First Impressions: Britney Spears- Blackout

There’s no denying that I love me some Brit Brit. I consider myself a fan but my fandom has been balanced between 70% spectacle and 30% music. I’ve never bought an album and I really only enjoy her songs with a bit of my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. Over the last year as Ms Spears has descended into madness I’ve grown to be less of a fan of the spectacle. As much as I enjoy a good scandal I truly wish Brit could get her life back together and then go back to shocking us with performances instead of (no)panties. So it’s pretty funny that while my fandom of her has decreased in one aspect I’m finding the other aspect increasing astronomically after listening to Blackout her latest album. The Madonna comparisons have often been thrown at Britney, usually in regards to her stage shows or videos. Now, you can count the music comparison as Blackout reminds me of a classic Madonna dance album. The tracks are all beat heavy and light on the vocals but you never forget whose album it is you’re listening too. By letting her “vocals” take a back seat to the music Britney has created an album that has a number of standout tracks. The first single “Gimee More” has been a regular on my iPod for weeks now and it epitomizes why this album works with its breathy vocals and club beats. Tracks like “Ooh Ooh Baby”, “Freak Show” and “Hot as Ice”, are filled with fresh sounds that will have you car dancing but again you’ll never forget that they’re courtesy of the legendary Ms Britney Spears. Let’s hope the success of this endeavor will encourage her to fix the rest of her life. (One last tidbit, if you’re going to pick up the album make sure to get the deluxe version on iTunes, the bonus tracks “Everybody” and “Get Back” are worth the extra couple bucks.)