Britney Spears, mother of two, whose personal and financial affairs are controlled by her father, is rarely heard from, and when she is, every move seems to be calculated by an army of handlers instead of determined by her own will: Any edge or personality she demonstrated seems to have been dulled.
Thankfully, there is one place where she still shows her spark — in her music. On Femme Fatale, the follow-up to 2008's Circus, Spears — with plenty of help from producers such as Dr Luke and will.i.am and long-time collaborator Max Martin — shows that she can still give the Lady Gagas and Rihannas of the pop world a serious challenge on the dancefloor.
Femme Fatale is a nonstop party, starting off with a fun flourish with the poppy Till the World Ends and winding down with the dark, downbeat Criminal. There's nothing especially original on the tracks in-between but Spears' vocals give catchy tracks more appeal.
Hold It Against Me is one of the album's better tracks. In it, Spears looks listless and off her game. But when you block out the visuals and focus on the songs, Spears once again sizzles, and her flame burns as bright as ever.
