Britney Spears and no auto-tune is not a good mix.
The 32-year-old singer is under attack for an unedited version of Spears' song "Alien" that was release online this week, giving fans the opportunity to hear the singer's actual voice without auto-tune.
According to Us Weekly, Spears' track producer William Orbit posted a statement on Facebook defending the pop star and explaining to fans that the track was a vocal warm-up session, not Spears' final take.
Orbit, who has worked with such stars as Madonna, added the track was never meant to be heard by anyone.
"I'd like to affirm that ANY singer when first at the mic at the start of a long session can make a multitude of vocalisations in order to get warmed up," Orbit wrote. "Warming up is essential if you're a pro, as it is with a runner doing stretches, and it takes a while to do properly. I've heard all manner of sounds emitted during warm-ups. The point is that it is not supposed to be shared with millions of listeners.
"A generous singer will put something down the mic to help the engineer get their systems warmed up and at the right level, maybe whilst having a cup of herb tea and checking through lyrics before the session really kicks off. It's not expected to be a 'take.'"
Critics called the unedited version "flat" and "cringe-worthy." The track appears on Spears' latest album "Britney Jean," which was released in November 2013.
The singer has been heavily criticized for using auto-tune on recordings and accused of lip syncing during her live performances. Last month, Spears' manager Adam Leber confirmed that the singer has been lip-syncing during her Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino show in Las Vegas.
"To put on the show that she puts on, it's virtually impossible to sing the entire time and do what she does," Leber admitted in the interview, according to the Daily Mail. "She's singing on every song, basically, when she has the ability to sing. There's no way you can dance for 90 minutes straight and sing the entire time."
Listen to with version without auto-tune and the final version of Alien below.
