In case you’re not convinced that Britney Spears really does love rock and roll, the pop princess, who covered the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” on her last album, has put another dime in the jukebox and come up with an even more telling rock classic for her next one.
Spears has recorded Joan Jett and the Blackhearts’ 1981 hit “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” with hitmaker Rodney Jerkins for a scene in her upcoming movie, “What Friends Are For,” as well as for her still-untitled third album, which a Jive Records spokesperson said is tentatively due November 6.
Jerkins, who produced Spears’ Stones cover for last year’s Oops!… I Did It Again, said Monday (July 16) that their version of the Joan Jett hit (which itself was a cover of a song by the Arrows) relies on the original melody but has a hip-hop element. Spears will perform it in a bar scene in the movie.
Jerkins, who recently produced seven tracks for Michael Jackson, has recorded four songs for Spears’ album and is hoping to do a fifth.
“The whole vibe is like Britney to the next level. It’s more funkier than ever,” Jerkins said. “They blow ‘Satisfaction’ away. ‘Satisfaction’ was cool, but it was my first time working with her. I was feeling her out and the stuff Jive was doing. We went into the studio for four hours. This time we actually got a chance to hang out and vibe.”
Spears came to Jerkins’ home studio for a week to work on the material, which Jerkins plans to master in Miami next week.
“Everything I wanted to do, I had the opportunity to do this time,” Jerkins said. “I’m a big fan of Britney’s work, and I felt like the next level for her is to incorporate what she does with a little bit more uptempo, more funky groove. Not so poppy and happy, but a little more attitude and edge.”
Two of the tracks are still untitled, and the fourth is a funky tune with heavy guitars called “Lonely,” Jerkins said. He described one of the untitled tracks as “prettier pop” with hard beats “ready for the clubs.” Spears and Jerkins wrote all of the tracks together.
“Britney had a lot of input with writing the songs,” Jerkins said. “She was a part of it more [than her past material], and she’s more happy with it. Just getting a song from someone and doing it is so different.”
Although Jerkins said he and Spears recorded “the singles” for the album, he will have some competition from electronic music luminary BT, the architect behind ‘NSYNC’s new “dirty pop” sound, who produced two tracks for the album.
Spears, who worked with Max Martin and Robert John “Mutt” Lange on Oops, has also recorded some songs with the Neptunes, Jerkins said. Their rep did not return phone calls, and Jive’s spokesperson would not give any details on the album.
In other Spears news, the singer spoke at the Television Critics Association summer gathering on Friday about her upcoming HBO special. Spears said her first live televised concert will prove once again that she’s not that innocent.
“I really want this to be shocking and edgier,” Spears said, according to the Associated Press. “This show will be an event. It’s going to be to the next level as far as stunts.”
The concert, which will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 18, will also feature at least one special guest. Spears revealed she will be singing with Cher on the Sonny and Cher hit “The Beat Goes On.”
“I want to do things that people have never seen before,” Spears said. “I don’t want to be considered a role model.”
