| Product: |
Blackout - Britney Spears |
| Date: |
09/12/07 (96 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Britney shows why she is the queen of pop
Disadvantages: No new direction
* Britney Spears. Where to start? *
Two months ago I logged on here and reviewed Britney's comeback single, 'Gimme More', which has proved to be just as huge of a hit as a expected it to be. Becoming her most successful single since her debut, and looking to reach the top five in the UK chart in a week where single sales have been through the roof, based on this single alone Britney should be the biggest thing in the music industry right now. Fast forward a few paragraphs though, and when you reach my verdict on this review you're going to hear nothing but comments of disappointment. So, if you're interested in hearing how Britney some how made her fifth studio album fall apart when she had a great single release from it, carry on by all means.
* GIMME MORE (4.01) *
Britney's back, bitch. As I mentioned in the introduction to this review, as soon as I heard this leak on to the internet and melt its way on to the radio playlists I had to post a review up. Everything about this song is on the mark to me, from it being a grown up sound to the infulence of up and coming producer 'Danja' who obviously knows exactly what he wants his music to sound like. This had all the makings of a Justin Timberlake-esque return with Britney getting herself in the mix of the R'n'B fold. Unfortunately with all her out of the studio dramas it seems people are not exactly jumping at the opportunity to give her a chance, which is a great shame as Britney is very deserving of having this be a huge track for her.
One thing I never got to comment on, as my review came before her MTV Awards performance, was how it was hugely disappointing. I think everyone always expects so much of Britney, the fact that there was no snakes or fireworks made it just a normal performance that we can see from any artist. Attacking things like her weight though, I think Britney looked fine -- although you can't escape the odd wobble. Britney is a woman walking the rocky shores though, and it's a shame she couldn't 'buck her ideas up' in time for this album to hit the market. Lucky for her this song sells itself.
* PIECE OF ME (3.32) *
When news broke that the album wasn't being delayed til 2008, but instead being brought forward to October, I began hearing all these rave reviews about this single in particular and the title of this song was even being rumoured as the album name instead of the now finalised 'Blackout'. So when I got my hands on this track, I was pretty surprised by how it wasn't as great as everyone else was making it out to be. The beat to the song is all very similar throughout, and the lyrics aren't very powerful to me even though they are pretty much discussing everything that she has been put through in the music industry.
It's a grower.
* RADAR (3.52) *
This track quickly became my second favourite to 'Gimme More' as it had the makings of a great Britney pop record and the 'Oh my radar, on my radar' becomes very catchy, very quickly. Having got past that, I suppose the track is really 'easy' and there's not actually much to it. In a way I suppose that is what makes it a perfect Britney record, however for anyone hoping for a new direction from Britney this is pretty much the same old thing plus a couple of years. Having said that, you can't fault it.
Toxic 2007.
* BEEN A WHILE (BREAK THE ICE) (3.09) *
Both tracks previous to this have been rumoured as possible second singles, but it is this track that is the latest to come under the second single rumour catagorey, and interesting when I was giving my mum a first listen to the album this became one of her favourites so maybe she's not telling me something and she is secretly working for Britney. That would be cool. For me though this track did nothing for me instantly, and whether or not is a grower worries me, because it could mean there is a lot of tracks on here that grow on you and I have already slated the album in the opening.
What don't I like about this track? Britney's voice still sounds played with, and the beat is so strange I can't even get my head around what Britney is singing about. Keri Hilson worked with Britney on this track, who is quickly becoming the female version of Neyo as her largest appearance to date is the very physically present one on Timbaland's 'Way I Are'.. and when someone is helping Timbaland produce something you know they've gotta be good.
* HEAVEN ON EARTH (4.51) *
This was one of the very early tracks to leak from the album, and was amongst the will it/won't it make it through the final cut list. It is tracks like this leaking which gave off the impression that Britney was going for a very disco-like album and it's true, she is, because a lot of the songs on this album seem like not-too-distant relatives of 'From Paris to Berlin'. Quickly rumours of this song being about K-Fed came about.
Your touch. Your taste. Your breath. Your face. Your hands. Your head. You're sweet. Your love. Your teeth. Your tongue. Your eye. You're mine. Your lips. You're fine. Embarrassing to be seen listening to, but is actually a top dance track.
* GET NAKED (I GOT A PLAN) (4.35) *
Ok, so the tracks with Pacman songs might not have made the final cut, but sex on the dance floor is still heavilly encouraged on this album as Britney plans out getting naked. And people really believe Britney is becoming a bad infulence?
Having said that, this is one of the immediately listenable songs on 'Blackout'.
And it's well within the themes of the album set by Britney herself.
* FREAKSHOW (2.55) *
This was one of the last tracks I heard from the album, and I never really got the purpose of it, as at under 3 minutes I find it hard to take it as a serious song. This comes as a half way point to the album and I suppose it has been thrown in as a break, because for me its nothing more than a track I want to skip. Ms Spears, do you really want to be a freakshow?
* TOY SOLDIER (3.21) *
A few advertisements of the album are doing the rounds on YouTube, and whilst one features an outake from the 'Gimme More' video shoot where Britney is wearing nothing but black stars covering her nipples, the other features this track. 'Toy soldiers' is imagery that has been used fairly recently on productions by Eminem and 50 Cent, so to see Britney jumping on that is interesting, and around 50 seconds Britney shows her take on the toy soldier gimmick is full of woman power. This track is worthy of being a single release, but I fully expect it to remain a track that never gets released but stays an album gem.
* COLD AS FIRE (3.08) *
I can't actually believe this track made the album, it was the first time I ever heard Britney use the f-word in her music and is the cheesiest sounding Britney song in history. Having said that, being Britney Spears she can get away with it.
The only disappointing thing about this track being on the album is that this song completely shows off Britney's; dance infulence on the album and lack of actual progression into an audiance that I would love to see her getting - Justin Timberlake's audiance.
It's probably going to sound like I wish I was involved with Britney's management, but the two biggest stars to me right now in the spotlight are her and Leona Lewis. Leona's management saw there was an audiance for her in R'n'B music and 'Bleeding Love' is becoming a hit to both the people who saw her on X-Factor and the Mariah Carey fans. Britney grabbed peoples attention with 'Gimme More', but whilst she has kept a lot of her core fan base she is not making any progression to other audiances and alienating the fans that don't like her bad behavior with drugs and umbrellas.
* OOH OOH BABY (3.43) *
This is another track I have only heard recently as we come incredibly close to the albums release, and I think it's another track that could not warrant its own single but is something that people will probably enjoy listening to on the album. Not exactly a dance track, and Britney's voice sounds quite normal. It's a typical close-to-the-end-of-the-album song.
* PERFECT LOVER (3.02) *
Britney is so lucky she's had Danja (Nate Hills) and Keri Hilson on this project with her, because it is appearances from those two that have made this album bareable. This track has the makings of being something big, but besides from the chorus you have to give something to this song if you want it to grab you in any form.
* WHY SHOULD I BE SAD? (3.12) *
This track brings the album to its close with a lack of a big climax, also circling around the internet as 'Stupid Things' the song was produced by Pharrell Williams - who most noticeably worked with Britney on 'Boys' for the third Austin Powers movie. The only slow song to the album, I suppose it was thrown on at the end to put everyone to sleep after their heavy night of dancing to each and everyone of the tracks before hand. If you'll dance to anything that is.
Listening to the lyrics of this song it reminds you that some of the tracks before this have been actually about things in her life, rather than just sex and dance beats. You feel the tone of Britney's voice is as though she's actually crying, and the theme of the song is moving on. Perhaps a sixth album without the worries of K-Fed and made media publicity isn't going to take the four years it has taken for this new album, and I would love for something else from Britney in 2008 that isn't everything 'Blackout' is/isn't.
* THE VERDICT YOU WERE WAITING FOR... *
Drumroll, please.
At the start of this review, my introduction probably gave the impression that past 'Gimme More' I was going to be very negative about this album, but the truth is its not all bad.
THE GOOD - Radar, Heaven on Earth, Toy Soldier.
THE BAD - Freakshow, Cold as Fire.
THE UNDECIDED - Piece of Me, Been a While, Ooh Ooh Baby.
My one problem with the album is that I was expecting more, and big star appearances fell flat on their face as there is no mention of Neyo on the production even though he was heavily rumoured to be featuring on this. A few other songs that leaked never made it to the album, including 'Baby Boy' that apparently was produced with Eminem. I can see why some of the songs were left off the project though, so that they could be replaced by more club tracks. I do think that this is a really good album when you get past the disappointment and the fact that it is almost just a Clubland complimation album -- but just Britney's worst album yet. A lot of the sound is a step backwards from her album, and even some tracks from even older albums. I can definitly appreciate comments from other media outlets;
"If a blow-up sex doll could sing, this is what she'd sound like."
"In terms of studio trickery, Paris Hilton's album was practically unplugged compared to this."
So people do just love to kick Britney when they're down. You can decide for yourself as 'Blackout' is on sale in the UK tomorrow (Oct 29th). Look out for the 'Gimme More' video, at least for Britney's ass in fish nets. Britney Spears' worst album yet, but still top draw material. Twelve tracks make the album on the short side, and you wonder if the album title is supposed to be about Britney on a Saturday night.
Summary: Another day, another drama.
|
|
