Out From Under: Britney’s Best B-Sides & Bonus Tracks

Bradley Stern | September 2, 2013 7:30 am

It is a known fact within the scientific community that the recorded works of Britney Spears are objectively without flaw. That being said, not every track on every album gets its fair chance to shine as a single — or even as a part of the album’s tracklisting. In fact, some are even relegated to B-side and bonus track status.

As a result of Britney’s Idolator Takeover victory (and while we wait for The Britney Countdown to hit zero — strong Britney!), we’re going to visit some lesser-known gems from Britney’s extensive B-side and bonus track collection — because for every “…Baby One More Time,” there’s an “Autumn Goodbye.” (Note: These aren’t ranked in any particular order — ranking Britney songs is strictly against my religion.)

Join us now as we light our vanilla candles together and revisit a few of pop’s best underrated gems, courtesy of none other than The Holy Spearit.

“Mona Lisa” B-Side/Bonus track: “Someday (I Will Understand)”/Britney & Kevin: Chaotic

Ah, “Mona Lisa.” This song itself could serve as the subject for an incredibly compelling thesis — but that’s for another time. The song is largely considered one of the most important Britney productions in her entire discography. Why? Well, it led up to the most mysterious era in Britney’s career — The Original Doll. Back in December of 2004, B showed up to Ryan Seacrest’s radio show with a rough demo in hand called “Mona Lisa,” which was recorded alongside her live band from The Onyx Hotel Tour for an upcoming album called The Original Doll, which was apparently “half done.” The song was then re-recorded and slightly tweaked for the accompanying soundtrack EP for Britney & Kevin: Chaotic (oof!), as well as the B-side to “Someday (I Will Understand).” Of course, the album never actually came to be — but its prominence in Britney lore remains.

The song sees Britney narrating the tragic tale of Mona Lisa, her legendary alter-ego who undergoes an equally legendary downfall. Not only is it a genuinely great song that allows Britney to play with her vocals and get creative in a way like never before (don’t even get me started on defending her honor as an artist), but it’s too eerily prophetic, outlining Britney’s much-publicized, paparazzi-fueled downward spiral in 2007. “She was taken under, drowning in her sea / Running like an angel, she was crying but could not see / See everyone’s watching as she starts to fall / They want her to break down and be a legend of the fall,” she sings. Chills, right? Can you handle Nostradamusney’s truth?

Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve got a little story to tell…