I'm a Britney Spears fan, let me start off by saying that. Always have been, always will be. I know that miming is her thing and when she sings live it's like the second coming of Christ. I'm all for it. So when I heard that she'd be taking to the Billboard Music Awards 2015 stage to perform her collaborative new track 'Pretty Girls' with rapper of the moment Iggy Azalea, I was excited and hopeful. I shouldn't have been so naive.
Stomping around the stage, most of Britney's dance moves consisted of waving her arms around in different directions and kicking her legs back and forth a few times. It looked smooth and effortless and she seemed to be having a good time, but that's because the standard of dancing by the pop princess just wasn't up to par with what the hardcore fanbase is used to. I recognise that she rolled her ankle in Vegas during a performance not so long ago, but was there really not something just a little more impressive that Britney could have done? It pretty much said: "Come see my Vegas show, where I'll do more of the same to some different songs!"
Iggy was no better. In fact I'd go as far to say that she was the worse performer out of the two. Now this is a woman who I'm used to seeing spit lyrics live, but she too succumbed to moving her lips to the sound of a backing track. It was pretty tragic. If a rapper cannot rap live, then what exactly is their purpose? It's pretty embarrassing on all accounts. She had one verse! I wanted more than a wiggle of the hips.
The fact that this performance has been getting positive press says a lot about the industry and critics at the moment. We've lowered our standards. Popstars are allowed to mime and get away with it, putting on mediocre to bad performances and never truly giving their all. If you want a class on how to deliver a live show, go look at Pink, Beyoncé, Katy Perry or Gaga. They all come through in their own unique ways.
Britney and Iggy may be 'Pretty Girls', but if this is all their meeting of the minds can come up with, then I'm worried for both their futures.
'Pretty Girls' is available to download on iTunes now in America, released June 14 in the UK.
Tagged in Britney Spears Iggy Azalea