Britney Spears Predicted The Disco Revival With “Anticipating”
Dua Lipa and
Jessie Ware and
Miley Cyrus, every diva worthy of a gay following has ventured under the mirror ball. However, one visionary beat them to it by 19 years. Of course, I’m talking about the legendary
Britney Spears. At a time when slick bubblegum pop and full-bodied R&B was king, the 39-year-old dabbled in disco on “Anticipating” — one of the true gems on Britney’s 2001 self-titled LP.
Co-written with
Brian Kierulf and
Josh Schwartz, “Anticipating” is a soft and sensual bop about the butterflies that precede a big night out. “Top down, on the strip, looking in the mirror and I’m checking out my lipstick,” Britney begins the song over bubbly, disco-tinged production. “Girlfriends up in the back, we’re out for an all night.” That leads us to an unforgettable chorus. “I’ll be anticipating, this is our song they’re playing,” the pop icon coos. “I wanna rock with you, you’re feeling this right.”