The saddest thing about Britney Spears, circa 2011, is that we pity her so very much. But only because we love her so much. If only we - and the hordes of people relying on her for their income - had the strength to cut her loose to become the flubby suburban mom she is yearning to be! Ah well. There ain't nothing much we can do about that now, is there.
In the meantime, we've recently heard some of the B-sides (or, the Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks) from Femme Fatale and died over how good in particular 'Up 'n Down' is. Sampling Inner City's 'Good Life', we can only wonder why this didn't make the album, or why even, was it not chosen as a single? This track is as classy as Britney gets; with that sample being used to lethal effect - and thankfully, not coerced into an uber cheesy '00s shitstorm. Awesome:
Another one is 'He About To Lose Me', which opens with a strummy guitar, then kicking it to a softly clubby beat before treating us to Britney's actual singing voice alongside some chill, Rihanna-esque 'What's My Name' vibes. Produced by Darkchild, 'He About To Lose Me' channels his more gently vulnerable Brandy, Monica and Whitney moments. It's also classically Britney, but thoroughly modern aaand...heartfelt. And since feelings aren't something Britney seems to be allowed these days, we dig it. So, for that alone, here it is:
