Britney grows up (Britney - Britney Spears)

Member Name: NikkiH

Product:	Britney - Britney Spears
Date:	22/04/02 (103 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good solid album

Disadvantages: ! weak track

I will start straight off saying that I would not class myself as a fan of Britney Spears, but in the name of fairness I like to listen to lots of different types of music, and when something surprises me, as this album does, I feel the urge to write about it. This is also the first album I have listened to by Britney, so maybe I have missed the boat completely, because I have read many opinions who think that this album is poor and that maybe she has had her day, as compared to her two other albums this is not a patch.

The opening track sees a change in style for Britney, and the video for 'Slave 4U' was certainly more provocative than anything we had seen from her before. It is quite hard to define this song, as it is still very much pop but there is a certain something else in there which makes it a good song. 'Overprotected' carries on the feeling that Britney feels she is maturing and needs to break out the teenypop genre which has proved so successful for her. It is also rumoured that this song is a dig at her father who rarely lets her out of his sight, telling her to act a certain way, and she is starting to find it very hard to deal with. The lyrics may show a more mature Britney, but the song reverts back to the tried and tested pop tune with a catchy chorus. It is featured on the soundtrack of her debut movie, which I will talk about in a moment.

'Lonely' has a harder edge than other Britney tracks I have heard, and she has a small rap section in the middle of the song, which coupled with some great guitars makes this a winner for me. Her voice sounds much stronger and has a slight R&B feel to it, which sounds great. I can imagine that this would go down well in a lot of clubs.As most of you know, Britney has predictably ventured in the field of movies, and her debut release 'Crossroads' has been met with mixed reactions. 'I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman' is taken from the soundtrack of this f
ilm, and it is as sickly a ballad as you are likely to hear. From this song I guessed that the film was about coming of age, and it is just too sickly for me. It is probably the only track that I want to skip, and it has not seen much success in the charts either, which is surprising as Dido was involved in the writing process.

The beginning of 'Boys' sounds very much like 'Slave 4U', but it is does not match the opener because lyrically it is just very empty. 'Anticipating' is a great disco influenced track. It is a boppy pop number, with a couple of catchy hooks, and it is one which will sound great on summer days. 'I Love Rock And Roll' is a cover of the classic Joan Jett track, which is a favourite song of mine, so when I saw it on the track listing my heart sunk. There is good and bad about this song. The good is that Britney performs it really well, and she adapts her voice brilliantly, but the bad is that her backing singers are terrible, and they ruin the whole song by ranting out of tune.

'Cinderella' is pure unadulterated pop based on the tale of Cinderella. 'Let Me Be' is slower track where Britney's voice sounds very breathy, and all about someone who won't leave her alone as they don't believe she will manage without them. 'Bombastic Love' goes back to the Britney of old, where the lyrics rhyme and she sings about falling in love for the first time backed by a very innocent pop tune, which does not offend but is instantly forgettable. 'That's Where You Take Me' is what I class as American pop, and she sounds very much like 80's teen sensation Debbie Gibson.

'When I Found You' is a nice ballad, where Britney sings about finding the person she has looked for all her life.'Before The Goodbye' is an up tempo ballad to start with, but then it starts to get a little bit harder, turning into a dance orientated track with some excellen
t lyrics to strengthen it. It has a strong bassline, and I am sure if she released this as a single it would do very well, and may gain her some new fans.

'What It's Like To Be Me' was written by ex boyfriend Justin Timberlake, and you can tell as it sounds very much like every track that N Sync have released. Justin's vocals also feature on the track, and at first I was not keen, but by the middle I was hooked, and it is a shame that this track has been left until last.

I think this has been a hard album for Britney because she has grown up and had to start dealing with difficult issues, but I think this is a strong album, and one that I will listen to again. Give her a chance, you never know, like me you may be surprised.

Summary: