Britney's "Britney" bests original effort
By STEPHANIE McGRATH
AllPop
Prior to her third album, Britney Spears must've been in a tight spot. If she stuck with the tried and true "Baby One More Time"/ "Oops" formula, critics would slam her for being stagnant.
There was also a good chance that her fans -- young tweens when she graced TV screens in a tube top and pigtails -- were now jaded teens who wanted something louder, faster, different. But if she changed her style, would people wrinkle their nose and write her off?
 Jive,Nov., 2001 |
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So Britney reappears with "Britney", an album complete with edgier lyrics ("Hell" and "damn" make their debut in the Britney repertoire), new rhythms, fewer ballads, and racy accompanying videos. (Note: The album isn't in stores till Tuesday, Nov. 6, but anyone who pre-orders the CD through MTV.com gets to listen to the entire album now.)
"Britney"'s first offering was the single "I'm A Slave 4 U". Although the beats are interesting, the song lacks energy, and Britney just doesn't seem to be able to give it the flavour it needs to become memorable.
But any misgivings fans may have about the new album due to "Slave" are not totally fair. "Oops I Did It Again," Britney's second album, sounded like a speedy reincarnation of "Baby One More Time", put out to capitalize on her enormous popularity. "Britney" sounds like the pop princess actually put a bit of thought and time into the songs.
According to the album, Britney's growing up, she's not naive, and she's not going to be taken advantage of -- messages you'll hear loud and clear on tracks 1-4 and 8 & 12.
These themes are obviously important to the young, blond, poplette, which means that she sounds more sincere and energetic while rhyming off the lyrics than she did crooning those slightly mystifying Swedish pop chart-toppers.
Her voice is more mature, too. There are fewer Michael Jackson-style hiccups and purring "babies" and "oops" than on previous tracks. (There are also still no Aguilera-style multiple-scales-on-one-note, either. That's a good thing.)
With the exception of the first single, the changes from the old Britney to the new Britney aren't shockingly different, which is why original fans shouldn't be turned off by the album.
Many of the tracks are similar to hits found on the previous two Britney albums. "Overprotected" is in the vein of "Stronger" (hopefully minus the chair-dancing video), while the lone ballad, "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman," is nice, breezy, easy-listening (like Britney's previous ballads) that flatters her vocal range.
Tracks that try too hard to distinguish themselves from the trademark Britney style are "Slave" and "Boys", while mundane time-fillers include "Cinderella" and "Bombastic Love".
Britney sounds her best on "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman", the peppy and slightly retro number "Anticipating", and the Spice Girls-esque "That's Where You Take Me".
Devoted fans will be more than happy with "Britney", while their parents can rest easy in the knowledge that the teen princess has not strayed too far down the "edgy" path implied by "Slave".
The album isn't quite different enough to attract a brand new set of fans, though, so Britney is going to have to count on the people that have been supporters since "Baby One More Time".
Track Listing:
I'm A Slave 4 U
Overprotected
Lonely
I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman
Boys
Anticipating
I Love Rock 'N' Roll
Cinderalla
Let Me Be
Bombastic Love
That's Where You Take Me
What It's Like To Be Me
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