Pop Perspective: Britney Spears & G-Eazy’s “Make Me” Rated & Reviewed

Idolator Staff | July 15, 2016 11:58 am

At Idolator, the editors share a passion for high-quality pop. Occasionally, our tastes align. Other times, not so much. So, in the spirit of debate (and online drama), we’ve developed a recurring feature called Pop Perspective. In a nutshell, our editors dissect a particularly noteworthy pop-happening, and give it a rating out of 10.

That way you’re getting a full spectrum of views and we can all vent. (It’s cheaper than therapy!) The latest event to be dragged under the Idolator microscope is Britney Spears‘ sexy new single with G-Eazy, “Make Me.” Does she have a hit that raises your roof, or did her latest collab miss the mark?

Read our first impressions below.

Robbie Daw — 6/10 Sultry, synth-heavy ballad “Make Me” comes packed with the occasional outburst of beats, but overall it’s a much more subdued number than we’re used to hearing Britney kick an album campaign off with. In other words, it’s pretty safe.

Truth be told, Britney’s imperial phase of chart hits seemed to have ended roughly half a decade ago, with Femme Fatale (and, by extension, her will.i.am collab “Scream & Shout”). And after a subsequent string of flop singles, it’s probably good for business for Spears to take the less risky route by slowing the tempo down a bit. It seems to have worked: the result is that she has the #1 single on iTunes…for now, at least. (She ironically bumped Justin Timberlake off the top.) I just wish playing it safe didn’t have to sound so bland.

Carl Williott — 6/10 I listen to rap. I do not listen to G-Eazy. This song confirms that I have made the right choice. As for Britney, this is the freshest she’s sounded since her pioneering molly-pop days in 2011. And she does it without sounding like a legacy tryhard straining to stay relevant. The downside to Contemporarney is that it calls for a sense of anonymity. This could’ve been any number of pop’s current leading ladies, from Tove Lo to Ariana Grande (whose “Dangerous Woman” is alluded to in G-Eazy’s verse). I guess that could help its radio prospects — plus it appears the Britney factor will be in full force for the diehards on the helium-voiced “Private Show” anyway.

Rachel Sonis — 6/10 “Make Me” is one of those songs that’s going to take a listen or two to appreciate. Trading her signature sound for trendy alt-R&B beats, it’s clear that Britney is gunning for a radio hit here. (I mean, how else do you justify a vocal assist from the reliably bland Bay Area rapper G-Eazy?) I’m intrigued, but this is going to take some getting used to.

AVERAGE SCORE: 6/10

How would you rate “Make Me”? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!