Britney_Spears_Femme_Fatale

So when you're the world's reigning pop princess, how do you maintain that accolade?  Well for one, releasing "Femme Fatale" as an album really isn't going to help you that much.  

OK let's be fair here.  I'm not the biggest Britney Spears fan, but I do have an appreciation for her.  She's had some fantastic pop hits, but I guess my main problem with her at this moment is that when it comes to the music and her growth as a real artist – it's totally non-existent.  In fact, she takes about two steps back with every new album release.

Unlike her mentor Madonna, who has grown and been inventive with every album release, Britney Spears seems to be diluting the electro-pop genre.  For me to say that says something, I can listen to electro-pop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – it's my favourite genre.  But these songs on "Femme Fatale" are just totally vacant.  There is NO EMOTION.  It's not moving me.  Some might argue that the genre lends itself to non-emotional songs as it's too focused on sounding cool – but you know what, there are artists that do electro-pop very well and put real feelings and emotion in every lyric (*cough* Robyn *cough* Kelis *cough* Lady Gaga *cough* Bright Light Bright Light *cough* Scissor Sisters) and in every production.  "Femme Fatale" just sound and feels very lazy to me.

It's not all doom and gloom for me though.  I do applaud Britney and her producers for bringing dubstep into the mainstream, a genre I never really liked too much to begin with.  The way her producers have integrated the intense dubstep sound into a few songs like "Hold It Against Me", "Trouble For Me" and "Till The World Ends" are quite genius.  "I Wanna Go" is very good indeed.  I'll probably play this track in my DJ sets as it grooves very nicely and that little Edward Maya "Stereo Love" Mediterranean whistle is fucking amazing. 

I guess if you're tactically not going to grow with every album, then I really don't want an album from you Britney Spears.  I'd be better off with an EP of your more genius concoctions as listed above.  The rest is just filler dear and instead of recording those fluff tracks, you should really just sit down and write some good material – I'd appreciate it more.  The whole world knows that you have an emotional arsenal to pull from – you've had your ups and downs, you've had your trials and testaments, now please just TELL US THEM THROUGH SONG.  Bring it on love, I know you can do it.  

If you did that Britters, I'd be a bigger fan.  I'm waiting for your "Nothing Fails" moment.  And when you finally reach it, I will cry and applaud louder than everyone.