Femme Fatale (Britney Spears album)
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Femme Fatale is the upcoming seventh studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears, set to be released on March 29, 2011 by Jive Records. The album was recorded between 2009 and 2011, with frequent collaborators Max Martin and Dr. Luke serving as the project's executive producers. "Hold It Against Me" was released as the lead single from the album, peaking atop of the charts in seven countries, including the United States and Canada. "Till the World Ends" was released on the 4th March 2011.
Background and development
In June 2010, during an interview with Rap-Up, Danja commented that he was working with Spears in the pre-production of Femme Fatale.[3] Darkchild, who was also reportedly working with her, said during a Ustream session in August 2010, "Britney fans are gonna be so happy in a few weeks", hinting about the release of new music. However, this was denied by Spears's manager Adam Leber, who stated, "No new music news right now....Wish people wouldn't mislead you guys with BS info. Not cool! PS- The guys that ARE working on Brit's next album ARE NOT talking about it..."[4] Leber later spoke with Entertainment Weekly, calling the sound of the record "progressive" and "a departure from what you've heard."[5] In November 2010, Dr. Luke announced that he would be the executive producer of Femme Fatale, along with Max Martin.[6] On December 2, 2010, the day of her 29th birthday, Spears thanked her fans for the birthday wishes and announced, "I'm almost done with my new album and it will be coming out this March. I AM IN L-O-V-E WITH IT!"[7] Following the announcement of the album's title and cover on February 2, 2011, Spears said about Femme Fatale,
"I've poured my heart and soul into this album over the last 2 years. I've put everything I have into it. This album is for you, my fans, who have always supported me and have stuck by me every step of the way! I love you all! Sexy and Strong. Dangerous yet mysterious. Cool yet confident! FEMME FATALE."[8]
Recording
Spears spoke to V about the sessions for Femme Fatale, commenting that she had been recording the album for two years.[9] After "Hold It Against Me" was written, originally, Luke and Martin wanted to give the track to Katy Perry, but they later decided that "it definitely wasn't a Katy Perry record." They continued to work on the song with Billboard, and Luke commented that before giving the song to Spears, "I wanted to make sure it didn't sound like everything else I've done".[10] In an interview with MTV News in January 2011, Danja commented that Spears was still recording the album, and that during a meeting in 2010 "they wanted it to sound urban, hard-hitting, not so much dance, but just that similar sound." He also confirmed he had not worked with her in the studio.[11] Darkchild stated that while working with him, Spears was very "hands-on" and "had a lot of ideas for me."[12] He later commented he had produced two songs for the album, with one of them featuring Travis Barker. Darkchild added that the song "[has] this rock feel which is out of the box, out of my norm, and I think it's out of her norm as well."[13] On February 8, 2011, Spears tweeted she was in the studio with will.i.am. He described the collaboration as "a monster. It's mean, pretty, edgy, next level. [...] She's singing fresh over it. It's something that today needs."[14] Luke spoke to Rolling Stone about the direction of the album on February 2, 2011, commenting that the final tracklist had not been chosen. He added, "We're in the middle of it right now. [...] We're working with a lot of producers and overseeing it with her A&R and record label and management and trying to make something cohesive."[10] William Orbit confirmed he had co-written a track for Spears with Klas Ahlund, but it was left off the final track listing.[14]
Composition
On February 10, 2011, Spears described Femme Fatale a Twitter chat as "moody, edgy pop with A LOT of energy" with "a few mid-tempos that could be considered ballads".[1] In an interview with the V she further commented on the album stating, "I wanted to make a fierce dance record where each song makes you want to get up and move your body in a different way. That’s what I want from the music I listen to. This record is for the clubs, or something you play before you go out at night. It’s definitely my edgiest and most mature sound yet. [...] There are songs on this album that don’t sound like anything else and are completely revolutionary, but I also believe that this album expresses where I am today as a woman and is an evolution of who I am. [...] I think Femme Fatale speaks for itself. [...] I think it’s the best album I have ever made. There’s nothing to say. I’ll let the music speak for me."[9]
Release and promotion
On February 2, 2011, Spears announced the album's title through her Twitter account, and also posted an image of the album cover.[8] Following the announcement, the title became a trending topic on Twitter, and then went on to become the tenth longest-running trend on the site, as well as the first music related trend to break the top ten. Spears tweeted, "Can't believe Femme Fatale has been trending 6 days. You guys are my motivation every single day. I love u all!"[15] Femme Fatale is set to be released on March 29, 2011, primarily in a standard (soft pack/wallet packaging) version, and a deluxe version(expanded soft pack with additional booklet pages), which will feature three or four additional tracks. A premium fan edition will also be released, including a limited edition 32-page hardcover photo book, the deluxe edition CD with exclusive artwork, a 7" vinyl picture disc with "Hold It Against Me" and the full album digital download on the street date.[16] Spears shot the artwork on January 28, 2011.[17] Promotion for the album will be met with "a major TV event to launch [it]" and a TV campaign, which will feature a variation of spots. The promotional rollout will extend to advertisements from the Internet to the side of taxicabs, a "LGBT/Lifestyle campaign," and worldwide online fan contests.[17] On February 10, 2011, during a Twitter chat, Spears confirmed she would make promotional appearances, and also hinted about a tour, commenting that "I would [love] to visit a lot of places I didn't get to go to on my last tour."[1] On February 25, 2011, Spears announced she would be performing a concert on The Castro, San Francisco at Good Morning America on March 29, 2011.[18]
Singles
"Hold It Against Me" was released as the first single from the album.[19] After a demo version of the song performed by songwriter Bonnie McKee was leaked, the finished version premiered on January 10, 2011.[20][21] It was released as a digital download the following day. Most reviewers praised the song, although some criticized its lyrical content.[22] "Hold It Against Me" debuted at number one in Canada, Belgium Wallonia, Denmark and New Zealand, as well as on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it became her fourth chart topper as well as made Spears the second artist in history to have a multiple singles debut at number one, after Mariah Carey.[23] The accompanying music video was released following a two-week promotional campaign of teasers. The video features Spears as a pop star who fell from space to find fame on Earth. There, she becomes overwhelmed by the pressures of being a celebrity and breaks down.[24] "Till the World Ends" was confirmed as the second single from the album. The song leaked on March 3, 2011, and Spears will formally premiere it the next day at Ryan Seacrest's radio show.[2]
Track listing
The standard edition of the album will contain twelve tracks, while the deluxe edition will consist of sixteen tracks.[2]
No. | Title | Producer | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Till the World Ends" | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Billboard | |
2. | "Hold It Against Me" | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Billboard (co.) | |
3. | "Inside Out" | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Billboard | |
4. | "I Wanna Go" | Max Martin, Shellback | |
5. | "How I Roll" | Bloodshy, Henrik Jonback, Magnus | |
6. | "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" (featuring Sabi) | Benny Blanco, Ammo, JMIKE, Billboard | |
7. | "Seal It with a Kiss" | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Dream Machine | |
8. | "Big Fat Bass" (featuring will.i.am) | will.i.am | |
9. | "Trouble for Me" | Fraser T. Smith | |
10. | "Trip to Your Heart" | Bloodshy, Henrik Jonback, Magnus | |
11. | "Gasoline" | Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco | |
12. | "Criminal" | Max Martin, Shellback |
No. | Title | Producer | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "Up n' Down" | Max Martin, Shellback, Oligee | |
14. | "He About to Lose Me" | Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins | |
15. | "Selfish" | Stargate, Sandy Vee | |
16. | "Don't Keep Me Waiting" | Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins |
No. | Title | Producer | Length |
---|---|---|---|
17. | "Scary" | Fraser T. Smith |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Netherlands[26] | March 25, 2011 | CD (Digipack Edition) | Sony Music |
Norway[27] | CD | ||
Australia[28] | |||
United Kingdom | March 28, 2011 | CD (Standard,[29] Deluxe Edition With Fragrance)[30] | RCA Records |
Mexico[31] | CD (Deluxe Edition, Premium Fan Edition) | Sony Music | |
United States[32][16] | March 29, 2011 | Jive Records |
References
- ^ a b c Vena, Jocelyn (February 10, 2011). "Britney Spears Talks Lady Gaga, New Album During Twitter Chat". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Reporter, Cassie (March 3, 2011). "Press Release: New Song 'Till the World Ends' & Femme Fatale Tracklisting". BritneySpears.com. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (August 2, 2010). "Britney Spears To Release New Music Very Soon, Producer Teases". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (August 4, 2010). "Britney Spears' Manager Clears Up Rumors About New Music". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- ^ Svetkey, Benjamin (October 1, 2010). "Britney Spears: On Her Way Back to the Top?". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- ^ Dinh, James (November 1, 2010). "Britney Spears Producer Dr. Luke Calls Singer 'An Amazing Vehicle'". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (December 2, 2010). "Britney Spears To Release Next Album In March". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
- ^ a b Nissim, Mayer (February 2, 2011). "Britney Spears reveals album title". Digital Spy. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ a b V, Mr. (March 1, 2011). "V Magazine / Britney Forever". V. Visionaire. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ a b Knopper, Steve (February 2, 2011). "Exclusive: Britney Spears' Producer Dr. Luke Reveals 'Femme Fatale' Details". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn; Elias, Matt (January 14, 2011). "Britney Spears Going For A More 'Urban' Sound, Danja Reveals". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn; Warner, Kara (February 28, 2011). "Britney Spears 'Very Hands-On' For Femme Fatale, Rodney Jerkins Says". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ Montgomery, James (February 28, 2011). "Britney Spears Works With Travis Barker For Femme Fatale". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ a b Montgomery, James (February 9, 2011). "Britney Spears Collabo Is 'A Monster,' will.i.am Says". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ Naoreen, Nuzhat (February 9, 2011). "Britney Spears' Femme Fatale Twitter Trend Keeps Rolling". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
- ^ a b "Pre-order 'Femme Fatale' Premium Fan Edition". Jive. Jive Records. February 4, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ a b Dinh, James (January 28, 2011). "Britney Spears Sets March 15 Release Date For New LP". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (February 25, 2011). "Britney Spears Announces 'Good Morning America' Performance". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ "Britney Spears Set To Release New Single "Hold It Against Me" On Tuesday, January 11th". Jive Records. January 7, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
- ^ Amos Barshad (January 6, 2011). "Britney Spears's New Single Is Here! Sort Of!". New York. New York Media Holdings. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- ^ Turner, Sadao (January 10, 2011). "Listen to Britney Spears' New Single "Hold It Against Me" [Audio]". RyanSeacrest.com. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
- ^ Reporter, AOL (January 10, 2011). "Britney Spears' Critics Not Holding Comeback Song Against Her". AOL. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
- ^ Trust, Gary (January 19, 2011). "Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' Debuts Atop Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (February 18, 2011). "Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' Video: The Key Scene". MTV Newsroom. MTV Networks. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
- ^ "Sony Music Online Japan : ブリトニー・スピアーズ : ファム・ファタール". Sony Music Online Japan. March 3, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ "FreeRecordShop.nl: Femme Fatale - Britney Spears - CD". Freerecordshop.nl. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
- ^ "730.no.: Femme Fatale: Britney Spears: Music". 730.no. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
- ^ "Chaos.com.au: Femme Fatale: Britney Spears: Music". Chaos.com.au. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
- ^ "Amazon.co.uk: Femme Fatale: Britney Spears: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ^ "Britney Spears - Femme Fatale (Deluxe Edition With Fragrance)". Play.com. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
- ^ "Mixup: FEMME FATALE". mixup.com. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
- ^ "Amazon.com: Femme Fatale: Britney Spears: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved February 4, 2011.