New Release: Britney Spears - Criminal
After being ill for the last week and a half, I'm back to reviewing, I'm sorry for being away so long, but I had next to no energy and rarely went on the computer. So kick starting this week off is New Release, and it's Britney Spears once again. Apparently this was released last week, but on other sites it says it is released this week. And I was going to do the X Factor Winner's single as new release, but I thought, since I have not yet seen this music video on UK music channels yet, due to it probably being banned, I thought I might as well as a little treat.
Over the years Britney has released a hell of a lot of singles. This one is definitely one of those songs that eventually grow on you, but thus far has yet to make the chart, and I doubt it ever will, it's such a pity as this song is really good, and has totally grown on me. This is her 2nd single off her latest album "Femme Fatale" that hasn't charted in the UK Chart. It has also been ages since she has had a number one hit in the UK, the last song being "Everytime" back in 2004. Will she ever become the star we all used to love and like? Or will she end up having chart failures for the rest of her singing career. As long as she keeps releasing in the UK, I'm happy.
"Criminal" was written by Max Martin, Shellback and Tiffany Amber. The song is about being in love with a Criminal, a bad boy, an outlaw, and pleading to her mom that it's going to be alright and not to worry. The song was chosen as the Fourth single from her album via facebook, where Britney held a poll for which song her fans wanted to see as her next single, and "Criminal" won.
This music video links in with the song perfectly. I love a lot about this music video, and I'm a little upset that it isn't shown on the music channels often (if at all). I think that was one of the main reasons the song didn't chart here in the UK. The music video has caused a lot of controversy, especially in the UK, due to the fact that it shows the use of guns. Internet video sharing sites such as Vevo and YouTube has commented saying that there is explicit sexual scenes within the music video that shouldn't be there. Britney's director for this music video: Chris Marrs Pilero has commented saying: that it surprised him that it has a lot of controversy "because don't you guys have television shows out there that show crime? It's really strange to me. I don't understand why pop stars are put on such a high pedestal over other celebrities" (To see more of what he said click here)
I love the start of this music video, with it's opening sequence. Britney is seen with this guy, she doesn't really like. I think he's showing off and she's not smiling at all. He gets annoyed with her and she runs away with tears coming down her face. After putting some of her own perfume on called "Radiance". The starting theme is inspired by the film "Can't Hardly Wait". After coming out the bathroom she finds her boyfriend playfully chatting to this girl. Britney tells the girl "So you're not working the street corner tonight I see?" and this makes him angry. He then shoves her outside and slaps her across the face. Then this guy (a criminal played by Jason Trawick, Britney's real-life boyfriend), punches him and then they escape, but not after Britney does some damage of her own by kicking him in a certain place using the words "wait.... [kick] now I'm ready". I love this opening sequence and I could watch it over and over again.
There is another cross-reference with another music video, and that is Green Day's "21 Guns". Because Jason and Britney are kissing as bullets go through their apartment and somehow misses them in the middle. Also a lot of people has stated that it links in with Rihanna's music videos "Man Down" and "We Found Love".
Overall this music video links in perfectly with the song, and the controversy around the music video is fair enough, but it isn't as bad as others try and state it to be. Furthermore, the prevention of showing this music video at certain times in the UK (not sure if that's right, but I have yet to see it on the music channels), may have been the reason why this has yet to chart.
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