Throughout her career, Britney Spears has relied on songs that either shroud her vocals with overpowering dance beats, distort her voice to an electronic extreme, or both. Even on the occasions when she’s done ballads she’s relied on a breathy imitation of Marilyn Monroe, with little punch or feeling to her vocals.
But on her latest song, “Perfume,” released on her Facebook page yesterday, Spears’ voice sounds deeper and stronger than it has in the past, and at least comes across as less digitally altered. The lyrics are a bit darker than what we’ve lately heard from her as well, as she sings defiantly about being the “other woman.” (“I’ll never tell, tell her myself/ But I hope she smells my perfume.”)
And perhaps best of all, the song’s relatively understated production style has the catchy, confident feel of early Britney. Give it a listen. It’s better than you’re expecting.
