You’ve seen all fourteen teasers, now experience the whole pretty package: jump below to watch Britney Spears’ video for her dubstep-sampling, chart-topping new single, “Hold It Against Me”.


In the clip, Britney is surrounded by previous incarnations of herself as seen in her entire videography played on a cage of television screens and monitors. She floats in gown (resembling a wedding dress, though we’re not positive that was the intention), battles herself in a dubstep duel, and shoots paint out of her fingertips. (Certainly more original than having anything burst out of her chest, Katy Perry-style.)

The video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the same man who turned Gaga and Beyonce into eccentrically-dressed criminals in the “Telephone” video. In this clip, however, Åkerlund transforms the vanilla candle lover into what she already is: a pop star who commands your attention in every frame.

Those lips looks straight out Rocky Horror (as well as recent videos from Kylie and Rihanna). The floating dress imagery is giving us chills, though, as well as Britney duking it out with her mirror image. Nicki Minaj’s confrontation with her evil side in Kanye’s “Monster” video is now our second favorite instance of a pop star having a showdown with herself in a video.

Our favorite thing about “Hold It Against Me”? No product placement! Except for, of course, the brand of Britney Spears. But you were going to buy that anyway.

(Ed. note: Apparently there is product placement in the VEVO version! Well, we just won’t watch that version, then. Thanks for providing options, Brit!)

What say you, Brit-heads and normal pop-loving folk? Did this video live up to the crazy amounts of hype that preceded it? And how does it stack up against Britney’s past music videos?