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Britney Spears. "Femme Fatale." Jive.
Even when Britney Spears was in the thick of her Charlie Sheen-esque breakdown, she was putting out grooves to break out the dance floor; 2007's "Blackout" is the best album she always made, though the play of that time overshadowed it.
Since then, she has continued to pump out taut jams that have kept her musically relevant, even if she has turned into variety of a Howard Hughes in private. The larger-than-life persona that morphed from jailbait to sex kitten to wild child has been rendered bland, perhaps the most serious thing that can find to a pop star. The father of two, whose personal and financial affairs are controlled by her father, is seldom heard from, and when she is, every move seems to be measured by an army of handlers instead of set by her own will: Any inch or personality she demonstrated seems to have been permanently dulled.
Thankfully, there is one point where she still shows her spark - in her music. On "Femme Fatale," the follow-up to 2008's "Circus," Spears - with enough of aid from megaproducers like Dr. Luke, will.i.am, and longtime collaborator Max Martin - shows that she can even hold the Lady Gagas and Rihannas of the pop world a dangerous challenge on the dance floor.
"Femme Fatale" is a nonstop party, starting off with a fun flourish with the poppy "Till the World Ends" and wandering down with the dark, downbeat "Criminal." There's nothing especially original on the tracks in between, but Spears' vocals give already catchy tracks even more appeal. While she never has been on the vocal level of Beyonce or even Gaga, her voice, though thin and occasionally nasally, does take a pouty charm. On the throbbing "Inside Out," she sounds like a sexy cougar; "Trip to Your Heart," with its electronic synths, has a dreamy disco feel.
The driving "Hold It Against Me" is one of the album's best tracks, though it suffered from the nonsensical, product-placement video that accompanies it. In it, Spears looks listless and off her game, and it's a monitor that she's not the Briton who wowed us only a few days ago.
But when you block out the visuals and concentrate on the songs, Spears once again sizzles, and her flame burns as smart as ever.
Check out this track: Some of the best songs on "Femme Fatale" are on the deluxe disc: "Up N' Down" is a naughty teaser that should be the 2011 theme song for pole dancers everywhere.
- By Nekesa Mumbi Moody
The Associated Press
Chris Brown. "F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies)." Jive Label Group.
Chris Brown's "Graffitti," which arrived on the music scene 10 months later his assault on Rihanna, landed with a thud. But a sinister public image wasn't his only hindrance.
The 2009 album didn't do him any favors: Most of the songs were light and just not up to par with his past two albums, especially 2007's "Exclusive," a near-perfect CD.
Brown is binding on "F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies)," but artistically, he's still not all the way there. The singer, who turns 22 in May, continues to rise when it comes to making Quiet Storm hits: "No Shit" is a certified R&B jam, and the Ludacris-assisted "Wet the Bed" is simply as good.
Even on smooth grooves that aren't sexually charged, Brown sounds top-notch. "Deuces," a No. 1 R&B hit, was one of live year's best songs, and wish it, "Up to You" is bound to hit the top spot - and it deserves to be.
But here's the problem: On the dance songs, Brown is just average. That's unfortunate since he is a skilled leg-mover and is (or was) seen as the successor to Michael Jackson behind Usher and Justin Timberlake.
"Yeah 3x" follows the formula currently dominating pop radio: There's endless drum loops, crowds cheering and pulsating beats. It's a song any current pop singer could sing. The same goes for the Euro-flavored "Beautiful People."
Then there's "Say It With Me" and "Oh My Love," two songs that sound too similar. For an album with just four up-tempo tunes, that's a pretty bad batting average.
So it begs the question: While Brown is a solid R&B singer, can he be a very pop star? After hearing to "F.A.M.E." the solution is unclear. "Should've Kissed You" and "She Ain't You" are R&B tunes with pop flavors that are semi-winners: Brown's voice sounds annoyingly nasally on the beginning song, and the second samples Michael Jackson's "Human Nature," so much work isn't needed to attain the vocal work; SWV also sampled the Jackson song for their 1990s hit, "Right Here."
Brown's had major crossover success in the past; his debut song "Run It!" went to No. 1 on the pop charts, and he has had hits like "With You," "Kiss Kiss" and "Forever." Most of "F.A.M.E." - which is overladen with 37 songwriters - can't compete with those tunes. Even enlisting pop's boy wonder doesn't do the trick: "Next to You" with Justin Bieber is the disc's worst track.
Check out this track: "Up to You" has Brown learning from his mistakes in a past relationship and making certain he doesn't duplicate them in his current one.
- By Mesfin Fekadu
The Associated Press
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