Britney Spears Live: The Femme Fatale Tour | |
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Genre | Concert |
Directed by | Ted Kenney |
Starring | Britney Spears |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Producers |
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Editors |
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Running time | 84 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Epix |
Release | November 12, 2011 |
Britney Spears Live: The Femme Fatale Tour is a 2011 concert special by American entertainer Britney Spears, documenting the August 13 and 14, 2011 shows of the Femme Fatale Tour. Filmed at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, the show was shot in 2D and 3D by 3ality Digital, and premiered on Epix on November 12, 2011. BBC Worldwide attained distribution rights of the show outside the United States. The special portrays a story in which Spears is a secret agent chased by a stalker, and features guest appearances by Nicki Minaj and Sabi. Britney Spears Live: The Femme Fatale Tour received mixed reviews from critics.
On August 12, 2011, Spears announced through her Twitter account that the Toronto shows at the Air Canada Centre would be taped to air on the Epix television channel, and for release on DVD. [1] [2] Within minutes of her announcement, traffic to EPIX social sites doubled and Britney Spears became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter. The show, initially titled Britney Spears: Femme Fatale, was shot in 2D and 3D by 3ality Digital to premiere in November on Epix, as well as on EPIX on Demand and EpixHD.com. Epix president and CEO Mark Greenberg said, "EPIX is dedicated to bringing fans closer to the talent they love and we are pleased to connect this truly iconic American star to her large and passionate fan base." [1] It was her first televised concert since The Onyx Hotel Tour was broadcast on Showtime on March 28, 2004. [2] The show was announced to premiere on November 12, 2011, at 20:00 EST (01:00 UTC). [3] On September 9, 2011, it was announced by the BBC that BBC Worldwide had attained distribution rights of the show outside the United States. The 2D version would be available for broadcast from Christmas Eve 2011, with the 3D version available in February 2012. Along with concerts by Alice Cooper and Elbow, the Femme Fatale Tour is going to be one of the first 3D music offerings by the BBC Worldwide, and was available to broadcasters at the 2011 edition of Mipcom. [4] Two teaser trailers for the show were released on September 13 and October 10, 2011, respectively. [5] [6] Clips of some of the performances, including "3", "(Drop Dead) Beautiful", "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Boys", were released days prior to the premiere. [7]
The show, divided in five segments, portrays a story in which Spears is a secret agent, who is chased by a stalker; played by Rudolf Martin. [8] The first section begins with "Hold It Against Me" and features her escaping from prison along with other female inmates. [9] The second segment displays upbeat dance numbers, including "Big Fat Bass" which features will.i.am on the backdrops, and "Lace and Leather", in which she interacts with a member of the audience named Alex. [10] The third section features an Egyptian/Indian theme with fireworks and acrobatics, and Spears is joined by Sabi during the performance of "(Drop Dead) Beautiful". [10] The fourth segment, set in London, displays energetic routines and motorcycle costumes. The encore begins with a video interlude of Spears capturing the stalker, and continues with a Tokyo-inspired performance of "Toxic" in which she defeats a group of ninjas. [11] The show ends with "Till the World Ends", which features a guest appearance by Nicki Minaj performing her verse from the Femme Fatale Remix of the song. [10]
Jocelyn Vena of MTV stated, "Look out for cameos from Nicki Minaj and Sabi, killer dancing, beautifully designed costumes, elaborate stage setups and a set list that even the biggest Britney critic couldn't help but shake their groove thing to." [10] Tanner Stransky from Entertainment Weekly gave the special a B+, and said that the live show "is a pop-music pleasure and a lesson in how to stage an arena tour. Watching it on TV — here in unbeweavably glorious HD — is certainly the next best thing." Stransky added that the special "conjures up a detail-focused experience that allows you to see the little things, from Spears' poor attempts at hiding her bad extensions to the sinewy wonders that are her dancers." [12] Neal Justin of the Star Tribune said the special "proves once and for all that Spears has lost the ability to dance. The expensive set pieces are impressive, but the 'singer's' inability to shake her tail feather is downright criminal." [13] Kelsea Stahler of the New York Post criticized many elements of the show, including the storyline and the costumes, and added that "you [know] you [are] headed for disappointment, but it's Britney. You have to watch. [...] Your pimply, adolescent self said you'd love Britney forever no matter what; and part of you still believes that." [11]
Britney Spears Live: The Femme Fatale Tour | ||||
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Video by | ||||
Released | November 21, 2011 | |||
Recorded | August 13–14, 2011 | |||
Venue | Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada | |||
Genre | Dance-pop | |||
Length | 86 minutes | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Britney Spears chronology | ||||
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No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Femme Fatale" (Video Introduction) | 2:18 |
2. | "Hold It Against Me" | 4:33 |
3. | "Up n' Down" | 3:41 |
4. | "3" | 3:56 |
5. | "Piece of Me" | 1:35 |
6. | "Sweet Seduction" (Video Interlude) | 2:35 |
7. | "Big Fat Bass" (with will.i.am) | 4:09 |
8. | "How I Roll" | 3:38 |
9. | "Lace and Leather" | 3:14 |
10. | "If U Seek Amy" | 3:48 |
11. | "Temptress" (Video Interlude) | 2:24 |
12. | "Gimme More" | 3:28 |
13. | "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" (with Sabi) | 3:47 |
14. | "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" | 3:27 |
15. | "Boys" | 4:01 |
16. | "Code Name: Trouble" (Video Interlude) | 2:03 |
17. | "...Baby One More Time" | 1:36 |
18. | "S&M (Remix)" | 2:03 |
19. | "Trouble for Me" | 3:05 |
20. | "I'm a Slave 4 U" | 3:12 |
21. | "I Wanna Go" | 4:01 |
22. | "Womanizer" | 4:44 |
23. | "Sexy Assassin" (Video Interlude) | 1:45 |
24. | "Toxic" | 4:58 |
25. | "Till the World Ends" (with Nicki Minaj) | 5:08 |
26. | "Credits" | 2:46 |
Total length: | 85:55 |
No. | Title | Director | Length |
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1. | "Hold It Against Me" (Music video) | Jonas Åkerlund | 4:35 |
2. | "Till the World Ends" (Music video) | Ray Kay | 4:04 |
3. | "I Wanna Go" (Music video) | Chris Marrs Piliero | 4:41 |
4. | "Criminal" (Music video) | Chris Marrs Piliero | 5:26 |
Total length: | 18:46 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Hold It Against Me" (Jacob Plant Remix) | Max Martin, Lukasz Gottwald, Mathieu Jomphe, Bonnie McKee | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Billboard (remix and additional production by Jacob Plant) | 4:26 |
2. | "Hold It Against Me" (Linus Loves Remix) | Martin, Gottwald, Jomphe, McKee | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Billboard (remix by Linus Loves) | 5:09 |
3. | "Hold It Against Me" (The Alias Club Remix) | Martin, Gottwald, Jomphe, McKee | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Billboard (remix by The Alias) | 4:03 |
4. | "Till the World Ends" (Olli Collins & Fred Portelli Remix) | Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Alexander Kronlund, Kesha Sebert | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Billboard (remix by Olli Collins & Fred Portelli) | 11:22 |
5. | "Till the World Ends" (Billionaire Remix) | Gottwald, Martin, Kronlund, Sebert | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Billboard (remix by Billionaire AKA Sergei Hall & Kieron McTernan) | 5:21 |
6. | "Till the World Ends" (Garyth Wyn Remix) | Gottwald, Martin, Kronlund, Sebert | Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Billboard (additional production by Garyth Wyn & Dave Parkinson at beat that studios, London) | 6:24 |
7. | "I Wanna Go" (Moguai Remix) | Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Shellback | Max Martin, Shellback (remix and additional production by Moguai) | 7:11 |
8. | "I Wanna Go" (Pete Phantom Remix) | Martin, Kotecha, Shellback | Max Martin, Shellback (remix and additional production by Peter Hammerton) | 3:20 |
9. | "I Wanna Go" (Vada Remix) | Martin, Kotecha, Shellback | Max Martin, Shellback (remix and additional production by Harry Diamond) | 7:39 |
10. | "Scary" | Britney Spears, Fraser T Smith, Kasia Livingston | Fraser T Smith | 3:40 |
Total length: | 58:28 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [35] | Gold | 7,500^ |
United States (RIAA) [36] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Country | Date |
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United States | November 21, 2011 [37] [38] |
Australia | November 25, 2011 [14] |
United Kingdom | November 28, 2011 |
Germany | December 16, 2011 |
Thailand | January 19, 2012 [39] |
Britney Jean Spears is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Spears has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. She has earned numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, 15 Guinness world records, six MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, the inaugural Radio Disney Icon Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her heavily choreographed music videos earned her the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
"Everytime" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fourth studio album, In the Zone (2003). It was released as the third single from In the Zone on May 10, 2004, by Jive Records. After her relationship with Justin Timberlake ended in 2002, Spears became friends with her background singer Annet Artani. They started writing songs together at Spears' house in Los Angeles, and then traveled to Lombardy, Italy, where they collaborated on "Everytime". Musically, it is a piano-driven pop ballad, which lyrically plea for forgiveness for inadvertently hurting a former lover. Spears composed the music herself and wrote the lyrics with Artani about a romantic breakup.
"I'm a Slave 4 U" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her third studio album, Britney (2001). Written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, it was released on September 25, 2001, by Jive Records as the lead single from the album. Marking a transition for Spears from the teen pop sounds of her previous singles, "I'm a Slave 4 U" is a dance-pop track with urban pop and R&B influences. The lyrics describes the plea of a young woman to be liberated and feel independent.
"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000). It was released on March 12, 2001, by Jive Records as the fourth and final single from the album. After meeting with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange in Switzerland, Spears recorded several songs for the album, including "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", which she considered one of her favorites on the album. Additional lyrics were written by guitar player Keith Scott and country pop singer Shania Twain. The pop ballad speaks of a woman wanting to hear her boyfriend say that he loves her, and is sonically similar to David Bowie and Iggy Pop's song "China Girl" (1983).
"Boys" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her self-titled third studio album (2001). It was written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams. A version of the song titled "The Co-Ed Remix" and featuring guest vocals from Williams was released as the fifth single from Britney on June 24, 2002. The new version also served as the second single from the soundtrack of Austin Powers in Goldmember. "Boys" is a R&B and hip hop song, including funk influences. The remix carries a slower tempo than the album version, and both versions were noted by critics to be reminiscent of music by American artist Janet Jackson. Some critics praised Spears and Williams' chemistry, as well as the production on the track, while others did not think the song worked well.
"Gimme More" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout (2007). It was released on August 31, 2007, by Jive Records, as the lead single from the album. "Gimme More" was recorded in 2006 during Spears' second pregnancy and was one of the first solo productions by Danja. The song opens with an intro in which Spears utters the phrase, "It's Britney, bitch." Musically, "Gimme More" is a song with elements from dance-pop, electropop and EDM using breathy vocals. The track closes with a speak-sing outro by Danja.
"Piece of Me" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout (2007). It was released on November 27, 2007, by Jive Records as the second single from the album, but was actually the last song recorded. It was written and produced by Swedish producers Bloodshy & Avant and Klas Åhlund as a response to the media scrutiny and sensationalism of the singer's private life, which they had witnessed firsthand after working with her over the years. The song, acting as the singer's manifesto, has biographical lyrics retelling Spears's mishaps. It can be classified as an electropop, dance-pop and EDM-pop song that features an "electro instrumental track" and runs through a down-tempo dance beat. Spears's voice is heavily synthesized and her pitch constantly shifts; backing vocals are provided by Bloodshy & Avant and Robyn.
"Womanizer" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus (2008). It was released on September 26, 2008, by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and written by The Outsyders, the song was re-recorded after a snippet was leaked onto the internet. "Womanizer" is an up-tempo electropop and dance-pop song. Described by Spears as a girl anthem, the song's lyrics recall a womanizing man, while the protagonist of the song makes clear she knows who he really is.
"If U Seek Amy" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus (2008). It was released on March 10, 2009, by Jive Records as the third single of the album, chosen by a poll on Spears's official website. "If U Seek Amy" was written and produced by Swedish producer Max Martin, who also wrote previous hits for her first three albums. In the song, Spears is looking for a woman named Amy in a club, and although it appears to be about sex, it is actually about how society perceives her life. Musically, "If U Seek Amy" makes use of instruments such as keyboards and timpani.
3ality Technica, formerly 3ality Digital, was a Burbank, California based company that specialized in high-definition, live-action stereoscopic digital 3D. The company developed production systems, image processing software and other technologies that enabled the creation, post-production and distribution of live-action 3D entertainment.
"3" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her second greatest hits album, The Singles Collection (2009). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing from Tiffany Amber. The song was released on September 29, 2009, by Jive Records, as the only single from The Singles Collection. "3" is an uptempo electropop song that features a heavy bassline and synthesizers, and lyrics that talk about threesomes, while referencing American folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary during the chorus as sexual slang.
Femme Fatale is the seventh studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on March 25, 2011, by Jive Records, and was her last album with the label before they shut down later that year as she was moved to RCA Records. Musically, Spears wanted to make a "fresh-sounding" and "fierce dance album", thus incorporating dance-pop, electropop, EDM and synth-pop styles with elements of dubstep, techno and electro in its sound. Spears began working on the album during the second leg of her tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009), while also contributing to her second greatest hits album The Singles Collection (2009). Spears collaborated with various producers including Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Fraser T Smith, Rodney Jerkins, Bloodshy, will.i.am, Stargate, and Travis Barker.
"Till the World Ends" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It was written by Kesha, Dr. Luke, Alexander Kronlund, and Max Martin, while the production was handled by Luke, Martin and Billboard. It was released as the second single from the album on March 4, 2011. "Till the World Ends" is an uptempo dance-pop, electropop and Eurodance song with an electro beat. It opens with sirens, and has elements of trance and Eurodance. The song features a chant-like chorus, and lyrics in which Spears sings about dancing until the end of the world. "Till the World Ends" received universal acclaim from critics, who deemed it a catchy dance track and complimented its anthemic nature.
"I Wanna Go" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Savan Kotecha. Spears first posted on her Twitter account a link to a clip of the song in February 2011, a month prior to the album's release. Following a poll on her official website, "I Wanna Go" was chosen as the third single of the album, and Jive Records released it on June 14, 2011.
The Femme Fatale Tour was the eighth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It was officially announced in March 2011, initially with dates for North American venues revealed. The tour was originally planned as a co-headlining tour with Enrique Iglesias, but he canceled only hours after the announcement. The show was inspired by the concept of the “femme fatale” and iconic femmes fatales throughout the ages. The setlist was mostly composed of songs from the album Femme Fatale, although Spears also performed hits from her previous albums for her fans. Zaldy Goco designed the costumes. In July 2011, Spears announced her plans of a South American leg on the tour, in territories she either had never been-to or had not played for over a decade. Spears has named the Femme Fatale Tour the “best” show of her career.
"Big Fat Bass" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It features the vocal collaboration of American rapper will.i.am. The house song was written and produced by will.i.am as a celebration to the bass and its influence on club music. The song contains a double entendre gender metaphor sung by Spears. "Big Fat Bass" received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, who deemed it an instant radio and club hit, and also considered it the most old-school work on the album. However, a few reviews considered it as an unfortunate collaboration with will.i.am, and dismissed Spears' heavily processed vocals.
"Criminal" is the fourth and final single from American singer Britney Spears' seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). "Criminal" was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Tiffany Amber. After Spears first listened to the song, she felt it was different and unlike anything she had heard before. She posted a snippet of it online on March 2, 2011, prior to the album's release. "Criminal" was chosen as a single by a poll on her Facebook page, as Spears explained it was a way to give back to her fans. The artwork for the single was released on September 14, 2011.
Jenice Dena Portlock, also known as Sabi, is an American pop singer, songwriter, dancer and actress from Los Angeles, California. She is best known for her guest appearance on Cobra Starship's 2011 single, "You Make Me Feel...", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Prior, she was part of the hip hop girl group the Bangz.
B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 is the second remix album by American singer Britney Spears. The follow-up to B in the Mix: The Remixes (2005), it was released on October 7, 2011 by Jive Records. On September 9, 2011, Spears announced the release by posting the cover artwork and track listing on her Tumblr account. The album includes remixes of various tracks from her studio albums Blackout (2007), Circus (2008) and Femme Fatale (2011), as well as a remix of "3" and, exclusively in Japan, a remix of "My Prerogative". The remixes were done by disc jockeys such as Kaskade, Tiësto and Benny Benassi. The music was influenced by various subgenres of pop music, such as disco and house. The album was released the same day RCA absorbed Jive Records.