The music video for "Make Me...", the lead single for Britney Spears' upcoming 9th album Glory (2016) has just been released. The video itself is rather uninspired: Spears' idea of female empowerment involves her and her team of female back-up dancers holding a sexually-charged audition process for various male models; there's a shameless amount of product placement spots; G-Eazy basically Skypes himself in for his rap verse; Spears may have worked and trained hard to get into tip-top shape, but there barely any interesting choreography on display.
But as POPCrush's Bradley Stern has argued, there isn't much of a point in comparing present-day Britney with her previous track record of being one of the most gifted teen idols in years, or an excellent disco circus queen with numerous dance pop bangers under her belt (she's only won one Grammy throughout 17-year career, a Best Dance Recording Award for her 2004 single "Toxic"). "Make Me..." sees her headed into slightly new territory, as she takes on a slower, more sensual and intimate pop-R&B aesthetic. The song is basically about Spears' need for her man to 'raise her roof', make her 'move', and make her 'oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh'. Previous lesser known 'softcore' tracks that also involve such thinly veiled euphemisms come to mind, such as "Breathe On Me" and "Touch of My Hand".
In another article, Stern aptly noted that Spears' vocals have been "somehow both immediately recognizable and constantly shape-shifting all at once" throughout her distinguished career, as she can be heard "hooting, hollering, yodeling, hiccuping, baybeh-ing, warbling and/or acquiring a British accent at random" in various tracks (or Auto-tuned to robotic precision in others). Stern's inspired catalogue of Britney vocal alter-egos include Chipmunkney, RiRiney, Drill Sergeantney, Adlibney, and Vocalney. Its 'Vocalney' that's featured on this track, and Spears showcases her easily-overlooked vocal chops by taking things slowly and sensually in a more urban-leaning pop production.
With slightly more interesting lyrics, the track might have been able to stand apart from Spears' long-standing reputation and fanbase. While "Make Me..." is an interesting career move when compared to her more recent lacklustre efforts (remember that Iggy Azalea collaboration?), Spears isn't really bringing much innovation to the contemporary music scene. Long time fans will probably still enjoy the song (and hate the video) and rejoice in the fact that Spears is making music again, but its unlikely to cause many Little Monsters, Lambs, Arianators, Swifties, Beliebers, Directioners, Selenators, Lovatics, KatyCats, or Smilers to jump ship to the Britney Army.
