Britney Spears - Femme Fatale

In the pre-Gaga days of divas, Britney Spears reigned supreme. But that was before her failed marriages, substance abuse, drug rehab, shaved head and custody battles. The “Oops!…I Did it Again” singer’s life became a train wreck and regular tabloid fodder. Since then, the spotlight has shifted to other pop princesses, while Britney put her house in order, visiting her sons (in the custody of ex-husband Kevin Federline) and finding new romance with her former agent, Jason Trawick.

Now Spears, who has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, is poised to reclaim the crown with her latest CD, Femme Fatale. Assisted by hitmakers Max Martin and Dr. Luke on seven of the disc’s 12 tracks, the dark, seductive album, packed full of thumping dance beats and electronically chilled vocals, pushes Spears in her most experimental direction to date. The pop icon uses six adjectives to describe her new sound: “Sexy and strong. Dangerous yet mysterious. Cool yet confident.”

She’s not far off. The new album opens with the infectious, club-ready “Till the World Ends,” in which Britney boasts that she’s “hotter than the A-list.” The surging first single “Hold It Against Me,” already a chart-topper, takes listeners on a dizzying ride around a sexual double entendre. Similarly, the breathless “How I Roll” and the robotic “(Drop Dead) Beautiful” combine thunderous techno beats and naughty pick-up lines. With Femme Fatale, Britney is clearly back—and ready to teach newcomers like Ke$ha and Katy Perry a thing or two about bad-girl anthems.