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Britney Spears' "Femme Fatale" Puts Her Back On Top

Sarah Webb |
March 25, 2011 | 12:24 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Photo courtesy of Britney's website
Photo courtesy of Britney's website
Pop bombshell and wild child Britney Spears’ new 2011 album "Femme Fatale" hits stores March 29, but is it all it's cracked up to be? 

 Although impressively catchy and progressive in both sound and style, the new tracks just don’t quite measure up to her fiercely powerful 2007 release "Blackout," which was completed amidst her personal crisis.

Regardless, "Femme Fatale" possesses brilliancy all its own, solidifying Britney’s title as a reigning queen of pop music along with the likes of Madonna.

With a rather disappointing release of "Circus" in 2008, some critics speculated that Spears had nothing new to offer.  She seemed like yet another sold-out popstar with unsurprising lyrics and run-of-the-mill melodies.  With this new release, it’s safe to say that Britney is back.

"Fatale" brings back some elements of "Blackout," namely the the banging club beats, while still maintaining lyrical character. 

The opener “Till the World Ends” builds the listener up to a euphoric, rave-style chorus that gets us psyched for what’s to come.  Pop singer Ke$ha claims some big-time writing credits for this hit. But Britney makes the song her own and exhibits a controlled fall into a club-style celebration that builds excitement for the rest of the tracks.

“Hold it Against Me” has already claimed noteworthy attention on the airwaves as a radio single worthy enough to take a spot on her next “Best Hits” album.  The song takes mainstream pop into the realm of underground dubstep: a growing genre now taking American music listening by storm.  The heavy waves pulsate and dig deep into the ears, serving as an excellent transition into Britney’s lovely vocals.

“Inside Out” slows down the album’s pace a little with the sensual story of two lovers going through a breakup.  The combination of slow dubstep womps and Britney’s smooth-talking vocals invite the listener into the song on an entirely new emotional and sexual level.  The steady and catchy underlying R&B tones make the track rich and sultry.

Britney pairs up with Wil.i.am in “Big Fat Bass” to take her music in a surprisingly new direction.  The heavy bass is bigger than most Britney songs, but still doesn’t overpower her sexy, hypnotizing singing.

"Femme Fatale" rounds out with “Criminal” - a proper close to an artistically sound album.  The intro brings in a fresh flute sound not usually heard in the pop realm.  Britney’s vocals flow against a romantic Spanish guitar, making her sound almost heavenly.

From the sounds of "Fatale," Britney has made yet another leap forward in her dynamic musical career.  It proves that she has also made some progress in her personal life from the head-shaving year of 2007.

Reach reporter Sarah here.



 

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