The queen of pop is rising again. Britney Spears is back with a brand new sound and has traded in her "good girl" pop for techno on Blackout.
Spears’ first single from the album, "Gimme More," did not play off well at the MTV Video Music Awards. She was criticized not just for her looks but her music as well. As a part of shedding the "good girl" image, the song begins with Britney proclaiming, "It’s Britney, bitch," letting everyone know whose album it is and that she is ready to take on the world. By using her seductive voice and clever computer magic, this song could be the new club song and fans should look for it to be mixed by some of the best in the future.
"Piece of Me" is the most vocal song on the album, and I don’t mean Spears’ singing. She lets the paparazzi, the public and everyone’s prying eyes have it. In this song she sings about everything from being the "American dream" at 17 to having kids to being criticized for her weight. She is calling everyone in the public out and pretty much telling them to bring it. She is prepared for anything that can be thrown at her.
And here’s a note to the guys: be careful boys, you are on Spears’ "Radar." The third song on the album, "Radar" is a bouncy yet digital song that talks about Spears wanting a certain guy that she has her eyes on. Digitalized voices in the background give this song a dance-like feeling. It’s a girly kind of bounce with sex appeal.
In the song "Toy Solider," she seems to be calling out all of the guys she has been with that just could not cut it with her. Spears blends a little bit of hip-hop and digital effects to give the song a pop-military feel while telling the men of her past that they were just toys to her and now she wants a real man to care for her.
Most of the songs on Blackout have the same feel to them: a bouncy, club beat, while the others follow the same formula: men, sex, love, her and the paparazzi. The album has a fun vibe to it, but can seem repetitive at times.
On past albums, Spears has used her voice to bring listeners into the album and the "bubble gum pop" beats to appeal to a younger demographic. This time around she is trying to appeal to a broader audience. Though Spears has broken out of her former image, always splashed across magazines and the entertainment news, it is on Blackout that she finally makes the same statement through her music.
