Britney Spears & Iggy Azalea May Quite Have A Hit

It's finally here! The anticipated collaboration between Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea "Pretty Girls" debuted on May 4, and it was absolutely worth the wait. Some of us have been absolutely unable to wait ever since we heard the two divas were getting together, and now that it's here, it seems like summer has finally arrived! In fact, its infectious bass line and fierce attitude could make "Pretty Girls" the song of summer 2015.

If you haven't heard it, don't worry: it will be everywhere soon. Though it's not as immediately catchy as last year's summer blockbuster "Fancy" — also helmed by Azalea — "Pretty Girls" has a pretty contagious beat at the core of it. I've listened to it three times in the past 10 minutes; I keep telling myself it's for research and that I don't actually like it, but I'm obviously lying. It's already gotten into my head... annnnd now I'm dancing. It's got that kind of appeal.

In fact, that exact type of dance pop has shot to the top of the Billboard summer charts for the past nine summers. From 2006's Nelly Furtado hit "Promiscuous," to 2010's "California Gurls," right through to 2014's "Fancy," upbeat pop music has won out in the May-to-August months for quite a few years. Maybe it's the heat affecting our brains, but America loves a sexy dance beat they can blast at summer barbecues and rooftop shindigs.

The other force working in favor of the song's potential victory on summer charts is Azalea's still-palpable star power. Though Iggy Azalea isn't exactly America's Sweetheart, her status as a bankable chart-topping artist hasn't faded entirely. The "Fancy" phenomenon has only just started to pass behind us, and the timing is perfect for her to drop another ego-centric hip-hop dance duet. That assumes, of course, that we're not completely over Azalea, which I doubt that we are.

More important, however, is the Britney of it all! We haven't really heard from Spears since "Work B**ch," and that was two years ago. While that song peaked at only #12, it's not as if this is the first lull we've seen in her career. Unlike last time, however, there isn't any personal issue at the root of it; mostly, it seems like Spears is busy performing, touring, and being a mom. If there's one thing she knows how to do, it's take a break from releasing music, get herself centered, and come back fighting. We've seen it before, and my money is on her doing it again — especially when paired with the star power of Azalea.

Honestly, the biggest obstacle the song faces is its length. The version that hit YouTube two days ago clocks in at a whimpering two minutes and 44 seconds; were it to reach #1, it would be the shortest summer hit by nearly 30 seconds in at least 20 years. Now that I've listened to it a solid 13 times in the past hour, it almost seems designed for replay-ability, as though keeping it under three minutes renders it as addictive as a potato chip (not enough to be a satisfying meal, but savory enough that you can eat 1,200 calories worth in one sitting without even thinking about it).

We'll see how the world reacts in the upcoming weeks, but something tells me they could cut the song by a minute and a half and it would still seem poised to win the summer. I may be wrong; all I know is that I'm done writing this article, and I've still got the thing playing on repeat with no intention of changing it (maybe ever).

Images: Giphy (2)