Womanizer
The foot-stomping, man-teasing comeback anthem that we all know and love.

Circus
A deserved title track. An audio version of Britney strutting to the front of her dance (circus) troop, and then addressing her eager audience like a spotlit master of ceremonies. Builds from Brit authoritatively telling the listener ‘how it is’ with comparatively stripped backing track, to a frenzied chorus where the throbbing layers of the song blend with ‘uh huh’s. Britney’s voice takes centre stage throughout and the whole thing is punctuated by sharp snaps of whip-like drum beats.

Out From Under
Lilting guitar and soft backing vocals woven amongst the lyrics. If you’ve heard the original version on ‘Youtube’, imagine it played on a harp in a misty forest glade. Brit’s version sounds more ethereal, and the vocal is gentle but not ‘airy’. Tear jerker.

Kill The Lights
Brit confronting a lone pap in a NY back alley/ torturing one tied to a chair in a dark and dingy car park or warehouse. Taunting, gritty and witty; you can almost picture standing in front of him, crushing the flashbulb under the heel of her leather boot as she utters ‘Pure. Satis. Faction’.

Shattered Glass
Pulsating bridge/end of verse with jagged low notes and tinkling minor key runs in the background . Jumpy, sharp piano chords in the intro to the chorus (think Chopsticks, but in the best possible way), which lead into electro beeps as Brit promises that she ‘will haunt’ the unfortunate guy as his ‘world falls apart like shattered glass’.

If You Seek Amy
Tongue in cheek bubblegum style- one of the sweetshop packs with a saucy card inside Brit is cheekily skipping around the topic, chasing ‘Amy’ (who she’s met ‘once or twice’), around a night out. Bouncy, but with low minor jabs that turn it into a delightfully twisted nursery rhyme.

Unusual You
Futuristic and apprehensive lovesong. Metallic and shiny layered vocal with echoing trance-like backing track. Unusually hypnotic song about a love that seems too good to be true…

Blur
Hungover Brit, which the production mimics- sighing synthesised strings a la ‘Early Mornin’ but with a more conventionally tuneful vocal. The hazy summer sunshine and birdsong through the blinds as you try to take in the morning-after-the-night-before...and place the name of the person next to you!

Mmm Papi
Hand-clap! The studio version of an improvised jamming session at a Mexican café (cutlery, glass bottles and salt shakers are replaced with clinky keyboards and spritely faint whistling). Flirty and a bit spicy; ‘Oooh Papa love you, Ooh Papa, love youuuu'.

Mannequin
Minor electronic string scales descend and ascend in the background. ‘Cry-cry-cry’ is repeated in the manor of the subject matter- smooth, perfected on the surface but with clever disjointed and artificial elements.

Lace and Leather
80’s vibe -how apt, considering the title!
Slow but not a ballad- has some Jackson-esque high pitched guitar twangs in the verses and a strong Prince flavour. Steam engine rhythm with gasps and sighs in the chorus. Not dark, but hints of sexual tension are bubbling beneath the surface with this one- ‘watch me apply the pressure…’.

My Baby
Soaring airy vocal. High piano melody and ‘my baby’ repeated a few times in the chorus. Twinkling and personal lullaby.

Radar
Do you own Blackout? Ok, moving on.

Rock Me In
90’s synth-y, bleeping, traffic-light drag race. Many layers and a more complex beat, but with ‘Brave New Girl’-like allusions. Vocal is provocatively slurring in the verses, in the style of ‘MATM’s’ line: ‘get in the zoooone’.

Phonography
‘Better make sure the line is clean…dirty talkin’, call it "Phonography"’- Same kind of feel as Gaga’s ‘Love Game’ on a first listen. Phone sex lyrics; whispered, a little rushed as if you were about to get caught, but with an electronic twist. Saucy electro clarinet at the end of the chorus (‘electro clarinet’: wow, did I just write that?! )