Britney Spears - 3 {Single Review}

"Living in sin, is the new thing."

So says the new Britney Spears single, "3." "3" is the latest single by the pop-tart Queen just in time for Jive to release a new singles collection in November. But it's only been a couple of years since the last Britney collection, "My Prerogative." Even if she's in a mess, Ms.Spears can churn out synthy dance singles like it's never going to go out of style.

"3" is not a departure from Britney's latest pop style. It's cool, detached and choppy with a production that borders on schizophrenia thanks to long time producer, Max Martin. Martin also helped Spears with the outrageously silly, school-yard neumonic device "If U Seek Amy" (do we really have to spell out what it means?) and "3" is no different. The single might strike up controversy, which is nothing new to Britney's brand of pop. The pop star is flirting with the idea of a menage-a-trois, even going as far as alluding that Peter, Paul and Mary were "getting down with 3."

I wouldn't say that.

The single doesn't stand out though apart from it's subject matter. We're used to Ms.Spears discussing sex, more sex and the possible idea of sex. That's what makes her songs really addictive, while not outright implicit, the idea is there. It's something that her entire career has been marketed by. The vocal production of "3" continues the trend of editing her vocals so much that the line between the effect and her actual voice is almost unrecognizable. Martin stretches her vocals it as far as she can go. Musically, she's stepping up her game with the sole new single from the singles collection, trading in pop stylings for a very aggressive dance stomp. In the clubs it won't be so much a suggestion but an outright demand.

What I've come to enjoy about Ms.Spears releases is that they mark a cultural zeitegeist, love her or hate her, the sexual political atmosphere of America can be summed up in a Britney song.

The only question is how long can her career sustain on being the proverbial tease?

Rating: C


Listen to it here