I'm convinced that I should get Britney Spear's new studio project In the Zone, if only for the debut cut Me Against The Music which features Madonna.

I've been very biased against artists who allow to be relegated to "featuring" status because that says a lot about the status of their careers -- it's either making it's way in or on it's way out. Janet Jackson did it. Mariah Carey did it. So many rap artists do it.

Now the great Maddie's doing it. And with Britney, no less, who doesn't have much currently going for her either. While Madonna's move to support Britney leaves a bad taste in my mouth, I really like Me Against the Music. It's the kind of song I wish Madonna would have a full album of. A going-back-to-roots sort of thing, only technologically-spruced up, the kind of music that made her the diva that she is.

(Okay, so she's a best-selling author now... whoop-dee-do. Accoding to Nicholas Callaway, C.E.O. of Callaway Arts & Entertainment, the originating American publisher of Maddie's The English Roses, says, "In its first week of release, The English Roses has set a record as the biggest and fastest-selling book in publishing history for a first-time children's author... It demonstrates once again that Madonna has an extraordinary gift for communicating with children of all ages.")

Going into popchart mode, I'm frustrated that Me Against the Music jumped only from #50 (debut on the Hot 100) to #43 this week. Seven measly slots, and not even breaking the Top 40. When Vogue was relased in 1990, it took less than six weeks for it to reach number one. Now, not even the combined liplocking strengths of two pop-dance stars could shake Billboard's foundations. But I'll attribute that to the changes in the pop consumer landscape. R&B and rap are the musical styles of the moment. Just check out Billboard's current Top Ten.

1) Baby Boy, Beyonce Featuring Sean Paul
2) Stand Up, Ludacris Featuring Shawnna
3) Get Low, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz Featuring Ying Yang Twins
4) Damn!, YoungBloodZ Featuring Lil Jon
5) Shake Ya Tailfeather, Nelly, P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
6) Here Without You, 3 Doors Down
7) Holidae In, Chingy Featuring Ludacris & Snoop Dogg
8) Right Thurr, Chingy
9) Rain On Me, Ashanti
10) Why Don't You & I, Santana Featuring Alex Band Or Chad Kroeger

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