As the follow up to 2011's Femme Fatale, Britney Spears has unveiled the lead single from her as of yet untitled LP, entitled
'Work' is much more experimental than anything we've seen from Britney, or any other pop star for that matter, this year. Its a heavy dance floor banger, not something that will easily blend into pop radio. Gritty synths, hints of dubstep and sparse lyrical content make 'Work' a bit hard to enjoy fully. Britney sounds no more human than she has on her past 4 albums, which is a tad alarming (does she even have a pulse anymore?).
If this was an album track, maybe the sin that is Work Bitch could be more forgivable, but its a lead single. If this is the most radio friendly track RCA could find for Britney to promote, she could be in a serious predicament (though hopefully/likely thats not the case since the word "bitch" is the centerpiece of the track). Its not even a matter of this being too experimental for radio, its too experimental in general; its a hot mess. The lyrics are disastrous and Britney doesn't sing them any better than what they deserve. Overall, very disappointing, and a bad move by her and her label.
Vocals: D+
Lyrics: D+
Production: B-
Overall: C-