femme fatale tour wiki

For Nicki Minaj, a Britney Spears tour was a chance to prove 'I can be part of any world'

Nicki Minaj was conquering the mainstream with the “boom ba-doom boom, boom ba-doom boom bass” of “Super Bass,” the highest-charting entry on the Billboard Hot 100 by a solo female rapper since Missy Elliott taught us what it means to "Work It , " when she took the stage in Glendale, Arizona, as the main support act on Britney Spears' huge arena tour.

It was the rising rap sensation’s second swing through metro Phoenix as an opener that year, having shared a bill with Lil Wayne on April 19, 2011, when Weezy’s I Am Music II Tour rolled through Footprint Center, which was called US Airways Center at the time.

Nicki Minaj concert in Phoenix: What you need to know before you go to Footprint Center

Britney Spears on Nicki Minaj: 'A great artist in every way'

The Femme Fatale Tour launched on June 16, 2011, in Sacramento, California, hitting Glendale six days later for a concert at Desert Diamond Arena, which was Jobing.com Arena then.

In a midtour interview with MTV , Spears sang Minaj’s praises.

"I think she's great," Spears said.

"She's a great artist in every way and I'm really happy for her. I think she has a distinct sound when she raps. It really stands out and sets her apart from everyone else. I'm happy she's able to be on tour with me because that's just amazing."

Nicki Minaj was 'really excited to make history with Britney'

In an interview with MTV before the tour began , the Trinidadian rapper shared her feelings on touring with Spears.

“She's definitely iconic and I'm very excited," Minaj said. "It's weird. I just always remember her, since I was little, ruling the world, so I'm really excited to just expand my fanbase and show people that I can be a part of any world."

She also called into the Ryan Seacrest show to talk about how thrilled she was to have been asked to join the tour with a shout-out to her fans, the Barbs.

"I'm calling to let everyone know how thrilled I am, how honored I am to be going on the road with the iconic Miss Britney Spears this summer,” she said.

“I just know that when the Femme Fatales and the Barbs get together, we're going to kick major ass. And I am looking forward to creating a new, a bigger, a brighter, a more spectacular show. And I am just really, really excited to make history with Britney.”

In an interview with MTV before the tour launch, Minaj talked about “trying to put more theater on that stage,” adding, “So much to me is music, but it's also about putting on a show, so that's my goal: to truly put on a show and incorporate theater and dance.”

Critics praised Nicki Minaj's 'undeniably magnetic stage presence'

An Entertainment Weekly critic wrote that “Nicki herself brought as much fun and energy as she could to her budget-limited performance” in Los Angeles, the stop before the tour arrived in Glendale, “developing a Femme Fatale theme of her own as her alter-ego Roman battled a villainous dancer wearing the Saw clown mask.”

That writer also praised her “undeniably magnetic stage presence."

The Los Angeles Times responded to that same performance even more enthusiastically.

“Her music ranges from hardcore to pop friendly, so it’s not surprising that her second trek in a year shows her supporting pop royalty Britney Spears on her Femme Fatale tour,” Gerrick D. Kennedy wrote. After noting that Spears was the star of the show, he went on to write, “there was a moment at Staples when Minaj ruled the stage with razor-sharp bangs and body-hugging attire on full display.”

Kennedy went on to praise Minaj for having stepped it up a notch or two since coming through LA with LA Wayne a few months earlier.

“While she played the true team player role while on the road with Wayne (he likes to bring out his Young Money family  during  his set), with Spears, she proved to be a serious live player with elaborate staging, a theatrical story line, choreography and costume changes,” Kennedy wrote.

When Nicki Minaj came to Arizona on Britney Spear's Femme Fatale Tour

Two days later Minaj played Glendale, where my review in The Arizona Republic noted the “elaborate theatrical production” involved in her performance, which included “a talking computer, a parallel world and an epic battle being waged before our very eyes between good, as played by Nicki, and evil, which, of course, was out to ‘overshadow joy, peace and love.’”

“And if that sounds a little silly, well, it was, especially the final battle, where the rapper struck her favorite kung fu poses with a ray gun in each hand before vanquishing evil, naturally.”

For the most part, Minaj pulled it off, I wrote, “in part because she's one of rap's most charismatic entertainers, with a million dollar smile, a killer haircut and a level of enthusiasm that could not be more contagious while treating the fans to a hit-filled set that started with ‘Roman's Revenge’ and made its way through ‘Did It On'em,’ ‘Up All Night,’ ‘Bottoms Up’ and ‘BedRock.’”

Minaj joined Spears on stage at several stops on the Femme Fatale Tour to dust off her feature on “Till the World Ends,” but Glendale got Minaj on video, rapping her verse from the Femme Fatale Remix.

As The Republic noted, “‘Big Fat Bass’ began with giant speaker cabinets being wheeled out by her dancers, Britney crawling out of one to bump and grind in another skimpy outfit while will.i.am handled his part via video (the same trick used later for Nicki Minaj's rap on ‘Till the World Ends’ despite her being IN THE VENUE, having gone on just before the headliner).”

According to Pollstar, the Femme Fatale Tour was the 11th highest-grossing tour worldwide of 2011, earning $68.7 million.

Nicki Minaj brings her Pink Friday Tour to Phoenix in 2012

By the time Minaj made her next appearance in the Valley, she was headlining her own Pink Friday Tour, which played Comerica Theatre (now Arizona Financial Theatre) in Phoenix on Aug. 7, 2012.

Released in November 2010, “Pink Friday” was Minaj’s debut studio release. It hit the charts at No. 2, making its way to the top on the way to going triple-platinum.

Two songs from "Pink Friday" – “Your Love” and “Moment 4 Life” (which featured Drake) – hit No. 1 on Billboard’s rap charts.

Six songs went Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 – “Your Love,” “Check It Out” (with will.i.am), “Right Thru Me,” “Moment 4 Life,” “Super Bass” and “Fly” (with Rihanna).

The album’s biggest hit, by far, was “Super Bass,” which peaked at No. 3 and was certified Diamond for sales of 10 million units, winning an MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video.

The success of “Pink Friday” inspired two sequels – 2012’s double-platinum “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” and 2023’s “Pink Friday 2,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100.

What Nicki Minaj learned from Lil Wayne and Britney Spears

In 2011, before she launched her Pink Friday Tour, Minaj spoke to the Los Angeles Times and reflected on what opening for Lil Wayne and Britney Spears had taught her about how to entertain a crowd.

“Britney’s production is so amazing,” she said. “When I sat out there the first night to watch it, I felt like I was a kid at an amusement park. It was so much, the lights, the content and the props.

"Whereas Wayne, he teaches me how to command a crowd. His comfort level and how he makes people feel like he’s their best friend when he’s onstage. He has that command. If you can put both of those two things into a show, you can really do an amazing show – that’s my goal.

"Am I gonna be able to do these humongous venues within the next year? Probably not. But am I gonna put on an amazing show and give everyone something that’s gonna be well worth what they paid? Absolutely yes.”

Minaj brings her Pink Friday 2 World Tour to Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Wednesday, March 13. It's her fourth and most extensive headlining tour, playing 56 dates.

In an Instagram livestream, she promised, “This will be a very different feeling tour, even if you've been to every Nicki Minaj tour that's ever existed.”

Nicki Minaj setlist: What she played on the 2011 Femme Fatale Tour

Here's every song Nicki Minaj played at Jobing.com Arena when the Femme Fatale Tour brought Minaj and Britney Spears to Glendale, Arizona:

• "Roman's Revenge"
• "Did It On'em"
• "Up All Night"
• "Bottoms Up"
• "My Chick Bad"
• "Your Love" recording
• "Anywhere Is" (Enya cover)
• "Check It Out"
• "Letting Go (Dutty Love)"
• "Where Them Girls At"
• "Book of Days" (Enya recording)
• "Moment 4 Life"
• "Super Bass"

Nicki Minaj

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 13.

Where: Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix.

Admission: $74.50 and up.

Details: 602-379-7800,  ticketmaster.com .

Reach the reporter at  [email protected]  or 602-444-4495. Follow him on X  @EdMasley .

Support local journalism.   Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

Femme Fatale Tour

• View history

The Femme Fatale Tour was a tour headlined by Britney Spears with opening acts Nicki Minaj , Nervo, and Jessie and the Toy Boys.

• 1.1 Original
• 1.2 Revised
• 1.3 Additional notes
• 2 The Legend of Roman

Minaj's setlist [ ]

Original [ ].

• " The Legend of Roman " (Intro)
• " Roman's Revenge "
• " Did It On'em "
• " Up All Night "
• " Bottoms Up "
• " My Chick Bad "
• " Your Love " (Interlude)
• " Raining Men "
• " Muny " (Dance interlude)
• " Monster "
• " Save Me "
• "Anywhere Is" (Interlude)
• " Catch Me "
• " Hello Good Morning (Remix) " (Interlude)
• " Bedrock "
• " Check It Out "
• " Where Them Girls At "
• "Reggae medley" (Interlude)
• "Book of Days" (Interlude)
• " Super Bass "
• " Moment 4 Life "

Revised [ ]

• "The Legend of Roman" (Intro)
• " My Chick Bad " [A]
• " Your Love " (Interlude) [B]
• " Monster " [C]
• " Letting Go (Dutty Love) " [D]
• " Moment 4 Life " [E]

During Britney Spears's set, Minaj joined Spears for " Till the World Ends (The Femme Fatale Remix) " on select dates.

Additional notes [ ]

• A ^ At the July 22, 2011 concert in Miami at the American Airlines Arena, Trina joined Minaj onstage during the performance of "My Chick Bad" and added her verse from the official remix.
• B ^ At the July 7, 2011 concert in Chicago at the United Center, Minaj followed the "Your Love" interlude with a special performance of " Itty Bitty Piggy ".
• C ^ At the August 2, 2011 performance in Uniondale at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Minaj was joined onstage by Kanye West during the performance of " Monster".
• D ^ At the July 22, 2011 concert in Miami at the American Airlines Arena, Sean Kingston joined Minaj onstage during the performance of "Letting Go (Dutty Love)".
• E ^ At the August 13 and 14, 2011 performances in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre, Minaj was joined onstage by Drake during the performance of "Moment 4 Life". Drake also received a lap dance each night during "Super Bass".

The Legend of Roman [ ]

Nicki Minaj - Legend of Roman

• 1 Alter egos
• 2 Roman Zolanski
• 3 Nicki Minaj fragrances

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Weekender: 10 years later, analyzing 'Femme Fatale' as Britney Spears' zenith

There’s something particularly enticing about the opening seconds of “Till The World Ends,” the first track and second single off Britney Spears’ “Femme Fatale” (2011). An electronic ringing introduces the song and quickly transforms into a steady dance-pop beat. Spears’ iconic heavy breathing and vocalization appear soon after, setting a familiar tone. But as “Till The World Ends” continues, we soon realize that this is a different sound than what we've heard before from the princess of pop . It’s sparky and robotic. This is “BritEDM,” “Britelectronic” music or whatever you want to call it.

It’s breathtakingly euphoric. With each chanting chorus, Spears brings us deeper into the crowded dance floor. She sings that she’s “never … felt like this before” and pleads to “keep on dancin’ till the world ends.” Of course, the music video ’s pretty on the nose in representing these lyrics. It features Spears at an underground party on Dec. 21, 2012 — the day the world was predicted to end. But none of the partygoers care about the destroyed world above them. They just keep dancing.

“Femme Fatale” came at a significant moment in both American music and Spears’ career. Riding on the early rise of electronic dance music, the singer’s seventh album had one overarching desire: to commemorate Spears’ new era after her rise, fall and comeback in popular culture. Of course, that’s a simplification of what might be her greatest work to date. But at the time, “Femme Fatale” acted as a turning point, a recognition that Spears was more powerful and profitable than she had been since her 1999 debut, “…Baby One More Time."

The numbers don’t lie: three Top 10 singles, a No. 1 album and possibly her best concert tour. “Femme Fatale” was Spears' zenith.

Spears spent 2008 to the end of 2009 staging a career revival. She was in the news because of her return to normalcy. Her sixth album “ Circus ” (2008) was certainly a palate cleanser from the shocking darkness of “ Blackout ” (2007). And the subsequent tour, “The Circus Starring Britney Spears” (2009), was the perfect way to reconnect the singer with her fans.

But by 2011, because enough time had passed and other music artists had dominated the charts, "Femme Fatale" was almost like another comeback. Drama surrounded the new album, mostly about who would actually produce it and what it would sound like. The latter concern came with Spears’ desire for something “fresh-sounding.” Of course, that’s a loaded statement. What does fresh-sounding even mean? For “Femme Fatale," it meant embracing EDM while maintaining Spears’ provocative lyricism.

The album was a smash hit, with a sound inspired by Eurodance and techno, but packaged for radio play. Songs like “I Wanna Go” and “Hold It Against Me” played everywhere, from clubs to house parties to school dances. Their music videos — we’ll get to those later — were instant classics in Spears’ already crowded videography . With every successful single, “Femme Fatale” became one of 2011’s principal pop works. But the release didn’t come without criticism. Spears wasn’t credited as a producer or songwriter on almost all of the songs, and the album’s nonstop dance floor vibes came across as exhausting to some.

Of course, with hindsight, that cohesion is commendable. Spears set out to make a nonstop dance album, a fancy “Blackout," and she succeeded.

The album era was also notable for Spears’ collaborations with other female pop stars, particularly her feature on a remix of Rihanna’s “S&M” (2010). Spears' last big duet was “Me Against the Music (feat. Madonna)” on “In The Zone” (2003), which hosts an iconic music video that almost ends with a kiss between the two (Spears actually asked Madonna to be on the song during rehearsals for their iconic 2003 VMA performance and kiss with Christina Aguilera).

It wasn't until “S&M Remix” (2010) that we got another steamy duet between Spears and a female pop star. The song belongs to Rihanna’s “ Loud ” (2010), an explosive dance-pop album we could certainly double-feature with “Femme Fatale.” With provocative lyrics deemed too explicit for plenty of daytime stations, the remix feels like a connection between both artists’ albums and visions. The same goes for Nicki Minaj and Kesha’s remix of “Till The World Ends” and Spears’ “(Drop Dead) Beautiful (feat. Sabi)” (2011).

In some of these cases, Spears was working with rising female talents. Minaj had just released “ Pink Friday ” (2010), Kesha dropped “ Animal " (2010) and Sabi was on the rise in the music industry. Rihanna, of course, was well established by 2011. But there’s a parallel to draw between Spears’ work with these stars and her earlier collaboration with Madonna. Is it proof that Spears had reached an echelon where she was a mentor?

All of this helps identify that the legacy of “Femme Fatale” rides on connecting to and concluding Spears’ previous works. This is especially seen visually, in the music videos of “ Hold It Against Me ” and “ I Wanna Go .” Both function as reckonings for the singer, her career and her tumultuous personal life.

“Hold It Against Me” turned 10 years old this past January. In an interview, director Jonas Åkerlund noted that its music video works with “the whole idea of reflecting back on [Spears’] life and her creativity.” That’s evident from the setting: A towering digital structure displays Spears’ videography on screens, with cameras and lights surrounding her. It reflects the media’s harassment and Spears’ rise, fall and redemption (which is also shown in the music video by her arrival to Earth as a meteor).

But there’s strength amid all of that pain. After Spears fights another version of herself and collapses in a wedding dress, she and her clone rise. It’s a moment of celebration: Spears is back and stronger than yesterday.

This music video is more sophisticated than “ I Wanna Go ,” which follows the singer’s daydream during a press conference. She cusses out the reporters, flaunts her sexuality on the street, pokes fun at her acting work in “Crossroads” (2002) and ends the video with a Michael Jackson “Thriller” (1995) reference.

That’s all weird — in a good way — and wacky, but what’s most interesting is Spears’ violence toward the paparazzi. She poses for photographs and blows a kiss before destroying a camera. When the cameramen surround her for attention, Spears gets on a taxi and swings her microphone to hit them. It’s a real Gogo Yubari from “Kill Bill Vol. 1” (2003) moment, but the paparazzi are then revealed as robots, so more like a “Kill Bill” meets “ The Terminator ” (1984) moment.

Both of these videos exemplify what “Femme Fatale” engages with. It completes a trilogy of “Blackout” and “Circus” and presents Spears as an adult who is dealing with her past and moving forward. If “Blackout” was an explosion of notoriety, and “Circus” was meant to be a calculated reinvention, then “Femme Fatale” is a sort of a Frankenstein’s monster of the two. A combination and conclusion.

Sure, Spears is acknowledging her history with the media and infamy on all three. But on “Femme Fatale,” there seems to be a catharsis. And with that, the album also made the singer older and wiser; she collaborated with younger female talent, made the record she had set out to make and dominated pop music once again.

This all looks different in our current context. With “ Framing Britney Spears ” (2021) and the movement to #FreeBritney, we’re having a larger cultural conversation around the singer’s autonomy and how those involved in her conservatorship have profited off of her. It makes listening to any of Spears’ albums a bit heavier, and feels connected to the criticism of Spears’ lack of involvement in the production of “Femme Fatale.” How much say has Spears really had over any of her music? Does it contradict the goals she set when making the album?

Nothing’s clear, but 10 years after “Femme Fatale” dominated, it’s safe to say the album’s legacy remains, both musically and as Spears’ best work.

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Britney Spears Wiki

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• Studio albums

Femme Fatale

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Spears began working on the album during the second leg of The Circus Starring Britney Spears while also working on her second compilation album, The Singles Collection . Its early stages originally had a different direction before Dr. Luke and Max Martin became executive producers.

The contributions to its production came from a variety of producers and songwriters, including long-time collaborator Max Martin in addition to Dr. Luke, Fraser T Smith, Rodney Jerkins, Bloodshy & Avant. will.i.am and StarGate.

Upon its release, the album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its production and dance-pop style, but noted her supposed lack of involvement and heavily processed vocals.

The album debuted atop of the charts in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Russia, South Korea and the United States, and peaking inside the top ten in twenty-four countries.

In the United States, she earned her sixth number one album.

• 1 Background
• 2 Recording
• 3 Composition
• 4 Controversy
• 6 Track Listing
• 7 Unreleased & Unused Songs
• 8 Accolades
• 9 Promotion
• 10 Chart Performance
• 11 Critical Reception
• 12 CD Booklet
• 13 Physical Versions
• 14 Album Personnel

Background [ ]

In June 2010, during an interview with Rap-Up, Danja commented that he was working with Britney in the pre-production of "Femme Fatale." Darkchild (who was also reportedly working with her) said during a Ustream session in August of 2010:

" Britney fans are gonna be so happy in a few weeks", hinting about the release of new music. "

However, this was denied by Spears's manager Adam Leber, who stated:

" No new music news right now....Wish people wouldn't mislead you guys with BS info. Not cool! PS- The guys that ARE working on Brit's next album ARE NOT talking about it... "

The album's direction was then changed, and many of the producers Spears worked with weren't used on the album. Leber later spoke with Entertainment Weekly, calling the record " progressive " and " a departure from what you've heard. " In November 2010, Dr. Luke announced that he would be the album's executive producer with Max Martin. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Britney explained that she had worked with Luke on an unreleased song for Blackout , stating that "he was incredible back then and he has only gotten better over the years. " About Martin, she claimed, " he has been there since the beginning so there is such a huge level of trust. [...] There is nobody I feel more comfortable collaborating with in the studio. "

On December 2, 2010, the day of her 29th birthday, Spears thanked her fans for the birthday wishes and announced:

" I'm almost done with my new album and it will be coming out this March. I AM IN L-O-V-E WITH IT! "

Following the announcement of the album's title and cover on February 2, 2011, Britney said:

" I've poured my heart and soul into this album over the last 2 years. I've put everything I have into it. This album is for you, my fans, who have always supported me and have stuck by me every step of the way! I love you all! Sexy and Strong. Dangerous yet mysterious. Cool yet confident! FEMME FATALE. "

On February 2, 2011, Britney announced the album's title on her Twitter account, and also posted an image of the album cover. Following the announcement, the title became a trending topic on Twitter and went on to become the tenth longest-running trend on the site as well as the first music related trend to break the top ten.

She tweeted:

" Can't believe Femme Fatale has been trending 6 days. You guys are my motivation every single day. I love Y'all! "

The album was released on March 25, 2011, primarily in a standard (soft pack/wallet packaging) version and a deluxe version (expanded soft pack with additional booklet pages), which features four additional tracks. A premium fan edition was also released, including a limited edition 32-page hardcover photo book, the deluxe edition album with exclusive artwork, a 7" vinyl picture disc with "Hold It Against Me" and the full album digital download.

On June 15, 2011, the RCA/Jive Label Group announced that they would be splitting with Jive Records being fully moved under RCA Records. In August, Spears had officially joined the RCA roster. During the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV paid tribute to Spears with a group of young female dancers that memorialized her music videos, performances and style. Following this, she accepted the MTV Video Vanguard Award from Lady Gaga, who said that the " industry wouldn't be the same without [her]. "

On September 9, 2011, Britney announced her second remix album B In The Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 which was released on October 7, 2011. On the same day, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, Spears (and all other artists signed to these labels) would release her future material on the RCA Records label.

Recording [ ]

In July 2009, Britney announced that she had begun recording new material with longtime collaborator Max Martin for The Singles Collection . The material formed what would become her seventh studio album, and would be completed two years later. She stated her desire to make the album " fresh-sounding [...] for the clubs or something that you play in your car when you're going out at night that gets you excited, but I wanted it to sound different from everything else out right now. " Spears also stated that she wanted to make sure Femme Fatale was completely different from Circus and that the album felt " really connected from start to finish. " After " Hold It Against Me " was written, Luke and Martin originally wanted to give the track to Katy Perry, but they later decided that " it definitely wasn't a Katy Perry record. " They continued to work on the song with producer Billboard, and Luke commented, " I wanted to make sure it didn't sound like everything else I've done. " Darkchild stated that while working with him, Britney was very " hands-on " and " had a lot of ideas for me. "

In February 2011, Dr. Luke revealed that a final " cohesive " tracklisting had not yet been chosen. Later that month, Britney worked with will.i.am, who described their collaboration as " something that today needs. " Spears also explained that she discovered rapper Sabi through a friend recommendation, and had always wanted to feature a new artist on an album, and they then recorded " (Drop Dead) Beautiful ". British producer Fraser T Smith worked with Britney on three tracks and complimented her work ethic, saying: " She made coffee for us all in the studio, her voice was strong and she was totally focused on her music. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I just hope the tracks make the final cut for the album. " Heather Bright revealed that " Trouble for Me " was one of the first songs recorded for the album. William Orbit had co-written a track at a writing camp, but it was not recorded. He commented: " [T]he Britney thing. Look, I went to a writing camp at Teresa's. Had lovely time. Word got out. Assumptions were made. Dr Luke is exec[utive] prod[ucer] and he locks in locks out whoever he likes. And (do [I] hear [you] ask) where B's at in all this? I surely don't know." Several other producers also commented on being shut out of the album by Dr. Luke.

Composition [ ]

Critics noted electropop and dance-pop styles on the album. Music journalist Jody Rosen wrote of the album: " Conceptually it's straightforward: a party record packed with sex and sadness. " She described Femme Fatale on a Twitter chat as " moody, edgy pop with A LOT of energy " with " a few mid-tempos that could be considered ballads. " The album was compared to that of Spears' previous albums In the Zone , Blackout and Circus . " Till the World Ends " (co-written by Kesha) was described as an uptempo dance-pop and electropop song with elements of trance and Eurodance. The song opens with sirens and a " sizzling " bassline. Critics complimented the songs " anthemic nature " and " chant-like chorus. "

Controversy [ ]

Despite having favorable reviews, music critics noted Spears' apparent lack of input on Femme Fatale . Singer-songwriter Ryan Tedder defended her, stating that " [Frank] Sinatra didn't write a song, Garth Brooks barely wrote anything, George Strait has had I think 51 No. 1's and he has yet to write a song. Rascal Flatts are one of the biggest country acts in the world, and all of their hits are written by other people. " Britney responded to further criticism of her performing abilities, saying: " I don’t really have anything to prove at this point. I just do it for fun and see what happens. " Executive producer Dr. Luke stated that " [I feel like] Britney kind of has her own genre: If you look at songs like " Toxic " and " Piece of Me " and " Oops!... I Did It Again ", they all were sort of influential and led the way [...] She wanted to keep on with that and do stuff that was 'forward-thinking', So we put some dubstep stuff in there, in bridges; snuck it in different places. "

An insider reported that Spears wanted more hip-hop and midtempos on the album, and was unhappy with the electropop and EDM direction brought when Dr. Luke and Max Martin became executive producers. The insider said, "I have to be really careful what I say and don’t, but I get the feeling she will half-ass it. Honestly I don’t think being at the top of the charts is a concern to her. I don’t think she even cares about numbers anymore. She wanted to do the euro dance pop thing, but she had something else in mind too. I can’t say until I get the greenlight. Sorry. But yeah, even tho she likes the euro thing this album is her labels doing and I definitely don’t expect the “old” britney to come back because her original concept for this album was so different to this… I know what the new album will sound like, but I wish she had gotten to do her original idea... her TRUE fans would’ve loved it."

Singles [ ]

• The album's lead single, " Hold It Against Me ", was released on January 10, 2011.
• The second single, " Till the World Ends ", was released on March 4, 2011.
• The third single, " I Wanna G o ", was released on June 13, 2011.
• The fourth and final single, " Criminal ", was released on September 30, 2011.

Track Listing [ ]

Unreleased & unused songs [ ].

• " Glow In The Dark " - Recorded in the same session as He About to Lose Me . Later released by Carishma.
• " Licky (Under The Covers) " - Later released by Shontelle. She confirmed Britney recorded the song. Demo pitch by Shontelle and Sean Garrett leaked.
• " Pleasure You " - In 2012, the song was stolen and leaked with unofficial vocals from Don Philip , This song is also rumored to be intended for her fourth studio album, In The Zone.
• " Second Chances " - Confirmed by Scott Storch in 2010.
• " Tonight (I'm Fucking You) " - Myah Marie confirmed Britney recorded the song. Later released by Enrique Iglesias. Demo pitch by Jacob Luttrell leaked.
• " Unbroken " - Leaked in 2014. Demo pitch by Lindy Robbins also leaked.

Unconfirmed or rejected demos:

• Antidote - Demo pitch by Lisa Greene has leaked.
• Anonymus - Demo pitch by Lindy Robbins has leaked
• Bad Girl - Demo pitch by Monica Rush has leaked. Intended to be a collab with Lil Wayne. Produced by The Fliptones
• Being Britney - Demo pitch by Jessie J
• Black Widow - Demo performed by Myah Marie.
• Blue Sky - Demo pitch by ML Perlman has leaked
• Break The Circle - Song mentioned by Kasia Livingston
• Connected - Demo pitch by Coco Morier leaked in 2010.
• D-O-U-L-U-V-M-E - Demo pitch by ML Pearl has leaked.
• Femme Fatale - Demo pitch by Bonnie McKee has leaked
• FX - Demo pitch by Le'Che Martin has leaked online
• Heads Up - Demo pitch by Frankie Storm has leaked.
• I Dare You - Demo pitch by Bonnie Mckee and Ina Wroldsen leaked in 2011.
• I Need A Change - Demo pitch by Ester Dean leaked in 2011.
• Love Is War - Demo pitch by Shelly Peiken has leaked.
• Louder - Demo pitch by Tenna Torres and rapper P-Dub.
• Red Is The Color - Demo pitch by Heather Bright has leaked online.
• Sorry Adam - Demo pitch by ELXXR has leaked online.
• Timebomb - Demo pitch by Livvi Franc has leaked.
• Vertigo - Demo pitch by Coco Morier and Kasia Livingston has leaked.

Accolades [ ]

"Femme Fatale" won its first awards on Billboard's 2011 Mid-Year Music Awards, where she was nominated in five categories: "First-Half MVP," "Favorite Hot 100 No. 1 Song" (for "Hold It Against Me"), "Favorite Billboard 200 No. 1 Album" (for "Femme Fatale"), "Best Music Video: (for "I Wanna Go"), and Best Tour (for "Femme Fatale Tour") which she all won. There was also a list of Billboard's Mid-Year sales on which Spears was named twice. The album reached number 12 with 590,000 sold units, and her second single "Till the World Ends" number 18 with 1,989,000 million sold units. She was also awarded Best Pop Video for "Till The World Ends" as well the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award with a special tribute for her contributions to music videos and pop culture during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. Spears considered the tribute " an honor " and continued: " It was really crazy. I had no idea what to expect. The kids were amazing and so entertaining, and it was a really fun night. It was really cool. I was like, 'Wow, that's really sweet!'" Jocelyn Vena of MTV noted that " for the first time in a while, she seemed comfortable being the pop megastar that she is. " Spin named "Femme Fatale" the 50th best album of 2011 and also placed it at number 3 in their "20 Best Pop Albums of 2011" list. Digital Spy ranked the album number 11 at their year end list. "Till the World Ends" was named the third best song of 2011 by Rolling Stone and the third best single of 2011 by Billboard, who described it as "Britney's most immediate single since 'Toxic'. " Sam Lansky of PopCrush considered "Till the World Ends" the best pop song of 2011. Digital Spy also considered the track as the best song of 2011, naming it " Britney's best track since 'Toxic'" and " her most underrated hit. "

Despite receiving mostly positive comments, Femme Fatale didn't receive any nominations at the 2012 Grammy Awards. John Mitchell of MTV criticized the award show and stated that "Till the World Ends" should have won a nomination on the "Best Dance Recording" category. Robbie Daw of Idolator also stated that Spears should have been nominated, commenting: " She had a #1 album that yielded a trio of hits. So what gives? " Ed Christman of Billboard noted that Femme Fatale was " overlooked " by the Grammy voters. James Montgomery also of MTV, however, noted that Spears has " never been considered a Grammy artist and has won just once during her entire career. "

Promotion [ ]

The first set of promotion included an interview with Ryan Seacrest. On March 25, 2011, Spears performed "Hold It Against Me", "Till the World Ends" and " Big Fat Bass " at Rain Nightclub inside the Palms Casino Resort for an MTV special titled "I Am the Femme Fatale", which aired on April 3, 2011. Spears' manager Larry Rudolph explained the choice of the location in an interview with MTV, saying: " We chose the Palms because the Palms is where Britney has so much history. We performed here with the Britney album, we did a similar thing. We're doing this eight years later now and we're doing it for the fans. " Rudolph also explained that Spears' main goal was to entertain her fans and added: " I want them to know — when the fans watch this — I want them to know that Britney is back and better than ever, not that she's ever gone anywhere. But she's back and she's better than ever. " The original airing of the special in the United States was viewed by 0.665 million viewers and received a Nielsen rating of 0.3/1 in the key adults 18–49 demographic.

On March 27, 2011, Britney performed the same set of songs in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium to a crowd of 5,000 people for a special episode of "Good Morning America" that aired on March 29, 2011. She also performed the same three-song set and participated in two skits on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on March 29, 2011, and also made a special appearance at the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards. She was also scheduled to make several appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on the week of the album's release.

In April 2011, Britney appeared in a remix of "S&M" by Rihanna, after Rihanna asked her fans via Twitter who they wanted her to collaborate with. She also served as a guest host at the 2011 Wango Tango concert series alongside Ryan Seacrest on May 14, 2011. Spears made a brief appearance at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, performing the "S&M" remix with Rihanna and a short version of the "Till The World Ends" remix alongside Nicki Minaj.

Chart Performance [ ]

"Femme Fatale" debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 276,000 copies. This gave Spears her sixth debut at the top of the charts and leaves her in a three way tie for third most number one albums for a female artist (tied with Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson). However, the first-week sales are her second-lowest sales for a studio album. Only her 1999 debut effort ...Baby One More Time began with a smaller figure (121,000 copies). In its second week, the album fell to number two, with sales plummeting 73 percent to 75,000, giving it a two-week total of 351,000 sold in the United States. The album spent five consecutive weeks in the Billboard top ten. As of January 2013, it has been certified platinum and sold over 769,000 copies.

The album debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart, selling 31,650 copies in its first week, becoming her lowest-charting studio album in the United Kingdom since In the Zone which peaked at number thirteen, before being surpassed by Britney Jean in 2013. In Germany, the album debuted at number ten, making it her seventh top-ten studio album in a row, and eighth top-ten album with the inclusion of the compilation album Greatest Hits: My Prerogative which peaked at number four. On April 4, 2011, "Femme Fatale" debuted at number one in Australia, making it Britney's first number one album in the country. It was also certified gold in during its debut week for shipments over 35,000 copies.

Critical Reception [ ]

At Metacritic, Femme Fatale holds an average score of 67 out of 100 (indicating "generally favorable reviews"). Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone commented that it " may be Britney's best album; certainly it's her strangest. " Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine viewed Spears's presence on the album as overshadowed by its " high-class " production, calling the album " essentially a cleaner, classier remake of the gaudily dark Blackout [...] a producer’s paradise. " Robert Everett-Green of The Globe and Mail gave the album three-and-a-half out of four stars and complimented its " grainy, glistening electronic sound, " calling it " one of the major guilty pleasures in pop this year. " Kitty Empire of The Observer commented that Britney " has turned out the “fierce dance record ” she promised. Ailbhe Malone of NME viewed it as her " best work " and wrote that it " brims with the laidback confidence of someone who knows she's back on top. " MSN Music's Robert Christgau gave the album a B+ rating, indicating " remarkable one way or another, yet also flirts with the humdrum or the half-assed. " Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani commented that Britney's lack of involvement makes " the success of a Britney song rest almost entirely on the quality of other people's songwriting and production and almost every track on Femme Fatale succeeds or fails on that basis. " Los Angeles Times writer Carl Wilson felt that the album "finds unity of subject, style and sound by imagining scenarios in which vanishing into anonymity can be comfort and liberation."Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski of The Daily Telegraph felt that " despite her weak voice and empty lyrics, [Spears] has placed herself at the avant-garde of pop with this masterful mixture of über-cool dubstep and sugary pop. " The A.V. Club's Genevieve Koski wrote that Britney " settles into [the production], game for whatever and confident in the hands of trusted professionals who know how to best utilize her ."

Andy Gill of The Independent criticized its " single-minded dedication to dancefloor utility " and observed " only the tiniest of rhythmic variants or differences in electronic tones distinguishing one producer's work from another's. " Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented, " much of the music on this album feels flat and redundant, no more invigorating than the average European dance-pop album of five years ago. " The Guardian's Alexis Petridis wrote that Spears' " voice is as anonymous as ever, a state of affairs amplified by the lavishing of Auto-Tune. " Evan Sawdey of PopMatters wrote, " Spears' worldview is completely self-contained " and described Femme Fatale as " just a big dumb club album. "

CD Booklet [ ]

Physical Versions [ ]

Album Personnel [ ]

• Tiffany Amber – composer
• Ammo – instrumentation, producer, programming, background vocals
• Beatriz Artola – engineer
• Stacey Barnett – background vocals
• Billboard – instrumentation, producer, programming, composer
• Benny Blanco – instrumentation, producer, programming, background vocals
• Sophia Black – background vocals
• Christian Karlsson – instrumentation, producer, programming, vocal producer
• Heather Bright – composer, background vocals
• Jeremy Coleman – composer
• Joshua Coleman – composer
• Tom Coyne – mastering
• Ester Dean – composer, background vocals
• Megan Dennis – production coordination
• DJ Ammo – drum programming, synthesizer
• Dr. Luke – executive producer, instrumentation, producer, programming, background vocals
• Dream Machine – instrumentation, producer, programming, composer
• Dylan Dresdow – mixing
• Eric Eylands – assistant engineer
• Ashton Foster – background vocals
• Livvi Franc – composer, background vocals
• Fraser T Smith – composer, drum programming, keyboards, producer
• Clint Gibbs – production coordination
• Aniela Gottwald – assistant
• Tatiana Gottwald – assistant
• Venza Gottwald – assistant
• John Hanes – engineer, mixing
• Jeri Heiden – art direction
• Jacob Kasher Hindlin – composer
• Sam Holland – engineer, background vocals
• J-MIKE – instrumentation, producer, programming, background vocals
• Cri$tyle Johnson – background vocals
• Henrik Jonback – composer, instrumentation, producer, programming, vocal producer
• Claude Kelly – composer, background vocals
• Padraic Kerin – engineer
• Savan Kotecha – composer
• Alexander Kronlund – composer, instrumentation, programming
• Adam Leber – A&R
• Benny Blanco – composer
• Jeremy "J Boogs" Levin – assistant
• Magnus Lidehäll – composer
• Magnus – instrumentation, producer, programming, vocal producer
• Myah Marie – background vocals
• Max Martin – composer, engineer, executive producer, instrumentation, keyboards, producer, programming, background vocals
• Bonnie McKee – composer, background vocals
• Nicole Morier – composer, background vocals
• Jackie Murphy – creative director
• Rob Murray – assistant
• Chris "Tek" O'Ryan – engineer
• Chau Phan – background vocals
• Irene Richter – production coordination
• Tim Roberts – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
• Patrizia Rogosch – background vocals
• Larry Rudolph – A&R
• Ke$ha – composer
• Britney Spears - lead vocals, composer, background vocals
• Shellback – bass, composer, engineer, guitar, keyboards, producer
• Nick Steinhardt – art direction, design
• Sophie Stern – composer
• Ryan Supple – photo production
• Peter Thea – A&R
• Dave Thomas – stylist
• will.i.am – composer, drum programming, engineer, piano, producer, synthesizer
• Pontus Winnberg – composer
• Emily Wright – composer, engineer, vocal producer
• Randee St. Nicholas - photography
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• 1 List of Unreleased Recorded Songs
• 2 List of Britney Spears Songs
• 3 List of Britney Spears' fragrances

File : Britney Spears - Femme Fatale Tour (Toronto).jpg

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