How is it that Britney Spears can simply repeat the same word hundreds of times and still manage to get a song stuck in our heads? In her new single, “Womanizer,” she uses as little talent as possible, singing in an octave so low that she is practically speaking the lyrics, and yet she still produces a catchy single that is already on the iTunes Top Songs list. I mean, can she even sing anymore? Could she ever sing?
“Womanizer” is kind of like a worse version of “Piece of Me”: strong back-beat (although without that audio loop of a chicken dying), digitally distorted vocals, upbeat tempo, raunchy feel and — voila! Success! I know that on some fundamental level, “Womanizer” is not a good song. I really do want to hate it. But for some reason, I can’t. Maybe I’m nostalgic for the good ol’ days of “Oops I Did it Again” and “Lucky,” when girls painstakingly memorized the dance moves in Brit’s videos, and boys had posters of the her on their ceilings. Maybe I feel bad for Britney because she can only visit her kids twice a week. Maybe I’m glad that she is finally having a comeback and showing her sexy side again à la “I’m a Slave 4 You” and “Toxic.” It’s frustrating, really. I can’t put my finger on it, but something about the single works, as much as I hate to admit it.