Britney Spears - Criminal

(PEOPLE TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALK)

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Penelope

Penelope

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Replete with middle eight like taking a HEAVENLY LOAD IN THE EAR from the GODS OF POP :disco:



Panpipes are so dreadfully underutilised in pop music :(
 
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I play it less three years later, naturally I suppose, but I still think it's one of her best post-breakdown moments. Completely human and wonderful little pop melody. And then there's that middle eight, I don't remember ever being that taken aback from a first listen of a Britney song before than that moment. It's like a different singer/artist/human being from the rest of the parent album.
 
They're mad for not releasing this as the lead single. It's the kind of decision that wouldn't come from the same team that releases Work, BITCH! and expect it to stand on it's own.
 
The ACTUAL video was shot in London, wasn't it?

This was really good, shame it did nothing. Actually showed a bit of depth.
 
It's always been a 10, especially that wonderful middle 8. I think it might very well be my favourite Britney song these days, certainly the one I play most these days anyway.
 
Easily the standout from Femme Fatale and for me her best post 'In The Zone' single.
 
Remains within my top three. Sometimes I think it might just be my favourite thing that she's done, ever.
 
I forgot about that lyrics video, rotten! :D

The remixes were shit for this. People never talk about Britney remixes, I'd love for some loon fan (ie. POP! and JSnow) to make a thread about Brit remixes since I only own a few
 
That's because Britney's remixes really aren't THAT great.

I was always a bit disappointed that around the 'In The Zone' album, the content on her singles moved from b-sides to remixes, because the b-sides were generally better value than the remixes. I think I'd struggle to name 10 DECENT remixes that span her entire career.
 
Pipo said:
I forgot about that lyrics video, rotten! :D

The remixes were shit for this. People never talk about Britney remixes, I'd love for some loon fan (ie. POP! and JSnow) to make a thread about Brit remixes since I only own a few
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I'll make a vignette in my Britney countdown for her best remixes. It's true though that the last couple albums didn't spin off any truly superb remixes.
 
This is the actual "Criminal" music video. I'm not sure why the bizarre lyric video is there :D



As shambolic as the Femme Fatale era was in terms of the woman herself, performances, mediocre tour, questionable lead single etc, the videos were generally very well done. For a fourth single, they put a lot of effort into the "Criminal" video, extremely unsexy sex scene and all, but she looks rather great in some scenes anyway. And that acting in the opening bit :D
 
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The release of 'Criminal' was something of a double-edged sword.

It was GREAT that they really indulged the fan demand and went with it as a single when they probably could have scored a (relatively) easy hit with something that sounded more similar to the previous singles.

But the fact that it underperformed so badly probably gave the label absolutely no confidence in daring to veer from the standard when it came to the next album. There again, the only change from 'Britney Jean's campaign would probably be that we might have got 'Perfume' first :D
 
Has she ever had a successful 4th single in America? From The Bottom of My Broken Heart, Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know, Outrageous, Radar - all total bombs.
 
VoR said:
Has she ever had a successful 4th single in America? From The Bottom of My Broken Heart, Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know, Outrageous, Radar - all total bombs.
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Not really, but none of those (bar perhaps 'Outrageous') were really coming off the back of a successful run of singles up to that point. 'I Wanna Go' garnered her best ever radio support, and then 'Criminal' more or less decimated it.
 
VoR said:
Has she ever had a successful 4th single in America? From The Bottom of My Broken Heart, Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know, Outrageous, Radar - all total bombs.
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FTBOMB(:D)H was a top twenty hit in the US!
 
Yeah "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" was technically her sixth highest charting single in the US until '07. :D

It was mostly fueled by the fact that it was commercially released as a CD single in America (most of her other early singles were not, hence "Sometimes", "Lucky", "Slave" etc not charting very high despite being well known hits). But regardless, #14 for a fourth single, for any artist, is really good, especially considering the album had already gone DIAMOND at that point.

As far as "Criminal" and its flopping goes, whether she would have scored a decent hit with a fourth single or not (maybe the safer "Big Fat Bass" would have done the trick?), the album was not going to shift many more copies than it did at that point so taking a risk with something different and a fan favorite was their best option IMO.
 
I had it in my head that 'FTBOMBH' barely scraped the top 40 for some reason. I stand corrected!
 
I'm not sure I know of another song where everyone talks about the middle 8 so much. I agree, when I first heard it it really grabbed my attention, it's fantastic.
 
David_5000 said:
I'm not sure I know of another song where everyone talks about the middle 8 so much.
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I think that was partly/mostly because it briefly brings her "sound" full-circle and you're thrust back to Max Martin at his '90s peak.

It was somewhat fitting for 'Femme Fatale' given how much they referenced her early videos in the 'Hold It Against Me' video, though clearly that idea would have been better utilised here...
 
Is this Britney's most overrated "fun for the fans" track? I don't get it at all! It sounded like a big fat flop from the first day I heard it, even though I have to admit I briefly thought it might work as a single following the sucess of I Wanna Go, the decent video and the HUGE fan favourite 10/10 hype it got. First impressions didn't go wrong.

Do people honestly like that medieval flute? I always picture an 8 year old playing it whenever I hear the song. It kills the entire song for me. That and knowing that it robbed Inside Out from single status.

All said, it's still a 6/10 I suppose.
 
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Back in the zeitgeist again :disco:

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Shoutout to Diane Abbott going after Britney for ENCOURAGING GUN VIOLENCE in the music video (shot in Hackney) :disco:
 
Anyway, the single order that era should clearly have been:

1. Criminal (massive scandal/attention-grabbing multiweek number one comeback; calls for Relax-style bans from the radio that ultimately fail; media questioning where Britney's breakdown will go next now she is in love with criminal)
2. Till the World Ends (massive airplay-grabbing multiweek number one follow-up single; calls for Someone Like You-style blanket radio play that ultimately succeed; media questioning where Britney's breakdown will go next now she is forecasting apocalypse)
3. Hold It Against Me (moderate single US Billboard Hot 100 #1-week grabbing third single; calls for emergency Rihanna guest verse remix that ultimately succeed; media questioning why Britney's conservatorship is still going and forgiving her for previous two singles now they have decided they cannot hold it against her)
4. Radar (fourth time's the charm :disco:)
 
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