Britney Spears’s seventh studio album, Femme Fatale, has been one of the most anticipated albums in recent months. Between leaks of songs online and the weekly countdown courtesy of Perez Hilton, the buzz about Femme Fatale was more along the likes of a roar. But does the album live up to its expectations?
The album starts off strong with “Till The World Ends” and “Hold It Against Me.” These songs are sparkly, sexy and filled with an obvious and open erotic charge; in “Hold It Against Me,” for instance, Spears sings “Cuz you feel like paradise, and I need a vacation tonight.”
Both these songs are very catchy — one can already imagine teenage girls dancing to them at their sweet sixteen parties, as scary as that image might be. The opening tracks of Femme Fatale belong more in dance clubs in Hollywood, Las Vegas and New York but they are bound to be played frequently in both places.
The success behind Britney’s songs is the mega-producer team of Max Martin and Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald. Together they manage and handle all of the Auto-Tuning and dance beats in many of Spears’s songs.
The thing that makes Spears’s album successful, however, is also the exact thing that tears it apart. The modified and artificially generated sounds bring excitement and energy to the songs, but Spears’s vocals are lost in the mix.
All the production makes her voice sounds hallow and empty. Femme Fatale showcases the technology and ingenuity of the two mix masters, but by making Britney’s voice sound extremely weak, the overall quality of the album is reduced.
Considering the amount of electronic aid in the recorded versions of the music, it wouldn’t be surprising if Britney used vocal and electronic help live as well. That said, it should be noted that Britney’s performance on Good Morning America the day her album dropped, was an entertaining spectacle and in a word, great.
Despite these seemingly technical setbacks that tend to occur in the recordings, Britney is still Britney. Femme Fatale is far from a failure. “Till the World Ends,” “Hold It Against Me” and “I Wanna Go” are electrifying hits and some of my favorites. “How I Roll,” “Selfish” and “Criminal” all had entertaining lyrics.
In “How I Roll,” for instance, Britney sings, “I want to go downtown where my posse’s at, because I’ve got nine lives like a kitty cat.” In “Criminal,” she sings, “Momma I’m in love with a criminal, and this type of love isn’t rational, it’s physical.” Who would ever say that to her mother? Either way, the lyrics are pure fun.
Some songs worth skipping. “Big Fat Bass” which features will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, is a disaster. Britney is overshadowed by will.i.am, even though the only bit he sings is the repeated phrase, “Big Fat Bass.” It turns out to be a little bit messy. In addition, the album’s final song, “Don’t Keep Me Waiting,” is a weak note to end on, as it is very ‘90s-esque and doesn’t really fit in with the modern and techno-dance feel of the rest of her album.
Overall, Femme Fatale, is a good album. The songs are fresh and fun — perfect to listen to while getting ready for a night out, or even in the morning while prepping for a school day. Pop fanatics will be playing the album on a daily basis.
Recommended Tracks: “Till The World Ends,” “I Wanna Go” and “How I Roll.”
