Britney Spears 'Stronger' # # # # #
Before "It's Britney, bitch" became her most famous song opener, the opening lyric to 'Stronger,' "HUSH, JUST STOP," was perhaps Brit's biggest and baddest battle cry yet. In fact, as this recent picture proves, 'Stronger' is, in a way, a response to her debut single. In the two years since '...Baby One More Time' was released she had become an independent woman who didn't need a man to be happy. 'Stronger' is Britney's one true Girl Power anthem, a reminder to her fans that no matter what life throws their way, whether it is family drama, relationship issues or monetary problems, you can always count on yourself to persevere and triumph over and adversities. The fact that Britney stays true to herself by making this potentially banal ballad a non-stop club banger is perhaps one of the smartest moves of her career. Another smart move is the video for 'Stronger,' which has gone from respected to fan favorite in the years since its original release. The video's premise--jilted lover Britney gets revenge on the guy (and his new skank girlfriend) who did her wrong--is fine, if nothing extraordinary. What makes 'Stronger' so memorable, however, is the video's centerpiece, an epic dance involving only Britney and a chair. In much the same manner Fred Astaire was able to accomplish with a hat rack in Royal Wedding, Britney works so well with the inanimate object it almost becomes a legitimate dancing partner. The rest of the video hardly matters with this astounding dance; in fact, the chair dance overshadows everything else so much I wish someone had taken a chance and revolved the whole video around it instead of adding the unnecessary "plot" scenes. Can you imagine how amazing a full three minutes of the chair dance with the final moments of Britney strutting down the bridge in the rain would have been? Unlike the Red Leather Jumpsuit in 'Oops!,' the makers of the 'Stronger' video didn't necessarily realize what a moment they had with the chair dance. If they had, I would feel more comfortable giving 'Stronger' the full five stars.
Previous installments: ...Baby One More Time | Sometimes | (You Drive Me) Crazy (The Stop Remix!) | From the Bottom of My Broken Heart | Born To Make You Happy | Oops!...I Did It Again | Lucky
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