Anthony Preston shares tea on Team Con, what Britney said to him about her situation in the studio & constraints with the BJ album

[Brat]

He doesn't have any information on her original idea for the album either? 

[Oprah Winfrey.]

I’m excited to hear that more of these interviews are coming!

[PokemonSpears]

10 minutes ago, ICouldntThinkOfOne said:

She was recording with other producers, as well as Will.i.am's Team from 2012. The album we recieved, seemed to have been put together at some point after June 2013, possibly as late as August, as the sound shifted from urban songs (think Blurred Lines, ..... In Paris etc) to EDM (think Levels, Swedish House Mafia etc.) This change in trending sounds very much lines up with what we were lead to believe the album was, in contrast to what we ended up with.

 

So if the albums majority was made at some point past August 2013, and the majority of dancers were already hired for the WB video or from previous contracts etc. The promo cycle started in September, and ran through October  November.

I don't doubt she was rehearsing from September  but it's clear the focus wasn't the album.

At some point around March she started her "lunch conversations" with will.i.am before hitting the studio. will.i.am literally read notes from his phone dated March 19th in a podcast last year from one of their talks. The recording started in May according to an interview he did and it matches the candids we have of Britney around May 17. 

We really can't know how many songs were part of the early sessions or not. I mean, Hold on Tight is completely different from Work ***** or Tik Tik Boom or Passenger. And just because Wiz Khalifa confirmed working on a song with her doesn't mean the entire album was meant to follow that direction, at least not after will.i.am's involvement. Wiz confirmed that in April, before the recording officially started, so probably all that people hinting at the urban record like Danja were just pitching tracks to will.i.am before he decided which tracks to show to Britney. 

By June William Orbit was already tweeting about the album, on July were the tweets about Sia, and Britney went back to the studio then. I do agree they were more focused on the show, but in any case, Britney was still going to the recording studio as late as October, so it's not like she just completely forgot about it, or that they just started the whole project a few weeks prior to that, or that it was interfering somehow.

I mean, the whole point of that infamous meeting where they are deciding the working schedule of Britney in that documentary (when Robin says she can work on her birthday), was precisely to align all the rehearsals, recording sessions, promo shoots, mom duties, etc. And when you already have the songs decided beforehand, it's not like she needs to spend weeks at the studio to come up with something, as we've heard from other sessions, like Glory or basically any other record where we always hear she arrives to the studio, delivers her vocals, and leaves. 

[Catalin]

6 hours ago, leviathan said:

 

exactly... i wish someone would actually say something at this point... literally no one has and its so annoying... like come on tell it like it is - why are people still tiptoeing around the whole conservatorship. same with tinashe in that video just posted of her on the kelly clarkson show. i wish she would've said something about the conservatorship dynamics.

that book will be fire.

but i guess its also good that other artists respect her privacy and kinda let her be the one who tells her story.

don't get me wrong, i understand but i wish we'd get more blood from everyone.

That book won't happen, or if it does happen, it will probably be as revealing and personal as her Britney Jean album.  You guys need to stop setting yourself up for disappointment. 

[super.nova]

18 minutes ago, Catalin said:

That book won't happen, or if it does happen, it will probably be as revealing and personal as her Britney Jean album.  You guys need to stop setting yourself up for disappointment. 

why do you say so? she is free already so it might and her instagram captions have been very truthful 

[The JayTawndre Show]

1 hour ago, grovela said:

awwww a baby!!! Was that the femme fatale tour??

Yesss such a fun tour! But Britney was going through stress that day🥺

[reVolution]

1 hour ago, PokemonSpears said:

At some point around March she started her "lunch conversations" with will.i.am before hitting the studio. will.i.am literally read notes from his phone dated March 19th in a podcast last year from one of their talks. The recording started in May according to an interview he did and it matches the candids we have of Britney around May 17. 

We really can't know how many songs were part of the early sessions or not. I mean, Hold on Tight is completely different from Work ***** or Tik Tik Boom or Passenger. And just because Wiz Khalifa confirmed working on a song with her doesn't mean the entire album was meant to follow that direction, at least not after will.i.am's involvement. Wiz confirmed that in April, before the recording officially started, so probably all that people hinting at the urban record like Danja were just pitching tracks to will.i.am before he decided which tracks to show to Britney. 

By June William Orbit was already tweeting about the album, on July were the tweets about Sia, and Britney went back to the studio then. I do agree they were more focused on the show, but in any case, Britney was still going to the recording studio as late as October, so it's not like she just completely forgot about it, or that they just started the whole project a few weeks prior to that, or that it was interfering somehow.

I mean, the whole point of that infamous meeting where they are deciding the working schedule of Britney in that documentary (when Robin says she can work on her birthday), was precisely to align all the rehearsals, recording sessions, promo shoots, mom duties, etc. And when you already have the songs decided beforehand, it's not like she needs to spend weeks at the studio to come up with something, as we've heard from other sessions, like Glory or basically any other record where we always hear she arrives to the studio, delivers her vocals, and leaves. 

And I believe we are forgetting to mention the conservatorship as a background, which was breaking her spirit every single day, with no hope or way out, how can you go to work "happy" with that living, how can you create art? Or a fun song, if you feel like crap, it just transpires to the music

[queenofhearts]

I luv hold on tight

i'm glad he he shared this with us and also respect the fact that he didnt share all their private conversations; major respect

[joe sp]

*Hold on tite 

 

 

Love the song tho 

[Musicandsoul]

I would probably say, the original BJ (which no doubt included Alien, Perfume, Hold On Tight & Don’t Cry) was absolutely great and they cancelled it as spite or because she actually went behind their backs and DELIVERED.. There is just no other fathomable reason why BJ turned out the way it did.. Like last minute, they collected all the dated, unfinished material and wacked them on at the end. Same with FF. that album was sabotaged and there was probably much better, more experimental music that they trashed. Similar to the ‘bonus track’ situation. Where most tend to be way better than songs on the actual album.

Would absolutely LOVE Britney to tell the story of what actually happened. Its getting annoying that all these people decide to talk now. Like now, its only Britneys time. They could of spoke out before and done something to help/contribute. There were fans even back them shouting about the conservatorship, i know i was! I bet Britney was rebelling so hard during that time. She must of done something so bad because the way they ****ed up that girls album… 
 

[Onyx_Zone-89]

14 hours ago, leviathan said:

 

exactly... i wish someone would actually say something at this point... literally no one has and its so annoying... like come on tell it like it is - why are people still tiptoeing around the whole conservatorship. same with tinashe in that video just posted of her on the kelly clarkson show. i wish she would've said something about the conservatorship dynamics.

that book will be fire.

but i guess its also good that other artists respect her privacy and kinda let her be the one who tells her story.

don't get me wrong, i understand but i wish we'd get more blood from everyone.

Because it's not their place to say it. I'm sure they don't want to step on her toes. The conservatorship  is done, they don't need to say anything unless asked. You don't go around telling everyone personal drama just because you know someone. I don't think britney would like people bringing up personal conversations.  The truth is we won't learn everything,  because it's non of our business. She will share what she wants,  other people don't need to do it behind her back for clout.

[Thecodeman25]

You guys love to dream of these canceled albums that Britney had this well rounded cohesive gorundbreaking sound… I don’t think it exists in this case. Britney spent a few months recording. Her heart wasn’t in it and she had to do Vegas and be a mom all in the confines of a conservatorship. She had enough time to cut vocals for the album. Who knows why songs like passenger she never sang the chorus. Maybe everyone involved agreed to let myah take parts?

[DanjaMouse]

Hmmm, never connected with ‘Hold on Tight’ before but now after reading this, I’m inclined to think it’s about her situation and she’s referring to god rather than a love interest. Suddenly feels a lot more personal. 

[The JayTawndre Show]

17 hours ago, Kletus said:

Omg is that Anthony Preston on the thumbnail? I’d love to give him a BJ album 

How crazy would it be if you're really Britney all this time just like one of us?!?! 

[Brother Shawn]

21 hours ago, KrisJ said:

He mentioned with “Hold on Tight” she said to him “umm..I wrote a song and I want to record it” and he said “let’s record it” and she said “do you think I’ll get in trouble?” and he said “you won’t get in trouble for recording a song”. 

“I just wanna fall into his arms tonight
Someone tell me I will be alright”

my god, Britney. I wanna hug you and protect you from all the snakes around you. I hate them all so much. 

[ICouldntThinkOfOne]

11 hours ago, PokemonSpears said:

At some point around March she started her "lunch conversations" with will.i.am before hitting the studio. will.i.am literally read notes from his phone dated March 19th in a podcast last year from one of their talks. The recording started in May according to an interview he did and it matches the candids we have of Britney around May 17. 

We really can't know how many songs were part of the early sessions or not. I mean, Hold on Tight is completely different from Work ***** or Tik Tik Boom or Passenger. And just because Wiz Khalifa confirmed working on a song with her doesn't mean the entire album was meant to follow that direction, at least not after will.i.am's involvement. Wiz confirmed that in April, before the recording officially started, so probably all that people hinting at the urban record like Danja were just pitching tracks to will.i.am before he decided which tracks to show to Britney. 

By June William Orbit was already tweeting about the album, on July were the tweets about Sia, and Britney went back to the studio then. I do agree they were more focused on the show, but in any case, Britney was still going to the recording studio as late as October, so it's not like she just completely forgot about it, or that they just started the whole project a few weeks prior to that, or that it was interfering somehow.

I mean, the whole point of that infamous meeting where they are deciding the working schedule of Britney in that documentary (when Robin says she can work on her birthday), was precisely to align all the rehearsals, recording sessions, promo shoots, mom duties, etc. And when you already have the songs decided beforehand, it's not like she needs to spend weeks at the studio to come up with something, as we've heard from other sessions, like Glory or basically any other record where we always hear she arrives to the studio, delivers her vocals, and leaves. 

We don't know when officially started recording though, I mean, we have footage from X Factor of her with Darkchild in 2012. It wasn't just Khalifa, Danja, Dev Hynes etc made their involvement known. If I'm correct, so did Hitboi and Naught Dog (factcheck me though!). Britney was also quoted about her album would have different sounds and be more personal. William Orbit is a well documented case of what happened; he made it clear that the final track wasn't what he would have released, specifically blaming will.i.am for it.

In the Original Doll Podcast released yesterday, vocal producer Anthony Preston made it clear that the A&R's were responsible for what happened to this album because they tried to follow too many trends, and it's interesting you listed Passenger and Work *****; both songs involved artists or acts that had huge career popularity in late summer 2013. I'm in noway saying Will.i.am never went for lunch with Britney, what I am saying is position of EP came very late in an album's making.

I think the fact that the IABJ documentary features no live singing or recording footage is proof enough that the team knew to avoid it for whatever reason; even if she was photographed leaving a studio in October that means they were laying down tracks over a month before release. IABJ is also heavily set up for faux drama or tension building.

 

I'm not saying the album was made overnight. What I am saying is that decisions were made to prioritise trends at a time when Britney was already in promotion mode, and couldn't record or didn't have enough material to work with in production, which is kinda damning when we know she was working on this album for atleast a year and a half, but others wanted immediately charting hits 

[GaSt]

If you listen to the Alien demo, there's no second verse.. I believe she wrote the second verse. 'Had to get used to the world I was on' 

[Rex]

Never thought Hold On Tight was a song about God only because so wicked in the way he moves sounds a little like seduction. Yeah I mean it could pass for it but it sounds like princess in distress needing a knight in shining armor. Of course however, that does make sense for God to save Brit of all the turmoil. And then what about Brightest Shining Star? Sounds like the God song of the album more than Hold On Tight

 

[Applejack]

7 minutes ago, Rex said:

Never thought Hold On Tight was a song about God only because so wicked in the way he moves sounds a little like seduction. Yeah I mean it could pass for it but it sounds like princess in distress needing a knight in shining armor. Of course however, that does make sense for God to save Brit of all the turmoil. And then what about Brightest Shining Star? Sounds like the God song of the album more than Hold On Tight

 

It could be "wicked" in the sense that she has seen some **** in her life that would make her lose faith, yet she didn't. That God works in wicked ways.

But I agree with you that it has a very romantic connotation too -- the "don't be a fool" sounds more like a past lover regretting losing her love. I like how the way she writes gets us to discuss that.

[Applejack]

2 hours ago, GaSt said:

If you listen to the Alien demo, there's no second verse.. I believe she wrote the second verse. 'Had to get used to the world I was on' 

Anthony Preston confirmed she and him wrote the second verse together and he has fond memories of writing it with her.