What is there to say about this album that has not already been said. Check all of your reservations at the door and give this one a chance. Although I have never really been a fan of Brit's music; this album is truly a masterpiece of pop music and will change any idea you may have had about her.
Quite simply, Femme Fatale redefines pop music in a way that has not really been done since Madonna hit the charts will Holiday in 83. Critics have blasted the album as having too many "dance" songs, as being too "Swedish", as well as being too "horny" for the plus 30 Britney; I say, who cares. This album is as catchy as the seasonal flu and you will find yourself singing the songs in the shower, at work, sometimes to your own dismay (I am a metalhead, and liking this album can work in my circles to my disadvantage). Quiet simply, this is the best album of 2011, and an album that I hope will enter the pantheon of pop music as it rightfully deserves.
I'm sure you have already heard the albums singles. "Until The World Ends" makes even the whitest of white people want to bust a move and start dancing. The beats and bass drive a anthem of song; a song that quite simply proselytizes the non-believers of the power of dance. Production is top-notch; and the song is simply the catchiest that Brit has ever released. "Hold It Against Me" is another club song; one that is basically the audio form of grinding up against someone in a club( I mean this in the best possible way). Britney is in full "cougar" form here; and you can almost hear the sweat on this track (if that makes any sense). The song occasionally shows the rising influence of "Dubstep" from Britney's production team; and other songs of this album showcases elements of Dubstep. "I Wanna Go", is another "sex" song (they all are really!). "I Wanna Go" is a song that really the full sexual nature of the album; and over a highly infectious whistling-driven beat Brit speaks of releasing the "Freak" that we all hold deep inside in a way not heard since "Toxic". The only weak single from the album is found was "Criminal"; which was a tad too "Music" era Madonna for me. The acoustic/beat combination does not really work for Britney; who works much better with electronics than acoustics.
Besides the obviously catchy singles; the album has a number of other gems. "Seal it with a Kiss" basically sounds like the soundtrack to a strip club; and one can instantly imagining someone removing clothes to this ultra-sexy song (might get in trouble with the wife for that one!). This song is a true highlight album and again showcases a nice "dubstep" breakdown amongst the nice bass-synth squelch "riff" that dominates the song. Another truly great song on the album is the "trancish" song "Trip To Your Heart"; which is a much sweeter song that shows us some semblance to the younger Britney that had a much more "sugary" version of sex and love that we have come to know since "Blackout" a couple of years back.
The rest of the album is quite good. "Big Fat Bass" is an interesting song; and it very different for Britney. The song sounds very "Eurodance". However, I did not really enjoy the song compared to the rest of the album. The song makes liberal use of the dreaded "auto-tune" effect; to the detriment of the song. I have never been a fan of "will.i.am" and his particularly annoying use of digital effects to mangle songs and make them sound like a robotic hodgepodge. "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" is charming enough; although it tends to sound like Lady Gaga circa "The Fame"; and I would say that this style does not really mesh for Britney. "Gasoline", a more "rockier" number features guitar and grinding synths and beats and was a true highlight of the album for me. There are a few other songs such as "Up N" Down", which almost has an early 1990s feeling and is much more traditionally in terms of the Britney discography. "Inside Out" is a great song; and is perhaps the most truly sexual song on the album. The song basically sounds like two people "getting crazy" (pun intended), and on the subsequent tour provided great background moves for Britney's choreographed dances. "Inside Out" reveals an intimacy rarely seen before in Britney's songs; and it actually very sweet and horny at the same time.
Overall, "Femme Fatale" is a great album and showcases Britney's growing artistry and that she is not merely a tabloid fixture but in fact the "Queen of Pop". One could do a lot worse than buying "Femme Fatale". The album has already been met with rave reviews; so there is not much that I can say that has not already been said. Get it now.
Rating-9/10
If you get this album; get the "deluxe" edition as it contains the track "Selfish", which should have been a single by itself and possibly the best song on the album. It is going to be hard for Britney to top this masterpiece.
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