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Wednesday
March 12, 2003
Who's
Been Hooking Up With Britney? We Got 'Em To Talk
If the
variety of producers she's working with is any indication, Britney Spears'
next record will be her most adventurous yet.
Sure, mainstays Rodney Jerkins and the Neptunes are again logging time with
the pop princess, but she has also recorded with Ashanti producer 7 Aurelius
and the Matrix, the production team behind Avril Lavigne's hit singles. And
don't forget Fred Durst.
Both 7, who also worked on the latest Tupac album, and the Matrix have done
three tracks with Spears and are hoping to do more.
"I'm doing something for her, something really ridiculous. [A] record I'm
going to do for Britney is going to give Justin a reason to cry,"
Aurelius said, suggesting a song that answers Timberlake's "Cry Me a
River," which is widely believed to be about Spears. "It was her
people that came and sat down, played me a lot of stuff she did. We sat down
and talked out ideas and I got to working on stuff. It sounds crazy."
Spears has said she may explore her hip-hop and rock influences on the
follow-up to Britney, but the Matrix's Lauren Christy said that's not exactly
the case.
"It's definitely not anywhere near Avril," Christy said. "It's
really hard to put it in a box. It's not really R&B-based or dance-based,
it's just really good songs. It's not done in a rock way at all, though."
Christy, a former pop singer herself, likened the album to Madonna's Ray of
Light, which is fitting since Spears has met with William Orbit, who produced
that album, and is said to be working with Mirwais, another Madonna producer.
And Durst described his work with Spears as having a trip-hop vibe, like
Madonna's "Frozen."
"It's got a really good groove," Christy said of Spears' record so
far.
"She's taking it to the next level in her career," the Matrix's
Scott Spock added. "Madonna constantly takes what's in the club and puts
what she does on top of it and makes it mainstream. I think Britney is
starting to embrace that concept where she's looking to work on different
stuff, instead of using the same familiar, and applying it to her."
The Matrix have been presenting Spears with songs already written for her, as
they did with Lavigne, but she has been active in tailoring them to suit
herself, especially the words.
"Lyrically, it's a little deeper, just a little more grown up, but not
trying to change the world or anything," Christy said. "The great
thing about Britney is she really knows what she wants. She knows if she's
trying something on that doesn't fit right for her. She's like, 'No, that's
not me.' She's not one to strap on some sort of fake image."
Christy is particularly excited about a track called "Shadow."
"She just kills it," the British producer said. "It's amazing.
I was really impressed with her vocal ability on it."
Although Spears' album will be different, Spock said fans need not worry.
"I don't think they will be freaked out or upset," he said. "I
think they'll be really into what's going to happen."
Britney's spokesperson would not confirm the producers for the still-untitled
album but said it'll probably be out in October.
mtv.com
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Britney Snubbed For Smoking
Sexy singer Britney Spears has further
tarnished her pop princess reputation - after being thrown out of a Los Angeles
nightclub for smoking.
The "Stronger" singer was on
a night out in Hollywood with pals when her tobacco habit fell foul of
California's strict anti-smoking laws - and the door policy at Tinseltown
hotspot Joseph's.
And when she refused to stub out her
cigarette, sources say Britney was swiftly ejected.
A club insider says, "A year ago
Britney was untouchable and no one would have dared tell her what to do. But
things are different now. She had it all but she's throwing it all away. The
whole thing was embarrassing.
"She thinks that because she's
Britney Spears, she can smoke if she wants to - but not any more. Those days are
over."
The latest scandal comes just days
after her most recent squeeze, Limp Bizkit rocker Fred Durst, revealed the pair
had unprotected sex, and marks the end of a deeply traumatic year for Britney -
which began with her split from long term love Justin Timberlake last March.
According to pals, the singer - who
recently began recording again after a break from the limelight - has now
retreated to her family home in Louisiana to escape LA's party culture and the
prying eyes of the press.
kissfm.com
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Britney On The Lycos Top 50: Week 186
Britney moves up 2 spots to #11 this week
on the Lycos 50 for the week ending 03/08/03. She has been on the list for 186
weeks.
50.lycos.com |
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