneys memorable vocals help to carry the song off into 'Great Album Track' territory and a song I'm sure will be remembered as a fan favourite due to the amazing production in the chorus and flawless delivary from Britney herself. Songs not worth discussing at 'Trip To Your Heart' and 'Trouble for Me', the 2 duds on the album (for me at least).
While the Uptempo moments ARE highlights from the album, but it goes without saying that when Britney decides to slow down and allows a more laid-back acoustic-esk song to slip itself into her track listings these are the moments when she really shines. 'Criminal' is another song which should be a single and is reminiscent of Spears 'Everytime'. The song showcases her vocals and shows the critics that even though her vocals are never really given a chance to shine through - in both actual songs and the live performances - that Spears may not have the strongest vocal in the industry, but it is easily one of the most memorable and is the sole reason she has lasted this long in the industry. The other slower song is 'He About To Lose Me' and it possibly my favourite song on the album. The song follows the same idea as 'Criminal' but with a more tragic back story and more menacing lyrical content, discussing how Britney feels her man is going to lose her to another nameless trick if he doesn't step up his game. Not really groundbreaking but still nicer than listening to a live Katy Perry CD or listening to Natalia Kills in general.
Despite all the positive things Ive said in the previous 2 paragraphs there are still a few complains i have that brings the overall experience of listening to the album down as a whole. Britney's lack of effort and creative control is more obvious than ever, as the constant shifting of Genres proves the most notable sign of that on 'Femme Fatale'. It isn't a very cohesive record, but then again, its Britney bitch, so what do you expect? Also, considering she has an entire team of that write her music you would think the lyrics would be better. When Ke$ha, GaGa and Katy write shit songs, its their fault because they wrote the material. When Britney comes out with a shite song, one has to wonder what the people behind her are getting paid for and why in the first place she is being written for when songs like 'Mona Lisa' and 'Rebellion' remain on the cutting room floor, much superior songs written by Spears herself. Finally, the very, very, very generic sound to a lot of the songs once again brings the record as a whole down. As the moderator of the [POP] section of 'WereNotHereForThat' it may sound a little crass to be complaining about what could be considered the most generic genre on the planet, but a little diversity now and then is nice especially when the calmer, less generic moments like 'Inside out' and 'He About to Lose Me' remain the album undisputed highlights.
Overall? Well, 'Femme Fatale' remains one of this years finest pop offerings even if a few technical issues can sometimes distract the listener from the gem that is this album. The Production shimmers, Britney's Vocals (while at times overproduced) remain a constant highlight and the music itself is nothing groundbreaking but is enjoyable none the less. As i said at the beginning to this review, when it comes to Britney its best to leave pre-made judgments about her and her personal life at the door and merely take her music at face value. If you do, its clear that 'Femme Fatale' is a collection of effortless enjoyable pop music that proves even after a difficult few years that Britney is still the reigning 'Princess of Pop'. But in today's modern climate, how long will she have this title? That remains unclear... But for now, lets just enjoy her music for what it is. A mindless, fun pop album that is easily one of the finest of her career.
Best Bits: How I Roll, Inside Out & I Wanna Go
Shit Bits: Trip To Your Heart & Trouble for Me
Download: Till The World Ends, Inside Out, I Wanna Go, How I Roll, He About to Lose Me
RATING: 4 out of 5
On the 26th of September 2008 Britney Spears released 'Womanizer', the lead single from her 6th Studio album 'Circus'. The song was well received by stans, the general public and critics alike and top 11 single charts worldwide while charting within the top 10 on various other charts. As the single smashed records around the world and received heavy airplay it seemed that after what can only be described as a 'difficult' few years for Britney, she was finally back. She was selling records, getting rave reviews from Critics and once again Britney Spears was the name on everyones lips. Due to this recent stream of success, Stans around the world called in sick to their evening shifts at the 'Burger King' and celebrated by listening to 'Womanizer' on repeat and burning effigies of Christina Aguilera. The Princess of Pop had finally reclaimed her place on the throne..... then on the 2nd of December, she finally released 'Circus'.
Upon release, 'Circus' was met with mixed reviews from both her hardcore fans and critics. Critics called it a mixed bag which while having its fair share of highlights, the album also included some of the worst tracks Spears had ever put her name to, with the utterly atrocious miscarriage of a song known as 'Mmm Papi' and the questionable lyrics of 'My Baby' continually being brought up as most notable Low lights of the album. Spears vocal performance was also continually brought up, with Critics wondering just how much Spears actually contributes to the song itself as her vocals sounded more over-produced and made up than Naomi Campbell's story about the 'dirty pebles'. Did she take an active part in the creation of 'Circus' or did she simply saunter into the studio and lay some shoddy vocals down before speeding down to Starbucks to get her fix? All of that and what has come to be known as LipSyncey-Gate in Australia all added up to one grim, shady conclusion. After 2007s highly publicised breakdown, Britney wasn't capable of putting out music or performing on the same level she used to and overall, was not the same artist she used to be. This was said regardless of whether or not when compared to her fellow celebs, Miss Spear's 2007 wasn't that tragic. Here's looking at you Brandy, here's looking at you...
Poor taste jokes about breakdowns and murderous basic bitches aside, if we Fast forward 3 years, the same problems still remain but at this point are much more widely publicised. Her performances are slammed for 'lack of effort', her lack of promotion is considered basic, non-existent and seriously lacking, problem is, When she does actually promote she receives the reviews that arnt fitting for a 'Pop Princess' and land more in the 'Basic Bitch' category. Her music videos - despite featuring grander plots - are instantly deemed not as good as her older videos and overall almost everyone seems to find the slightest flaw in her, exaggerate it, and attempt to bring her down more so than the media already have. There's also the issues of her sales. 4 million worldwide would be considered impressive numbers to Ciara and Lil Kim, but to a worldwide superstar? Mediocre at best.
Over the years Ive supported Britney, Ive found that when it comes to reviewing or looking at her body of work, its so much better to simply dismiss that opinion which the basic bitches seem to imagine that everyone shares and simply focus on one thing, the Music, and on 'Femme Fatale', its safe to say that after the shakey quality of 'Circus', its better than ever... but not quite better than the flawless 'Blackout'.
The Singles which I'm sure you've heard by now are 'Hold It Against Me' and 'Till The World Ends'. I wont say much about them since they have been played to hell and back again, but i will say that they are some of the better singles she has ever released. But the less said about them, the better. Were here for an album review and I'm sure you don't need to any more about the singles. The rest of the album, I'm delighted to say, is a success. Filled top to bottom with catchy pop songs that are well produced, well sung and overall mostly enjoyable. 'Inside Out' - one of my favourites - is like the 'Circus' song 'Shattered Glass' on an acid trip with Amy Winehouse and Pete Docharty looking for some baby mice. Basically, the song is about breakup sex. Britney's sulty delivery of the verses and the animistic like moan of 'So come on!' during the chorus is easily one of the most memorable/greatest moments on the album. 'How I Roll' is another highlight of the album is easily a candidate for the cutest song of the year, if that's even possible, and also front runner for the strangest. That's NOT to say it isn't a good song though and even if it is bound to be one of the albums 'Marmite' moments its easily as standout. The Bridge is one of the better bridges on the album. Other highlights include the next single 'I Wanna Go', '(Drop Dead) Beautiful' - even if Sabi's rap is beyond shit - 'Seal It With a Kiss' and the strangely hypnotic, bass driven 'Big Bat Bass'. All of these songs scream single and if were lucky they will be. Other great tracks that start to steer dangerously into the 'This-Is-So-Generic-Anyone-Could-Be-Singing-It' include the song , 'Gasoline', 'Selfish', 'Up 'n Down', 'Scary' and 'Don't Keep Me Waiting'. The Most notable of these songs is easily 'Gasoline', and while follows the same formula as the fore mentioned songs and while sounding generic Britneys memorable vocals help to carry the song off into 'Great Album Track' territory and a song I'm sure will be remembered as a fan favourite due to the amazing production in the chorus and flawless delivary from Britney herself. Songs not worth discussing at 'Trip To Your Heart' and 'Trouble for Me', the 2 duds on the album (for me at least).
While the Uptempo moments ARE highlights from the album, but it goes without saying that when Britney decides to slow down and allows a more laid-back acoustic-esk song to slip itself into her track listings these are the moments when she really shines. 'Criminal' is another song which should be a single and is reminiscent of Spears 'Everytime'. The song showcases her vocals and shows the critics that even though her vocals are never really given a chance to shine through - in both actual songs and the live performances - that Spears may not have the strongest vocal in the industry, but it is easily one of the most memorable and is the sole reason she has lasted this long in the industry. The other slower song is 'He About To Lose Me' and it possibly my favourite song on the album. The song follows the same idea as 'Criminal' but with a more tragic back story and more menacing lyrical content, discussing how Britney feels her man is going to lose her to another nameless trick if he doesn't step up his game. Not really groundbreaking but still nicer than listening to a live Katy Perry CD or listening to Natalia Kills in general.
Despite all the positive things Ive said in the previous 2 paragraphs there are still a few complains i have that brings the overall experience of listening to the album down as a whole. Britney's lack of effort and creative control is more obvious than ever, as the constant shifting of Genres proves the most notable sign of that on 'Femme Fatale'. It isn't a very cohesive record, but then again, its Britney bitch, so what do you expect? Also, considering she has an entire team of that write her music you would think the lyrics would be better. When Ke$ha, GaGa and Katy write shit songs, its their fault because they wrote the material. When Britney comes out with a shite song, one has to wonder what the people behind her are getting paid for and why in the first place she is being written for when songs like 'Mona Lisa' and 'Rebellion' remain on the cutting room floor, much superior songs written by Spears herself. Finally, the very, very, very generic sound to a lot of the songs once again brings the record as a whole down. As the moderator of the [POP] section of 'WereNotHereForThat' it may sound a little crass to be complaining about what could be considered the most generic genre on the planet, but a little diversity now and then is nice especially when the calmer, less generic moments like 'Inside out' and 'He About to Lose Me' remain the album undisputed highlights.
Overall? Well, 'Femme Fatale' remains one of this years finest pop offerings even if a few technical issues can sometimes distract the listener from the gem that is this album. The Production shimmers, Britney's Vocals (while at times overproduced) remain a constant highlight and the music itself is nothing groundbreaking but is enjoyable none the less. As i said at the beginning to this review, when it comes to Britney its best to leave pre-made judgments about her and her personal life at the door and merely take her music at face value. If you do, its clear that 'Femme Fatale' is a collection of effortless enjoyable pop music that proves even after a difficult few years that Britney is still the reigning 'Princess of Pop'. But in today's modern climate, how long will she have this title? That remains unclear... But for now, lets just enjoy her music for what it is. A mindless, fun pop album that is easily one of the finest of her career.
Best Bits: How I Roll, Inside Out & I Wanna Go
Shit Bits: Trip To Your Heart & Trouble for Me
Download: Till The World Ends, Inside Out, I Wanna Go, How I Roll, He About to Lose Me
RATING: 4 out of 5
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