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Britney Spears’ ‘Work Bitch’ S&M Video Romp: Chains and Whips Excite Her

Britney Spears, "Work Bitch," video, Las Vegas, S&M

What happens in Las Vegas doesn’t always stay in Las Vegas. Before Britney Spears starts her two-year Vegas residency, fresh off a guest spot on Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz, the singer has shared a music video that entertainingly captures Sin City’s profitable mix of money and misbehavior. Director Ben Mor‘s clip for the throbbing EWM track (that’s “Electronic Workout Music,” people) “Work Bitch” blends sex and commerce so seamlessly, so shamelessly that it works out as campy fun. There’s a dancer wearing a Beats by Dre speaker in her mouth as a gag, for crying out loud.

The backdrop, as Spears and her troupe performs choreographed dance moves in a sleek, ultra-modern space: Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, where she’ll be performing for her Vegas run. Other scenes show Spears admiring herself in a mirror or grinding next to super-luxury cars. There are visual echoes of videos past — Madonna’s S&M-themed “Human Nature,” Spice Girls’ desert-dancing “Say You’ll Be There” — but by the time Brit Brit is miming in a dress atop a shark-filled pool, well, this is a pretty exclusive, high-stakes table. Mannequins explode for some reason!

People like to say pop songs should grab you instantly while artier fare takes more listens, but “Work Bitch” itself has also benefited from some more time outside the casino — yeah, it’s blankly materialistic, but so is Vegas, and she’s just being Britney (or Brit-ney, with that goofy but increasingly amusing accent). Does that mean her upcoming eighth studio album, due out December 3 via RCA, will actually be the former “…Baby One More Time” teen queen’s equivalent to Madonna’s forward-thinking 1998 Ray of Light, as Spears’ manager recently told Billboard? Well, he said that last time, too. Whoops! And there’s not even too much hope anymore that Spears’ next one will be a sequel to her own, underrated Blackout. Still, this much remains whip-stingingly obvious: The house always wins.