(Spears, Campbell, Kochanski)
Album: Britney & Kevin: Chaotic EP
Few songs in Spears’s released discography are as legendary or mysterious as “Mona Lisa.” In late December 2004, she surprised fans (and her record label!) by taking an early demo of this song to KIIS-FM in LA. What listeners heard was a raw and ominous cautionary tale about a woman’s demise set to a mid-tempo pop track. Spears stated in the very brief interview prior to the song’s premiere that she was “halfway done” an album that was “probably gonna be called Original Doll” set for release in 2005. Though there have been leaked tracks rumored to be part of the abandoned project, Spears herself never publicly discussed the album again. The song “Mona Lisa” was reworked and included on the Britney and Kevin: Chaotic EP with altered lyrics and a softer tone. In the original demo, which she wrote and recorded live with her band while on tour, Spears’s vocals sound almost menacing. And if “Lucky” seemed like eerie foreshadowing, just listen to the lyrics of the original Mona Lisa demo: “She’s unforgettable/She was a legend though/It’s kind of pitiful/That she’s gone.” The finalized version that was officially released includes some alterations that spurred their own interpretations: “She wants you to know she’s been cloned.” The song and the minute-long radio interview launched years of speculation and conspiracy theories. What was Original Doll going to sound like? Why was the project shelved? When she said “halfway done,” did that mean half of the material was recorded? It wouldn’t be until 2007’s Blackout that a new Britney album would be release, and while brilliant in its own right, it doesn’t seem to included any of the elements originally intended for Original Doll. Perhaps someday Spears will lift the veil of mystery off this now legendary “lost album.” For now, we’re left to marvel at the one track that we know was truly meant for Original Doll. I actually find the demo more compelling than the final released version, but both are fascinating moments in the legend and the lore of Britney Spears.
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