My best friend was talking about “Femme Fatale” the other day. “Each song, individually, is FANTASTIC,” she said. “Overall they're all REALLY great. I do have a problem with the album though... it may be a small problem but... " We will return to that “but” later.
One thing is very obvious about Britney Spears’ new album “Femme Fatale” - its creators were obsessed by uniformity. Maybe they took careful note of the praise retrospectively heaped upon “Blackout” for being a genuine “album” rather than a bagful of assorted goodies like “Circus”.
Consistency here is achieved in various ways - one is the simple device of making no room whatsoever for ballads. Every track is for dancing. Another is to have a control freak knob-twiddler doubling as Executive Producer so nothing can interfere with his vision. And a third is to give every track - bar one - the same characteristic SOUND. And this turns out to be surprisingly important.
Where “Circus” employed 8 different mix engineers and “Blackout” employed 4, “Femme Fatale” uses the same one on 15 of the 16 tracks on the deluxe edition. Unsurprisingly, Will.He.Is had to do it his own way, but elsewhere, Romanian-born hit-assister Serban Ghenea reigns supreme. He’s Dr Luke’s regular mixer, but on “Femme Fatale” the tracks by other producers are also mixed by him.
Ghenea comments: "I love to blend the elements of different musical styles that may not normally exist together in order to create a new sound for the artist and make it their own. 'Artist A' shouldn't sound like 'Artist C' just because a producer or mixer has their own signature sound.” In other words, he’s aware of the danger that Britney, Katy and Ke$ha could end up as soundalikes. And, true to his word, blending of styles does take place, and the consistent approach he adopts makes some fairly disparate songs slot together quite seamlessly.
Whether Dr Luke was working by instinct or by some grand strategic plan, his vision for Britney seems to have been to configure her as an old-school artist working in a contemporary environment. The outworking of this is an album with all the up-to-date dance credentials and pop electronica in the world, but illuminated by nostalgic Euro-disco sounds and chord sequences, nods and tributes to half-remembered hits from the past, and lots of deja-vu moments. Many listeners may even hear echoes of earlier Britney songs and vocal treatments. And Ghenea holds it all together.
This isn’t a bad direction to take. For one thing, it means that “Femme Fatale” has a familiar, cuddly, embraceable charm that first engages you, then forever welcomes you back like an old and trusted friend. It also means songs with old-style melodic hooks instead of cheap gimmicks. Hooks like these can rescue a situation. For example, when “Seal It With A Kiss” begins, it seems like yawnworthy generic filler until you get to “...and seal it with a kiss, ooo ooo eee ooo!” and suddenly it’s elevated. Nostalgia uberfreaks will be pleased to know that a song called “Sealed With A Kiss” was a hit for Brian Hyland in 1962.
The thing that has annoyed me most about the other reviews I’ve read is that nobody wants to give any credit to Britney herself. It’s almost as if the ghastly realisation that she lip-synchs her live shows has mutated in the minds of some critics into “She can’t sing at all, even in the studio”. And this nonsense has rendered them completely deaf to something that’s really very clear - her vocals on this album are among her best on record, and are perfectly strong and assertive in their own right, as good as those of her peers, with no need for excuses. These aren’t the kinds of song that lend themselves to a Loletta Holloway-style gore-fest, so I don’t know what her critics were expecting.
As ever, Britney uses a different approach to singing each song, and it’s a fascinating study. Purring, snarling, laughing, wheedling, demanding, sometimes vulnerable, sometimes strong... she shows anyone with mature critical faculties that singing isn’t all about hollering out a song at the top of your lungs. Granted, though, there are a couple of occasions on which she resorts - perhaps unnecessarily, given the context - to her robotic voice, and that seems to be the only thing the bashers are able to hear.
The running order of the 12 main tracks is well-chosen to give relief when it’s most required from Ghenea’s rather insistent bass-drum thumping on the many 4-4 stompers, but you wouldn’t want to be without at least some of the bonus tracks. As on “Circus”, they include some egregious, fascinating, standalone delights - yet even the bonus tracks fall within the embrace of the album’s signature sound.
And that brings us back to the “but” that my friend mentioned. Here it comes: “But even though each song is awesome... as a WHOLE, the album feels a bit... hmm... repetitive? Even a little boring, and I never thought I’d say that about Britney”. I can see her point. A few too many songs with monotonous or duotonous beginnings? I wouldn’t go as far as "boring" myself. Most of the tracks are now my little friends, y’see.
What we did agree on was this: “Women of sophisticated aesthetic tastes such as us would always want some light-and-shade, and with Britney you usually get it.” We didn’t get it this time, which is a shame. “Femme Fatale” contains just about as much variety as anyone could imagine, given its self-imposed constraints. I prefer the warmth, friendliness and fun of “Femme Fatale” to the bleakness of “Blackout”. But ballads are the windows into Britney’s soul, and I miss them.
Turning now to the individual tracks:
Till The World Ends
Co-written by Ke$ha, this uplifting, energising 80’s-style Euro-disco anthem has a repetitive verse but a soaring, melodic chorus with a chant that could be a cross between the Crazy Frog and a football chant, and gallops along to a thundering finale. Britney sings like a woman who has just rediscovered an appetite for life: “I can’t take it take it take it take NO MORRRRRE!!!” The production is competent, but somehow lacks impulsion at key moments. So it may be that the song doesn’t quite maximise its potential impact.
Hold It Against Me
This, the dramatically successful lead single from the album, also has a repetitive verse, and again the melodic chorus elevates it to a higher plane. Britney’s voice is somewhat more constricted than on “TTWE” but strong nonetheless, and the track is driven along by a pounding, grinding, heavy bassline. There’s a much-discussed dubstep instrumental break that may not have been 100% authentic but at least introduced dubstep to a wider audience.
Inside Out
One of the outstanding songs on the album, musically and lyrically, and one of closest to being a ballad. My best friend says she’s going to borrow from this text for her next break up! An extremely imaginative bassline dips and soars, wobbles, pulsates and goes almost subsonic. The production has great authority, clarity and space, and Britney’s vocal is distinct, open-throated and assertive: “So come on!!!” I would love for this track to become a single some day.
I Wanna Go
The fourth track sounds a little weak at first, after the brilliance of the third, but this is one of those songs where the hook keeps everything alive: “Shame on me-eee! [whistling]” At “I wanna go all the way” the chorus takes flight and somehow the second rendering of the verse seems more melodic than the first. Britney’s vocal is best-described as “coquettish” and the production amounts to little more than some standard-issue thumping.
How I Roll
An inspired piece of musical lunacy from Bloodshy and his Swedish pals provides a sharp contrast to the pop-rock beats that precede it, and is instantly memorable. The uncredited male duettist on the choruses could be better, especially at ending his words. Britney, her voice gentle and melodic, sings “You can be my thug tonight” and hostile critics accuse her of singing “fuck”. The track is an odd compilation of short segments, and the part that begins “shimmy shimmy” seems to come out of nowhere. But, amazingly, it fits. The instrumental tracks are predominantly piano, bass and percussion, and the production is sparse yet expansive, and very laid-back.
(Drop Dead) Beautiful
A hammer-heavy rhythmic thump-fest with a minimal melody that sneaks up on you with an ectoplasmic lack of substance. Britney, perhaps revealing some difficulty in engaging with such a slight piece of writing, slips into her most robotic mode so that, when Sabi takes her place to rap about vegetables, the substitution goes unnoticed by many critics. Highlights are the peal of girlish laughter and electronic “uh-oh!”
Seal It With A Kiss
The melody-averse verse seems worryingly similar to much that has gone before, perhaps leading to my friend’s allegation of repetitiveness. But then the hook comes along and changes everything, as explained above. The vaguely organ-tinged instrumental break is so minimal as to be surreal, but brings a strange sense of eerie calm to the center of the song. Britney is kittenish, staying just on the right side of robotic.
Big Fat Bass
Another eccentric moment, this time from Will.I.Am. The bass isn’t particularly deep, and it doesn’t seem any bigger when we’re assured that it is, but it’s still pretty big, and bombastic, and domineering. The highly melodic verse section beginning “You see me down on the floor” sounds like something stolen from a 70s hit by Earth Wind and Fire, right down to the harmonies. For some reason, Britney appears at first to be singing “I can be your trouble” but later it’s definitely “treble”. There’s a weird tap-dance while the kick-drum is awaited, then finally the bass does go deep and many elements come together in a rollicking conclusion.
Trouble For Me
Big nostalgia. This track sets off sounding exactly like an out-take from a much, much earlier Age of Britney, perhaps around 1999. Her vocal sound is even more of a throwback. The song itself is great, with a tune that the milkman could be whistling after one hearing, but the production undersells it, feeling uninspired and dragged down further by the brutalist thumping rhythm sound.
Trip To Your Heart
Forget anything you may have heard about certain tracks on “Blackout”, this is a real Giorgio Moroder-inspired disco number, with a beautiful, flowing, old-school melody. It would have been a smash in 1977. The electro-thump is more muted and muffled here, and instead the song is poked and prodded along by stabbing, jagging synth figures to left and right, while Britney’s soft, sweet, tuneful vocal sits serenely in the middle. For me, this is one of the highlights of the album and - unsurprisingly - it’s down to Bloodshy and his chums again.
Gasoline
Another great melody, with intelligent lyrics full of gasoline metaphors like “My heart only runs on Supreme” - I wonder how many young pop kids know what that means! The tune demands a wide vocal range from Britney, and her high register “you’re setting me on fire” is gripping. Her “hey yeah” punctuations are a real deja-vu moment but it’s hard to say exactly where we heard it before.
Criminal
Dare I utter the word “Gaga-esque”? I can imagine her singing it. But what that sounds like in my head is very different with Britney’s voice. She sings it both beautifully and convincingly, with much yearning, vulnerability and anxious emotion. That is her outstanding gift among her peers. “Criminal” is an extremely well-written and structured song; it’s one of the slowest on the album and - not by coincidence where Britney’s involved - one of the best.
Up ‘n’ Down
Back to a bygone age again, this track is built around one of the most familiar and heavily-used chord sequences in all of the history of dance music. And, of course, there’s that nostalgic charm again - but blended with modern programmed studio electronica. The rhythm is springy and subtler than it seems, and highly danceable.
He About To Lose Me
Rodney Jerkins contributes a beautiful song that brings out the best in Britney. She seems, amazingly, to revert to her pre-Jive voice - natural, unaffected, sweet of tone, open-voiced, with lovely vibrato applied to selected lines. Again it’s one of the slower, more thoughtful songs, and one of the most emotional moments on the album. Wonderful!
Selfish
I don’t know how this one sneaked under the wire and got into such high-quality company. Despite its “boom boom baby” hook, it really isn’t much good. It drives along with an athletic muscularity, a heavily percussive kick drum and some nice electric guitar, but that’s all.
Don’t Keep Me Waiting
Rodney Jerkins again, with another one of the album’s great moments - this time, real traditional rock with a backbeat instead of the all-pervasive pogoing rhythm we’ve been cursed with since the Stones released “Satisfaction”. “What the HELL?? I’m standing outside...” Britney gets into the mood, and “hell” sounds such a funny word in her mouth. Towards the end, her “don’t keep me waiting” sounds as if it’s accompanied by a hound-dog barking (OK, I know it isn’t but a girl can dream...)! And the whole thing thunders unstoppably towards the end of the album. A fitting finale, and one that shouldn’t have been relegated to the bonus tracks!
Showing posts with label britneyology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label britneyology. Show all posts
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
What's going on?!
I don't expect anyone to find this blog. It doesn't seem to be found by Google. But, over the course of time, I hope to be able to create little references to it here and there, and eventually people will know it exists. I'm Karen, the girl who wrote all those articles such as "The Magic and Mystery of Britney's Voice", "Barefoot Toilet Walker", and "Shadow - the elusive personality of Britney Spears". I also wrote dozens of "in depth" reviews of individual Britney tracks, albums, videos and biographies. If you find my style unusual for someone who writes about a pop princess, that's because my background is as an academic writer.
Since you're here, you may be wondering what happened to the original Britneyology.com website. I'm wondering that myself. I was never the owner, and the owner never told me what the commercial arrangements were, or how I could transfer ownership of the site or even the domain if it was ever necessary. But he stopped paying his bills, and didn't tell me, and there's nothing I can do. But he's had a lot of personal and health problems so I'm not about to start bashing him. He created and maintained the site for me, and supported me for years.
Meanwhile, I've started writing for a great Britney blog called PoorBritney.com. If you don't know about it, you should! I strongly recommend visiting every day for a week, and you'll be hooked. There's a dedicated "Britneyology" tab at the top of the homepage, where my recent articles can be found. And I think the long-term plan is to make available an archive of my older Britney articles and In-Depth Reviews, also under the "Britneyology" tab.
Obviously, when things are busy in Britney's world, my articles would seem random and out of place in the general flow of news and gossip at PoorBritney.com, so this little blog is my personal outlet, for use when I have a burning desire to get something down in black-and-white straight away. It'll be here for anyone who manages to find it and happens to be a fan of my writing.
If I sound sad, that's because I'm still grieving for my lost and much-loved Britneyology.com. But I promise to pick myself up, and get back to celebrating the world's most fascinating, intriguing, mysterious, elusive pop star - Britney Spears.
Since you're here, you may be wondering what happened to the original Britneyology.com website. I'm wondering that myself. I was never the owner, and the owner never told me what the commercial arrangements were, or how I could transfer ownership of the site or even the domain if it was ever necessary. But he stopped paying his bills, and didn't tell me, and there's nothing I can do. But he's had a lot of personal and health problems so I'm not about to start bashing him. He created and maintained the site for me, and supported me for years.
Meanwhile, I've started writing for a great Britney blog called PoorBritney.com. If you don't know about it, you should! I strongly recommend visiting every day for a week, and you'll be hooked. There's a dedicated "Britneyology" tab at the top of the homepage, where my recent articles can be found. And I think the long-term plan is to make available an archive of my older Britney articles and In-Depth Reviews, also under the "Britneyology" tab.
Obviously, when things are busy in Britney's world, my articles would seem random and out of place in the general flow of news and gossip at PoorBritney.com, so this little blog is my personal outlet, for use when I have a burning desire to get something down in black-and-white straight away. It'll be here for anyone who manages to find it and happens to be a fan of my writing.
If I sound sad, that's because I'm still grieving for my lost and much-loved Britneyology.com. But I promise to pick myself up, and get back to celebrating the world's most fascinating, intriguing, mysterious, elusive pop star - Britney Spears.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Why do people call it a "comeback"?
One thing has been bothering me a little about the media commentary on Britney’s stunning success with “Hold It Against Me” and on the widely anticipated hotness of the forthcoming album. Why is all of this activity being called a “comeback”? To us here at PB.com, she’s never been away.
We are stans, obviously, so she’s constantly in our thoughts anyway. But it’s not like she’s hibernating in a coffin and we’re living on memories. PB Bitch kindly provides us with a constant supply of news and sightings so we know she’s fit, well and looking good. We also know she’s been in and out of recording studios almost non-stop since her “Circus” tour ended, and every producer has been effusive about what they’ve created together.
A “comeback” is the end of a career break, whether voluntary or imposed by circumstances. But Britney has barely rested from productive activity. The gaps between her projects have been much, much shorter than those of most other artists. We had “Blackout” in 2007, “Circus” in 2008, the “Circus” tour in 2009, and we could have had another album in 2010 if it hadn’t been postponed.
So at what point was her career put on hold? In objective terms, it never was. “Blackout” was a surprise rise from the dead - only a few months before its appearance, some fans were predicting that she’d never make another album - and actually was a comeback, but what about “Circus”? I’ve heard the theory put about that she was halfway back with “Blackout” and three-quarters back with “Circus” but that the REAL Britney, the girl who can grab the baton from the Britney who made the Oops album, is only now reappearing.
But these fine gradations of coming back are a stan’s-eye view. Those outside the fanbase view the situation with far less subtlety. To them it’s a comeback to a career that was put on hold. And one guy I’ve spoken to, who isn’t as close to the Britney Situation as the rest of us, came up with a credible explanation - to the public at large, there was no Britney Spears in the “Circus” era. Yes, she had hits and yes she had a massive-selling tour, but SHE, as the star behind them and as a person, retreated from view and eventually became all but invisible - except to us.
On the level of sales and downloads to the broad fanbase, her career is going very well indeed. Her last two singles have debuted at the top of the Billboard Chart, and that doesn’t happen to everybody. But, on the other hand, her market is contracting. A 2-hour TV show about fame on UK TV two days ago barely mentioned her at all. Several recent TV shows listing the “Top 20 US pop girls” or “Top 20 Hot Pop Babes”, or whatever, did include her, but nowhere near the top.
On a superficial level, she scarcely seems to be one of the hot celebrities any more, if only because nobody in the mainstream media seems to be talking about her very much. Obviously this is because she has opted for a somewhat less incident-filled life than in the Sam Lutfi era, and that is fine and as expected, but it’s interesting to note that the media are calling her “Britney Spears” again now, where once she was simply “Britney”.
However, “Celebrity” seems to be like an instant temperature check, rather than a more long-term assessment. We may suspect that Britney’s “fame” is on another, transcendent level - a level that transcends “celebrity”. This is someone who was in at the the dawning of musical awareness of more than one generation, and is held in awe for that. This is also someone who has survived some particularly painful rites of passage. If she even walked out onstage at the Grammys, you would see what it means to celebrate a true legend.
What’s so special about fame at this level is that it can be reheated to white-hot level at almost any time. Right now, the ripples from the seismic impact of “Hold It Against Me” are spreading outwards and lapping against a few unfamilar shores. People outside the hardcore are acknowledging her existence again, and some are even speaking of her importance to the grammar and semiology of pop.
But even this won’t be enough to place her back at the top of pop lists. For many outside the stanbase, the vibe will be “Ah, Britney Spears.. she’s still alive then? Good song..... Umm, when’s GaGa’s album coming out?“ We want them to be going “BRITNEY SPEARS, wow! This girl is truly the Queen of Pop!” And that will need some genuine PR inspiration. It used to be said that “Britney Spears” was an anagram for “Best PR in years” but where did it go?
In the run-up to the release of “Hold it against me”, all kinds of campaign were promised, but in the end it transpired that these promises WERE the campaign and there was nothing more.
So they got away with it again. Another Britney product successfully sold, but with the skeptics muttering “this product contains no Britney Spears”. Once again they have failed to selling HER. Is this the way it will always be? Is it some kind of post-modern concept of letting the music stand on its own? OK, it works for Britney but I’d love to see her gain some acknowledgment of her input into the music. I would love the promo campaign for her new album to focus on Britney, the amazing person, the talented star, the icon, the legend, so the great music and great star will be identified with each other again. And when her NEXT album comes out in November 2012, PLEASE let it not be called a “comeback”.
We are stans, obviously, so she’s constantly in our thoughts anyway. But it’s not like she’s hibernating in a coffin and we’re living on memories. PB Bitch kindly provides us with a constant supply of news and sightings so we know she’s fit, well and looking good. We also know she’s been in and out of recording studios almost non-stop since her “Circus” tour ended, and every producer has been effusive about what they’ve created together.
A “comeback” is the end of a career break, whether voluntary or imposed by circumstances. But Britney has barely rested from productive activity. The gaps between her projects have been much, much shorter than those of most other artists. We had “Blackout” in 2007, “Circus” in 2008, the “Circus” tour in 2009, and we could have had another album in 2010 if it hadn’t been postponed.
So at what point was her career put on hold? In objective terms, it never was. “Blackout” was a surprise rise from the dead - only a few months before its appearance, some fans were predicting that she’d never make another album - and actually was a comeback, but what about “Circus”? I’ve heard the theory put about that she was halfway back with “Blackout” and three-quarters back with “Circus” but that the REAL Britney, the girl who can grab the baton from the Britney who made the Oops album, is only now reappearing.
But these fine gradations of coming back are a stan’s-eye view. Those outside the fanbase view the situation with far less subtlety. To them it’s a comeback to a career that was put on hold. And one guy I’ve spoken to, who isn’t as close to the Britney Situation as the rest of us, came up with a credible explanation - to the public at large, there was no Britney Spears in the “Circus” era. Yes, she had hits and yes she had a massive-selling tour, but SHE, as the star behind them and as a person, retreated from view and eventually became all but invisible - except to us.
On the level of sales and downloads to the broad fanbase, her career is going very well indeed. Her last two singles have debuted at the top of the Billboard Chart, and that doesn’t happen to everybody. But, on the other hand, her market is contracting. A 2-hour TV show about fame on UK TV two days ago barely mentioned her at all. Several recent TV shows listing the “Top 20 US pop girls” or “Top 20 Hot Pop Babes”, or whatever, did include her, but nowhere near the top.
On a superficial level, she scarcely seems to be one of the hot celebrities any more, if only because nobody in the mainstream media seems to be talking about her very much. Obviously this is because she has opted for a somewhat less incident-filled life than in the Sam Lutfi era, and that is fine and as expected, but it’s interesting to note that the media are calling her “Britney Spears” again now, where once she was simply “Britney”.
However, “Celebrity” seems to be like an instant temperature check, rather than a more long-term assessment. We may suspect that Britney’s “fame” is on another, transcendent level - a level that transcends “celebrity”. This is someone who was in at the the dawning of musical awareness of more than one generation, and is held in awe for that. This is also someone who has survived some particularly painful rites of passage. If she even walked out onstage at the Grammys, you would see what it means to celebrate a true legend.
What’s so special about fame at this level is that it can be reheated to white-hot level at almost any time. Right now, the ripples from the seismic impact of “Hold It Against Me” are spreading outwards and lapping against a few unfamilar shores. People outside the hardcore are acknowledging her existence again, and some are even speaking of her importance to the grammar and semiology of pop.
But even this won’t be enough to place her back at the top of pop lists. For many outside the stanbase, the vibe will be “Ah, Britney Spears.. she’s still alive then? Good song..... Umm, when’s GaGa’s album coming out?“ We want them to be going “BRITNEY SPEARS, wow! This girl is truly the Queen of Pop!” And that will need some genuine PR inspiration. It used to be said that “Britney Spears” was an anagram for “Best PR in years” but where did it go?
In the run-up to the release of “Hold it against me”, all kinds of campaign were promised, but in the end it transpired that these promises WERE the campaign and there was nothing more.
So they got away with it again. Another Britney product successfully sold, but with the skeptics muttering “this product contains no Britney Spears”. Once again they have failed to selling HER. Is this the way it will always be? Is it some kind of post-modern concept of letting the music stand on its own? OK, it works for Britney but I’d love to see her gain some acknowledgment of her input into the music. I would love the promo campaign for her new album to focus on Britney, the amazing person, the talented star, the icon, the legend, so the great music and great star will be identified with each other again. And when her NEXT album comes out in November 2012, PLEASE let it not be called a “comeback”.
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