Love her, hate her, say what you want about her. The overall point? You bitches can’t resist talking about Britney Spears. Last night, the pop star finally unveiled her music video for “Hold It Against Me”, after teasing fans with an overly long countdown of sneak peeks. In the end, did it live up to all the hype?
Well, that’ll depend on who you ask. One thing’s for sure–the product placement in this video is anything but subtle. We’re used to brands sneaking their way into these clips. It’s a necessary evil within the music industry’s current climate. But, um, did they really just zoom in on half of the logos? Maybe this was some sort of social commentary on consumption and consumerism. Sometimes Britney Spears is so totally deep that we can’t even understand her. A brilliant genius, we tell you.
Snarky comments aside, let’s give credit where credit’s due. The male dancers are hot, which is pretty much a big “duh”. That wedding gown is fucking beautiful, along with the creepy-ass eyeless dancers who emerged from under it. And pretty much everything that happened during the dubstep breakdown? Awesome, even if we’ve witnessed similar schticks in the past.
All in all, we wouldn’t call this a return to form for Ms. Spears, but it may or may not be a step in the right direction. We’re currently undecided, considering there are so many things in this video that don’t make sense at all. Like, why is there a damn ninja towards the end? Did she meet him on that stupid dating site? Perhaps she should use Manhunt next time. Even though she’s (presumably) got lady parts, we know more than enough “Godney” worshippers who’d go the Bi The Way route with her. Heck, if that were the case, we might have felt like this video’s worth watching more than once…
– Dewitt
To watch the music video for “Hold It Against Me”, follow the JUMP:
ok…
1, great song, who sings it?
2, great song. I came away humming the underwear
3, was she fighting herself or Courtney Love .. it’s hard to tell anymore
i totally get it. it’s obviously a timeline of her career. the fight seen was her mental break down, the spraying of the paint on the tv screens was representative of her turning away from the wholesome figure she used to be and her rebirth was represented by the end scene with the dancing and the fancy dominatrix get up. I’m just excited to see her doing something new.
As a die hard Britney fan, I must say I was a bit disappointed.
The whole concept is pretty nice.
BUT… the picture changes too fast… like WAY too fast. It’s a bad direction in my opinion. It just changes with each beat and you can’t set your eye on anything, cos it instantly changes to something else. Needs to be watched in slow motion.
However, during the slow chorus part it’s just amazing. You can see Britney at her best. The whole wedding gown part is just awesome.
Then the verse again….. boom boom boom.
Awesome chorus again, etc…
And we finally get to the break which is also awesome. Very alien, very fresh.
But then we get to the final fast paced chorus and there goes the beat again. Britney is doing some awesome dance moves there with lots of beautiful spins, but all you can see is some awkward split-second moves with half spins, cos the director just doesn’t let you enjoy the dancing. Instead of showing Britney dancing, he shows us ‘cool’ loudspeakers, stage lighting etc.
Verdict#
Britney: 5/5
Direction: 2/5
Video set: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
I was….bored…..
I prefer to avoid anything to do with Britney (barf).
That was shameless product promotion and a weird interpretation of that song. Just give us a club scene and run with it.
This video should come with an epilepsy warning. The video seems to change EVERY SINGLE second. (apart from the far away zoom in shots) It literally left me with a headache.
Seriously, when are people going to realize this talentless hack (Brittney) for what she is … a talentless hack, surrounded by people who want (and are) making a ton of money off her.
You could get Cascade, Fragma … hell even Bananarama to since that song, and it would still sound exactly the same.
Was this a video or a Sony commercial? What did all those products really have to do with the song? If she is singing about wanting someone to hold their body against her, why is she kickboxing herself into unconsciousness? Still, cool giant sparkley wedding gown.
okay this seems like shes trying to rip off gaga/madonna heck has britney ever been original? i like the song bc of lyrics and the beat but u get any two bit singer to sing that and it would be a hit. oh oh they shoulda let adam lambert have it theres a gay sensation that would have everyone up in arms!!!
Its about her career, the ascending Britney was her rise to fame surrounded by her work, as she rises and the eyeless people emerge, with a JOKER FACE the “Break Down” begins. As she falls, the paint from her fingers are tarnishing her image and career she built while she fights with herself. Between the person she’s come to be & the persona society/media think or want her to be. Covered in paint and collapsing from the fight. She stands from the dramatic end… rebirth occurs ending in dance.
I like Britney, but I have to admit she has lost it.
Remember “I’m A Slave For You”? I mean the chick used to know how to dance and move. Every dance sequence she was in was edited. She looked stiff as a board, and the white hair was way to skanky.
I want her to be successful and on top again, but it looks like she just can’t get her shit back.
You have one of the best directors around, hot dancers, a huge budget, a good dance song, and she still cannot do anything in it except look slutty.
Alot of peeps talk about Lady Gaga ripping Madonna off (which I dont agree with), but dont u think this video was a cross between Madonna’s “Bedtime Story”, “Die Another Day” and “Express Yourself”?
Dear Britney, If I wanted to watch one long-ass commercial, I would have cable.
Sincerely,
Carver
I now want to hear Adam sing this song!!!! You’re my new favorite person.
Kris all I have to say is ditto.
@Carver same thing in every music video these days.
Watch gaga’s “telephone”, an advert in every set; same plentyoffish website advert. or alicia’s no one – you practically stare at the screen with ‘sony’ at the bottom almost the whole video.
ye, it’s a shame, but it’s not really her fault.
I wonder what Mr. Akerlund gonna make for Madonna’s Express Yourself… oops… i mean GaGa’s Born This Way. Cos he is directing it as well.
Akerlund directed Telephone for Gaga and this video has a lot of product placement like the other one. Britney is looking like an out of control cougar in this video. I expected much better from her. Let’s see if Gaga lives up to our expectations with her video.
NO. AS
NO. AS IN NO. Britney or not, this is below par.
omg. put your claws away you catty bitches. look at her as an object that is being packaged and labeled for people to enjoy. take it for what it is. people have done great music through her.
The product placement is very distracting. I do agree that Adam Lambert should have done this song instead.
I love it. I get sick of people talking about stealing from Gaga. I love Gaga, but she’s stolen her entire career. Anyway, great song, interesting video.
Too fat to dance
What the fuck is those red lips??
Nonesense
She lost her way
1 part Madonna’s Rain
2 parts Madonna’s Bedtime Story
2 parts Willow Smith’s Whip My Hair
4 parts of Autotune
8 parts AfterEffects (video’s answer to Photoshop)
sprinkle with fast cuts, Janet Jackson’s canceled performances, spanks, and a dash of irrelevance.
let it rest for one tour = Britney’s current video
bake it for 10 years = what Gaga will be emulating…
in all seriousness, this is disappointing… I like her, but I think she got the wrong team behind her… they did her a disservice….
I think it was edited poorly, can she still dance? I still like the song though. Hopefully she will blow it out the water in her first performance of it.
@TopGuy – you want nothing to do with Speasrs – except for taking the time to tell us all how much you don’t care – (see Dewitt’s argument)
Of all the awful things about this clip, the worst is that the dancers put their trousers on – they have such hot (un-brand promoted) briefs!! Sigh
For those who may not get the meaning of everything hat went on, here’s a little description:
Start of her career – She hit the earth like a meteor
Becoming a celebrity – She’s all glammed up putting make-up and perfume
Rising popularity – She’s rising as her old music videos surround her
She fell in love - The picture of the guy on the Sony touchscreen TV
Personal struggle – She was fighting with herself
Breakdown/Meltdown – She collapses and ruins her wedding dress and past work
Comeback – She comes back harder than ever
Once I read that it all made much more sense and it grew on me even more.
Loved the video a lot but what one person said is true, it amy go a little too fast.
Meh… it’s nothing special. I mean, the song isn’t great to begin with, and I hate to say it but this reminds me a lot of Christina’s “Bionic” feel. So I felt I’ve seen it before. For a mediocre song, the colors were flashy and kiiiind of almost make up for her stiff choreography. I look forward to the next single.
yeah, she needs a vacation alright.
Damn, after reading all those comments the video starts to make so much sense.
Everything from meteor to wedding dress and mid-break fight. Really good concept.
OMG, but Mr.Director ruined it all with an out-of-line super fast picture change. I mean WHAT THE HELL. I wanna cry. Such a huge mistake. They should make a second version.
Seriously, this video is epileptic!
Great song! Hated the Video! The video did not relate to the song at all. Sucked!
OK – it’s a product placement video AND she stole SO MUCH from other artists’ videos. BADNESS!
Someone please take her soon to paradise coz she needs a vacation tonight, LOL.
Too bad the hype for this video didn’t live up to our expectations. Too much advertisement for SONY and frankly, this round belongs to Gaga. With all the other divas on tour or pregnant (Pink), there’s not much for Britney to do now. Just to enjoy her two months of spotlight before Born this way (the album) comes out.
i’m a dancer and i love how she copied the Polichinelle part from the Nutcracker, when the little children come out from under Mother Ginger’s giant hoop skirt and dances.
clever. 🙂
MESS
well said Louis!
Thanks Nex!
“You bitches can’t resist talking about Britney Spears.”
Yes I can. Aside from this comment, right now, I don’t believe I have ever had anything whatever to say regarding her, or her music (which I have never knowingly heard).
and people keep talking about brit brit just like dewitt said
Why are you complaining about pop music like it has any value to begin with?
video is distracting from the fact that shes trying to hold on to the remaining people who will follow her sorry but lady gaga love her or hate her has alkready moved on to to second/third stage of madonna where britney is stuck in first like a virgin grow up
I know Nex, whether they accept it or not, Britney is still a “guilty pleasure” for some people who can’t help talking about her ^^
leave britney alone!
she’s been through a divorce!
she has two f**king kids!
she’s a human!