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Original Doll is an unfinished music project by Britney Spears. It was partially recorded on tour following In the Zone, and planned to be released as her fifth studio album in 2005, but was shelved for unknown reasons. The only confirmed song is "Mona Lisa".

Background

In November 2003, Spears told Entertainment Weekly she had began writing for her next album, and continued this on The Onyx Hotel Tour. In April 2004, on her texting app Britney Mobile Live, Spears wrote: "Bought a new keyboard 2 take on my tour bus in Europe. Really looking forward 2 writing some new stuff while on the road."[1]

Spears began writing with input from her band, including Teddy Campbell, David Kochanski, and Gromyko Collins. In May 2004, producers Bloodshy & Avant said she “gives them a call [..] saying: "Listen to this and record it!", and sings a new song she wrote so they can work on it.”[2] Songwriter Henrik Jonback also confirmed writing with Spears on her tour bus and hotel room in Germany.[3]

Spears brought the idea for her song "Mona Lisa" to her tour band to work on its arrangement, and a demo was recorded. Backup singer Stephanie Alexander said there may have been one other song, but “can't say for certain if that is a mirage in my mind or if there actually were something else.”[4]

In May 2004, Spears was seen with a disc labeled “The Fugitive”, but it’s unknown if this was a new song or for "Mona Lisa". The next day she was seen with producer Bloodshy in Germany.[5] Songwriter Michelle Bell has also spoken about working with Spears, but those songs were for In the Zone and not this project. However, she mentioned Spears “wanted to go in an R&B direction”, which was also confirmed by producers from later albums.[6]

Announcement

Britney premiering Mona Lisa and announcing Original Doll with KIISS FM (2004)

Britney premiering Mona Lisa and announcing Original Doll with KIIS FM (2004)

On December 30, 2004, Spears made ​​a surprise appearance at Los Angeles' KIIS-FM radio station to premiere a demo of a song titled "Mona Lisa". Spears had recorded the song live with her band during the tour. It talks of the fall of Mona Lisa (an alter ego Spears used when she "needed to get things done"), calling her "unforgettable" and "unpredictable", and warns listeners not to have a "breakdown." She wanted it to be included on an upcoming untitled album, tentatively titled The Original Doll, which she hoped to release "probably before summertime [2005], or maybe a little sooner than that."[7]

After this, Jive Records announced that while Spears had been in the studio, "no album [was] scheduled for the moment" and there were "no plans to serve 'Mona Lisa' to radio stations."[8]

While it seems like the project would focus on her public image and artistry, there was no confirmed concept, and any reports are only fan speculation.

The radio DJ who interviewed Britney said she never intended to make an appearance mentioning the song or project, and only wanted her bodyguard to deliver the song to them, but was required to do this because they thought it was a prank.

Several weeks later, Spears said, “I can’t really say [it’s an album]… but I have something going on and it’s definitely a show.”[9] The project was abandoned, and Spears focused on her reality show Britney & Kevin: Chaotic, and the EP (extended play) of the same name, where the final version of "Mona Lisa" appeared. In 2007, Spears released her fifth studio album, Blackout, where she took more control during recording, and was credited as executive producer.

Spears has never spoken about the project or "Mona Lisa" again. When asked about it in 2014, her manager Larry Rudolph said, "Not supporting, commenting on it or providing any info for a bullshit story with zero factual basis.”[10]

Conclusion

The initial announcement has led fans to create various rumors, but there are no songs confirmed aside from "Mona Lisa", and lists of demos, tracklistings, and concepts are all fake.

An insider stated, “the plans were shelved", adding, "The media and record buying public have been exposed to way too much Britney and because of that her album... has been pushed to the 2006 release schedule. Instead, Britney will try for a family and slowly but surely record new material.”[11]

The songs recorded were possibly intended for "OnTourage", a tour documentary series which was never completed due to Spears' knee injury.[12] The making of the songs would likely be shown, and then released as an extended play (EP) with the tour or documentary DVD, similar to Britney and Kevin: Chaotic. It’s also possible the songs were to be performed live without studio versions, which Spears previously did with new songs on her Dream Within a Dream Tour.

The project has been considered a response to her record label and manager Larry Rudolph, who she had recently fired at the time.

A user on a fan forum explained:
“The Original Doll was never anything more than Britney making an announcement to piss her team and label off. She was being told to do things she didn’t want to do so she went on the air and played a song that she felt would put her handlers [manager Larry Rudolph] in their place. She announced a fake album to really rub salt in the wound (The term “The Original Doll” is literally referring to her label treating her as an object that could be replicated).
At this point Britney had just announced a hiatus, had gotten married and was actively trying to get pregnant so she knew damn well she wouldn’t be on the pop circuit in 2005. So, there are no songs from The Original Doll because it never existed. Sure, she recorded an occasional song here and there after ITZ [In the Zone] but before the Blackout sessions started in 2006, but that’s standard for her and something she does to this day between albums."[13]

Another user commented, “Many of those [rumored] song titles were public even before In the Zone was released… People are making Original Doll a much bigger thing than it was.“[14]

Songs confirmed

There are no songs confirmed aside from "Mona Lisa" and possibly "The Fugitive". Any other songs or demos are fake or recorded for another album, and it's unknown if any other songs for the project were recorded.

  • "Mona Lisa" - The only song confirmed for the album.
  • "The Fugitive" - Possibly produced by Bloodshy & Avant or her band from The Onyx Hotel Tour. Britney was photographed holding a disc labeled ‘The Fugitive’ while on tour in Spain in May 2004. However, this also may have been an early working title for "Mona Lisa".


References

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