The following italicized article is from www.celebrity-gossip.net:
Completely surrounded by her many staffers, Britney Spears did her best to go unnoticed (to no avail) as she left a dance studio in Woodland Hills, CA on Wednesday afternoon (February 2).
Fresh off of another busy day working on her moves, the "Hold It Against Me" singer hopped into her awaiting Mercedes-Benz SUV while being swooped away to do a little shopping at the nearby Topanga Plaza.
The following italicized article is from www.rollingstone.com:
Britney Spears announced today that her new album, due March 15, is titled Femme Fatale – but the superstar singer and her Los Angeles producers are still choosing songs and determining the final direction of the overall sound. "It's not done," Dr. Luke, co-producing the album with longtime Britney collaborator Max Martin and Montreal dance-pop songwriter Billboard, tells Rolling Stone. "We're in the middle of it right now. It's a little bit fluid right now. I can't even say at this stage what songs for sure are making it and what songs aren't. We're working with a lot of producers and overseeing it with her A&R and record label and management and trying to make something cohesive."
The album, of course, will contain "Hold It Against Me," co-written by Dr. Luke, Martin and Bonnie McKee, the hot songwriter who penned Katy Perry's "California Gurls" and Taio Cruz' "Dynamite." Spears' new single made its debut on the pop charts in mid-January at Number One, before dropping to Number Six last week.
Originally, Dr. Luke and Martin, the Swedish songwriter behind some of Spears' biggest hits, including "…Baby One More Time," planned to give the song to Katy Perry. "We might have played it for her, but it definitely wasn't a Katy Perry record," Dr. Luke says by phone from Conway Recording Studio in Los Angeles. "We had it for a while. I wanted to make sure it didn't sound like everything else I've done. I brought it into Billboard, and he just killed it. It can be hard in the verse, and the bridge is super, super hard, but the chorus is super-pop. You can play that chorus acoustically on a guitar and it's still going to sound great."
Top 40 radio stations continue to spin "Hold It Against Me" in regular rotation. "It feels like a really obvious, easy-to-listen-to first single," says John Ivey, program director for KIIS in LA, which played the song once an hour the first day it came out. "You hear all those little parts that are so Britney – 'here's the video-breakdown-dance part of the song.' That's what my listeners love about her."
Although her 2008 album Circus sold fewer than 2 million copies, not a huge number given Spears' history of blockbuster sales, retailers have high hopes for the March release. "[Circus] ended up doing well, but we were a little cautious about it — a little tense comeback issues were going to be relevant," says Mark Hudson, music buyer for Trans World Entertainment, who predicts the new album could sell 500,000 copies in its first week. "But this time around, her stock is higher."
Dr. Luke also noted that he and Martin, the executive producers, plan on working on several songs directly in addition to "Hold It Against Me." He also confirmed Bloodshy (who co-produced Spears' classic "Toxic") and Benny Blanco (who worked on Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" and Perry's "California Gurls") were among several big names who would make production appearances.
So far, Spears has dropped by the LA studio two or three times to lay down her vocals. "Britney's really fast," Dr. Luke says. "She gets it done."
Source: Rolling Stone
They better hurry up because if this album gets delayed there's gonna be a lot of mentally insane Britney fans...
The following italicized article is from www.billboard.com:
Holding at No. 2 is Wiz Khalifa with "Black and Yellow" (187,000; down 7%). Pitbull's "Hey Baby" rises three to No. 4 (155,000; up 10%), Enrique Iglesias' "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" falls one to No. 5 (141,000; down 16%) and Katy Perry's "Firework" is down a slot to No. 6 (133,000; down 18%). Diddy - Dirty Money's "Coming Home" is up one to No. 7 (131,000; down 7%), Far*East Movement's "Rocketeer" rockets six rungs to No. 8 (125,000; up 26%), the Black Eyed Peas' "The Time (Dirty Bit)" holds at No. 9 (115,000; down 16%) and Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" falls seven to No. 10 (113,000; down 38%).
The following italicized article is from www.mtv.com:
Just because Britney Spears is working with "Telephone" director Jonas Åkerlund and his stylist wife B. Åkerlund for the "Hold It Against Me" video does not mean that the clip will mirror Lady Gaga and Beyoncé's extravaganza. Spears' choreographer, Brian Friedman, said the video is all Britney.
"The styling for this video is beyond what Britney has done before," he teased. "B. Åkerlund did the styling for it, and I can say that it is not 'Britney does Gaga.' That is not what's happening with this. Gaga has her own niche, and although B. has worked with Gaga before, she's not giving Britney anything that Gaga would wear. I love seeing Britney try out new things. It's just an extension of what Britney already is."
With potential Gaga comparisons debunked, Friedman talked about having fun with Spears on set and helping her regain that joie de vivre that fans have come to know and love when she's out on the dance floor.
"One of the places that we always tend to improve with Britney is on her beauty shots, when it's just Britney alone dancing," he said. "And one of the little tricks that I like to do is stand right off camera and scream words at her to try and get motivation from her and coach her through the little scenario that she's in, so we did that in this video. And I know there was a picture posted of a bunch of microphones around her face, and that's one of the scenes in particular where I was screaming at her on the side — in a good way."
So, what does he scream at her? "Tiger! I scream tiger," he dished. "When we first started working and I had her back in the studio, I was referring to how she danced when we were working together in the past, when we were doing 'Slave,' 'Toxic,' like some of those things. She used to have a prowl about her and an attack that to me was like a tiger, so I kept telling her, 'I want to see the tiger back,' " he revealed. "I scream the word 'tiger,' so 'tiger' seems to work. It makes her laugh, so it works."
The following italicized article is from www.mtv.com:
Jonas Åkerlund certainly has the resume to pull off an epic clip for Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me." Having already directed spectacles like Lady Gaga's "Telephone," Madonna's "Ray of Light" and Pink's "Sober," Åkerlund is known for creating sexy, controversial and sleek pop videos. So, working with Spears was a natural fit, said her choreographer, Brian Friedman.
"[When] Jonas and I got on the phone for the first time, I was actually jumping on a plane somewhere, so the conversation was very brief, but I am a huge Jonas Åkerlund fan," Friedman dished to MTV News. "Anything that he does is magical. His eye for art is insane, so I was excited to work with someone who loves art so much and it's not just a job, it's not technical; it really is a string aesthetic to what he does."
When Friedman and Åkerlund finally did get the chance to hash it out, the conversation was about how to ensure the video would be focused on what Spears is known for: her tight and sexy dance moves.
"So with that said, I had a meeting with him at his house. We went through the video from top to bottom, and I gave him as much input from the dance side, 'cause it's a dance video, as I could to try to help bring his story to life," he recalled. "And the collaboration was incredible."
Friedman said Åkerlund completely understood his and Spears' ideas on the project, and the results, he said, are no less than stellar.
"I really feel like bringing two artists together in a way like that — where the director really loves the dance and understands the art of the dance and doesn't try to cover it up and water it down — is the best way to go," he said. "He was genius for me with dance."
The following italicized article is from www.justjared.com:
Britney Spears and beau Jason Trawick ride on a hot pink “Premium Services” cart through the airport on Sunday (January 30) in Miami, Fla.
The 29-year-old pop princess held on to a garment bag with her bridesmaid’s dress - Brit was a member of the wedding party in assistant Brett Miller’s wedding over the weekend!
The following italicized article is from www.people.com:
Looking beautiful in blue, Britney Spears was bridesmaid in her friend's wedding in Miami Saturday.
She and boyfriend Jason Trawick flew in Thursday to partake in the weekend wedding festivities of her assistant and close friend Brett Miller.
They bunked down in an oceanfront room at the Newport Beachside Hotel where members and friends of the wedding party were staying, a source tells PEOPLE, but she didn't make it to the kickoff event.
"During Thursday night's rehearsal dinner, Britney ditched the reception and ordered room service for herself, Jason and her bodyguard," the source tells PEOPLE. "They had spaghetti bolognese, turkey burgers, chicken noodle soup, a fruit plate and one turkey sandwich."
Leaving her parents and friends at the Sunny Isles hotel Friday, Spears and Trawick moved into the Frank Sinatra Suite at the Fontainebleau in Miami beach because the Newport hotel's "pool wasn't private" enough.
Their new digs were reportedly a $35 million penthouse that rents for $15,000 a night, is four bedrooms, has a kitchen, whirlpool, piano and a large balcony overlooking the ocean.
After a few hours shopping, Spears and Trawick headed back to the Newport for another wedding party. "At one point, during the early evening Jason took Britney's hand and twirled her to a cool Frank Sinatra sound," the source tells PEOPLE. "It was cute and romantic."
The couple left the party after Spears she noticed that a group of kids spotted her in the ladies room, and headed for the Fontainebleau club LIV.
"Britney and Jason were dancing and laughing and having a great time at LIV," another source tells PEOPLE. "He was very sweet and affectionate with her. And she got very excited when her favorite songs came on."
Miller's wedding took place Saturday at Miami's Spanish Monastery where she married her sweetheart, Frank Lionetti.
Earlier this week we learned of a few new deets about Britney Spears‘s new music video for her single Hold It Against Me … but today, I have some new information that, to my knowledge, has not been reported anywhere else. According to a trusted source with direct knowledge from the Hold It Against Me music video set, Britney will be doing something very cool in her video … something she’s never done before. So, I’m told that in the video for Hold It Against Me, Britney will be shooting paint from her hands (fingers) onto video screens. The director, Jonas Åkerlund, wanted to paint Britney‘s face for the scene but she was adamantly against having paint put on her face (I’m told she suffered a minor meltdown on set as a result). A body double stand in was used for the paint scenes that Britney was not comfortable doing. Now, we won’t really know if any of this is true until the video comes out and we see (or don’t see) Britney shooting paint from her hands … but I think this bit of info is deffo worth sharing since it’s totally new information.
We still don’t know when the video will be released but now I’m dying to know if my source is right … I’d love to see how this potential paint scene turns out.
The following italicized article is from www.popeater.com:
Debbie Gibson argues that times have changed and that all the ups and down-down-downs that Britney has gone through in recent years have had a silver lining attached to them.
"It was a great thing for her next hit record," Debbie said of the Brit head-shaving disaster of 2007. "People were like, 'She's back. She's thriving again!' And then they want her to melt down again. And they want to lift her up again. I heard a great phrase once that goes, 'America loves a good comeback.'"
The following italicized article is from www.mtv.com:
As the wait for the dance-heavy video for "Hold It Against Me" continues, details regarding Britney Spears' new album have surfaced. Based on a sales-solicitation sheet, which was confirmed as accurate by a label rep to MTV News, the pop superstar's still-untitled LP is set to drop March 15.
With the rocket success of the album's lead single, it's no surprise that the singer's seventh studio album will feature "multiple songs" from pop masterminds Max Martin and Dr. Luke. Additional production credits include Rodney Jerkins, Stargate, Fraser T. Smith, Bloodshy & Avant and more. Fans can choose between a standard (soft pack/wallet packaging) version of the album and the deluxe (expanded soft pack with additional booklet pages), which will feature three or four additional tracks.
Spears has been hitting the dance studio hard, as the notice describes the forthcoming "Hold It Against Me" video as "a sexy, edgy dance piece directed by Jonas Åkerlund and showing Britney at peak form and ability." Earlier this week, MTV News took the liberty of mashing together some of the singer's most-iconic music-video dance scenes to give fans an idea of what Brit's new clip might look like.
In terms of Spears' press plans, the follow-up to 2008's Circus will be met with "a major TV event to launch the album" and a TV campaign, which will feature a variation of spots before the LP hits stores. The promotional rollout will extend to advertisements on everything from the Internet to the side of taxicabs. Other marketing schemes include a "LGBT/Lifestyle campaign," worldwide online fan contests and routine tweets from Brit.
The following italicized article is from www.mtv.com:
Sure, details are limited on what the Jonas Åkerlund-directed video for Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" is going to look like, but when Brit's choreographer, Brian Friedman, sat down with MTV News, he teased some scintillating details about the video.
"I didn't necessarily have pressure with this — it was more excitement," he said of working with the pop diva again. "I haven't been with Britney in five years on a project, so it was excitement to be back with her. It was excitement to get her dancing really hard again 'cause she's had a couple of years where she's been dancing different styles of dance and it hasn't been me.
"It's not necessarily that she hasn't been dancing, it hasn't been what I get from her, and what I seem to get from her is this tigress quality," he continued. "And she prowls. She really dominates when she does my choreography, and that's what I wanted to get back. Excited yes, scared no."
Shot over two days last weekend, the video shows Spears in a look she tweeted from the set. The preview pic, a lo-res photo, shows Spears from the shoulders up, standing with her back to the camera and her face turned toward it. The singer is in a red outfit, surrounded by a wreath of microphones.
While Friedman danced around any specific details about the clip, he did share that the video will have 10 male dancers. He also told us his favorite part: "I love nudity," he teased.
"I can tell you that Britney is wearing a couple of hats in this video — not literal hats, but she's playing roles in this video. That is what I can give you," he explained. "In every role, she is dancing. She is going to be dancing throughout the whole video. Like I said: Dance is the focal point of this video."
He also teased a bit about the costumes: "She's taking fashion risks. Things we've never seen her wear before she's wearing in this video, and I think it's just very sexy and it's a little bit playful," he added. "She's going to be doing something in this video that we've never seen her do. I'm not gonna tell you what that is but she's going to be sweating and she's going to be getting bruised and battered." Source: MTV
A big thank you to Michelle for keeping my readers updated on all the latest Brit news while I'm sick. Much appreciated!
Break the Ice is a blog dedicated to the one and only, Miss Britney Spears. So original, right? I decided to create this blog because I was getting sick of going to fans sites that didn't update as frequently as I wanted. Our goal here at Break the Ice is to bring you ALL Britney news ALL the time. Tom and Cool are the administrators and Beautiful Sinner, Joel, Tekkie, Johnny, Juicy UK, Marcus and Jenna Pixie are updaters. Together, we form the Break the Ice team!
Any questions/comments/concerns? Please e-mail us at breaktheiceblog@aol.com. Enjoy!
The following italicized article is from www.celebrity-gossip.net:
The following italicized article is from www.rollingstone.com:
The following italicized article is from www.billboard.com:
''Hold It Against Me'' is currently at #7 on Mediabase with 8672 spins and 60.279 million listeners.
The following italicized article is from www.mtv.com:
''Hold It Against Me'' is currently at #7 on Mediabase with 8458 spins and 58.671 million listeners.
The following italicized article is from www.mtv.com:
The following italicized article is from www.justjared.com:
''Hold It Against Me'' is currently at #7 on Mediabase with 8279 spins and 56.999 million listeners.
The following italicized article is from www.people.com:
Britney Spears was the maid of honor at her assistant Brett's wedding yesterday at The Spanish Monastery in Miami, FL.
So, I’m told that in the video for Hold It Against Me, Britney will be shooting paint from her hands (fingers) onto video screens. The director, Jonas Åkerlund, wanted to paint Britney‘s face for the scene but she was adamantly against having paint put on her face (I’m told she suffered a minor meltdown on set as a result). A body double stand in was used for the paint scenes that Britney was not comfortable doing. Now, we won’t really know if any of this is true until the video comes out and we see (or don’t see) Britney shooting paint from her hands … but I think this bit of info is deffo worth sharing since it’s totally new information.
The following italicized article is from www.mtv.com:
''Hold It Against Me'' is currently at #7 on Mediabase with 7856 spins and 53.169 million listeners.
''Hold It Against Me'' is currently at #7 on Mediabase with 7423 spins and 50.466 million listeners.
