Review #231: Britney Spears- Blackout (2007)
Before last week I had never heard an entire Britney Spears album. I know a few of the singles, but not all of them, and even found myself liking and listening to “Toxic” a lot. Other than that I don’t know much about what she sounds like.
Well, if what they are saying is true, that this album sounds like a Britney album, and a good one at that, I have absolutley no interest in hearing another Britney album ever.
The first three tracks are the best. We have “Gimmie More,” which debuted during her infamous VMA performance this year, “Piece of Me,” a fun song that explores the tabloid obsession with Ms. Spears, and “Radar,” a catchy little pop tune. These songs at least have some aesthetic value to me. My favorite is “Piece”, even though it’s flawed. She says “Mrs. She’s too big now she’s too thin,” saying this is one way the tabloids describe her. Honey, I don’t recall anyone ever saying you were too thin. She also uses the word “derriere” which makes her sound like a 60-year-old, and uses a singular form of “magazine” when she should be saying “magazines.”
After that the whole album is crap. I can’t even enjoy the last song that is sung to K Fed in an ironic way. Every song is crammed with so many sounds and vocal effects that I couldnt tell and/or didn’t care what was going on in the song. Chaos in music is not something I frown upon, but everything layered on top of cheap unoriginal chord progressions and unispired lyrics left me sour. I understand that vocal effects are just part of the industry but it was to the point that I didn’t know if she was singing with a dude or if they warped her voice to sound like a man. I also am of the school of thought that lyrics in pop and rock songs don’t really matter, but sometimes they are so bad that they grate on me. This is one of those times. I just don’t like how that album makes me feel.
I don’t want to waste too much energy on this since I might have to do so debating the album with my good friend Jake who loves it.
If this music is sugar, I think I’m in diabetic shock. I need a shot of rock and roll insulin.