beyonce knowles latest effort falls a little flat, just like some of the notes she sings. of the "double disk" - which is really just two mini cds (a waste of material if you ask me, as each of the discs only has 8 songs on it) - only a handful of songs are radio friendly. the "beyonce" album, i am..., is a string of power ballads, minus the power. think "if i were a boy," but not as good. the only possible single from the "a side" record is "halo," though beyonce's voice is so computerly digitized, its hard to distinguish her from other pop-stars-in-a-can. queen b made the mistake of releasing two singles, each of which is undeniably the strongest of the discs. "single ladies (put a ring on it)" is, sadly, the most consumer friendly track. other songs may have appeal, but none will be hits. it seems like b rushed this album, not exactly considering what direction she wants to go in. tracks, like sasha fierce's "diva," play like lil mama rejects. others, like "ego," are just plain jokes; knowles's lyrics allude to the oversized member of her lover, which the title is a euphemism for. in general, i was underwhelmed with the cd, which has been eargerly anticipated since b'day dropped in summer '06. while everyone is expecting another "irreplaceable," they'll be severely disappointed. this is the least beyonce album beyonce has ever put out and its just a matter of time before the fan reactions hit the fan. head here and click on music to listen to tracks off the cd - the two black and white covers represent songs from the new release.
britney spears: for the record
the recovering pop princess's new documentary premiered on mtv tonight. the film followed britney for 60 days, starting with the day before her appearance at the 2008 video music awards. allegedly, no question or topic was off limits in the two month production. one of the major topics on the special was the justin timberlake-britney spears-kevin federline debacle. britney said it was hard to not have a person who was in the spotlight with her when she and jt split up, leading her into a life of partying to "keep busy." she didn't know what to do with kevin, she says, establishing a family and her "dream home" too fast; she had the relationship for the idea for everything, not for love. the relationship crumbled when kevin's celebrity became too big - he wanted to do everything for himself and not the new family. britney's southern charm still shines through and, sometimes, reads as naivety. her relationship with her father, aka her conservator, is also heavily showcased; it's definitely one of love-hate, as she calls him an "asshole" repeatedly. the most comedic part of the special was britney's spot on impression of her father.
britney also reflects on her troubled single mother life - she asks "why didn't i just go to louisiana?" a question she still cannot answer herself. and, as for the shaved head incident, it was just rebellion - an emotional cleansing of sorts. the show took us behind the scenes of the making of "womanizer's" video, showing the entire creative process; it looks like brit brit came up with the concept herself and worked out the choreography with a dancer she's had since her career took off. "sometimes its an emotion you need to fell when you dance...the only thing that can touch [that emotion] is when you move a certain way," says spears about her art; rather than therapy, brit would rather express herself creatively.
the paparazzi, of course, were another big topic. britney sometimes wishes she was not famous, just so she could be just one of "the people." she can't go to the supermarket or walk down the street with her children. most celebrities only have three or four photographers on them at one time, but spears is an anomaly; she usually has at least five times that amount. the show even revelead a strategizing session with her manager and security about hiring a decoy so that britney could get just one moment of peace. though, without the constant attention, britney wouldn't be the star she is today and be able to have a number of business ventures, such as her perfume line. britney scoffs off the idea that she's a "victim of her success;" she thinks people should embrace it and accept it. britney's life may not seem normal to us, but it's "as normal as possible" for her. we get to see a moment of this in a shopping trip in which britney looks for clothes that say "mommy" and that aren't "too expensive."
"i used to be a cool chick, and i feel like the paparazzi has taken away my whole cool," laments britney about stardom, but it doesn't really seem to faze her. britney doesn't really seem to regret anything or care what people think of her. she just wants her life to be a normal as possible, and that's the reason for her doing the documentary; she has to cope with this life everyday and wants other to understand that. she doesn't just want to be a joke anymore; she wants people to listen to what she wants to say. she compares the way her life plays out in the media as a prison sentence; she fells sad and lonely.
This special just happens to coincide with the release of her new album, that was never planned. dad jamie said they just put britney in the studio to keep her busy and it wasn't until a few months later that manager larry rudolph thought that the songs she was recording could be compiled as a record. the special also showcases britney's surprise appearance at madonna's recent la show. madonna does a small interview about life in the spotlight, explaining her philosophy on life - she believes everyone has control over their own destiny; and that, as a young person, you're going to make mistakes. with this, britney explains that she's sorry she let herself be taken advantage of and that others took advantage of her.
for the record ends on britney with her sons and family on halloween and her video shoot for second single "circus." brit really appears happy when she's working and with her family, the two constants in her life. from what i can see, the "circus" video looks high in production value and looks to be on par with womanizer. lets hope spears is able to keep this good streak going. she says she wants people to take away, after watching the film that "she's just like them. i love what i do. i love my babies. and i work really hard." britney promises a good, mysterious book one day, too...
click here to listen to the bonus track "trouble," which was featured in the documentary.
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