An unedited vocal version of what seems to be pop star Britney Spears' autotune mishap was leaked last July 2, according to reports from Daily Mail and Huffington Post. The raw recording of Britney's track "Alien" is from her most recent album "Britney Jean".
This is not the first Britney Spears autotune controversy. The 32-year-old singer from Kentwood, Louisiana has long been hounded with allegations of excessive post-production in her songs. Prior to the leaked unedited version of "Alien", another recent Britney Spears autotune accusation was that of a recording from October 2013, which showcased disappointing vocals from the pop star - very far from the "finished product" released in her albums.
To Britney Spears' defense, track producer William Orbit said the leaked "Alien" material was just a "vocal warm up", "not supposed to be shared with millions of listeners," and was definitely not Britney Spear's final take.
Orbit explained: "I'd like to affirm that ANY singer when first at the mic at the start of a long session can make a multitude of vocalisations in order to get warmed up. Warming up is essential if you're a pro, as it is with a runner doing stretches, and it takes a while to do properly. I've heard all manner of sounds emitted during warm-ups."
"The point is that it is not supposed to be shared with millions of listeners. A generous singer will put something down the mic to help the engineer get their systems warmed up and at the right level, maybe whilst having a cup of herb tea and checking through lyrics before the session really kicks off. It's not expected to be a take," Orbit added of the Britney Spears autotune controversy.
Britney Spears' soprano vocal range and vocal ability has been criticized by music experts. After the release of Britney's album "Circus", music critic Allan Raible ridiculed her overdependence on digital effects and the robotic effect it creates.
"She's never been a strong vocalist... Could she handle these songs with stripped down arrangements and no vocal effects? More importantly, would anyone want to hear her attempt such a performance? Does it matter? No. The focus is still image over substance," Raible said in a review published on ABC News.
It has also been openly reported that Britney lip syncs in her concerts.
Nonetheless, Britney remains to be one of the most successful pop stars of today, with hit albums, continuous endorsements, sold-out concerts, has an estimated net worth of $200 million.
