Britney Spears has released the video for “Criminal,” the latest single off her album “Femme Fatale.”  Spears tweeted the news just after midnight Tuesday: “Ladies & gents, I’m excited to present to you the video for one of my favorite songs off of Femme Fatale.  Enjoy…”  The tweet links to iTunes, where the video’s being offered for $1.99. A free version of the video also made it on YouTube but has since been taken down.

Parts of the “Criminal” video were recorded in the London suburb of Hackney in September, where local officials objected to a  scene where Spears robs a store at gunpoint.  The timing wasn’t optimal — England had weathered widespread rioting the month before.

The “Criminal” video certainly features a heavy dose of violence, but it’s likely to raise some eyebrows Stateside for a wholly different reason.  Spears and her male partner in crime — played by real-life boyfriend Jason Trawick — are shown not only between the sheets, where Spears is wearing a bra, but also showering together, with Spears and her buff beau clearly wearing nothing at all, unless you count Trawick’s hands over Spears’ breasts.  The video ends with the pair apparently perishing in a hail of gunfire as police close in, but of course, the two of them escape.