Notes on the new Britney single

Britney's got a 'Singles Collection' coming out at the end of November and, in customary fashion, it contains a new track that's going to be released as a single. Two of your trusty DS reporters got to listen to it at the end of last week - 18 times, if we recall correctly - so here's what we thought.

1. It's called '3' and it's a Max Martin production.

2. We won't beat around the bush - it's about having a threesome.

3. The chorus, which has more than a hint of the playground chant about it, goes like this: "1-2-3 not only you and me / Got 180 degrees / And I'm caught in between / Counting 1-2-3 feed upon that three / Getting down with repeat / Everybody loves ohhhhh". The "ohhhhh", in case you were wondering, is a classic Britney lusty sigh.

4. Britney makes her intentions very clear elsewhere, telling us "living in sin is the new thing" on the bridge and offering this coaxing couplet on the second verse: "Three is a charm, two's not the same / "I don't see the harm, so are you game?"

5. Enough already with the lyrics! What does '3' sound like? Well, it's uptempo, quite electropoppy on the verses and a little bit ravey on the choruses.

6. '3' would fit better on Circus than Blackout - it's got that slightly cartoony quality that the more recent album sometimes has. The Britney track to which it's most closely related is probably 'If U Seek Amy', though they're more like second cousins who only see each other at family funerals and weddings than brother and sister.

7. The best bit of the song is the middle 8, on which Max Martin cools things down with some synthetic strings, a load of bassy beats kick in and Britters offers her boyfriend a get-out clause: "If you don't like the company / Let's do it just you and me..."

8. ...Before promptly changing her mind by suggesting "or three... or four on the floor". That last bit's pretty clever, because the beats she's singing over at the time could legitimately be classified as "four-on-the-floor".

9. It took us a few plays to fall for '3' - and truth be told it's no 'Gimme More' or 'Womanizer' - but as a fun, fruity newbie to round off a potentially brilliant Singles Collection, it does its job very well indeed.

10. It's premiering on US radio today, so expect to be hearing it very soon. The first UK play, in case you were wondering, will be on Radio 1 this Wednesday afternoon.

Do you like the sound of '3'? Are you looking forward to Britney's 'Singles Collection'? Use the space below to leave your comments.