Posted January 10, 201114 yr ALL OFFICIAL REVIEWS. Please post them here. Charts are important but quality also ! Let's share reviews coming from music specialists / media Popjustice.com "Warning: YOU MAY SHED A TEAR OR OTHER FLUIDS. We love it and it makes us very excited - more excited than we thought we would be - for the album" We went over to Britney's label earlier this morning. Our mission: listen to the very final no-messing-around version of Britney Spears' new single 'Hold It Against Me'. Here is the massive RCA logo you see when you go into the label. It is a new logo. It is better than the new Britney Spears logo, but wouldn't really work as a Britney Spears logo as it says 'RCA' not 'Britney Spears'. http://www.popjustice.com/images/stories/j/britneyhold1.jpg Sometimes labels talk about keeping music 'under lock and key'. What that usually means is that there are CDs sitting around on desks all over the building for cleaners to nick if they feel like it, and unwatermarked audio streams have only been sent to about fifty people in radio. With Britney it seems like there is Proper Security around the whole thing. There is, allegedly, only one CD in the UK and this is it. http://www.popjustice.com/images/stories/j/britneyhold3.jpg As a 'cunning bluff' it doesn't actually say THIS IS THE NEW BRITNEY SPEARS SINGLE 'HOLD IT AGAINST' ME on it, and has been kept in a Willow Smith CD sleeve. Note the subtle 'BS' at the leftmost extremity of Willow's whipped hair. This is what the CD looks like when it is inserted into a CD player. http://www.popjustice.com/images/stories/j/britneyhold2.jpg As you can see, the song is three minutes and fifty two seconds long. That makes it twenty two seconds longer than the optimum pop length (established by '...Baby One More Time') of three minutes and thirty seconds, but complaining about a new Britney song going on a bit is a bit like moaning your lunch is a bit too nice. So what's it like? Well, if you've heard the demo (which frankly isn't very good and made us worry a bit about this whole Britney comeback business) you will probably be expecting something that sounds like a halfarsed Ke$ha tribute. Fortunately, while the song's lyrics and melody aren't that different, the finished Britney version of 'Hold It Against Me' is approximately 1000 times better than the demo. It's a harder, more urgent, extremely epic statement track that sounds like the work of a superstar. Allow us to illustrate our point piscatorially. http://www.popjustice.com/images/stories/j/britneyhold4.jpg The big difference from the early demo that leaked last week is the presence - heralded by a classic Britney spoken word "if I said 'I want your body', would you hold it against me?" - of a fantastically ridiculous dubstep breakdown after the second chorus. After the whole song drops out it's dubstep gloomwobble-a-go-go for a full thirty seconds, with Britney throwing around some "yeah", "ow", "uh-huh" ad-libs and a new "gimme something good, don't wanna wait I want it now, drop it like a hood and show me how you work it out" line. After that there's a second middle eight (don't be surprised if certain radio programmers whip out the first one entirely) which is a hands-in-the-air smoke machine moment more in keeping with the rest of the track, and that's followed by the full chorus slamming in and taking you to the end of the track. Sudden end, no fade. Amazing. This is neither the time or the place to fully explore the concept of delayed gratification but the effect of teasing the listener by dropping the beat out of the song's first two choruses, then plunging us into half a minute of abstract dubstep, and then only finally revealing the full-on raveochorus in the song's final moments is something very special indeed. Warning: YOU MAY SHED A TEAR OR OTHER FLUIDS. Other bits: 1. There is lots of whooshing. 2. There's no "babaay", but there is a "hazaay". 3. The vocals are a bit treated - it's a Britney single - but it's not Auto-Tuned to f*** like we (and lots of you) feared. It's obviously Britney and it's obviously brilliant. 4. We love it and it makes us very excited - more excited than we thought we would be - for the album. Read more: http://www.popjustice.com/#ixzz1Adf5Zjqg Edited January 10, 201114 yr by Tyler
January 10, 201114 yr Author Sharon Dastur, Z100 program director: "really unique" "amazing hook" According to Sharon Dastur, the program director at New York’s pop radio station Z100, who spoke with Entertainment Weekly, Britney will release her long-awaited new single, “Hold It Against Me,” on January 7. Dastur says the track, written and produced by Max Martin and Dr. Luke, has a beat that’s “really unique compared to other artists — this infectious bass beat beneath the song,” and add “the hook is just amazing.” Daily Star: "razor-sharp beats that will leave Rihanna and Robyn green with envy" PENNED by her fave collaborators, Max "Baby One More Time" Martin and Dr Luke, Britney's new tune boasts all the singer's best bits - big poppy chorus and sexy lyrics - with the addition of the sort of razor-sharp beats that will leave Rihanna and Robyn green with envy. The object of Britney Spears affection is a club DJ in new track Hold It Against Me, whom she seduces with the line, "If I said I want your body now, would you hold it against me," before gasping, "You feel like paradise and I need a vacation." The bleeding edge production continues to pump mercilessly until reaching a massive crescendo in the middle- eight where, over a euphoric trance breakdown, Britters does her best deep breather impression while uttering umentionables. This is going to be huge. The single drops on February 20. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/playlist/...It-Against-Me/
January 10, 201114 yr Author Skiddle.com: "In the year touted as ‘Britney VS Gaga, with both ladies releasing their new albums, I’d say it’s pretty safely 1-0 to Miss Spears." Single Review - Hold It Against Me So we find ourselves at the start of a whole new era... a new image, new sounds, a new way of life in fact. I am of course referring to ‘the legendary’ Miss Britney Spears, and the release of her brand spanking new single ‘Hold It Against Me’. Stories and rumours on what direction Brit’s new album would take have been flying around for the best part of a year now. Perhaps most exciting was the news that renowned Dubstep producer Rusko has collaborated with her on a number of tracks and has been waiting to hear if they’d made the cut. Erm, I’m sorry... Dubstep? Britney Spears? That just doesn’t work, does it. Except that actually, it does. Completely. So ‘Hold It Against Me’; instantly you are smacked in the face by the relentless, thumping bass line with a slight electro tinge, which runs throughout the entire song. As we approach the chorus Spears purrs ‘If I said I want your body now, would you hold it against me?’, the bass lets up for this part but as soon as the last syllable has been pronounced, it’s back. BOOM. So far, so excellent. But just as the second chorus has climaxed, things go a little quiet. What could be next? A warbling middle eight, giving us all a chance to regain our breath? Try the exact opposite. A DUBSTEP BREAKDOWN. And there we have it, Britney Spears giving us a big, fat, slice of dubstep, albeit with the obligatory gasps and moans Britney does so well. This song could be exactly what Britney needs to regain her pop crown. In a climate of Katy Perrys, Ke$has and Lady Gagas, we needed something fresh, something new. And as many people seem to have forgotten, this is exactly what Britney does best. Bringing it. Think back to ‘Slave 4 U’, a wonky Neptunes-produced slutfest. Then ‘Gimme More’ - dark, atmospheric urban-tinged pop, with Britney’s unmistakable breathy vocals. In the year touted as ‘Britney VS Gaga, with both ladies releasing their new albums, I’d say it’s pretty safely 1-0 to Miss Spears. http://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Sing...ainst-Me/8254/
January 10, 201114 yr love that last review :) but since we have heard nothing from gaga yet i wouldnt really say its 1-0 to britney lol
January 10, 201114 yr Oops missed out on this thread. Guardian UK Britney's new single Hold It Against Me – the first from her seventh album, due in March – has become something of an event. Demo versions have already leaked, tweets from Britney have stoked excitement, and her label has said there's only one copy in the UK (although that's just leaked too, so someone may not have a job in the morning). But what's it like? Over relentless heavy beats and synth whooshes, Britney tries her hand at flirting ("If I said I want your body now, would you hold it against me?"), delivering lines usually reserved for ITV's Take Me Out ("You feel like paradise and I need a vacation tonight"). It trundles along nicely, the sweet vocals contrasting with industrial beats (courtesy of Dr Luke and Max Martin), before the whole thing has a meltdown around the two-minute mark, first throwing in some grimey, dubstep beats (Rusko is rumoured to be helping with the album) and then a smattering of rave chords before the chorus roars up again. Expect Madonna to release a dubstep-influenced album before the year is out. Lol, I like Madonna but I chuckled with that last line :lol:
January 10, 201114 yr Author LOL AT MADONNA. It's true, she tried replicating Blackout with 'Hard Candy'. And kinda failed. I love Madonna too though.
January 10, 201114 yr Roling stone review: "Hold it Against Me" is prime Britney, packed with aggressive electro jitters, a Euro-cheese riff that's strangely close to AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," and a weird breakdown where Brit moans, blows kisses, and snaps her gum. The first single from her upcoming seventh album, the song (co-produced by Max Martin and Dr. Luke) recalls the synth-gloom ambience of Britney's 2007 gem, Blackout, possibly the most influential pop album of the last five years. The horny lyrics head toward Austin Powers/Benny Hill territory: "If I said I want your body now/ Would you hold it against me?" It isn't hard to hear a tinge of desperation in Brit's digitally processed growl, especially in the line "You feel like paradise and I need a vacation tonight." But even so, "Hold it Against Me" promises great things for her album, aside from the overall jaw-drop factor that Britney has hung in there to make a seventh album at all. 4/5
January 10, 201114 yr Author Rolling Stones always seems to give her compliments music wise while dissing her personally. It's getting old.
January 10, 201114 yr why do they have to write something negative about britney personally when they like the song, if they like the song cant they actually write something nice about her
January 11, 201114 yr heres a fun one: Muu Muse Review SHUT THE f*** UP AND TURN OFF THE SHUFFLE BECAUSE LITERALLY NO OTHER MUSIC MATTERS RIGHT NOW. “Hold It Against Me”–Britney‘s highly anticipated (what’s the word for understatement of the f***ing century?) new single from her as-of-yet untitled seventh studio album due out in March–has officially premiered. The paramedics have just grudgingly allowed me access to a computer for fifteen minutes, so I’ve decided to hurriedly draft this review. It is nonsense, but here goes: “Hold It Against Me” is many things, but above all, it is as perfect as the flawless iconic beauty singing on the track. While it’s not nearly as radically different as Camp Britney suggested it would be as compared to the demo we heard on Friday, Britney’s final version is still vastly superior and entirely amazing. “Hold It Against Me” is by no means an obvious Dr. Luke or Max Martin affair (aside from Martin’s penchant for producing sex jams), and it doesn’t sound too similar to anything on the radio (aside from Ke$ha‘s “Take It Off,” which is only a compliment in my book.) I guess what I’m really trying to say here is that it doesn’t sound like a Katy Perry song, which was kind of the major concern after hearing Dr. Luke was at the helm of this project. (AKA: THANK. f***ING. GODNEY.) Now, let’s review in-depth: SONG BEAT: The beat of “Hold It Against Me” deserves an appreciation post of its own. Unstoppable. Disgustingly filthy. It is, as my friend Shan described when he sent me a link to the song early this morning, nothing short of an “ass-raping beat.” It’s probably the closest aural representation of literal f***ing that exists to date–the kind of beat that will get all of the boys in trouble at the club and all of the girls really, really pregnant. VERSES: The song’s verses are these amazing, cool moments of surging Grand Theft Auto adrenaline-pop in which Britney attempts to woo us. It is an effective wooing. She also says “A LITTLE HAY-ZAY” in a really silly voice during the second verse and it’s kind of the best thing ever. CHORUS: The chorus of “Hold It Against Me” is a really genius, gorgeous moment a la “Shattered Glass” in which the song’s beat completely drops out and allows B to shine with a MASSIVE, chant-worthy chorus. It’s the kind of chorus that says, “Hey over there, the beat is about to f***ing DROP, so kindly hold onto your B-Girl panties because this $h!t is bananas.” AND THEN IT DOES. BREAKDOWN: OH MY GOD. THE BREAKDOWN. I had to stand up and walk around after hearing for the first time because I SIMPLY COULD NOT. “If I said I want your body, would you hold it against me?” Godney purrs in a semi-British, semi-Blackoutney crazy accent, before the track launches into the most UNHOLY series of grinding dubstep/grime beats Brit Brit’s ever had the pleasure of moaning against. “Pop it like a hood, and show me how you work it out,” she whines. And then the trance pulsations that lead back into the song? Coffin. VOCALS: While nothing too vocally impressive (not why we’re here folks), “Hold It Against Me” is still a refreshing presentation of B’s natural vocals–none of that tired dance-pop Auto Tune $h!t clogging up the radio stations at the moment. I lurve her voice on this. IN CONCLUSION: “Hold It Against Me” is more immediate and exciting than “Womanizer,” and undoubtedly her hardest hitting lead single since “Gimme More.” FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS: Listen on repeat until forever, bow the f*** down, take a big whiff, etc. etc. Dubstepney. Grimeney. Holditagainstney. And now, I die. http://www.muumuse.com/2011/01/daily-b-hol...gle-review.html love it ^_^
January 11, 201114 yr Digitalspy. Why we're in love with the new Britney single... by: Nick Levine The verses throb like a teenage girl's heart when R. Patz whips his shirt off in Twilight. The choruses swirl like your head after a shot of cherry vodka, sucking you in pretty much on first listen. Then there's the breakdown: a spoken word bit! Vocal trickery aplenty! Stabbing synths straight outta San Antonio! And so… Rudimentary lyrics notwithstanding, we're convinced that 'Hold It Against Me' is Miss Spears' best single since 'Womanizer' and possibly 'Piece Of Me'. Although it's produced by the not exactly reclusive duo of Max Martin and Dr Luke, it doesn't sound a Ke$ha/Katy Perry cast-off. It actually sounds like a bang-up-to-date Britney tune for 2010, one that's clubby and au courant enough to scooch alongside the likes of 'Only Girl (In This World)' on your iPod, but also confident enough its own skin to rock a nice bit of classic Britney - check out the way she sings "hazy", for example. Oh Britters, did we ever really doubt you? (We might have done, but rest assured we've got the shame now.)
January 11, 201114 yr Author HITFIX.COM Let’s get the obvious out of the way: “Hold It Against Me,” the new single from Britney Spears, is a solid smash that we predict will debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The tune, the first single from her March album, is a fuzzy dance slab full of electronic beats, spoken word, shifts in feel, and, oh yeah, some breathy, monotone (and autotuned) vocals by Spears. The lyrics, not that they really matter, are about seeing someone across the club, lovingly referred to as “Hey over there” (and who wouldn’t respond to that?), and being so drawn to them that you want to break away with them, maybe to the unisex bathroom for a quickie, maybe for a lifetime or until divorce do us part. It's a fun fantasy. But this song, which debuted today on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS morning show, is all about the production by Dr. Luke and Max Martin (and the way Brit Brit makes “hazy” a three-syllable word) and on that account, it’s a win, if a qualified one. “Hold It Against Me” sounds like it was created, piece by piece, beat by beat, in a laboratory and it has about as much soul as an ice cube, but it's a great-sounding record. Remember those two creepy club lizards Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell created on “Saturday Night Live”—the head-bobbing “Roxbury” guys? This song feels like it was created for one of their sketches, albeit an extraordinarily well-crafted one. There’s a sweet chorus that attempts to interject some of Spears’ school-girl vulnerability, but the most interesting part is the breakdown right after Spears stops her robotic, flat singing (that’s not a criticism, we think that’s very much the sound she was going for) and asks “If I said I want your body now/Would you hold it against me.” It’s controlled chaos, full of angsty breaks and stutters. It's as if the Ecstasy just kicked in at that exact point. And ecstasy is exactly what this song will be for Britney fans. On a broader career note, the resurrection of Britney, after the success of her last tour and album, is totally complete. We're holding nothing against her anymore, in the best possible way.
January 11, 201114 yr Author Guys help me, what is wrong with me? I just DON'T love it :( I hope it grows It will definitely grow.
January 11, 201114 yr Author Britney Spears "Hold It Against Me" Single Artist Direct Review— 4.5 out of 5 Stars Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:51:18 Britney Spears heats up the dance floor like never before with her brand new single, "Hold It Against Me." In fact, "Hold It Against Me" is one of Britney's catchiest club bangers yet. She serenely croons the track's verse over a brilliantly bouncy beat that swells from futuristic to funky. The single's pre-chorus reaches heights of pure pop ecstasy as lilting synths lift Britney's voice vibrantly. Pop's ultimate starlet embraces her dance influences more than ever, perfectly delivering an angelic refrain over a propulsive backdrop of potent production from Max Martin and Dr. Luke. The song proudly stands alongside Britney classics like "Womanizer," "Gimme More," and "Toxic," but there's a refined ethereal elegance to it that sees Britney stepping into new territory and pushing the boundaries of dance pop once more. She hits new levels of sexiness cooing, "If I said I want your body, would you hold it against me?" mid-song. It's the hottest pop track of the year, and it signals another new age for one of its brightest stars. Hold this track tight for the night of your life… Available Tuesday January 11th at Midnight on iTunes and Radio (Tonight!), the song perfectly previews what's to come on Britney's as-yet-untitled seventh studio album due this March. "Hold It Against Me" couldn't come at a better time, and it's bound to be in everyone's head within a day. Welcome back Britney… 4.5 out of 5 stars —Rick Florino http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-...5-stars/8442169
January 11, 201114 yr Author YAHOO MUSIC Britney's 'Hold It Against Me' Leaked! First Review: It Rules! Last week, The Amp rated the demo leak of Britney Spears' new single "Hold It Against Me" a solid meh. But today the full version has arrived -- a bit early thanks to a leak posted at the Prophet Blog (via the vigilant ONTD) -- and we have upgraded our review to a bona fide "YES." As Spears and producer Dr. Luke both promised, the finished version of the song is "way better" -- brighter and grittier synths, a punchier throb, a warped bridge reminiscent of the most twisted parts of "Toxic." It's like a touch of "Ooh Ooh Baby" from "Blackout" being scraped against "Shattered Glass" from "Circus" with the tempo cranked -- listen to both songs below for proof. And since Spears has been putting out her most imaginative and propulsive dance music since her dark period (2004-2008), the fact that she's drawing heaviest on her most recent work (despite the fact that she's reunited with some of her earliest collaborators, Luke and Swedish hitmaker Max Martin) is great news. [Photos: See more images of Britney through the years] Lyrically, Spears doesn't break any new ground on "Hold It Against Me" -- the title and chorus are a variation of a dated pick-up line -- but while the song is about nabbing a guy in a club, it's far less racy than her two most recent singles, "3" and "If U Seek Amy." Fears about the song getting yanked have been calmed by Spears' own tweet regarding the song's premature arrival: "Don't #HOLDITAGAINSTME for coming out early. I couldn't wait any longer. Hope you don't mind..... - Britney." So listen and get pumped for Brit's seventh studio album in March, which you can read all about here.
January 11, 201114 yr Author THE PROPHET BLOG Britney Spears’ new single “Hold It Against Me” made it’s official premiere today, and to say that it’s already made a huge impact would be an understatement. In less than 24 hours the song has already broken a radio record, become a trending topic on Twitter, knocked out website servers from the online traffic it’s attracted, and shot up iTunes charts around the globe at an alarmingly fast rate. But, is it actually any good? The answer is yes. Oh God yes. Once again, Spears has re-teamed with the lethal combination of Max Martin and Dr. Luke, who have spent their time crafting chart topping hits for Ke$ha, Katy Perry and Usher while Britney has, for the most part, stayed under the radar. For the superstar’s comeback, Luke and Max set out to create something “harder” sounding, with a more electronic edge in order to fit in with current dance trends, but don’t get it twisted — this isn’t some derivative dance knock-off like “California Gurls” was to “TiK ToK”. “Hold It Against Me” may be mainstream, but it’s far from generic. The first thing that strikes you with “Hold It Against Me” is that there’s no real hook, at least not in the beginning. After opening with a pumping bassline and grating, metallic production, the song ascends into a cock-teasing pre-chorus with a cheeky double entendre, “If I said I want your body now, would you hold it against me?” Then just when you think Britney’s about to explode into a stuttery chorus à la “Poker Face”, “We R Who We R” or even “Womanizer”, “Hold It Against Me” zooms right back into that same grating beat, only this time it’s even louder and grittier than before. Enter the second verse, where Britney continues singing about chasing down some elusive hunk in a nightclub with that unique mix of bold sexual prowess and sad vulnerability that’s always made her voice so special. The same pre-chorus starts, everything looks like it’s running according to schedule, and then BAM — the bottom of the song falls out, Britney starts speaking in a British accent, and before you know it “Hold It Against Me” has descended into a cataclysmic, dubstep breakdown and Spears’ is smackin’ her lips and demanding her potential lover to “pop it like a hood”. Throw in a brief sprinkling of 90′s euro rave synths, a thundering bass break, and then the real chorus begins. Britney’s back to asking you to hold it against her again, but this time she’s backed by the booming machine gun beats that were absent in the previous pre-hooks and everybody’s waving their glow sticks in the air like it’s New Years Eve 1999 all over again. There’s really no predictable formula on “Hold It Against Me” — it grows and evolves like a living organism. In fact, it’s so real that Team Britney have virtually mapped out the structure of the song to make it the musical equivalent of sex: You start off at a steady pace, things start getting hotter and more intense but you can’t climax too soon, just like in the pre-chorus, but before too long things have gotten so passionate that you lose yourself and enter those truly explosive moments before the main event. I don’t think I need to explain the last part where the beat finally kicks in, do I? “Hold It Against Me” may be radio-friendly, but for anybody to say that it’s a derivative knock-off must be crazy. There are no pseudo self-empowerment messages here, no gimmicky publicity stunts or delusions of artistic grandeur. It’s just Britney being Britney, as she’s always done. It’s pop, it’s sexy, it’s insanely addictive, there’s frickin’ dubstep, Britney pronounces “hazy” as “hay-zay” and then speaks in British accent. Seriously, how much more Britney can you get? “Hold It Against Me” is Britney Jean Spears in 2011, and whether people like it or not, it’s a hit. This woman has changed with the times, rolled with the punches and stayed ahead of the pack for 12 years and counting, and unlike every other pop star out today, she doesn’t need gimmicks, glitz, or glamor to keep her crown in place — just good music. Britney is Britney, “Hold It Against Me” is about to take over the world, and the Queen is back, bitch! 4.5/5 http://www.theprophetblog.net/review...-it-against-me Edited January 11, 201114 yr by Tyler
January 11, 201114 yr Author “Hold It Against Me” may be radio-friendly, but for anybody to say that it’s a derivative knock-off must be crazy. There are no pseudo self-empowerment messages here, no gimmicky publicity stunts or delusions of artistic grandeur. It’s just Britney being Britney, as she’s always done. It’s pop, it’s sexy, it’s insanely addictive, there’s frickin’ dubstep, Britney pronounces “hazy” as “hay-zay” and then speaks in British accent. Seriously, how much more Britney can you get? “Hold It Against Me” is Britney Jean Spears in 2011, and whether people like it or not, it’s a hit. This woman has changed with the times, rolled with the punches and stayed ahead of the pack for 12 years and counting, and unlike every other pop star out today, she doesn’t need gimmicks, glitz, or glamor to keep her crown in place — just good music. Britney is Britney, “Hold It Against Me” is about to take over the world, and the Queen is back, bitch! f*** YES, BITCH.
January 11, 201114 yr LOVE LOVE LOVE that last review. They make a great point britney has been around for so long mainly because of great pop music she doesnt need the gimmicks or the crazy fashion just some fantastic pop music go britney :)
