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It's nothing new to accuse me of being an 'ungrateful fan', but why would this be something to appreciate when out of all her albums, she's barely on this one? Ban me if you please but I feel that this is a reasonable point of view to have.

Pink, Ashanti, Jojo, Diana Ross, Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, Nelly Furtado, Alanis Morisette, Brandy, Cher, Toni Braxton, Annie Lennox and so forth would never half@ss a potentially historic performance because a skin-care line is their main source of income.

Go in, Chase, go in... I watched the videos you provided and quite frankly, Beyonce and Britney make these two individuals rank as amateurs in a junior high talent show... Yes, Britney pushed boundaries as did Janet and Madonna... but they had standards when it came to the final result of a performance. Back in the day Britney's voice barely escaped the studio simply to speak at interviews, but you knew you'd get something in return, performance-wise, for having to accept studio vocals. Nowadays, folks simply want someone on stage who looks like an Instagram model... anything else is a bonus. However, I can't shade Rih and Dua too harshly as their mics were on and Britney is notorious for giving the fanbase cd vocals in a live performance. Every artist has their shortcomings. Plus, Dua would not have given a half-@ss Superbowl performance. If Rihanna was not pregnant or foreign, she could be held to higher standards. Heck, Shania Twain was more well-rounded in her Superbowl performances. Dolly Parton's geriatric self would have shown more of an invested interest. Britney's in her 40's and freshly out of a conservatorship, so she has an excuse to be out of sorts...Rihanna can't blame her lucrative financial gains on being a joke of an entertainer to a generation willing to applaud anything that walks on a stage. If Britney gave a sh!tty performance, no one would avoid criticizing her out of fear for being seen as racist or s**ist, she's fair game... at least until recently. Rih gets a pass, particularly as a formerly battered woman with a certain skin pigment. Janet would have left you gagging, possibly topless or otherwise. Selena Gomez, and Megan Trainor are fairly vanilla in their artistry, but you expect it... Rih gives herself a bit too much credit. If she was a black woman from Brooklyn instead of some woman from Barbados, she would be required to be a more substantial artist. She's improved vocally over the years and her voice has character when compared to a generic pop artist. However, I see better performances out of Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift, these days. Lets be honest, if Britney had accepted and recorded 'Umbrella' Rihanna would be the black Addison Rae, today. It is always her choice to focus on finances. Every artist needs their bills paid, but Rih makes it too obvious. Unfortunately, Rihanna is no longer a current artist. Even she is a nostalgia act of the early mid 2000's and it is beginning to show. Katy Perry's Superbowl is looking better and better. Ciara would have ate that up. Rihanna made Cassie look like a true performer. Olivia Rodrigo might as well be the next Britney if these are the standards, we are willing to tolerate from our artists. Camila, Halsey, Ariana, Demi, Nick Jonas, even Aaron Carter or Jesse McCartney... showmanship mattered to these artists. Have you seen a performance from Doja Cat? Heck even Ms. SNL herself-Ashlee Simpson can work a stage. Jlo and Gaga for the win. Avril Lavigne? Lizzo? Heck, Madison Beer, perhaps? Chloe Bailey? Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore would have shown more charisma. Where was Normani? This made me appreciate Justin Timberlake. Mary J Blige puts her all into her performances, and she is not a young woman, anymore. Pregnancy is a beautiful thing. However, don't blame your unborn kid for your stiff wind and overall lack of physical coordination. If she was less pretty, she'd be flipping burgers and working retail.

Preach it, Stefani, preach it.

Jay, I thank you for this thread. Look, I love me so Rih-rih... however, Teairra Marí was supposed to be 'that girl' until Beyonce gave Rih the stamp of approval after the performance with her, Amerie, and Teairra. Folks say Bey's overrated, herself, so it is what it is. At least Dua gave herself an artist's glow-up... Rihanna happens to a nice-looking woman and she's foreign so people appreciate some form of 'exotic' types of individuals... plus the Chris Brown situation certainly brought eyes and ears to Rihanna even if it was initially sympathetic in nature. Dare I say it... personal opinion: Rihanna got comfortable being wealthy... she no longer needed to hustle, musically, so she didn't... plain and simple. She showed up to the Superbowl for a check and a pregnancy announcement... didn't even include the new black panther soundtrack song on her pre-recorded performance set.

Why is this being ignored? 2 reasons... 1) Jordan is likely at the gym working on his fitness... 2) Jordan is planning his next set of thirst-trap photos meant to show off said fitness. You asked, I answered. @Slayer @PokemonSpears I figured I'd tag you two rather than waiting to be eventually called out for my unfiltered response. Fyi, Jordan looks great...but to be fair he knows it, thus my two original responses.

Whoever's familiar with AI, feel free to create a britney version of every pop song and ballad that came out over the last 40 years... the thirst is real for Britney music, these days... I thank you, in advance.

The only reason I was pleased Criminal was picked was because of the mid-tempo might force her to perform it with live vocals due to how off it would have appeared with choreography... at least until Make Me became a thing, and then ballads got the lipsync choreography treatment, too... #insideout

2000 Oops era, for sure... The Britney Album and ITZ changed the public's perception of her, completely... The oops era was still criticized as was the bomt era but I feel those eras were still 'redeemable' if you will... although the vma performance of oops had NO shortage of critics: The Britney Album and ITZ crossed boundaries that while somewhat tame in this day and age were groundbreaking but more importantly SHOCKING. It's like what Sam Smith&Kim Petras are dealing with thanks to the 'Unholy' performance(s), presently.

Shoot, I'm so old on Exhale I remember Jordan posting about the possibility of a live performance of the song while Britney was touring...never forgot. Although, I'm not going to hold Jordan accountable for Team Con's shortcomings...if 'Someday (I will understand)', 'Criminal', 'Cinderella', 'Before the Goodbye', and 'Inside Out' receive live vocals one day, I will essentially be satisfied as Britney fan.

#preach... she needs lighting like the desert needs rain... but, unfortunately... you know... as fans we're not allowed to communicate these matters...

I logged back into exhale simply to respond to this...dang, Jay, folks did not hold back in these responses. I get it, I think ultimately, we all get it. When we started off as fans, we assumed it was more for music and artistry and less for human rights. If I'm being filter-free, being a Britney fan for music hasn't been the same since '03-'04, best believe. Heck, toxic played on the radio of a Tijuana Flats I was eating at, and I became super nostalgic. Who knows what the future holds, I guess...especially with someone who can cover a classic song of theirs via a telephone and YouTube, these days. For what it's worth, I appreciate these types of posts because it's nice to hear folks still remember Britney as a musician and not simply as a legal matter with legs, if that makes sense.

...is that how you view this? More successful? Rest assured, it was a SLOW climb to the top and she was essentially a mascot for team con throughout the entire experience. However, opinions are opinions, and you are certainly entitled to yours. Quite frankly, I wish I could say I agree... however, nothing felt organic or natural within the last 15 years or so regarding Britney Spears, the artist.

The studio version is winning me over, honestly. I never thought of Sam Smith as a someone who could create a cool record. This is better than his usual Michael Bublé/male version of Adele usual stuff. Kim's done better records, she's acceptable... Britney would eat this song like dinner.

I say go for it. If somebody is willing to allow her story to be told from a source that could impact a positive change, I say go for it... having said that, she presently views nudity as clothing, these days, and would likely show up to congress with real-time emoji's covering her privates... who am I kidding? As long she sings, I could care less what she is or isn't wearing. This is what happens when you become a fan because of the music... and then the music stops. You'll endure any type of questionable behavior simply to have your favorite artist provide you with new material.