Vegas Review Journal: Letter has advice for Britney Spears

 

December 11st.
An open letter to Britney Spears:
Welcome to Las Vegas. Here’s hoping you knock it out of the park during your two-year “Piece of Me” residency at Planet Hollywood.
I was in Denver last week during your big welcome party. Sorry I missed it, but I checked it out on YouTube.
You got our attention when you told the crowd, “I’m so incredibly excited about being here right now, but this is my city right now and I can’t wait to see you guys on opening night.”
That part about “my city right now” arched some eyebrows.
Maybe you didn’t mean it that way, but to some it came off as an act of bravado. The definition of bravado: “a bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate.”
Swagger and talent will only take you so far in Las Vegas. Acceptance will come from what you do off the stage.
Fourteen years ago, one of the smartest guys in town gave me a piece of advice days after I arrived: Embrace this community and it will embrace you back.
Support your fellow entertainers. Attend their shows, walk their red carpets. Be accessible. Adopt a favorite charity. Give back. Tip.
Make Celine, Donny and Marie, Shania, Terry Fator, Holly Madison and Frank Marino and many others your role models. Learn from them. They are givers, not takers.
And you can add Miley Cyrus to the list. Six years ago she showed up unannounced – and no alerting the media — at a children’s cancer ward at Sunrise Hospital. A 12-year-old girl, just informed she had a relapse, told her mom, “At least I got to meet Hannah Montana.”
You’re starting with a clean slate. Reach out and this city will love you to pieces.
NOT THEIR FIRST RODEO
It is no coincidence that the winter meeting of the Western Governors Association ended up in Las Vegas this week.
They’ve met here before, but “this time around, we wanted to be in town during the National Finals Rodeo because it IS such a distinctly Western event,” said Joe Rassenfoss, WGA communications director.
They are attending the NFR tonight.
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter might have a hankering to saddle up.
He’s a longtime member of the Idaho Cowboys Association and is a past board member of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Lori, live on a working ranch and he still competes in Idaho rodeos.
SIGHTINGS
Spears, walking into Chipotle restaurant at the Fashion Show Mall on Tuesday with a bodyguard who told fans, “No photos please. Ms. Spears is having private time.”…NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse, dining at Aureole (Mandalay Bay) after she co-hosted the American Country Awards with Trace Adkins. At the Patrick-Stenhouse table: IMG superagent Alan Zucker and former NASCAR Café owner and former NASCAR marketing exec Mark Dyer, wife Tammy and daughter Sharnai. Zucker represents Peyton and Eli Manning, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake. ... Country star Luke Bryan, having lunch at La Cave Wine and Food Hideaway (Wynn) on Monday. ... Nicolas Cage, picking up takeout at Dom DeMarco’s Pizzeria &Bar in Summerlin on Sunday…Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, taking in the National Finals Rodeo (Thomas &Mack Center) on Monday. Earlier he checked out Cowboy Christmas and Casa Fuente, the cigar shop inside the Forum Shops at Caesars.

Source: Las Vegas Review Journal

(WATCH) Britney pressure to be sexy?

USA Today: "'Britney Jean' eager to share, not shock"

On her new album, Britney Spears is more into the groove than provocation.
There was probably nothing that Britney Spears could have done to embarrass herself at this point.
The bar for silly behavior among pop stars has fallen so low — tugged by a desperate music industry and we prurient folk in the media — that people are no longer shocked when an artist who has proven reliable tabloid fodder tries to freshly provoke or titillate us. We just feign surprise, or dismay, so that we can all talk/write/tweet about it.
Perhaps the best thing that can be said for Spears' latest album, in fact, is that it doesn't seem obsessed with provocation. Britney Jean (*** out of four), streaming now on iTunes a week ahead of its Dec. 3 release, aims to present this modestly talented young woman who has somehow managed to sustain our interest for 15 years as a cool but accessible dance-pop diva — willing to dangle the occasional profanity to keep us alert, but ultimately more into the groove than anything else.
The album opens with the recently unveiled Alien, a shimmering reverie that is by far the best track, followed by two now-familiar singles: the frantically ingratiating Work Bitch and the more vulnerable Perfume, on which Spears, weary of a romantic rival, warns her man that she's going to "mark my territory."
Emotional and carnal needs remain in focus, whether Spears is advising a lover how to push her buttons on Tik Tik Boom (featuring T.I.), letting him take control on the exuberant Passenger or trying to say goodbye on the wistful Don't Cry. The production, by such club veterans as David Guetta, will.i.am and William Orbit, is by turns clattering and graceful.
As a musical reintroduction, certainly, Britney Jean offers as much grace as anyone could have expected.
Download:Alien, Passenger, Body Ache

Seattle Times: "Britney Spears’ android-esque pop"

Fourteen years ago, Britney Spears sashayed onto the worldwide pop stage as a teen idol, and now is improbably making excellent albums as an adult. She works around her thin voice with production tricks and odd pronunciations (she was always more of a dancer than a singer). She has pulled back from her well-documented drug troubles. She is holding herself together.
“Britney Jean” continues her trend of highly digitized, android-esque pop, though its songs are sadder, more personal, and less sexy than on the oblivion-seeking “Femme Fatale” (2011). The album’s highlight is “Alien,” galloping electronica that is restrained yet heavy, where Britney tattoos the chorus of “not alone / not alone / not alone” until it becomes a mantra, as if she’s trying to internalize it.
The rest of the songs go from hip-hop (“Tik Tik Boom”) to exercise anthems (“Work Bitch”). A song with sister Jamie Lynn (“Chillin’ With You”), in which Britney sings about red wine and Lynn sings about white, adds a personal feel. All in all, it’s a gleaming, bittersweet pop experience.

Source: The Seattle Times

MTV: 4 Britney Jean Tracks That Deserve A Second Listen... And More

Britney Spears promised Britney Jean would be personal, and she didn't disappoint.The 32-year-old pop star has gone through a lot of changes since 2011's Femme Fatale, and rather than keep fans guessing of her emotional state, Brit decided to use her eighth album to share her feelings about love, heartache, lust and fame.Brit co-wrote every track on the club-ready album, teaming up with will.i.am, David Guetta, William Orbit and even Katy Perry to deliver a mature album that some are comparing to her 2007 fan-favorite, Blackout.There's no doubt that the Britney Army has had "Work Bitch," "Perfume" on repeat on repeat, but we here at MTV News have rounded up four other Britney Jean tracks that deserve another listen."Alien"
Teaming up with famed producer William Orbit, Britney takes us on a universal ride as she kicks off Britney Jean in another atmosphere. The mid-tempo heavy thumping beat automatically draws listeners in, but it's the personal undertones of the lyrics that are most riveting as she drifts through outer space coming to the realization that she's not alone."But the stars in the sky look like home, take me home, take me home/ And the light in your eyes lets me know I'm not alone," Britney sings on the track.During a recent listening of the album, Spears revealed that "Alien" was her favorite track, saying, "We have moments when we feel alienated, shy or nervous. That's what the song is about.""Til It's Gone"
"Til It's Gone" may soon find its way among Britney's fan favorites. Although the lyrics get personal about not knowing what you have until it's gone, the stand-out track, which was co-written by David Guetta and produced by will.i.am, shows off why Britney has become a queen of club bangers. It's intense, dark and slowly builds momentum until Britney's vocals burst over the track."I try every night to turn the page/But they lie, can't confide me to a cage/ In my mind, the life we had replays/ Now everywhere I turn I see your face," Britney sings."Passenger"
Getting over a breakup is hard, but falling back in love with someone else can be just as tough, and someone that can relate to that is co-writer of "Passenger," Katy Perry. The pop star, along with Diplo, lent a hand to the mid-tempo, EDM-infused track as Britney shows maturity on the guitar, drum-driven track as she overcomes her inhibitions and gives someone else the keys to drive and proclaims, "This is living.""I'll let you the lead the way now, 'cause I want you to take the wheel/ I've never been a passenger/ Though, I never knew how good it would feel," she sings on the track."Chillin' With You" Featuring Jamie Lynn Spears
The long-awaited track is no doubt music to fans' ears, as the sisters finally team up for a duet and recall their love of laid-back country living. Britney kicks things off over an acoustic guitar as she sings about drinking red wine, which has her "walking on the sky." Little sister Jamie Lynn, who recently released her country ballad, "How Could I Want More," jumps in with an equally strong vocal.The two sisters then join forces to remind everyone why they "don't got to worry 'bout a thing."

Source: MTV

NewsDay: "Still the Princess of Pop"

Britney Spears is from Louisiana, but at age 32, her patois isn't Southern, exactly. Hot is "hawt," work is "wuhk," natural is "natch-RUL" and when she demands that you drop everything and call the governor, it's not some bland head of state but the gah-vah-NAH. Her high, sensuous voice has weathered into its own thing, a rock-star way of singing, talking and posing that is as distinctive in its own way as Mick Jagger or Donna Summer. Spears isn't the world's greatest vocalist -- she began as the Janet Jackson to Christina Aguilera's Mariah Carey -- but nobody in pop music can mesh more effectively with the futuristic dance-music clinks and clanks created by the best state-of-the-art producers.
"Work B**ch" came out over the summer as the album's first single, and it has a dominatrix-style urgency, from its brain-drill of a bass line to the whooshing choruses and counter-choruses to Britney's rhyming. As with her last few albums, particularly 2011's "Femme Fatale," buzzing effects permeate the album; Spears winds up essentially duetting with video games on "Passenger," produced by Diplo, who helped rapper M.I.A. rise to stardom with a similar mix of dense electronics and soaring melodies.
"Britney's essence has always been sort of cutting-edge," Dr. Luke, her "Femme Fatale" producer, once said. While Luke is diminished on "Britney Jean," she connects equally as well with Sia (who co-wrote "Perfume," about the singer odoriferously "marking her territory") and executive-producer will.i.am (who with dance star David Guetta enlivens "It Should Be Easy"). The 36-minute album, Britney's eighth, leaked online, prompting her label to stream it early via iTunes Radio, which seems appropriate. Robots rule.

BRITNEY SPEARS
"Britney Jean"
GRADE A-
BOTTOM LINE Britney's post-teen-pop renaissance continues on this sexy dance álbum.

Source: Newsday

 

JUST ONE THING Q-U-E-E-N   O-F    P-O-P 

Entertainment Weekly: "the real Brit's off dreaming her unknowable dreams"

Even now, just about to celebrate her 32nd birthday, Britney Spears remains as enigmatic as the Disney-groomed, emotionally insulated teen who greeted us in the late '90s. It's part of why we treasure her: The feeling that, even as she sings her most seductive or inventive songs, the real Brit's off dreaming her unknowable dreams. Britney Jean, which takes its title from her family nickname and has been billed as the most ''personal'' of her eight albums, tells you virtually bupkus about her struggles over the years. But in just 10 tidy songs, it brings us closer than ever before to that distant dreamer.
Of course, since it's a Britney Spears album executive-produced by will.i.am in 2013, it also happily indulges the fantasies of endorphin-seeking EDM festival goers. Brit promises she ''won't stop 'til you breathe heavy'' on ''Body Ache,'' a David Guetta track that nearly builds to a clobbering house beat, then cannily falls back. Thor's hammer comes down instead on the other Guetta collaboration, ''It Should Be Easy,'' in which Britney, will.i.am, and their AutoTune elves join hands to reflect vacuously on love. Dance music's lousy with anonymous female hook singers right now, but these two songs transcend DJ filler because Britney never soft-pedals her voice's uneasy layering of girly and libidinous. They're based more in tension than release.
Britney's tradition of messing with pop forms goes back at least 10 years, to the genre-splicing ''Toxic.'' As often as she might withhold tabloid fodder from her lyrics, she puts a lot of trust in her producers. That translates to the weird and wonderful intimacy of ''Alien,'' a gently pulsing track in which an actual extraterrestrial finally realizes she's ''not alone,'' and repeats the phrase until it is pitchshifted up like a departing space ship.
It also gives rise to less subtle pleasures, like the first single, ''Work Bitch,'' a fabulous if campy dance track, and the bass bomb ''Tik Tik Boom,'' in which Brit tells a lewd T.I., ''you got a sex siren in your face.'' Alienation lurks in those songs, too — which naturally gives Brit's duet with her younger sister Jamie Lynn, the morphing ballad ''Chillin' With You,'' a special poignancy. All we really learn is that Britney prefers red wine, and Jamie Lynn, white. But we share their warm, tipsy feeling all the same. B+
Best Tracks:
''Perfume'' - A stalker fantasy that soars
''Chillin'' With You" - A touching sibling duet
Source: Entertainment Weekly

The Daily Beast: Britney Spears Is the Last of the Pop Goddesses

 

Britney Spears teased that ‘Britney Jean’ is her most personal album yet. It’s not. At all. And she may be the only person left who can get away with that.

Who is Britney Spears?
It’s been 20 years since the pop supernova first came into our lives as a spunky Mousketeer. It’s been 15 since the pigtailed teen danced through the halls of a high school in a Catholic school uniform. And we still don’t know.
Spears’s latest album, Britney Jean, comes at a peculiar point in her career, when a feverishly anticipated Vegas residency and general “aw-we-love-her” goodwill cements the fact that we have deified her as one of the elite pop goddesses. But as we bow down to worship at the altar of BritBrit, we also recognize that Spears may be the last of those divine divas. We’re in an age now when we want to know our pop stars. We want to relate to their humanity rather than gape at their untouchable infallibility.
Britney Jean wisely winks to that desire, but in the end fails to deliver any meaningful insight into who this Britney Jean person is. But it does give us what we still want from Britney Spears, the Last of Our Pop Goddesses: nonsensical, addicting…and only vaguely revealing pop scripture.
Spears has built a career as the ultimate tease. She’s bared all, sure. At the same time, she’s bared nothing at all.
An emotionally insulated teenager, “Britney Spears” was long just a mouthpiece robotically reciting Jive Record’s idea of “pop star” to the press. She quickly took up permanent residence on tabloid covers—a personal life with all the turbulence of a JetBlue flight through a tornado helped with that—without having to even say anything. I mean she said things, sure. But even when, say, holding a press conference to announce that she intends to remain a virgin until marriage, Spears’s revelations had all the intimacy and emotional honesty as…revelations made during a rehearsed and staged press conference.

By the time Britney Jean ends, the most intimate revelation is that Jean is Britney’s middle name. Because it says so in the title.

Now, Spears is 32 and still releasing music. The landscape has changed from when pop stars were treasured monuments safely separated from gawking public by gatekeepers and security tape, should anyone accidentally tarnish the singing artifacts by catching a glimpse of—and then telling the world about—their imperfections. Baring souls and exposing warts is no longer a cathartic exercise reserved solely for singer songwriters and soul chanteuses. The industry’s most commercial stars now market themselves in 140-character confessions, public displays of vulnerability, and tracks that are as emotionally naked as the women who perform them.
It’s no surprise that, cannily securing relevance decades after the pop movement she helped usher in was dismissed as disposable, Spears is responding to the industry shift by releasing what she calls her “most personal album ever :).” The result, though, is peek-a-boo music, 10 songs that gingerly peel back the curtain justthismuch to give the smallest insight into who Britney Spears is. But, really, by the time Britney Jean ends, the most intimate revelation is that Jean is Britney’s middle name. Because it says so in the title.
It shouldn’t be surprising that an album that counts a song titled “Work Bitch” as its leadoff single isn’t exactly a penetrating musical therapy session. It also doesn’t matter. “Work Bitch” is great! And so is the rest of Britney Jean, a top-to-bottom effortlessly listenable record with no Gaga-esque pretension to reinvent the concept of pop music, Cyrus-esque (foam) middle finger to the idea of pop music, or Perry-esque cartoonification of pop music.
It’s just straightforward pop music, and that’s just fine.
“Work Bitch” was, however, a bit of false advertising for the album that would follow. With its whirring bees nest production, jackhammer driving beat, campy lyrics, and Spears’s gloriously idiotic British accent, the song hinted at something more exciting than what Britney Jean ends up offering: a pop star who gets it, the idea that pop music can, and maybe should, be silly. It’s the way Miley Cyrus—stop clutching your pearls—gets it. It’s the way Lady Gaga practically parades around with a neon sign that flashes, “Hi everyone, I get it! See!!!???”

Weird, sexy, and aggressive as it is, “Work Bitch” is just a quirky one-off treat on Britney Jean. The album’s second single “Perfume,” a moody stalker fantasy, and the appealing folktronica opener “Alien” are far better representations of the tone of Britney Jean.  Still, the former, about a love triangle so torturous Spears feels paranoid enough to mark her man with her own scent (presumably one of her own signature fragrances), and the latter, about how she “always felt like a stranger in a crowd,” are more personal in concept more than they are insights into Spears’s psyche.
They do, however, feature Spears—wait for it—singing! Like for real for real singing, not speak-singing into an Auto-Tune machine that distorts her voice into an alarming, digital frog-sounding disaster. You can actually hear her voice and, with it, some actual emotion, particularly on the wistful closing track, “Don’t Cry.”
Britney Jean has more playful, and even skillful, vocal tricks and ticks than any of Spears’s post-meltdown albums, a welcome reminder of what Spears made her name on in the first place: a unique voice. (She really has one!) Thee was the Lolita sultriness in the vocal fry of the “oh bab-ay bab-ay” on “…Baby One More Time;” the growling sweetness of “Sometimes;” and the lilting carnality of her voice on “Oops!…I Did it Again” and “Slave 4 U.” The thinness of her voice on “Everytime” is what gives it its aching emotional resonance.
Spears was never a strong vocalist. But she was always an interesting one.
In fact, Britney Jean is least enjoyable when Spears, on occasion, reverts to the Auto-Tune crutch. The distorted vocals on “It Should Be Easy,” which features Will.i.am, sound about as dated as, well, a song that features Will.i.am. The dance-floor banger is a nondescript cacophony of beats dropping and crescendos and otherwise noisy production that distract from lyrics about why love has to be so complicated.
But “It’s Should Be Easy” does set off a run of three more club tracks that, though they have a tendency to meld together on a casual listen into one mutant megatrack, are all markedly stronger. “Tik Tik Boom” has Spears cooing provocatively—her sweet spot—about getting busy (“Not too slow and not too quick/ Baby make me tik tik”), though the production could use a more aggressive thrust. (Heh.) “Body Ache” continues the sex sprint, this time with a more energetic, stuttering beat and titillating guttural delivery from Spears.
“Til It’s Gone” is sweatier than the album’s other dance tracks, a power surge of raunch that explodes into an EDM-inspired dance-party finale. You’d half expect sparks to rain from the sky by the end of the endorphin-building bridge.
“Til It’s Gone” leads into “Passenger,” segueing into the wind-down portion of the album. Co-written by Katy Perry and Sia, it’s the most vulnerable of Britney Jean’s tracks: “It’s hard to jump with no net, but I’ve jumped and got no regrets.” It’s also the best of the album’s midtempo songs. The less said about “Chillin With You,” a duet with her sister that’s supposedly meant to drive home the “this is personal” message, the better. Britney discusses her preference for red wine. Jamie Lynn is more of a white wine girl. It’s more #confessional than “confessional.”
Let’s make that three things, then, that we now know about Britney Spears. Her middle name is Jean. She likes red wine. And she’s still capable of churning out a great, if not revolutionary, pop record. At 32 and after 20 years in the business, maybe that’s all we need to know about Britney Spears, our Last Goddess. Amen.

Source: The Daily Beast

"Britney Jean" review on Rolling Stones magazine

 

MuuMuse: "BritneyJean" album review

Britney Jean is Britney’s “Most Personal Album Ever,” so this review is about to get a little more personal (raw) — it’s not just blind standom. People can take everything away from you, but they can never take away your truth. But the question is…can you handle mine?
The one opinion I’ve consistently held when it comes to pop music over the past 15 years — the reason why there’s been a “Daily B” on this website for over 6 years, the reason why I’ve got posters and albums and tour T-shirts and perfumes scattered all over my home, the reason why I’m so hopelessly obsessed to the point of frequent embarrassment — is that Britney Spears has never delivered anything less than pop perfection when it comes to her music.
From …Baby One More Time (call me when you hear a better pop song in 2013 than “Born To Make You Happy”) to Femme Fatale — even through her darkest hours of her personal life (Blackout) — Britney has supplied reliably forward-thinking, cutting-edge pop music that leads the pack and keeps her reigning as the greatest pop star of our generation. As the years went by — even when live vocals became a thing of the past, even when the choreography slowed down to hair flips and armography, and even when she became visibly bored and resentful in interviews and fan meet-and-greets, it didn’t matter. We always had the music.
For the first time in her career, Britney has released an album that is just okay — by her standard, anyway.

The hype for Album 8 started well over a year ago, right about when Britney took notice of a trending topic on Twitter last Halloween. “Blackout 2.0?” she teased. By now, her team’s heard it loud and clear: Britney’s cold, urban 2007 masterpiece Blackout is a fan favorite. The process started off promising as ever: Britney was seen sitting in a recording studio with Darkchild while shooting X Factor. Danja, the Blackout producer himself told me “I think there’s going to be another one.”
All systems go, right? There was just one nagging new addition to the team:
There’s a reason will.i.am is will.i.cant: He is a suck-monster of taste. His back catalog is a nightmarish smorgasbord of lowest common denominator pop, relying solely on grating grade school melodies, product placement-packed videos and GarageBand dinky beats.
will.i.am’s reign of terror with Britney began in 2011, with his lame feature on Femme Fatale‘s “Big Fat Bass.” Her voice on that song — stretched into unfamiliar robo-territory — barely resembled the warm, warbly thing that characterizes all of her giant hits. He struck again with “Scream & Shout,” last year’s drunk-pop anthem (a worldwide smash, duh, lest we forget why he got this gig) that allowed the public to get a piece of speak-singing Britishney. Sure, we thought. A feature on will.i.am’s album — that’s fine, we thought.
But then, #ItGotWorse. Way worse. He was named Executive Producer of Album 8 in May.
“Relax!” I said. “He helped Kelis make Flesh Tone!” I said.
Almost as quickly, the strategy for the album changed: Blackout 2.0 was dropped from the conversation, and Personalney quickly became the focus. will.i.am began telling interviewers that he was having “a lot of lunches” with Britney before recording to get a better understanding of what she’d like to write about. So, so many lunches. “Britney and me need to have lunch Four times a month for three months,” he told Rolling Stone. (I’m not sure what kind of unholy feast could lead to “It Should Be Easy” — but well, they ate.)
Promising writers and producers began flooding in as the project opened for submissions: Dev Hynes! Charli XCX! Elijah Blake! Anticipation grew, as it does for any other Britney album. But as the release date drew closer, no one was talking. Nothing was happening. Producers soon began confirming one-by-one that they failed to make the cut. Dev Hynes? Nope. Charli? Nah. Darkchild? Nuh uh. Danja? Nope. Max Martin? Not this time. Bloodshy & Avant? No. Um. So who was on the album, anyway?
Yes, that’s right…will.i.cant.

“They asked me to be involved in, not producing and writing every song, but to be an executive producer on the songs,” he explained to Rolling Stone earlier in the year. And so, he involved himself. Heavily — with production credits on 7 out of the 10 songs. Anthony Preston is involved just as much (if not more), a songwriter from — you guessed it! — will.i.am’s music group.
Still, there was plenty of help from outside the will.i.am world, too: Sia co-wrote three of the tracks (all standouts from the album), club-pop titans David Guetta, Diplo, Nicky Romero and Richard Vission have their brief moments in the sun, The Fr3shmen and Zach “Reazon” Heiligman (who also worked with Foster The People) are in the mix — but in the end, will.i.am overwhelmingly called the shots.
Hearing the album in full for the first time, I initially felt deflated. Forget the fact that “Work Bitch,” “Tik Tik Boom” and “Body Ache” are as personal as a lampshade, that’s not the issue: The issue is that Britney’s actual presence on the album is, at times, questionable.
I’ve spent the past 15 years worshipping at the Altar of Godney. I know what Britney’s voice sounds like. There are moments throughout this record where her voice just doesn’t sound like Britney Spears. “Perfume”? “Brightest Morning Star”? Sure, yes. But songs like “Passenger” — that high note in the second verse? That’s not a Britney note. It’s just not! “It Should Be Easy” is so grossly vocoded, there’s really no point in her even being present in the studio. And “Body Ache,” which was co-penned by her soundalike background singer Myah Marie? Deeply suspect. (Listen to Myah.) Either Brit’s background vocalists have been way over-utilized, or she’s being tempo-shifted beyond recognition.
And these co-writing credits? Hush. Just. Stop. Songwriting credits for Britney on every single song? “Passenger” was written by Katy, Sia and Diplo for PRISM. “Tik Tik Boom” was recorded months ago by GRL. I understand the art of publishing royalties, but since when did Britney suddenly become Beyoncéney?
Since this is all sounding so dramatic (REFERENCE), rest assured: There’s still a lot of goodness on Britney Jean.
For one thing, “Alien” exists. And it’s incredible. The William Orbit-produced opening track is the perfect way to launch Britney Jean (into outer space, as it were), and remains one of the album’s most introspective productions.

Building across sparse, spacey electronica and a stomp similar to Femme Fatale‘s “He About To Lose Me,” “Alien” of the album’s most “vibe”-y moments. It’s the vibe, I think, that most fans were anticipating (REFERENCE). “There was a time I was one of a kind / Lost in a world out of me, myself and I,” she declares. It’s not the first time she’s hinted at feeling lonely (“my loneliness is killing me,” anyone?) Editing glitches aside, the track allows Britney’s sweetly urgent vocals to shine, as she recounts a darker time in life and — it seems — a light at the end of the tunnel. Faith? A special someone? Her fans? It’s you, whoever you are out there. The song sounds like something that could be found on Madonna‘s American Life, blending self-reflection and vague Spearituality with minimal electronica.
The only setback? Orbit (or whichever engineer was in charge of doing the final mastering) warped Britney’s vocals in the chorus of “Alien” (an early version leaked weeks prior, and it’s superior), and in doing so, accidentally sliced her voice at one point. At the 2:14 mark. It actually skips. This is a major mainstream pop release. Mistakes happen, I know. But c’mon — it’s Britney, bitch.
Despite the engineering flop, “Alien” is one of the most interesting songs that Britney’s recorded in a long time — it’s a shame that there isn’t more like this to be found on the album. (“So fire hot, a 20 out of 10,” for the native Godney speakers out there.)
“Work Bitch” comes blaring into the speakers next, and the contrast is jarring: Make no mistake, the song’s still superb. Ignore the fact that she’s sort of afraid to say the word “bitch” in interviews, or that the talking point for this song was that it’s “for the gays” or that she felt uncomfortable shooting the video. (Basically, let’s forget that Britney does not seem to like this song.) It’s still a standout. There are too many juicy Spearitual moments — the pronunciation of “Boo-gatti” and “hot bodeh,” the transcendent “Hold your head high!” bridge, the shark-filled video in the desert — that make it too good to be denied. It’s now a certified Britney classic.

“Perfume” then spritzes into the speakers — another one of the surprises from the Britney Jean era. Hearing Britney sound vulnerable — and even jealous! — is a rare and wondrous thing, which is why “Perfume” is also a highlight. It sounds better as the “Dreaming Mix” on the deluxe edition of Britney Jean, as originally produced by songwriter Chris Braide. (But, you know, since will.i.am couldn’t help himself, he went ahead and slapped on some loud noises of his own for the single version.) Thematically, this is Brit’s most mature ballad in years, and it’s really incredible to hear her lower register being utilized. Not since those Oops! days have we gotten these kinds of vocals!
But the vocal showcase suddenly stops short in the middle: As opposed to Swedish electronica or dub-infused electro-pop, Britney Jean is largely rooted in full-on club sound, a la “Scream & Shout.” There is no boundary-breaking electronica, nor any structural experimentation. It’s just your standard “sick beat drop, bro” EDM affair.
Of all the uptempos, “It Should Be Easy,” the one that features will.i.am, is an utter abomination to Britney’s musical legacy.
It’s not so much that she’s been Auto-Tuned within an inch of her life — that’s worked before as an effect on glitchy cuts like Blackout‘s “Piece Of Me” and In The Zone‘s “Brave New Girl” — but it’s just so undeniably basic; a vapid #willpower serving of Robotney: “You bring me zen / You make me feel like a million, billion,” she flatly declares through the vocoders, with all the enthusiasm of a death row inmate. The song almost borders on parody at one point. “La-da-dee, la-di-da,” she sing-songs through the electronic prison bars. Sure, “Easy” might be mindless fun for the gym while the album’s still fresh, but there’s not even a little bit of Britney’s DNA in this production.
The closest the album comes to bringing Blackout 2.0 to life comes in the form of “Tik Tik Boom” with T.I., which was originally recorded by Robin Antin‘s latest attempt to recreate the magic of the Pussycat Dolls, GRL. The slick #SomethingMoreUrban stomper squeezes Britney back into her “Gimme More” stripper heels and gets her twirling back on the pole: “Talk dirty to me babe, every time I want it,” she urges. T.I. comes in later for a sex-drenched verse of his own (which plays too low in the speakers — engineers, why?) before Britney comes in for one more round. The chorus, in all of its seductive monotone glory (“Tik tik tik tik tik tik tik boom”), provides plenty of room for Twerkney to drop it low — not that she really even wants to be sexy anymore. Still, those final Spearitual runs at the end of the song are like hearing Strongerney come to life all over again: “Ooh, ya-a-a-ah!”

The David Guetta and will.i.am-produced “Body Ache” is okay, assuming that you can get past the fact that it sounds like a mash-up between LMFAO and “Scream & Shout.” (Seriously, that springy dance beat is so cheap.) “Body Ache” is pretty devoid of any signature Britney-isms — any dance diva could be crooning this one, including the song’s co-writers Luciana and Myah Marie. (Speaking of, is that you Myah?) Britney is a pop pioneer, not a trend follower. (A nice shout out to Jordan at BreatheHeavy in the second verse, though!)
“Til It’s Gone” is one of the few times, or maybe the only time, when Britney Jean manages to combine every campaign promise into one song: It’s both meaningful (Personalney) and dance floor-ready (Blackout 2.0), resulting in something that sounds almost as good as Kelis’ Flesh Tone. The vocals are really, really phenomenal — it’s almost like hearing Britney-era Britney peeking through the curtains in 2013, like a continuation of “Before The Goodbye.” But this is an even darker sequel: Sure, it’s about letting go of someone on paper. Or does it actually mean something bigger…like her own freedom? Considering Britney doesn’t even have full legal control of her life (let’s not get into it), the message of the song hits home. Hard.
“I’m blind from the tears that fall like rain, so lost ever since you went away,” she coos off the top of the track. The bridge is especially incredible, even providing a few classic Britney warbles (“Ah-owww!“) at the very beginning that briefly transports us back to the glory days.
“Passenger,” the Sia-Katy offering, is one of the album’s true standouts from the very first second: That skittering, Diplo-produced electronic intro is just the kind of mystical, next-level vibe I was hoping would permeate throughout Britney Jean. And then, it breaks: “It’s hard to jump with no net / But I’ve jumped and got no regret!” Britney cries out above the crunchy guitar-led midtempo — an ode to willingly letting go of the reigns — err, the wheel. There’s a subtle religious touch (hey, Katy Perry did co-write it, after all!), which makes this sound like Britney’s own “Jesus Take The Wheel,” as she forks over the keys to her Louis Vuitton Hummer from the “Do Somethin’” set and allows faith to lead the way. “We’ll see more without a map,” Britney happily coos. It’s not only a beautiful song, but a beautiful message too: In an age of Smartphones and Siri — Britney Jean wants you to throw it all away and get lost in the world together. (I call shotgun!)

But that bliss is short-lived once “Chillin’ With You” arrives, an embarrassing backfire. They’ve kept it in the family (PERSONAL!), by enlisting Spearitual sister and Country Queen Jamie Lynn for a twangy, #SomethingMoreUrban duet called “Chillin’ With You” that could have easily been a Bangerz reject — and with Larry Rudolph at the helm of Miley’s career, it likely is. “When I’m witchu, I’m chillin’, I’m chillin’,” the two trade off across a bubbly beat. Jamie Lynn sounds incredible on her verse (and is, I think, featured on this song even longer than Britney?) “Chillin’ With You” is no more revealing than “Follow Me,” the theme song Britney herself wrote for Jamie Lynn’s Nickelodeon show, Zoey 101, and it’s certainly not any better. Also, the lyrics don’t even really make sense in the context of Britney’s life: “I drank some red wine, and now I’m walking on the sky.” Um, except Britney is sober now. What?
By the half hour mark, the album is already over. “Don’t Cry,” the album’s depressing final track, is to “Perfume” as In The Zone‘s “Shadow” is to “Everytime,” providing a darker kick of angst at the end: Riding in on a lone whistle straight out of an old Western movie, Britney warbles her uncomfortable last goodbye. Lana Del Spears? Well, kinda. The vocals are purely Britney-era, sounding crisp and strong in the verses. “This is gonna be our last goodbye / Our love is gone, but I’ll survive,” B-Girl trembles. “Don’t cry, don’t cry.” It’s hard to believe that she’s trying to convince anyone but herself. Or maybe even her fans: “Pack my bags, can’t take no more / Adios, I’m out the door.” Sorry, but Cinderella’s got to go.
Britney Jean, in a lot of ways, reminds me of a Cheryl Cole album (of which — shocker! — will.i.am has also helmed a few.) Like A Million Lights or Messy Little Raindrops, there are some killer (albeit generic) uptempos, a few schmaltzy ballads and a few ambitious midtempos. But Cheryl — with all due respect to the Girls Aloud legacy — has always felt like a Britney tribute act in my eyes. Britney Jean shouldn’t feel like a Cheryl album, but it does.
The one true triumph of Britney Jean is the vocals — that is, when we’re fairly sure that it’s her singing. That’s clearly her belting on “Perfume” and “Brightest Morning Star,” and that’s her warbling and cooing on “Alien,” “Don’t Cry” and “Til It’s Gone” — it’s a pleasant reminder of that classic Britney sound.
I’m a loyal follower of the Holy Spearit, and this is the latest scripture being added to the Book of Godney. I’m hardwired to love whatever Britney puts out. It’s all I know how to do. Whether it be a grainy “Rebellion” snippet or a classic like “…Baby One More Time” (or even “Soda Pop”), it’s scientifically impossible for me not to wholeheartedly love whatever she records. I love “Alien” and “Passenger” and “Perfume” and “Til It’s Gone.” I will love the rest in time, if only out of religious duty.
That being said, I can stand outside of myself and recognize that this album is only just “okay”: The production is frequently cheap. The EDM tracks will age quickly and poorly. The vocals are occasionally suspicious. I’m not a full-fledged passenger on the Britney Jean Express, and I know that I’m not alone in feeling that way. (Not alone, not alone, not alone…) But don’t cry. I’ll survive: I’m happy for the fans excitedly shouting about how flawless the album is, and I’m happy for Britney too. Contrary to popular Internet belief, being critical of the artist you love doesn’t make you a bad fan — it just makes you a human being. (KILL HIM.)

I just wanted more (MOAH): There were so many ways Britney Jean could have been an incredible statement piece for Britney. 15 years into her career (the same point where Britney’s at now, FYI), Madonna released Ray Of Light. Had Britney Jean‘s production been limited to one or two capable producers like Dev Hynes and Ariel Rechtshaid, maybe she could have had a genuine Ray of Lightney moment and emerged with a completely unexpected sound. Or, maybe it could have been Blackout 2.0, with the return of Danja and Keri Hilson to craft more #SomethingMoreUrban smashes like “Gimme More” and build upon the alt-R&B wave bubbling up in music. Or, it could have been a lush synth-pop record that picked up where “Unusual You” and “And Then We Kiss” left off.
But, it’s just not. Britney Jean is chillin’. It’s chillin’. And all of this emphasis on “personal” feels like an intentionally misleading effort to bait fans eager for Britney to really express herself. She’s always had personal tracks — it just wasn’t ever marketed that way. How about Britney‘s “Overprotected” and “Cinderella,” which perfectly encapsulate the way Britney felt growing up inside a bubble as a teenage superstar (and, let’s be honest, probably ring even more true for Britney in 2013)? How about In The Zone‘s “Everytime” and “Shadow,” recorded after her break-up with her first love, Justin? How about Blackout‘s paparazzi-fueled kiss-off “Piece Of Me” or “Why Should I Be Sad?” which fans never seem to talk about, despite the fact that it so clearly details the events leading up to her divorce with K-Fed? And do we even need to bring up the “Brightest Morning Star” Circus predecessor, “My Baby”? “Tiny hands…”
When Britney opens up on the more Spearitual numbers on Britney Jean, that’s when her truth peeks through: “Alien” might be all about feeling lonely “then,” but Britney sounds just as isolated now. And really, who else could feel more like an alien on this Earth than Britney Spears? She’s surpassed mere mortal levels of fame and now orbits in the same Living Legend universe as Michael Jackson

once did — no one will ever be able to handle her truth.
To keep herself grounded, she’s seemingly turned to faith: Songs like “Brightest Morning Star” and “Passenger” find the superstar seeking solace in religion, be it Jesus or her babies, which is undeniably sweet, and yes, personal. And if “Chillin’ With You” is meant to be personal too, then she really just wants to be sitting on a couch with Jamie Lynn somewhere. She probably does! As a person, I’m incredibly happy for Britney. She seems happy. But as a pop star? This is no longer the ringleader calling the shots. This is someone who is perfectly satisfied watching the show from home — and her name is Britney Jean.
As a result, there’s a lingering sense of resignation within Britney Jean: “Don’t Cry” might be a break-up song dedicated to an ex-flame hitting the road, but it plays more like a tear-stained note to self in her Dear Diary. And as for “Til It’s Gone”? “You never know what you got til it’s gone,” Britney warns, seconds before getting swept away in a tidal wave of frantic will.i.am beats. It’s a sentiment that rings morbidly true.
Perhaps Britney took the message of “Passenger” too literally with Britney Jean. Can she have those keys back now?

NOTE: 3/5

Britney Jean’ will be released on December 3. (iTunes)

(November 21) "Britney Jean" album listening party and reviews of the album

JUSTJARED REVIEW OF THE ALBUM:

Britney Spears debuted some new songs from her upcoming album Britney Jean at an exclusive listening party on Thursday (November 21) and JustJared.com was in attendance to get you all the details!
The 31-year-old singer played five songs in total, two of which have already been heard by fans online – “Perfume” and “Alien.”
About her song “Alien,” Britney said, “we have moments when we feel alienated, shy, or nervous. That’s what the song is about.” It’s her fave song on the album. Will‘s too. She also mentioned that “Perfume” is a “vulnerable song.”
Click inside for details on the new songs played, some sample lyrics, and more…

• “It Should Be Easy” – The song features will.i.am, who was on stage with her for the event. The song is an uptempo dance track and here are some sample lyrics: “Baby, love/ it should be easy/ it shouldn’t be complicated/ I don’t know how else to say it/ la da dee/ la dee duh”
• “Don’t Cry” – This is a mid tempo song and here are some sample lyrics: “Hide my tears, dry my eyes/ don’t need to see me cry/ pack my bags … / I’ll be yours, I’m out the door”
• “Tik Tik Boom” – This is the song featuring T.I. Here is how the hook of the song goes: “Baby make me tik tik tik tik tik tik boom”

Britney said that a lot of the songs have to do with the break-up that she experienced this year with longtime love Jason Trawick. Cameras were rolling the whole time – they’re filming a documentary and have been for the past few months. On stage with Brit and Will was Bravo’s Andy Cohen.
While songs were playing, Britney‘s assistant came up to the stage and held up a bottle of Diet Dr. Pepper with a straw in it. Before sipping into it, she laughed, smiled, and said, “I feel so weird.” She also noted during the event that her favorite snacks in the studio are sushi and skittles!
ARE YOU EXCITED for Britney Spears’ upcoming album Britney Jean?


BREATHEHEAVY REVIEW OF THE ALBUM:

Britney Spears answered questions and played several songs at her “Britney Jean” album listening party at Will.I.Am’s studio Thursday evening, and BreatheHeavy.com was there to enjoy every pulsating minute of it.

Host Andy Cohen (swooon) kicked it off (while “I Am Britney Jean” cameras were rolling) with a few questions about what makes this album so personal for her. She says she went through a lot this year with her breakup with Jason Trawick, and “Perfume” is a great reflection of that.
Andy intro-ed the first song of the night: the William Orbit-produced track, “Alien.”
Britney whispered to Andy that’s her favorite track off the album! She says fans can relate to “Alien” because sometimes we all feel “alienated, shy, or nervous.”
“Don’t Cry” sounded great in the 30-second snippet that leaked earlier this week, but it doesn’t do the full track justice. The bass is super heavy, upfront vocals and a killer intro.
Another banger was “It Should Be Easy” feat. will.i.am and Robo-Britney (in a good way). The breakdown is sick and very electro-pop; a perfect track to jam to at any afterparty in Vegas. They’ll provide the fog, strobe lights and alcohol. You bring the sunglasses.
Probably the most impressive track of the night was “Tik Tik Boom” featuring T.I. and produced by Antony Preston – you could definitely see Britney’s face light up during this song as she shook her shoulders; Will.I.Am could not sit still through it.
Britney told the audience she’s a pretty shy person and that it’s a little awkward hearing her own music in front of a group of people while sitting on a stool – she told Will.I.Am earlier in the night she’d rather perform it instead.
She’ll get that chance starting December 27 in Las Vegas! Great job tonight, Brit & Will (& Andy).

EONLINE REVIEW OF THE ALBUM:

Britney Jean really is Britney Spears' most personal work yet.
About 100 people gathered for a listening party tonight for Brit's upcoming eighth studio album, where they were treated to a preview of "Alien," "Perfume," "Tick Tick Boom" featuring T.I., "Don't Cry" and "It Should Be," featuring will.i.am, who hosted the event at his Hollywood studio.
"It's my most personal album," Spears said. "I went through a breakup this year and a lot of the album has to do with that."
In between tracks, Andy Cohen moderated a chat on a makeshift stage with Spears and Will.i.am.
The pop princess called herself a "perfectionist" about work.
"I love what I do so I have a hand in everything that I do," she said.
The 31-year-old showbiz veteran also revealed her favorite snack foods while recording—sushi and Skittles!
Spears looked fab. Her signature blond hair was down and fell over her shoulders. She wore tight black pants, a sleeveless black shirt and black heels.
She said of the new album, "I want people to listen to it and be inspired."
Britney Jean goes on sale Dec. 3. Its first single, "Work Bitch," dropped in mid-September.
Earlier this month, Spears released "Perfume," the second single from the album.
"'Perfume' is incredibly special to me because it hits close to home, and I think the story is relatable to everyone," the pop princess told me exclusively at the time. "Everyone's been through an insecure moment in a relationship that's left them vulnerable and I think this song captures that."
About three weeks after Britney Jean drops, the mother of two will launch her two-year residency, Piece of Me, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

MTV REVIEW OF THE ALBUM:

The pop superstar hosted an intimate listening party in Los Angeles on Thursday night, playing four never-before-heard tracks from her highly anticipated álbum.
Britney Spears went back to basics Thursday (November 21) with an intimate listening party for her new album, Britney Jean.
Decked in black and white, Spears, executive producer will.i.am and panel moderator Andy Cohen blended right in with the futuristic and minimalist West Hollywood venue — complete with white walls and black lights. Classic Spears hits, including "...Baby One More Time" and "Womanizer," put the crowd of about 100 journalists and industry insiders in the mood for some new fare, and appropriately prepped the group for Spears' new-yet-delightfully familiar sound.
Time and time again, Spears has said that Britney Jean is "one of my most personal albums to date" — a sentiment she reiterated once more, confessing that "a lot" of the material was influenced by her breakup from ex-fiance Jason Trawick. But fans might be surprised to hear what actually fueled the new album. Asked by Cohen about her recording studio snack of choice, Spears didn't have to hesitate. "I like sushi," she said. "Sushi and Skittles."
Her superstar work ethic certainly didn't hurt, either. Without naming names, will.i.am recalled working with countless hard-partying artists who hang around the studio for hours, often with an entourage, without recording anything of value. "Britney's the total opposite," he said.
Spears played four never-heard tracks for the room, plus her latest single "Perfume," which she described as a "vulnerable song." Looking past the lyrics, "Perfume" is a rare gem in Spears' repertoire. With her vocals front and center, the song is synthesizer free and chock full of emotion. "We wanted to treat her vocal as the main character of the song," said Will.i.am.
But for fans eager to hear more club-ready bangers from the pop princess, fear not: "It Should Be Easy," featuring vocals from will.i.am, delivers with thumping beats, synthesized vocals and a dance-ready groove. As does the smash "Tick Tick Boom," featuring T.I., which —much like the title —sneaks its way towards a supersonic climax in the chorus. Both tracks demonstrate Spears' ability to truly excel on her uptempo material, and will have longtime Britney fans dancing like it's 2003.
But it's not all party jams on Britney Jean. "Alien" is a midtempo but powerfull follow-up to 2007's "Piece of Me" that chronicles Spears' life in the spotlight. "We all have moments in our life where we feel a little alienated," Spears said of her fame. On the chorus, the singer assures listeners that they're "not alone." And on the breakup anthem "Don't Cry," the 31-year-old tells the story of saying goodbye to a lost love. "I'll survive," she sings, but "you don't need to see me cry."
Overall, Spears hopes that her eighth studio album is an inspirational listen. "I want people to listen to it and be inspired," she said, "to work out and have a good day." For his part, will.i.am promises that Spears "brought her supreme best" to the project, contributing heartfelt lyrics and delivering "beautiful melodies." "Take the time and listen to this album," he urged fans. "It's a beautiful piece of work." Britney Jean hits shelves on November 29.

Britney: Someone tell Congress to get to #WorkBxxCH

This is my favorite #WorkBxxCH review so far http://t.co/H6PkoswCvi.  It put a smile on my face this morning :)
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) October 2, 2013

I C U @PerezHilton http://t.co/SYTnGP08Il.  Glad you enjoyed my desert escapade :)
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) October 2, 2013

Go call the po-lice, Go Call The Gu-vunah! Someone tell Congress to get to #WorkBxxCH
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) October 2, 2013

Britney Spears' 'Work B**ch!' Aiming for High Hot 100 Debut, Pop Radio Playing Edited Version

One more time, Britney Spears has caused a circus-like frenzy ahead of a new album.
"Work B**ch!" introduces Spears' eighth studio set, due Dec. 3. While the track is off to a fast start at radio, its title and lyrics are causing some programmers concern, leading to airplay for a label-issued lyrically-edited version.
Still, look for the track to storm the Billboard Hot 100 next week following its first full week of sales, streaming and airplay. (It debuts this week on Dance/Electronic Songs at No. 16 due largely to early airplay.) Industry sources forecast "Work" to sell 175,000 downloads by the end of the tracking week on Sept. 22. Such a sales sum would likely lead to a top 20 Hot 100 bow, with a top 10 start a possibility depending on the song's finalized sales total, as well as its first-full week of airplay and streaming.
Check Billboard.biz on Sept. 25 for highlights of next week's Hot 100, including where "Work" will arrive.
This week, in addition to its entrance on Dance/Electronic Songs, "Work" enters Hot 100 Airplay at No. 69. It begins after slightly more than two days of airplay with 16 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen BDS. The song is in line to launch in the top 25 of the Mainstream Top 40 chart to be compiled on Monday. (Aiding its start, participating Clear Channel-owned chart reporters played "Work" hourly on Monday).
EDITED VS. NON-EDITED: RADIO'S REACTION
While BDS data backs that pop radio is clearly excited to spotlight a new Spears song, its lyrical content is causing PDS considerable thought. RCA Records has serviced stations with two versions: the original "Work B**ch!" and a seemingly safer "Work Work" edit. RCA executive VP/GM Joe Riccitelli says that so far, "It feels like a 50/50 split" as to what version stations are deciding to play.
Pop program directors back up Riccitelli's assessment.
"Britney, can you please put out a record out without the word 'bitch' in it?" pleads KHHM Sacramento, Calif., PD Pattie Moreno. "Please, can you help a girl out?"
Still, says Moreno, who's programming the "Work Work" edit, "Listeners are over-the-top excited about this song."
WPST Philadelphia is also playing the "Work Work" version. "We even got an official intro to play before the song with Britney saying 'Work Work,'" notes PD Dave McKay.
McKay recalls past songs like Meredith Brooks' 1997 No. 2 Hot 100 hit "Bitch" and Elton John's 1974 No. 4-peaking classic "The Bitch Is Back" and wonders if context plays a part in the song's acceptability on radio. It might be one thing for Brooks to self-deprecatingly refer to herself as the song's title, but another for Spears to use the term in a more accusatory way.
That it's pop radio also plays a factor. PDs are careful about content on a station that prides itself as one that mothers and daughters can listen to together. Conversely, at adult male-focused rock radio, for instance, Jet's "Cold Hard Bitch" or Godsmack's "Cryin' Like a Bitch!" aren't as jarring.
Not that all at pop radio coming down on the side of caution.
WNOW New York PD Gillette is spinning the original version of "Work." "'Bitch' is not a dirty word," he says. "No complaints so far. Plus, it's a great dance track."
Ultimately, Gillette urges looking past the song's title to what he sees as a song with a valuable message.
"If you actually listen to the lyrics, it's motivational, even educational: there is no free lunch. If you want something, you have to work for it.
"So far, the listeners love it."

SOURCE: billboard.com

Billboard: The 10 Best Things About The "Work Bitch"

On Sunday (Sept. 15), Britney Spears returned with "Work Bitch," a strange, British-inflected, ultimately great new single, presumably from her forthcoming eighth studio album. Having trouble getting on the "Work Bitch" train? Here are 10 reasons why you should love Britney's latest:



1. The BRITish Accent. Let's get this out of the way first: Britney utilizes a British accent on "Work Bitch." This is an okay thing! In a post-"Applause" world, where Lady Gaga is allowed to vamp it up on the verses, it's more than acceptable for Spears to embrace her inner Britishney and heighten the ferocity of her commands here. As Grantland's Molly Lambert points out, the use of the fake accent essentially allows Spears to assume the identity of a new character -- in this case, a no-nonsense headmistress who extols the virtue of relentless labor as a means to the purchase of many fancily named cars. Spears already explored a U.K. persona on the "clob" banger "Scream & Shout," and in the context of these lyrics, it makes even more sense. Bloody brilliant!

2. The Practicality Of It All. "Work Bitch," as its title suggests, does not abide by laziness, but also offers some solid cause-and-effect reasoning in its lyrics. Silver-spoon circumstances aside, most people have to work very, very hard in order to secure substantial funds for Maseratis, mansions and membership at Parisian parties. However, as Britney points out, a "hot body" also requires work -- a different, more physical form of work, but work nonetheless. You cannot argue with Spears' fundamental point here. This is the pop music equivalent of showing your work in math class: instead of just screaming "Work Bitch" at her followers, Spears is providing concretes examples of the importance of labor, further motivating listeners at gyms, offices and car dealerships worldwide. 

3. The Big, Fat Bass. Listen to that drop at the 0:45-second mark -- the synth riff that sounded a bit tinny during the first chorus becomes infinitely more muscular, and as Spears groans in the background, the listener receives his or her first opportunity to let loose some awkward shoulder grooves. The bass cycles in and out throughout "Work Bitch," and when it flies into the forefront, the depth of that hook multiplies deliciously.
4. The Arrival Of 'Real' Britney. After teasing her fans with her militaristic "work" cries during the opening minute of the single, Spears tosses aside the British accent for the time being and kicks off the song's first proper verse with the aching couplet, "Bring it on, ring the alarm/Don't stop now, just be the champion." The way Spears releases her alter ego and allows the last syllable of each line to float skyward without resolve makes for one of the most compelling moments in the song.
5. The "Here It Co-o-o-omes" Line. How does Spears snap back into British mode? By warping that line in the first verse into a metallic candle being burned at both ends. That phrase is the sound of Spears' processed reality circling down the drain, and it's arresting.

6. The Gloriously Weird Second Verse. After the second chorus ends, Britney somehow morphs into Paul Revere and starts ringing her own alarm. "You can hear my sound/Tell somebody in your town/Spread the word/Spread the word!" she cries, as if the Internet no longer exists and the news of her pop dominance must be delivered via horseback. Then, she doubles down on the wacky concept, commanding, "Go call the police/go call the governor/I bring the treble/Don't mean to trouble ya." What musical trouble could Spears possibly be concocting that would compel listeners to phone their governors? The "treble" line is a callback to "Scream & Shout," but we're more curious about Spears' political demands at this point.

7. The Oddball Structure. About halfway through "Work Bitch," the listener realizes how daring the song is in composition. A spoken-word chorus based on the word "bitch"? Verses that mirror each other and contain multiple accents? These are not the marks of a straightforward radio offering. "The great thing about Britney Spears is that she makes dazzlingly weird songs and then tricks everyone into thinking it's mainstream," Idolator's Sam Lansky wrote on Twitter about "Work Bitch." Based on the structure alone, it's hard to disagree.
8. The Breath-Catching Bridge. Following the second verse, "Work Bitch's" beat drops out completely, and Spears appears without pretense to instruct her audience, "Hold your head high, fingers to the sky/They goon' try to try ya, But they can't deny ya." It's an epic (albeit a bit cliched) breakdown, but the thumping, anthemic bridge really deserves praise for being unpredictable. As a trio of beats crash down upon the wave of synths, Spears returns to the dance mania of "Femme Fatale," and best of all, the change-up doesn't feel forced. These 30 seconds are going to absolutely slay when delivered live.
9. The Final Onslaught. "Work" x 16. "Work it out" x 12. The synth riffs return, but they've been doused in gasoline and are eventually set aflame. This outro is breathless, pummeling electronic music. Resist it at your own peril.
10. The Individuality. "Work Bitch" smacks of "Blackout"-era Britney in production and lyrical content, and the accent and overall feel recalls "Scream & Shout," Spears' collaboration with "Work" producer Will.i.am. But Spears' new single clearly has both eyes trained on the finer moments of the recent EDM boom, and not on the success of Spears' past radio smashes. "Work Bitch" takes risks that were not present on the (highly enjoyable) "Femme Fatale" singles -- and Spears has earned the right to take risks. Those fearing a single as safe as "Ooh La La" have been given a single with a singular, uncompromising vision. This is not paint-by-numbers pop. Go tell the police, the governor, the state congressman, the barber, the guy who works at your local Burger King -- go tell whoever you need that Britney is back.

Perez Hilton review of "Work Bitch"

We don't like to sugarcoat things. We are all about the real! And the truth is… Britney Spears' new single, Work Bitch, is going to be a big hit!
Having said that… the song left us wanting more! Here's why!
We last left Brit Brit on a bit of a down note. We were a bit BLAH with Ohh La La, her single off the Smurfs soundtrack.
THANKFULLY, the new single is a huge improvement on that!
Work Bitch is basically Scream & Shout Part 2.
Scream & Shout was a huge hit for Britney and Will.I.Am, and this song is a continuation of that. The only difference is that Work Bitch does not feature Will. It is Britney solo. And it's another Will.I.Am production.
Produced by Will, the song is ALL ABOUT the production, which is very similar to Scream & Shout and very fun. It is instantly pleasing on the ears and will definitely be a big hit globally.
Once again "British Britney" is back, singing/speaking in her fabulously affected British accent. And, yes, we said singing/speaking - because Brit Brit probably talks parts of the song as much as she sings them.
While we were satisfied with the song, we hope the next single off Spears' album is more melodic. More of a song that is less about production and more about lyric and melody.
Work Bitch features hilarious non-sequitur after non-sequitur, more so than actual "lyrics". Britney probably adlibbed and made them up herself, as we were told by her label that she "co-wrote" the song.
It's fun. It's lighthearted. It's Britney, bitch!!!
 Source: PerezHilton.com

Katty Griffin love watching Britney

(WATCH) Cameron Diaz praises on Britney on X Factor

Howard Stern talks mad about Britney on X Factor

• “I think it’s a wonderful decision. Britney still thinks the earth is flat,” Stern joked. “I can’t imagine… I think we’re going to tune in to see her, to see if she can function through the thing. As far as any real criticism, I think Simon [Cowell] and LA Reid will do that. As far as criticism, I think Britney will sit there and eat a lollipop and wear a sexy outfit… I’ll tune in to see what kind of train wreck she is, absolutely.”

Well, now anyone can explain me why in Spain nobody know who is this "dirty-hair" man?? and spanish loves Britney, crminal is on top 30... i was thinkin on tell this men a fwe things but, (lol) i dont really care what this "man" say...