A Career Analysis.
By @EddieJSays, Contributing writer

Mariah Carey’s newest single "The Art of Letting Go" (from a forthcoming album of the same title) is a beautiful 1960s-styled R&B ballad that (once more) tackles her favorite subject: being heartbroken and trying to get over it (AKA the themes of albums “The Emancipation of Mimi,” ““E=MC2,” Rainbow, etc.). A refreshing turn away from the "Doctor, I was too patient" idioms Carey spewed throughout the previous record, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel,” the lyrics are deep in some areas and vapid in others; it’s as if her “Butterfly” era is meeting that of “Memoirs.” Musically, there’s just an average approach, but I do commend her and Jermaine Dupri for using an orchestra, since live instrumentation was abandoned in Carey's catalogue for roughly 8 years now (sans the 2nd Christmas album). Overall, “Art” leaves little to be desired, but it does make one question why it was chosen as a single and the album title track, due to its lack of commercial appeal and easily forgettable chorus. Again, it seems Carey is forcing herself to write what she thinks people want to hear instead of just allowing things to organically grow and flourish. Vocally on “Art,” she’s in limbo between being great/decent and sounding strained and damaged. I hope that this single isn't the big highlight of her new album and that there will be much better vocals. I'm not deterred from the project yet, but I'm not hungry for more either. Mariah Carey can be defined as one of the most versatile and adaptable artists in history, both musically and vocally. These qualities are what has sustained her to a loyal worldwide audience for 2 decades, and on the flip-side, probably put her into a corner where she feels she can go nowhere else creatively. Progressively, changes in her artistic approach and image have landed Carey in stagnancy (and lower-selling music), and not only am I going to explain how that is, but I’m going to suggest how she can get out of this mess.

Mariah Carey started off with a golden and alluring girl-next-door image. Reserved but fairly open, Carey made herself identifiable as she discussed her past life in poverty, encountering racism as a biracial youth and her struggles as a burgeoning artist. This warm aura matched with her wide and powerful range, silky vocal texture and infectious songwriting lead listeners to instantly embrace Carey from her buzz-creating first major appearance at the 1990 NBA Finals (she performed “America The Beautiful”), which resulted in her first few albums selling over 23 million copies combined and making history as the first artist since the Jackson 5 to have her opening four singles top the Billboard Hot 100. In spite of all the success, Carey was miserable and felt creatively stunted. Married to then-Columbia Records CEO Tommy Mottola, the “never mix business with pleasure” rule applied, as Carey accounted that Mottola was overly possessive and controlling, strictly dictating that she never wear clothing showing any skin and that she remain home if she wasn’t working. On the final cut of the “Daydream” album, “Looking In,” she purportedly addressed her feelings of creative bondage, stating: “Well, here I am for all the pen to bleed, but they can't take my heart from me and they can't bring me to my knees; they'll never know the real me.” Taking control of her music and persona and divorcing Mottola, a liberated Carey would be heard on 1997’s “Butterfly;” an album exalted by fans for its distinctive shift in sound (more R&B & hip-hop), image (slinky, short & revealing) and quality. Record label executives generally discourage artists from making major changes, for fear that the artist will lose their niche of the market. The concern was valid as “Butterfly” didn’t sell as well as Carey’s previous 2 albums. However, Carey made Columbia $7 billion before the end of the decade.

By 1999, Mariah was a hot commodity and only knocking on 30, but she hadn’t taken a break since her career began, releasing 7 studio albums within 9 years. Between recording, tours and promotion, Carey’s voice (and body) was beginning to succumb to constant wear and tear. While her whistle, head voice and lower register remained well intact, her chest voice sounded more husky and brittle, making some of her older songs more blatantly difficult to perform.  In 2001, Mariah had reached her breaking point as she left Columbia and signed an $80 million, 4-album deal with Virgin Records; the soundtrack to “Glitter” (Carey’s film debut) was the first release. Prior to the album drop, Carey was hospitalized for an emotional and mental breakdown. Intensifying matters, the “Glitter” film was panned by critics and its soundtrack only sold 501,000 units; partly because it was released the same week as the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. The next year, Virgin paid Mariah $49 million to leave and her contract was dissipated. She signed with Island Def Jam soon after with “Charmbracelet.” While the album was intended to be marketed as a “comeback,” it sold just over a million units in the U.S. with no singles touching the top 40 or even top 60, which was considered a commercial failure, given Carey’s history. 

A Career Analysis
(contains some synopsis by E. Sims)

I have a couple of friends that are about 5-6 years younger than me and when we chat about music, it stuns me how much those few years make a difference. Our perceptions of certain artists and their effect are poles apart. One of those artists is Brandy, who came on the scene in 1994 and quickly took the music world by storm. In a span of just 5 years, Brandy had hit albums and singles, headed a popular TV series (“Moesha”) and starred in a major film (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”) and highly-rated TV movies alongside the legendary likes of Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg and Diana Ross (“Cinderella,” “Double Platinum”). She even was immortalized as a doll before it was trendy. She was one of the first, if not the first, young African-Americans to tackle such feats, and that meant the world to people my age. Loved by all with brown skin and braids, when that’s not the standard of beauty? What?! A black “Cinderella” with a multiracial supporting cast? Get out of here! It was kind of a big deal. However, by the time my pals who were born in 1990 and 1991 were age 10 and old enough to vividly remember anything in pop-culture, Brandy’s light had begun to dim. I know and view her as trailblazer, but to some of the younger set, Brandy is just some girl who had a couple of hits back in the day. What happened and how can Brandy regain her footing? Let us attempt to answer that question.

Instant success is usually to the detriment of young acts. It’s emotionally overwhelming being under high media scrutiny and analysis, not being able to enjoy “normal” teenage activities (like the prom) and having to decipher who’s a fake friend or “yes” person when you’ve barely begun to figure out who you are. Not to mention the lures of and unlimited access to drugs, sex and other hedonistic things your average horny, egotistical and impulsive teenager would run with. For Brandy, fast fame was the first thing that brought her down, both professionally and personally. The attention she garnered and the things achieved in 5 years, most artists do in 7-10. In the late 90’s, Brandy was involved in an abusive relationship, was suffering from an eating disorder and ultimately was hospitalized after having a nervous breakdown. It was at that point Brandy stepped away from the lights. Professionally, when you reach your prime so quickly, it creates a catch 22: you become overexposed and run out of gas trying to top yourself, or you take a break at the risk of returning to lost interest. Brandy experienced the latter.

After a hiatus, she released “Full Moon” in 2002; an album she said addressed her abuse. Critically, it was received fairly well; it was praised for its maturity and easy sensual allure, but Rodney Jerkins’ production was censured for being redundant. Jerkins’ part in the inability of Brandy’s career to rebound would expand; it will be revisited later in this article. First single “What About Us” charted 7th on the Billboard Hot 100, the title track charted 18th and “Full Moon” was certified platinum a month after release. I would consider that a success, but it was labeled as a failure in some media because it didn’t match the multi-platinum status her previous records did (ala` Mariah Carey’s “Glitter” soundtrack). Additionally, promotion for the album eventually slowed down as Brandy was surprised to find she was pregnant with her 1st child.

2004’s follow-up, “Afrodisiac,” could’ve kept Brandy’s return rolling, but despite high critical acclaim and a Grammy nod, management issues and shaky promotion arguably resulted in poor single and album performance. None of the singles from the album entered the Billboard top 20, and barely made the R&B top 20. Many of the singer’s fans felt the wrong tracks were chosen as singles. To top it off, plans for a major tour with her contemporary, Usher, fell through. Brandy changed her management and ended her over-a-decade long relationship with Atlantic Records. Some suggest that “Any press is good press” didn’t apply, as 1 month into “Afrodisiac’s” release, producer Robert “Big Bert” Smith (the father of Brandy’s daughter) revealed in multiple radio interviews that he & Brandy pretended to be married to avoid tainting her “clean” image with an out-of-wedlock birth. 2 years later, there was more negative press when Brandy was involved a multi-vehicle crash. Initial news stories stated that Brandy didn’t notice cars in front of her slowed, and she struck the back of a vehicle belonging to Awatef Aboudihaj. Aboudihaj’s vehicle subsequently hit another, slid to the side and smashed into a center divider, where it was hit by yet another car. Aboudihaj died the next day in the hospital. Despite later concluding reports by the California Highway Patrol that Aboudihaj collided with the vehicle in front of her and mashed on her brakes, causing Brandy to crash into her, Brandy was still viciously painted as a murder whose celebrity position “got her off.” Within 2 years, Brandy went from being identified as a singer and actress, to a liar and murderer. Any traction she gained for a return was dismantled.

Still, Brandy made an attempt in 2008 with “Human” on Epic Records. Now, we revisit Rodney Jerkins’ hand. Brandy felt the material Jerkins provided was lackluster and the pair creatively quarreled. She was equally, if not more, discontent with the offerings from the other “hot right now” producers injected by Epic (ex. RedOne, Bruno Mars & Toby Gad). Jerkins couldn’t do any wrong from the late 1990’s to the early 2000’s, but in my opinion, he failed to evolve artistically and has hit a plateau. It’s hard for his productions to not sound dated, as time has caught up with his once innovative style. Alternatively, the other producers attached a fashion so current, that it didn’t fit Brandy at all. With such extremes, no wonder Brandy professed to despise the project. Exacerbating her frustration was the vamped up, sexier image imposed by the record label, of which the singer said she didn’t sell well because she didn’t buy it herself. Not wasting another minute, Brandy again switched up management and her contract with Epic was dissolved. 4 years and a reality series (“Family Business”) later, here we are presently with “Two Eleven” (RCA Records), a date marking her birthday and the death of close friend and former colleague, Whitney Houston. Critics and fans seemed to enjoy the album; I personally thought it was a little sleepy and could’ve been written better, but that’s just me. Like her other post-breakdown albums, “Two Eleven” would be a decent effort (it was applauded for being “progressive,” incorporating futuristic with R&B) marred by external factors. There was a moderate amount of initial promotion and it didn’t hurt that Brandy is a regular on the well-liked BET series, “The Game,” but in true RCA fashion, they released 2 singles before “Two Eleven’s” October 2012 release date and no more afterward (RCA has bad promotion habits, especially with their R&B acts).

The 2nd external factor now affecting Brandy is the state of R&B and the industry as a whole. If you didn’t already know, R&B is a strange place where it’s dull and no cares to pay a lot of attention to it. This saddens me because I love the genre. Everyone has different suppositions on how this happened, but as I have submitted before on this site, I think that once R&B married itself heavily with pop & hip-hop, it was over-powered, washed and has now taken a back seat. The problem was not that R&B was mixed with other genres (I’m all for genre blending), the problem was that it didn’t have equal footing when it was mixed. It wasn’t a 50/50 composite. What needs to take place in order for R&B and its acts, like Brandy, to thrive is to again mesh with the mainstream, but have a more dominate, inventive presence. Also, specifically for Brandy, she needs to avoid working with whoever is the hottest producer and collaborate with up-and-coming, imaginative talent. It will be difficult getting record label executives to financially take such a risk, but it will be worth the shot. Well-known and consistently working producers are the most likely to hand-off tweaked or remixed versions of their previous work, consequently making the artists they worked with sound similar or like “copy-cats.” Brandy also needs to find a way to match her musical trademark with the contemporary. My next suggestion might seem like an irrelevant stretch, but maybe it would help Brandy to have a strong theme or signature look for her next project. Symbolism helps an album stick out in the audience’s minds. For example, Taylor Swift using a red microphone every time she performed a song from her “Red” album, or Beyonce’s leotard and glove during her “I Am…Sasha Fierce” era.

Brandy Norwood has a distinctive voice, a unique look, decent enough acting chops, the tenacity to make risky, but necessary business moves and with the exception of “Human,” she doesn’t have a bad record in her discography. The tracks she treaded early on are enough to show that she has what it takes to be a force once more. Eliminate personal strife, bad press and lukewarm business partners and add a solid and creative production and marketing team, it all belongs to her.

Thoughts?

By C. Barrera, Contributing Writer
Christina Aguilera has been in the spotlight many times due to her drastic musical and visual style changes that have surprised more than one. Aguilera has been praised for both her audacity and vocals, while being criticized for those exact same reasons (ex. being accused of having a negative attitude and over-singing). Through the criticism and changes, Aguilera has seen much success, but here lately, things seem to be in a strange spot with underperforming albums and a creative direction that seems unclear. The theme of her latest album “Lotus” is that she’s an unbreakable flower that rises even in the worst conditions, but is she really unbreakable?

In her debut "Genie in a Bottle" era, she was an ultra-clean, hit-making, pop princess machine fashioned after her predecessor and contemporary, Britney Spears. This design being the choice of her record label, RCA, Aguilera naturally didn’t want this. Taking advantage of increased creative freedom for her second album, she changed completely and said goodbye to the “genie.” Her music, look and even her fan base evolved to what I like to call a freedom anthem: “Stripped.” Controversial, sexually charged and yet, vulnerable, “Stripped” was an empowering album that spoke to the outcasted and ridiculed, and remains the favorite album of many (myself included). Another chameleon-like change came with "Back to Basics." “Xtina” (the moniker Aguilera took on during “Stripped) turned into Baby Jane; a classy, vintage diva inspired by the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s music that she loved. It was a risky project, but absolutely marvelous in content.

Christina turned the valve and let her creativity flow until “Bionic” was released. We all know the album was a commercial failure, and RCA likely had a lot to do with that. Some songs were total masterpieces, while others tried too hard to fit into the electro-pop mood of 2010. She was in need of a rebound. “Lotus" received mixed reviews, but fans seem to agree that it’s an extraordinary album that deserved better promotion. In conjunction, my opinion is that the album has a wonderful concept and includes both lyrical works of art and commercial songs that could've been chart toppers with proper marketing. However, the album does leave you wanting more. All of her previous albums had a theme that took you on a satisfying journey, but 80% of "Lotus" is dedicated to addressing haters and gives you a sense of paranoia. Aguilera claims to be unfazed and doesn’t care what people say, yet she sings to them in 8 songs? The other 20% are songs about sex and love (read the review by J.Says here). Fascinatingly, not only did there seem to be little interest in the project by RCA, but by Aguilera herself, which leads some to think she might be about to break ties with her label. Considering the arguable neglect of Aguilera’s music that started with the “Bionic” album, a separation might be a positive thing (she reportedly gave up her coveted spot on NBC’S “The Voice” to concentrate on her work).

Now, the main question is: what direction should Christina go in now? Right now, she gives the image of loving her shape (she’s constantly scrutinized about her weight), her music and being in a safe place. She’s so unpredictable that it’s almost impossible to foresee if she will follow a more commercial path, or maybe, what I would love the most, an experimental album in the style of “Stronger That Ever” or “Birds of Prey” (from “Bionic”). Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

--Could Aguilera’s change in producers be at the center of her successes and failures? Read her portion of “5 Artists Who Are Only as Good as Their Producers”
--To see other “Curious Case” articles, click Aguilera’s photo above.

A career analysis.
A few weeks ago, Kelly Rowland released “Kisses Down Low,” the latest single to be featured on her tentatively-titled upcoming album, “Year of the Woman.” The track is about what the title implies; oral sex. Ever since the success of Rowland’s urban hit “Motivation” with Lil Wayne, sexually suggestive tracks have become a central piece of her repertoire. Comments from Twitter users seemed to be all in the same vein of “She’s too talented for this,” “It’s the same old stuff” or “We don’t need a female Trey Songz.” I found the comparison to R&B heartthrob Songz, who isn’t even Rowland’s contemporary, most telling. Songz rose to mainstream fame with sexual club-friendly ditties, but after about 3 albums full of them, audiences seemed to become fatigued and unimpressed. Dedicated fans who believed in his talent were disappointed that he all but reduced himself to a sex symbol. Likewise, Rowland seems to be receiving the same reaction. It’s been touch-and-go for the former Destiny’s Child; she just hasn’t hit her stride as a solo act. It’s all quite puzzling really. Kelly Rowland is beautiful, can actually sing without auto-tune and went through the same success boot-camp as megastar Beyonce`. If anyone would know how to follow the yellow-brick road to Beyonce`-like Oz, it should be Kelly Rowland. So what gives? Let me tell you. With Kelly’s career, for every problem that’s solved, another one arises.

Rowland was all set to be a thriving solo star; the launch from Destiny’s Child was carefully planned. In preparation for an eventual 2005 disbandment, DC briefly separated at their “Survivor” prime in 2002. Going after their interests and musical strong suites, Michelle Williams returned to her gospel roots, Beyonce` was scheduled to follow Williams’ release with an R&B record and lastly, Kelly-pop with alternative influence. The schedule got rearranged, however, when Rowland’s collaboration with Nelly, “Dilemma,” became a huge hit and ultimately garnered 2 Grammy nominations and 1 win. In trying to keep up with the single’s heat, a rush job was done on Kelly’s solo debut “Simply Deep,” resulting in mediocre tracks that would fail to chart. Quality material wasn’t the problem for 2007’s “Ms. Kelly;” sassy, personal, smooth and catchy, it was possibly one of the best R&B albums of that year, but it was very poorly promoted. Convinced the material was to blame, Columbia Records released a deluxe edition and an EP entitled “Ms. Kelly: Diva Deluxe” with several new tracks, but it didn’t help. In my opinion, scanty promotion combined with the wrong single choices killed the album’s chances. Where was “Still in Love with My Ex”? It was relatable and contained juicy gossip (the song was reportedly about Rowland’s broken engagement to football player Roy Williams)! Where was the ridiculously sexy “The Show” featuring Tank or “Every Thought is You”?!

At that point, theories swirled. Maybe Kelly wasn’t talented enough. Maybe it was the record label. Maybe it was her manager, Mathew Knowles; maybe he doesn’t know how to manage anyone else’s career well but his daughter, Beyonce’s. By the end of 2009, 2 out of 3 of those theories were taken care of; she was no longer on Columbia Records and sought out new management. Kelly was finally going to have her moment in the sun, or so many had hoped. Rowland’s new home, Universal Motown, began releasing “tester singles” in 2010. Interviews early in the recording process suggested that the new album would feature dance music and Rowland was taken with the genre and wanted blend it with R&B cuts. Like other up-tempo tracks released by the singer, “When Love Takes Over” & “Commander” performed well in Europe and with techno boiling over in the U.S., this seemed like a promising direction. Then “Motivation” happened. The sheet-warmer single shot to #1 on the Billboard R&B chart and #17 on the Hot 100. The upcoming “Here I Am” was about to change from a dance record to an mostly urban sexapalooza and Rowland was going to sell the image for dear life- topless magazine covers, sultry interview details and all. Despite the hard sell, it didn’t seem like many bought it. The sudden image and material change came off like an obvious ploy to move units; only it didn’t. Subsequent singles from “Here I Am,” albeit somewhat under-promoted, didn’t perform well and the album flat-lined. Now, here we are preparing for her 4th album and it appears the record label wants to learn the hard way. Rowland tried to create “Motivation” magic again with Lil Wayne for “Ice,” but like Nelly’s attempt to make “Dilemma” happen again with “Gone,” the songs sounded too similar and it didn’t work. “Kisses Down Low” isn’t working. When are they going to get it through their thick skulls that Kelly, the sex toy, isn’t working?!

Above all else, the central issue in Kelly’s career is that label executives don’t know what to do with her and have failed to acknowledge their missteps in shaping her career. Additionally, they don’t believe in her. From my perspective, they don’t respect her presence, nor do they realize her level of talent or potential and the proof is in the pudding. Executives could put the same effort and energy into Kelly that they do chart-toppers with less talent, but they don’t because I think, inherently, they believe she isn’t marketable. They view her as just an unneeded cast-off from a group. Rowland could better stay ahead of these pitfalls if she was also a writer and/or producer, but she doesn’t have those gifts. She needs a team and a record label that’s going to help build a sound and image that’s more organic to who she is internally. Bring in top-notch songwriters and musicians. Give us heartfelt ballads (I wish she would’ve gotten Rihanna’s “Unfaithful”) and inspiring, energizing pop or dance music. Dance music fits Kelly’s voice like a glove. Her voice just soars on tracks like “Forever & a Day” & “When Love Takes Over.” I saw a clip of her performing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” (Kelly could benefit from doing songs like the ones Houston did early in her career) and Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” for tributes; those songs fit her voice extremely well. As it stands now, I think Kelly’s brand is being cheapened and it’s disenchanting.
To see other "Curious Case" profiles, click Kelly Rowland's photo above.

A career analysis.

As I watch the video to “3” in my university cafeteria, I shake my head in disbelief. Most would not be shocked, but I figured Britney Spears would be passed the point of overtly sexual gimmicks in her career. I mean, after all, she’s done it all when it comes to sexual gimmicks: she’s appeared topless on magazine covers (nipples conveniently covered of course), she’s given the illusion of nudity on stage (i.e. MTV Video Music Awards 2000), simulated sex (both heterosexual/homosexual) on tour, kissed another woman on stage, and made songs about masturbation, one-night stands, drunken sex, bi-sexual sex, and now threesomes. Hell, her first cover with “Rolling Stone” in 1999 featured her at just 18 in her underwear with a “Lolita” theme (according to “Rolling Stone,” that was her first major magazine cover). Call me crazy for expecting more out of Britney Spears artistically after 11 years in the industry and an ENTIRE EXISTENCE characterized by hell, high water and life-changing events like childbirth.

Nonetheless, Britney remains successful. Her latest album, Circus, has gone platinum and many of her tour dates have sold out. “3," despite being controversial, is selling well too. I sit back in awe and intrigue and wonder “How on earth did she pull this off? How on earth does the formula still work?” This is “The Curious Case of Britney Spears.”
You gotta admit, when you think about it, her career is fascinating. She herself probably wonders how she’s pulled it off this far. Think about it. Britney was not supposed to last THIS long. She was DESIGNED and MADE to be a trend; a flash in the pan. The phenomenon known as Britney Spears came during the “pop wave of 1999,” when little pop-tart divas and boy bands were coming out left and right. Sound familiar? Yeah, this happened in the 1980’s with Debbie Gibson, New Kids on the Block and crew. Some survive the “wave” and go on to really impact music; Britney Spears was never expected to be one of those people. Out of all the pop-tarts, Britney relied the MOST on gimmicks and had the most limited vocal ability. She had the weakest lyrics. She lacked substance. If it wasn’t bubblegum, it was straight sex. Yet, somehow, she outshined all of her contemporaries (regardless of the fact that some of them were more talented) and her star kept on rising. So much to point that she was being deemed “the next Madonna” by media. And it didn’t hurt that Madonna adopted her for a second; introducing her to Kabala, sucking face with her at the MTV Video Music Awards and appearing in Spears' music videos. 

But Britney managed to fail to be the “next Madonna.”  Shortly after being orally christened by the “Queen of Pop,” the “Circus” began. In between “In the Zone” and “Circus” (“Blackout” was between those) was five years of gradual, mysterious drama that left people wanting to be a “fly on the wall”. Still, despite not rising to the occasion of Madonna artistically, and being scrutinized, criticized, chewed up and spit out, Britney still did well. Her greatest hits album and DVD released during that period, “My Prerogative,” went platinum and all of the singles from “Blackout” were certified either gold or platinum by the RIAA. 

“Circus” arrived in 2008, with hardly any mention of her personal struggles or changes. It was classic Britney: sexed up, substance-less pop slush. And yet, it and its concert tour sold like hot cakes. After being deemed YEARS AGO musically as a factory sealed, assembly line, flash in the pan, talentless lip-syncher and industry puppet who brought nothing to the art of music. Long after being dubbed in the media over the years a “bag girl”, a bad influence and “too sexual.”  Circus showed that Britney hadn’t grown an OUNCE artistically. Everything was as it was in 1999. And people LOVED it. In pop music, this doesn’t happen. Even without all of the media drama, her fans were supposed to outgrow her and move on; at least that’s what usually happens. WITH media drama, fans are REALLY expected to move on: the parents confiscate the records and your sales go down. Furthermore, Britney was labeled all sorts of horrible things by the media. She was ejected and exiled; thrown away. And yet, her star rose. 
Come to think of it, she doesn’t even need her original fan base. That’s right: Britney has a NEW fan base. The teenagers now LOVE her. That REALLY doesn’t happen in pop music. The next generation is not supposed to be your main fan base. Maybe, a PART of it- which is a HUGE MAYBE-but not the main. When Britney presented at the Teen Choice Awards in 2006 pregnant with her second child, in the middle of media hoopla, she got a standing ovation and lots of “we love you Britney!!” from teens who were in grade school when “Baby One More Time” came out. Fast forward 3 years later, regardless of even more overt sexuality, Britney is loved by teen Disney darlings like Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus. Selena listed “Circus” as one of her favorite albums in an interview, and Miley expressed finding solace in hearing Britney on the radio in her song “Party in the USA.” Whoa. 

Britney having the support of the next generation of teens is intriguing, perplexing and unique for several reasons. #1, as mentioned before, this is not typical in the industry, particularly when you’re built with a “pop-tart” prototype. #2 Typically, music execs change your sound as an artist to appeal to the next generation. Britney’s “sound” has not changed at all. #3 The new generation of teens are not familiar with Britney pre-In The Zone. The main version of Britney they’re familiar with is the 2003-2008 drama version. And yet, they may have more loyalty than the fans that knew her during her “glory days”. #4 again, usually talking about “seeking Amy” and having threesomes would keep you from reaching the youth market. Yet, Britney has penetrated and conquered. Britney has come a long way and kicked a lot of butt. Nothing says “kiss my butt” than still selling records. Britney broke all the rules. She was designed to blow up and blow out all before 2002; maybe even earlier than that. Make a lot of money for the execs and then disappear. But she didn’t and she hasn’t. Her star is still rising and far from burning. And she’s not even trying that hard. How did she do it?

Perhaps the answer lies within the formula. Britney’s formula artistically (although not very artistic) has worked well for her. Remember when I mentioned how execs change your artist sound to “update” it and appeal to the younger crowd? Well, that plan is SUPPOSED TO work, but as we see with many examples, it often doesn’t. Look at Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Madonna and Janet Jackson. In one way or another, an “updated” or changed sound has not benefited them in the same ways their original sound did and many fans end up saying “I still like them, but I prefer their older stuff.” Britney, for better or worse has remained consistent. All the way to the bank. And possibly a lasting impact.
To see other "Curious Case" articles, click Britney's photo above.