“I’m Mrs. oh my god that Britney’s shameless”
Taken from the album Blackout
AUS #2, UK #2, US #18
‘Gimme More’ doesn’t feel right if it isn’t followed by the squelching slam that opens ’Piece Of Me’. Arguably the biggest international hit from Blackout, ‘Piece Of Me’ is the mission statement for this section of Britney’s career, a triumphant response to all the haters and those who doubted her. They wondered if Britney would ever return to her peak, and she came back with an album that put all of her previous albums to shame. ‘Piece Of Me’ is one of the very best songs on that record.
Three very important elements stack up to make ‘Piece Of Me’ so amazing: the harsh metallic squish of the beat, the endlessly clever lyrics and Britney’s bored, flippant voice. She sings as though she can’t wait to go home and eat grits, completely uninterested in the task at hand or the paparazzi, media and culture that she’s singing about. Britney doesn’t give a gosh darn, y’all. And it works brilliantly. The most delicious line in the whole song – “No, for real, are you kidding me? No wonder there’s panic in this industry… I mean please” – is delivered with just the right balance of venom and disinterest.
And yet it is still a producer’s showcase, this time the honour going to Bloodshy & Avant. The beats trip over each other and stutter and squeal, like the machine of celebrity churning out Britney clones. But there is only one Mrs. Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous. Nobody else could sing this song. Nobody else experienced this much tabloid coverage and intrusion. ‘Piece Of Me’ is the story of Britney’s life, and it stands up as one of her greatest, most powerful and popular singles. I still listen to it as often as I did when it first came out, and it still sounds just as good.
