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Sound Off
On our minds and on our playlists
Call us prude, but we were starting to think the year in pop music was surprisingly light on the smut. Already into October, we haven’t had anything remotely as fierce as Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé’s S&M alter ego from last year; or as divisive as Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction; or as calculated as a liplock between Madonna and Britney Spears (inset).
Leave it to Britney to bring back the raunch in full force with the steamy video for her new single, “3.’’ It got us to thinking about all the female pop stars who have used sexuality for various reasons this year.
Lady Gaga: Whether she’s taking rides on a disco stick or baffling everyone by flashing her naughty bits, Lady Gaga has become a legend in her own mind, claiming it’s all in service to her idea of pop art.
Katy Perry: Last year she kissed a girl and scored big. This year, on her third No. 1 single, “Waking Up in Vegas,’’ Perry detailed a night of debauchery that would give the guys in “The Hangover’’ a headache.
Shakira: The Colombian pop singer began her career as the antidote to what she’s become: a sex vixen who gets a lighter shade of blond every year. Exhibit A: Shakira writhing around in a cage in the new video for “She-Wolf.’’
Rihanna: She hasn’t released any new music since last year’s tough times with then-boyfriend Chris Brown. But the buildup to her November album reached fever pitch this week with the arrival of the album cover, featuring Rihanna artfully wrapped in barbed wire.
Britney Spears: Lady Gaga and Rihanna might claim they’re using sex for artistic purposes, but not so with Britney. Her threesome-themed new video is as old-fashioned as it gets: Sex sells, and it’s made Britney rich.
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
