Britney’s too-muchness works for her, spectacularly, if you manage to just focus on the song, focus on her triumphantly apocalyptic diction. Focus on the percussive megaton explosiveness of her syllables: “Oh baby baby / The reason AH breathe AH is you AH.” Each syllable triggers an aftershock. Each syllable leaves a crater. Every breath is a bomb. Think about how well you know “… Baby One More Time” even if you don’t like it, how ingrained this song is in your psyche even if you’ve never once listened to it by choice. Think about the power of that, the power that exerts on the world, and the
...more
