If you love this album, than you should get Britney's latest release "In The Zone." It's even better then "Britney", and shows how much she has matured over the past year. Also, this album truley expresses Britney's talent to date, and what she is capable of doing, and in the end Britney always comes out on top, even if her records didn't sell the "expected amount."


very much so a guilty pleasure, and a surprisingly good one.   November 5, 2003
Kimberly H. (Amherst, Mass.)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I have to start off this review with a couple of disclaimers. First of all, I'm a big Britney fan, but I'm not an idiot. I know that her appeal lies almost entirely on her image and dancing, that her singing is barely up to par, and that her songwriting talent seems to be about nonexistent. Secondly, I'm far from the target market for this cd, being that I mostly listen to music like Radiohead, PJ Harvey, Ani Difranco, White Stripes, etc. I'm not coming into this review with no knowledge of what real music is and can be.

But who (besides thirteen year olds who don't know better) is calling this real music? The lipsynching scandal has died down, and it seems just about everyone (except maybe Britney herself, although I think she has a better idea than she lets on) is aware that Ms. Spears is far from a real musician. She's a performer, and at that she is very, very good. And Britney, though the least popular of her albums, is in my opinion the most solid one. It's like a crepe - light and fluffy with no substance, but surprisingly fun and yummy.

Above this, what's also interesting is the number of songs that revolve around finding oneself and being stronger than a man, and refusing to take crap from any of them. I'd almost be willing to argue that, at least in this aspect, Britney is a role model. For a little girl to pick up this CD and hear her talk about sex and wanting to be a slave 4 u [sic] - yes, that's bad. But innocence doesn't last long in today's society, even without the gyrations of Ms. Spears. And for the same girl to also hear a song like Lonely ('now this girl don't need no man / says what she can do or she can't / now I live for me') is very, very good.

And now, for the actual music. Unless you were struck deaf and blind in 2001, you certainly heard (or more likely saw, considering the state of MTV these days) I'm a Slave 4 U, probably more than you wanted to. But admit it. It's not that bad, and it's certainly better than the first single from her previous album (Oops I Did it Again for those of you who've managed to put it out of your head). The beat is sick, and it makes quite a statement on her frustration with being pinholed into the Sweet Virgin role that encompassed the beginning of her career. It's incredibly sexy, even if breathy panting is all she has to offer.

Overprotected is similarly catchy and also includes a statement to the world to 'say hello to the girl that I am.' It also holds some virulence against (in my opinion) all the critical press that surrounds her wherever she goes. It's easy to dog a celebrity, but it's damn near impossible to be one, especially at the age that Britney's spent in the spotlight. Is it so surprising that a college-age girl would want to experiment with drinking, smoking, and clubbing? Hardly - it's just some strange American expectation that celebrities have to be somehow superhuman.

The next song, Lonely, is just about the best track on the CD. All about standing up to a guy who's been a less than ideal boyfriend, the staggered beat and heavy bass makes it a pretty 'heavy' pop song. Naturally, it's followed by the weakest track, the saccharine I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman. In my opinion, it's a real stinker, but maybe if I was still an adolescent I'd feel differently.

Boys is decent, but aside from the merits of its best line ('boys, sometimes a girl just needs one') and the addition of Pharell (N.E.R.D. is amazing, you know) on the remix, it's pretty standard. Anticipating, on the other hand, is a standout track. Janet Jackson influenced, yes, but it's also uniquely Britney. A great song to start your night to, the jangly beat and use of xylophones really makes me want to dance.

I know I SHOULD hate the cover of Joan Jett and the Blackheart's I Love Rock and Roll, but I just CAN'T. Maybe it's the video, where Britney proves that, despite her lack of musical chops, she'd make a pretty damn good rockstar. Maybe it's the 'owww!' I'm not sure what it is. But it's definitely another example of why this CD is such a guilty pleasure.

Okay, so basing a song on a fairy tale is a little cheesy. Or a lot cheesy, take your pick. But Cinderella, while not the best track on the cd, isn't the worst either. It's the best when the chorus drops in. Next is another song (Let Me Be) about the enigma that is Britney, and how she's a lot tougher than you think she is. Her voice swings into her nasal register quite a bit here, but that just seems to be her style of singing.

Bombastic Love is the least feminist song on the album, so at least it's got some good music to distract you from Britney's grandiose declarations of love, made more pathetic by her realising 'when I wake up everything is still the same / and you don't even know my name.' That's Where You Take Me vies for a spot with I'm Not a Girl... as the worst song on this CD, so I don't listen to it. I advice you not to either.

But then the kicker, the grand finale of the album - a Justin Britney duet! Teenyboppers all over the world probably swooned at the mere dream of such a thing, and here it is (What It's Like to Be Me) in all its pseudo-beatbox glory. Justin's got a good voice, which helps add some clout to this song, and the fact that they broke up not too long after this was recorded makes it an even more interesting listen. Yeah, I'm a bit of a pop culture junkie, but beyond that I'd still recommend this album to just about anyone open-minded enough to indulge in some mindless pop once in a while.


Britney Spears-...   June 30, 2002
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Well what can I say. Many people either hate Britney Spears or
like her. In my opinion I liked her years ago but now I don't really care for her music. The music is catchy but the songs are the same. Its like listening to her whole album in one song. It is pretty annoying. But that is my opinion if your daughter or you enjoy Britney then hey buy the CD. I mean why me stop you. All I can say is please don't buy this CD if your child is under 10 years old b/c of the sexual content in the CD. I mean If you want your child to be hearing ima slave 4 you,dance up on me,hell, and swearing words then buy it lol. I just hope for better music in the future from Britney maybe a different beat.I know she can do better then this.