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Britney Spears dropped her new single Hold It Against Me just before midnight on 11/1/11 to an overwhelmingly positive response from the media and general public.

Anticipation had built to a deafening clamour following the leak of a demo, prompting Britney to release a few hours ahead of schedule, tweeting: “Don’t #HOLDITAGAINSTME for coming out early. I couldn’t wait any longer. Hope you don’t mind….. – Britney”

The addictive track shot to the top of the iTunes charts within 24 hours of its release, and has been a constant request on the most influential US radio stations since, breaking records for first day spins according to her label and top industry analyst Kevin McCabe. Twitter and YouTube have been flooded with exuberant praise for the single, which was produced by pop masters Dr. Luke and Max Martin. Hold It Against Me is the first single from Britney’s new album, tipped by Jersey Shore star DJ Pauly D as an ‘amazing’ sure-fire hit, packed with ‘incredible’ tracks.

Why we love Hold It Against Me:

1. The name. Genius.

2. Up tempo. So necessary to get through these grey months.

3. The hint of dub-step, thanks to which we feel almost credible recommending it. Just tune out for the cringalicious: “Cause you feel like paradise… and I need a vacation tonight”

4. An unprecedented quota of Britney noises. Practically every other word ends in ‘uh’, and listen out for what happens when ‘hazy’ meets 12 + sound technicians.

5. The line ‘pop it like a hood’- so many terrible moves/puns will surely occur thanks to this phrase.

6. It is irresistibly danceable, so resign yourself – those committed to going out regularly may as well choreograph something.

Fall in love: