Hold It Against Me

So it's finally happened. The long-awaited return of the reigning queen of pop (sorry, Madonna) has arrived in the form of the new single, "Hold It Against Me." While the theme is nothing new for Britney ("if I said I want your body now, would you hold it against me?"), the sound is definitely a departure for her. It smacks distinctly of '90s dance music (Haddaway's "What is Love" was the first song that came to mind), as it brings a comparatively simpler beat and a colossal chorus that begs the listener to sing along. The difference between most 90's dance hits (or dance hits in general) and "Hold It Against Me," however, is this: most of the dance hits have a buildup. The anticipation is massive, and then there's some form of a breakdown.

Britney's new single feels like about three and a half minutes of buildup and then it just… ends. Even the chorus doesn't quite deliver the punch with which even passing Britney Spears listeners are so familiar. Admittedly, I was a little perplexed at first listen. Her past music has been totally versatile: perfect for a club packed wall to wall with people, or a bedroom with one person amping herself up to go to work (I wouldn't know anything about that). "Hold It Against Me" is a bit lacking in that respect, as it sounds a lot more like it was specifically designed to be blasted out of speakers in clubs … 15 years ago. That being said… all that buildup has to lead up to something. The single, though perhaps not her best, is still making waves and creating a dire anticipation for her as- yet-untitled album, set to drop in March.