Let’s fast forward a certain lifeline; started out in Mickey Mouse Club at 10 years old, released her debut album Baby One More Time seven years after, followed by six other albums (to this date), a movie and a number of awards, a 55-hour marriage five years later, a new engagement six months later and becoming a mother a year later, rehab two years later, put on an involuntary psychiatric hold a year later, a new album Circus was put out at the end of the year, followed by the new album Femme Fatale three years later which gets us to this date and the current tour.
Yes, we’re talking about Britney Spears. I’ve always liked her. Although today we all know her for her downfalls during the recent years, I personally think that they only make her more human and easy to relate to. For me she’s still the girl from next door and I find it’s very admirable how despite all her obstacles she’s still around.
Last weekend I witnessed a show from the current Femme Fatale tour. Britney kicked off the set with one of the new hits Hold It Against Me, which was a brilliant song to begin the concert with. The theme of the concert was built with videos and the choreography rather than huge stage props, although there were some of those as well. I felt that the theme was set a bit uneasy and hard to interpret but visually it looked quite fine.
Britney changed her outfit often during the set and the stage surroundings changed to the same pace, this made the concert flow and easy to watch. During Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know a big swing was let down from the ceiling and Britney swung back and forth with it reaching for the air over the crowd. The fact that most of the front crowd didn’t know the only slow song of the evening was quite a bummer.
Overall I was more bummed by the crowd than the performance. Before the show begun I had quite a lot of space around me but I was prepared to be squished against other people once the star of the evening would get on stage. However, once the moment was upon us nothing really happened. People around me stood still with their mouths open staring towards the stage. “Wow, I’m sure that will pass” I thought until around the fifth song I had totally given up all hope towards the crowd.
What disappointed me the most was the fact that when the big ol’ hits like Baby One More Time came on I didn’t get the crazy reaction I was waiting for. Instead, everyone kept standing still with their mouths open and looked like they had never heard of the song playing. (Though, in their defense, most of the people in the crowd around me weren’t even born when Baby One More Time came out.)
The set list was well built in a way that the old and new songs weren’t on the trot but instead sprinkled around the set. As a big fan of Britney in the 90’s I would’ve wished more of those hits but then again I do understand that a hardline veteran like Britney has a large range of songs and it’s only common sense to play the most recent hits at a concert.
As a music performance, the evening wasn’t much of a success. First there was the playback dilemma that never really gets much respect from me. To my recollection Ms. Spears actually sung only one song and she sang it well which is exactly what never seizes to amaze me; if she can, why doesn’t she? At times I feel like I can’t get a hold of her or see if she enjoys performing anymore or not, which is really sad in a way but I guess doesn’t make her a bad performer since she can still put on a show.
On the other hand as a show the evening was quite pleasant and fun to watch. I mostly enjoyed the songs that the whole crowd was familiar with because those were the songs that turned the entire hall into a huge dance floor. I Wanna Go was one of those songs and picking up random people from the crowd to dance on the stage was definitely a big plus for the moment.
Overall; no, she’s not the same artist she was ten years ago. Some of us, including myself, might miss that good ol’ Britney Spears but on the other hand I respect her for evolving with music that’s evolving as well. Despite anything that might have made the evening a bit controversial as a music performance, you can’t debate the fact that it was all super fun. 7/10
SETLIST
HOLD IT AGAINST ME
UP & DOWN
THREE
PIECE OF ME
BIG FAT BASS
HOW I ROLL
LACE & LEATHER
IF U SEEK AMY
GIMME MORE
(DROP DEAD) BEAUTIFUL
DON’T LEMME BE THE LAST TO KNOW
BOYS
BABY ONE MORE TIME
S&M
TROUBLE FOR ME
SLAVE
I WANNA GO
WOMANIZER
TOXIC
TILL THE WORLD ENDS
Text: Joanna Tzortzis
Photography: Jana Blomqvist
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