By Jillian Sorgini
Britney is back. It’s not like she ever really left in the first place, but the former teen pop queen is now back on the music scene.
From dealing with a divorce, running around commando and raising two adorable boys, it’s a shock that Britney found time to get herself into the studio at all.
Despite the lack of publicity for this album, as Britney made no interviews or appearances promoting it, this may be her best disc yet and could not be more appropriately titled: “Blackout.”
Steering clear of all ballads, Spears has realized that her voice is not her strongest asset. She is known as a performer, not a singer-giving listeners a futuristic and edgy CD.
The album kicks off with first single “Gimme More,” which seems to be overshadowed by the September VMA disaster. However, the other tracks on the album more than make up for performance flub.
In “Piece of Me,” perhaps the most talked-about track, Britney boldly states, “I’m Miss Bad Media Karma / Another day, another drama / Guess I can’t see the harm in working and being a mama.” She teams up with the same producers of her smash hit “Toxic,” brazenly asking the public, repeatedly, “You want a piece of me?” From all the attention she gleans, it’s obvious that they do.
Other songs like “Freakshow” and “Get Naked (I Got a Plan)” seem to reflect Britney’s lifestyle, or at least the one perceived by tabloids. The bass-blasting beats bounce all over the place, much like Britney’s own life.
Of course, no Britney album would be complete without a bubble-gum love song. “Heaven on Earth” mixes an ’80s-inspired beat with lyrics reminiscent of a teenage love letter.
Meltdowns form a rather large theme in Britney’s life and manage to do so on her CD as well. Two tracks, “Break the Ice” and “Hot as Ice,” are all about heating up the scene.
And Britney has certainly melted her own mold. Transforming from a cute little Mouseketeer to a teen queen pinup doll to a divorcée battling for custody, Britney has come a long way, and “Blackout” manages to reflect all of that.
She ends her album with a nice slap in the face to the former Mr. Britney Spears, Kevin Federline. In “Why Should I Be Sad?” written by Pharrell Williams, Britney talks about Federline’s trip to Las Vegas and how she is moving on. She even talks of their sons: “And don’t you worry about our angels / They’ll get good guidance and be trained well.”
In addition to Pharrell, a slew of popular artists like Keri Hilson and T-Pain, helped to make this album possible, but you won’t find any thanks to a single one of them in the liner notes. While most artists write thank you notes in their booklets, Britney’s book lacks any such list. The “Blackout” booklet contains a few images of Britney. Some are from the “Gimme More” video and two others are from a shoot in a church confessional with a priest. But the most noteworthy image does not even contain Britney. On the same page as the credits for “Why Should I be Sad,” the image features a ripped-up magazine on a chair. The only phrases that are readable are: “TELL-ALL!”; “Collapses As…”; “WITH A MARRIED MAN!”; and “I’LL NEVER LIVE WITH A MAN AGAIN!” Britney is clearly revealing a new side of herself.
Proving that there really is no publicity but good publicity, Britney responds to a public that seems fixated on her every move. Well, you asked for more and you got it. With “Blackout,” Britney offers neither thanks nor apologies-take it or leave it.
Blackout