Britney Spears

Lately I've been listening to a few of the leaked tracks on Britney Spears' upcoming seventh studio album, Femme Fatale, including the first two singles "Hold It Against Me" and "Till The World Ends."


While I don't exactly approve of the disc title, it's her album and she can call it anything she wants.  She is, after all, Britney Spears.  Perhaps my biggest issue with Spears' new music is her continued use of Autotune.  Take a listen to "Till The World Ends."  I'm not referring to her use of the device just to smooth out of her voice.  The vocal manipulation is extremely similar to what Cher did on Believe in 1999.  I realize Britney has never been, and probably never will be, much of a live singer (have you seen the woman dance?) but her voice sounds unrealistically young here.  She sounds exactly the same as she did when her debut single, "... Baby One More Time" hit the airwaves in October 1998.  A woman's voice deepens with age, especially if she's a singer.  My last real problem is her role as a songwriter.  Her creative role has increased with each album she's released, but other than "Everytime" from 2003's In the Zone, she's never written a smash hit.  Perhaps though, like Cher, writing is just simply not one of her strengths.


Also unfair is the fan war between Britney and Lady Gaga.  While both artists dominate pop music, that's pretty much where their similarities end.  Both stars grew up in entirely different backgrounds, different home lives, different experiences.  Personally, I do think Gaga is a superior writer (as she writes most of her own tracks with very little co-writing) and her vocals do not need an Autotune, which is evident if you see her live.  Her tiny little body boasts a powerhouse voice.  Britney, however, is a superior dancer and has a unique ability to professionally pair herself professionally with the best producers in the business.  


Comparing Britney and Gaga is like trying to compare Cher with Stevie Nicks.  Both ladies are divas but have approached their careers differently; same can be said for Britney and Gaga.  Part of Britney's enduring and endearing charm is the fact that she's been around forever.  "... Baby One More Time" hit the radio in October 1998, and the album of the same name dropped in January 1999.  Her longevity in the pop world, something that is extremely hard to come by for most these days, is a testament to the fact that she made a lasting connection with her fans and with the American public and the public's lasting fascination with her turbulent public life.


While she would still no doubt be successful, I seriously doubt she would have the same monster success if she were just now surfacing on the pop scene.  Pop music is so saturated with girls all vying to be the next pop queen, it can actually be seen as brilliant that Gaga uses outrageous fashion and stage production to accentuate her music.  It gave her an edge.  Timing has always been incredibly instrumental in the music business.  If an artist or album or song, no matter how fantastic, is thrust onto the public at the wrong time the whole thing can flop.  Britney emerged at a time when we really didn't have any pop sweethearts.  There was no Gaga, no Ke$ha, and we had very little exposure to Beyonce at that point.  America and pop music were ready for Britney at that point.


I was recently listening to a radio interview conducted last week with Stevie Nicks, who has a new album out in May, on longevity in the volatile music business.  Nicks has always stated that to remain relevant and alive in the business an artist's best bet is to write their own songs.  Songwriting may not be Spears' strong suit, but with each album she has increased her role in the writing and production areas.  


I can only imagine the stress she must go through each time she records.  After all, record industry execs pressure her to be just as successful as all her previous outings.  Spears is no stranger to music industry lows, but what happens when she releases an album that just doesn't do that well at all?  2007's Blackout, despite its critically favorable reviews, is the closest thing Spears has come to a commercial flop.  What happens when she releases an album that sells less than a million copies?


Sooner or later she's going to experience commercial failure, or something to the equivalent.  No one's streak goes on forever.  A hundred artists with far superior music credentials have released amazing albums that, mostly due to timing, were commercial flops.  It happens to everyone.  To her credit, Spears possesses a very Madonna-like quality of upgrading her image.


That's why I was so disappointed by the music video for "Hold It Against Me."  Conceptually I understand what she was going for, I understand the imagery and the intellectualism behind it all.  It just came out wrong.  It reminds of something she would have done at 24, not a girl who is turning 30 this December.