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Finally, a good week for Britney Spears? Just as we were getting to think that a lunar eclipse might come sooner, here’s some tentative cause for celebration.
In the space of 24 hours, the woman who yields roughly 82,000 results if you Google her name along with the phrase “troubled singer”, has been granted temporary visitation rights to her children and seen her new single Gimme More leap into the British chart's top three.
Now, if Britney’s record company is to be believed, a good week just got better. Apparently, “unprecedented popular demand” has prompted SonyBMG to bring the release date of her comeback album Blackout forward by three weeks.
Cynics might point out that, one way or another, they would have been compelled to do so. MP3s of songs from the album have been circulating among fans over the last few weeks. That they have been moved to do so, does at least, serve reminder of the very thing that is perhaps most easily forgotten among her recent roll-call of infamy.
She is first and foremost a pop star. In a life not exactly saturated with joy, she should take a certain amount of pleasure in the fact that Blackout coheres far better than sprawling recent sets by her fellow Mickey Mouse Club alumni Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera.
Far from apologising for a roll-call of adversity that takes in custody battles, hit-and-run offences, extreme hairdressing, sudden lingerie loss and umbrella-on-pap savagery – she comes out fighting on the utterly wonderful Piece Of Me.
“I’m Miss bad media karma/Another day another drama/Guess I can’t see no harm in working and being a mama,” she declaims over an adhesively catchy chorus.
Britney may have grown up in front of MTV, perfecting Madonna’s dance routines, but she isn’t the self-determining control-freak that her heroine turned into. Neither, it should be added, does she need to be. Her recent mishaps have only compounded her status as muse of choice to top-notch writer producers such as Swedish hitmakers Bloodshy & Avant, Timbaland protégé Danja and The Neptunes.
On the Pharrell Williams-written Why Should I Be Sad and, indeed, most of what precedes it, Britney is a strangely disembodied presence – her heavily treated voice suspended amid an icy fug of minor chords and brittle synthetic beats.
If truth be told, certain songs wouldn’t have sounded too different if her vocal were totally erased. On Get Naked (I Got A Plan) and Radar her voice is a piece that slots tidily into a finely sculpted piece of burnished future-pop.
But when the whole works so well, it makes no sense to mind. Perfect Lover and Toy Soldier are quite simply two of the most strangely wonderful tunes to emerge on any record this year – exercises in sonic risk-taking that, until this point, have never hitched themselves to a Britney Spears record.
So why now, then? Well, perhaps it was in the spirit of having nothing to lose that someone suggested Britney try her hand at a marching-pace sex-fantasy about a soldier which pitched itself somewhere between Prince’s female alter-ago Camille and the sensation of watching Full Metal Jacket as ten Glade Plug-Ins infuse the air with amyl nitrate. Who knows?
Furthermore, does this stuff work on any profound level? Well, ever since she appeared in 1999 with Hit Me Baby One More Time, Britney has enjoyed a certain status as metatextual plaything of Late Review guests and chin-stroking post-ironics (no mean feat, this – Kylie and Madonna had to ensure years of highbrow snobbery to get to the same point). When it comes down to it though, the answer is no, not really. A gaggle of schoolchildren exchanging ringtones on the top deck of the bus will just as easily tell you why these songs work. They tick almost every box in the checklist of great pop, period.
Perhaps that shouldn’t be so surprising. After all, Britney Spears learned to be a pop star way before she learned to be an adult. In a sense then, it’s fitting that her facility for great pop moments is the very last facet of her to shut down.

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ok first of all there's nothing wrong with sex..its natural and normal...and I love Britney..this CD is awesome!!
Danielle, Colorado Springs,
I like Britney, but I just couldn't get the album because all the research I did said it was explicitly about sex, and I just won't buy that kind of thing. I wish she would do some more songs like Everytime - her unadulterated voice plus piano can work wonders.
Lissy, Minneapolis,
If we take all of the rumors and media buzz about her personal life aside, her new album "Blackout" is actually exactly what electro-dance music is and it is done well.
I must admit that I have never been a fan of her or her music. I was never impressed by her until now. I downloaded her album out of sheer curiosity because I do that kind of thing once in while since I am a music lover.
Anyhow, I have listened to it several times and I must say that it truly is her strongest arrangement of tunes thus far. Congrats on a hard and well-earned piece of work!
For anyone out there who likes electro-dance-pop-club-big bass- 2step-loud rumbling beats. You will like this.
Have fun and enjoy!
BB, Quebec, Canada
Actually Blackout really proved out to be one of her best works.I love this CD and i know that she is BACK!
maria, islamabad,
actually, I haven't listened to her latest CD, but I WILL...
I luv Britney...
she is awesome
and she will always be...
Lynn, Jogja, Ina
Britney is the queen of pop and her new CD BLACKOUT is her best in case of funky sound,great vocal ability and dance-pop background. This album is way better than Madonna's albums and Britney is a better performer than Madonna. Britney is the biggest superstar of today with unbreakable records and mindblowing popularity and she will always be.. Go Britney, Go Blackout..
Gorkem, Istanbul, Turkey
This is the best one yet!!! I love it!! Piece of Me is a song that describes her to a tee!
If you buy one CD this year this is it! The songs get better as you listen. :)
Lindsay, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Your the best Britney. Don't let the negative media hype get you down. Love Black Out. Will support you forever. Best C.D. yet . Fabulous album cover. Make the money BABY! You showed them. Amazing music.
Susan, Blackwood, N.J. U.S.A.
Susan DeSimone, Blackwood, NJ. U.S.A.
this album is her best yet!! shes just amazing!! every1 shud buy it... they wont know what hit then!!
Nadine, dublin,
the album is amazing people really need to go out and get it. the music is so different from anything she has done before and I am not that big a fan of her other stuff but this is good music..... this album will get you up and dancing .......
go buy it now you won't regret it!!!!!!!!!
lesley, manchester, uk
After all the media has done to try and bring Britney down, she will still make millions with her new CD. She will be laughing all the way to the bank, so in your face....HATERS!!!!
EMILY, QUEENS, USA/NY
THANK YOU BRITNEY FOR PROVING ALL THESE HATERS WRONG!!!! (: i went and bought the album yesterday to support herr and i LOVE IT!!! best one she has released hahaha so keep hatin obviously its making her better
rawlerskate, tukeee, az
I don't like the CD
besides she stole the name from the album to Scorpions, the legendary german band....come on
Britney what a shame.....
Khris, Caracas, Venezuela
I´m sorry but I have to agree, this is a REALLY good dance-pop album, and no, I don't have a sheep mentality, just because I like dance music doesn't mean I'm deaf or have no taste in music, everyone likes different things, get over it. I don't like the cover either but I do like the songs, it sounds like something I would gance in a club or have in my car blasting with me and my friends singing. And yes, I know her voice sounds totally tech but so what? That's dance music for you! and if you don´t like it, don´t buy it.
Katie Kruger, SJ, Costa Rica
Blackout is a Scorpions album.
alien8.
alien8, Utrecht, Netherlands
GO BRITNEY... I went out and bought the album today and I absolutely LOVE IT... it's so funky and I can definately hear that "Let Me Break The Ice" is going to be a club hit for sure, Radar is so catchy (my friend's favourite)... I was a little disappointed that she didn't have a thank you list, and it needed more pics, but hopefully we can see this more in the future... Love it, I saw that she was the executive producer, I am glad they let her produce it, it's the best she has bought out ever!
Lei-Lani, Australia , :)
this is her best album by far!
jessica, martinsburg, wv
I have heard the Gimme more...track alot in the past lil bit, i did go out and buy the cd today! Surprisingly I love the CD, has some good dance tunes and some really good slow songs...She did a great job, now if everyone will leave her alone in her personal life , she might be able to concentrate on whats important and making her music and getting her family back. For people to come on here and just diss her and call her names, its pathetic. She has done everything she could, but with paparazzi following her every move, she has no private life. Think about how you would feel if someone with a camera was following your every move. Exactly it would suck. I think this CD is great and im glad i bought it!! Keep rocking Britney. One thing that did not go well with me was the cover & cd insert. I thought there would be a thanks, or a letter to fans of some sort, but there was not. But all in all a good CD.
Juanita, Truro, Canada
jeeezus!!! you all must be paid off by the record execs!!! this is the worst piece of crap ive heard in years, i had the displeasure of listening to this mess all the way thru ...video game laser sounds???cheesy drum machine loops and samples that would make flock of seagulls run for cover???the people who wrote this main review are surely bought and paid for by brits record company!!! yikes!!!!
terrence jonquet, couer d alene ,
heard the lead single "gimme more" in a glasgow club weeks ago and it went down a treat... this album has good quality tracks that will make the clubs. thats the major difference with this album to her predecessors. "Blackout" has 2 maybe 3 tracks that will have every1 shaken it in clubs. "break the ice" and ironically "hot as ice" are very catchy! buy it make your own mind up, voice your opinion
Jacky , GLASGOW,
I'm a general music fan, not a pop or Britney fan. But, I truly think is the best pop album since the 1st Scissor Sisters album. Terrible cover though.
James, London,
Britney spears is an incredible dancer oaktown357, so i dont know what u on about! also, it doesnt matter if britney isnt the best singer, she is pure first class entertainment
kezza12345, cambs, uk
britney is the greatest pop singer ever,like it or not it doesn't matter
mia, nabeul, tunisia
I love good pop music - and wow is this ever!
Whether or not Britney was much involved in the making of the album is besides the point. The fact is she picked the right people at the right time.
Maybe her disturbed life is the reason the album came out so well.
Carl, Pittsburgh, USA / PA
It scares me that there are that many people out there touting Britney's new "music" as Album of the Year material. Makes me think that these people are deaf, easily swayed and have sheep mentality. Britney never could sing. That's a fact. If it weren't for the invention of synthesizing and overdubbing she would have been gone a long time ago. Here's to hoping Britney's fast track to comeback is short-lived. One can only hope.
CannedHeat, San Francisco, CA
Brit-Brit and Madonna are both really bad dancers with stiff, unoriginal styles they sponged off of Janet Jackson, circa 1988style. Even that lame Rhianna girl got more flow.
Oaktown357, San Francisco, California
I just want to say thank you Britney for bringing good pop music back. There are no good female pop songs out there right now and you have just broke that curse. I hope everything works out for her because it would be a shame for this album not to do well because of her personal life. Every song on the album is good and I think somone might be getting some Grammy nominations if people could look past her jerk of an ex-husband who almost...i said almost killed her career. I just wanna give a hallelua to pop music and the Icon Legend that we know who is a Ms. Britney Spears. Thank you thank you thank you and I am buying this album the moment I wake on on October 30th.
Anthony, Belleville, New Jersey
The legend that is Britney is definitely back. They all said she couldn't do it - well, she just did! I love this album and definitely agree that some of her best work is on it! She's a prodigy! They world will know her till the day it ceases to exist! She is undeniably the queen of pop - move ove Madonna! Britney - we love you!
Cuan Kemp, Durban, South Africa,
I love every track on the album, bar one or two. It will take time but this will be BIG..... following the same path as Justin Timberlake with a more urban feel rather than pre-2004 pop styles. Top hits are definately: Why Should I Be Sad/Gimme More/Get Nakes & Break the Ice.
Russell N, Kent, UK
This is by far the best product Britney has ever made. She might be the best produced musical artist in the USA. I will be the first in line to purchase this great CD. The world has been waiting four years for her return. Pop music sucks right now Britney is back to revive it. My favorite song is Break the Ice. I hope that is the next single released along with a music video. She stills gets me all hot and wanna dance.
Paul, Texas, USA
First of all, Britney Spears is way better than Madonna when it comes to dancing. So to even compare her in that area with other artists that dances, but obviously can't "really" dance, is simply DUMB. As far as I know and can see, Britney epitomizes the fact and a living proof that white people can sure dance their behinds off!!!
June , Guam, Guam
Oh good for her. Now could she please wear some underwear?
Rez, Glas Vegas, UK
okay Britney's new album is a very good one. But the author should not compare her with Madonna nor kylie. And Britney to perfect Madonna's danceroutine???? You make me laugh. Madonna's a huge way better dancer than Britney.
rob, sittard, netherlands
What an absolutely amazing comeback album.
Thank you Britney.
I love you lots and hope you and your kids are well.
Aadil in the UK
Aadil, London, UK
Maybe time for an oldie to say - Congratulations, girl. God go with you!
John Carty, Medellin, Colombia
I agree with Doug from Columbia. Though her life may be in ruins, she's always been good at what she does - selling records and Blackout won't fail to meet demand :)
Piece of Me and Gimme More are my favourites :D
Chris, Wales,
This is the album of the year!!!
And i hate Britney! but this is just what pop music needs right now!
Chris, NY, USA
When I heard the title of the album, I thought it would be beyond bad, but after all, it is a very enjoyable 'Blackout'!
Best tracks : "Toy Soldier", "Radar", "Perfect Lover", "Break the Ice"
Isak, Padova, Italy
Throughout the years, Spears proved that she is definetely the "pop star" of her generation. She made hundred of records in the music industry and she became a proclaimed pop icon. Though, in recent memory, she brushed her name a bit to harsh, one can perceived that her image as a singer would be a trifle to hard to understand. She made bad decisions, made her fans grumble and kept her image tarnished.
But, her newest record shows that among all those things that happened to her, there is a showmanship. The album is every bit good as the lead single. The vibration of the tracks is quite entertaining and the melodious tones a heaven to be heard. I sincerely hope that her ongoing struggles wouldn't affect the album and its sales. As one of her fans noted in her blog " People should'nt judge her as a celebrity but a performer with her own music and style''.
Jaypee, Puerto Princesa , Palawan, Philippines
Okay...Blackout is a good album, BUT IT´S FAR TOO LONG TO BE BETTER THAN B2B. I really think that someone needs music classes here.
Marcos, Brazil/ Belém,
This album is amazing! Well-produced and you feel like dancing listening to it! Britney is defnitely the princess of pop.
Gabriel Weerberich, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Briyney Spears may be so down right now but still she manages herself to be strong and stay on track. This album of hers which has brand new songs that catches our heart because of the lyrics that has it's scope of the kind of life she's having right now and that makes her a brilliant and most extatic pop singer in our generation. Blackout as I can see will be the best album cover she has done so far. Gimme More is catchy song, Piece of me is a must to listen too and Radar is just Excellent, thats just prove that she's the 1 and only legendary Pop Princess.
renzki, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
If she is so great why does she lip sync all her live shows... people with real talent do not need to lip sync at all.
mike gilbo, Boston, MA
Britney is always gonna be the Queen of Pop. Even if half the album sold are to people wanting to see how bad it is, they'll listen to it and realize she still great at what she does.
All she needs to do now is get that 2001 VMAs body back!
Kennedy, Los Angeles, CA,
Oh, this album is a disaster. Her voice sound like a duke... no hits, no inovation. She needs to learn to sing. Poor fans.
John, Los Angeles, EUA
Her new album Blackout is actually very good!
Especially Piece of Me and Ooh Ooh Baby ;)
I truly recommend it!
Louisa, Stockholm, Sweden
Future-pop? That already exists as a genre of electronic music, and Britney it certainly isn't!
Stephen W, London, UK
piece of me alone has got me excited about the album!
Eugene, auckland, New Zealand
People think just because Britney's life is a bit messy right now that her music will automatically be bad. HELLO, this is the same Britney Spears that has sold 90 million records. The same Britney Spears that is the 8th biggest popstar of ALL TIME. The same Britney Spears that is the only female artist to have four consecutive albums debut at #1; come October 30th she will have breaken her own record.
Blackout is THE ALBUM OF 2007. I've heard clips of it and it's definately Britney's strongest material to date, if you love great pop music you'll like this album. People are WAY too hard on this girl, she's been in the industry since she was 16, she never had a proper adolescence, she's just trying to live her life and people are critisizing every moment of her life. If she ends up the next Anna Nicole Smith the media and news outlets just like THIS ONE will be like "OHYMYGOD WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?" when they've been the ones driving Britney crazy and tipping her over the edge.
Music Insider, GA,
everyone is saying britney is gonna suck but HELLO, she is everywhere,3 out of 5 articles on peoples main articles are britney, on perez hilton, everyother article is britney, she is back, the MTV video music awards we watched this year more than any other year, and even thought britney sucked she was still idolized by so many, This album is greeeeeeeat, every single song is good, she is a new generation of maddona, i mean look at everything maddona did when she was younger, GO BRITNEY, YOU RULE
Steve, olean, new york
The best Britney album by far in her musical career. This is the album which will give her what she needs to start her comeback. It's full of songs which are hits and radio friendly. Standout tracks are Piece of Me, Break the Ice, Toy Soldier
Dennis, Madison, NJ
Britney Spears may have a trouble-filled personal life right now, but there's no denying that Blackout (from what I've heard so far) sounds like a great piece of dance pop. Sure, some tracks are awkward, but "Break the Ice" is brilliant, lead hit single "Gimme More" has gotten people around the globe begging for just that, sunny "Heaven on Earth" is light and fluffy (a la Paris Hilton), "Pieces of Me" has gotten people talking and "Radar" is just great.
Chris E, Boston, USA
britney is smarter than we think. this album is NOT going to flop (i mean we are talking about the same girl whose last 4 albums in a row have debuted at #1 on the billboard charts) her life may be in pieces at the moment, but this pop star knows how to sell an album...
i know im gonna be at Walmart at 12am Oct30th to get it.
I LOVE YOU BRITNEY.
doug, columbia, sc
Britney is the best.she's good at what she does.This will be the best album she has made.BRITNEY IS BACK.
kimmy, b'ham,