In true Britney Spears form, the pop icon seemed to lip sync her way through much of last night’s Carpool Karaoke session — and don’t anyone give her flack for it. Britney comes from a time when plaid mini skirts were everything, our young, idealistic souls believed marriage rarely turned out Toxic and the words “Oops!…I Did It Again!” could be applied to any repeated action.
Sixteen years later, we live in a world where skirts are noticeably more toned down, Britney’s stopped believing in the idea of marriage but is ready, willing and able to raise five kids with the right guy and “Oops!…I Did It Again!” has no meaning at all (“I think it’s just a song” she tells Late Late Show host James Corden). Though much has changed, Britney Spears will forever lip sync occasionally. It’s the only figment of stability we have left.
[ Happy Britney Spears Day! We’re Celebrating with 17 of Her Best Denim Looks ]
The beauty of Brit is that she doesn’t really need to stun her audience vocally in order to captivate us. Her timeless lyrics (“Womanizer, woman-womanizer/You’re a womanizer/Oh, womanizer, oh”), clever use of props (snakes, water bottles and red markers alike) and mesmerizing dance moves more than get the job done. Where song fails, personality triumphs.
Watch the full clip above for some late-nineties-to-early-aughts throwbacks, lightning fast outfit changes, discussion of the newest trends in S&M (naturally) and some very talented backup singing by one Miss Spears, whose knack for performance you can again appreciate during this Sunday’s VMAs.
