It has been a while since Britney Spears has released a new album. But now she did it again and put out her latest project "Britney Jean". She marketed the album as the most personal album of hers up to date. Well, lets see if this glimpse at the "real" Britney really is what she promises us.
The cover is very clear and kept simple... Almost too simple. Just her and a neon sign that says Britney jean in a red heart. Well, that s not what I a would call very creative but I guess it is supposed to show simplicity and honesty of Britney.(And actually I want to say that every intern could have created this picture. Give a fan a picture of her, photoshop and a little time and they will come up with a way more striking cover! Well, alegedly!) BUT: honest is what the cover definitely is not. Look at her! I mean it is pretty but actually it is the most photoshopped picture I have seen in a while! (Allegedly!) Let me give you some tips Brit. If you want to make this album to be closer to your fans, to be their friend, to be their supporter and their idol at the same time then make the whole recepie less photoshop and more of the real you. Please! You are beautiful without tons of photoshop! (And some wrinkles and other natural characteristics of beeing 30 somethig ish are normal, and if necessary can be covered with something called make-up.) Anyways, lets get back to the real buisness and focs on what an album actually is about: the music of it. ""Britney Jean" comes along with 14 songs on the delxe version, but only 11 or so in the standart one. Damn, that is a short album!
Lets get to the songs in detail and haopefully not find something to really wrip into shreds, because I already have the feeling that there might be some things And thereby I mean a shitload of stuff!) to criticize. Because Britney has been husteling along in the industry for about 15 years or so now, and I always had the feeling that she was more of a ventriloquist puppet for managers and stuff then she actually was in absolute control of her artictic output. (Nevertheless we have been seeing some amazing performances, heard somegood songs and could sing along a ton of Brit songs!)
#1 - Alien
The albums starts off with this interestingly titled mid tempo pop song. The choice to name it Alien gives certain expectations that somehowwont be easy to fullfill. Although the song has some magic to it in its charming hook and the mesmerizing qualities autonune has put out of Britneys voice. (Lets face the music here: Autotne comes in different categories. There is a bit, there is some centimeters and there is shitloads.And this is somewhere between shitloads and centimeters! #SorryBoutIt) The song, on long distance, fails a bit to deliver the goodies, but still it is a nice one. So I will be good and give it a 7/10.
#2 - Work Bitch
Oh yes, the old hustle for something game. As many others have pointed out I have to admit that the topic is old and others might have worked it out better. If you want a depth analysis of it just click here and read all about it. But just then I also have to admit that I listen tto it sometimes and in the club I have requested it once. So I will be nice again and make it a 7/10.
#3 - Perfume
Okay, right now I already get the feeling that Britney has it with generic titles that create expectations. but this one is better at delivering the goods for it. As the fist ballad of the album "Perfume" delives some good vocals from Britney. The chorus on the other hand I am split about. One half finds it repetitive and stupidly boring to make perfume about marking territory the ther hal is hopelessly singing along and liking the idea. A torn 6/10.
#4 - It Should Be Easy feat. Will.I.Am
Hold my hair please! I hate that everyone needs to work with Will.I.Am. I hate his sound, it is so damn signature like and so damn generic. The song starts off nicely, but in the end is just a rip off of Work Bitch and "Scream And Shout" mixed. The use of autotune to make it electronic might be interesting, but my ears are actually hurting after the third listen of it. So 5/10 is nice, and would have been one less if it was not for some catchy parts of the song.
#5 - Tik Tok Boom Feat. T.I.
I love the beginning since it got me thinking of an rock song that collodes with a rock vibe to it. But as soon as Britney starts to sing I kind of fall back into the idea that the songs already start to sound a bit genereic. And please, the hook is just terrible songwriting. Also the T.I. feature can not safe this one from me labeling it as annoying and definitely generic. Sorry, but its not more then 5/10.
#6 - Body Ache
The beginning here reminds me kind of Icona Pop and their music, which is a good thing. But as soon as Britney starts to sing the generic lyrics I want to vomit, and when the electronic beats set in I am glad I havent eaten yet, so I can not throw up over another "Scream And Shout" rip off that I hate! The production might be trying to makte the whole thing an elaborate song, but its not more then a sad filler in this supposedly soo diverese album of hers. 3/10
#7 - Til Its Gone
"I Wanna Go" 2.0 That is all I can say. A total rip off. But surprisingly the song that annoys me the least up to now. I actually enjoy it. So I have to admit that, allthough it still is a simple song about love and relations, I would isten to this more ften. A 7/10.
#8 - Passenger
Very confusing beginning that is molestation to my ears rather then bringing joy to them. I am actually soooo goddamn gratefull for the guitars to set in after the annoying beep sounds. (Which sadly seem to come back every once in a while!) The song is still a bit flat and could use way more depth to it but it still is one of the not so horribly overproduced moments on the album. 6/10.
#9 - Chillin With You Feat. Jamie Lynn Speas
Giving her little sister a start into the music industry by featuring her on a song. Well, that actually seems kind of okay and kind of wrong to some extende. The song is a mid tempo half ballad pop song, typically Britney, that then turns into this cool beat up club banger. And it is sad to report that britney is vocally outshined by her siter, whos voice fits way better into the song. But a much more intimate song then I expected it. 7/10, solid.
#10 - Don't Cry
Oho, whisteling at the beginning. Something different to what I expected from this very generic and same sounding song. The song starts off slow and very much keeps to its pattern, but by now I get bored of the sme topics over and over: dancing and love. So I am tempted to make this one worse then it is. So I might just stop here, be gentle and give it a very nice 7/10.
#11 - Brightest Morning Star
Okay, I have to be honest. Listening across the album ntirely to thi song my ears do really hurt now bcause her singing voice is so damn crazy pitched that its like a squeegy toy. The song on the other hand does not make that better. Allthough it seems to be a heartfealt hommage to a person that seems important to Britney. What the elctronic mash ups are on there is still a riddle for me but okay, that makes a 7/10.
#12 - Hold On Tite
What the heck is up with the beginning That sounds solidly interesting. And that is something to wonder sindce it sound not like the rest f the album. Less genereic, less overproduced and more raw and indivudual. This one definitely in my favorite out of "Britney Jean"! Slow tempo pop sometimes does really pay off, epecially when the topic is a relation and the topic of cheating or holding on. I kinda like this one. So thi is an 8/10.
#13 - Now That I Found You
Urgh, and after one good song we are back to generic stuff I do not really like. I will juste end it here sice number 14 is a remix of perfume and my ears can no longer take any Britney. Just an uniformed but hopefully well chosen 6/10. And as the hook sets in I know I am right with it.
In summary "Britney Jean" has reached a total of 81 out of 130 possible points. And it supports my feeling I had before I listened. The album is way more ambitious then it is good, the promotion was completely bogus (The album is not very much showig different sides and sounds!) and that it is completely overprduced. Most ambitions are half hearted, songs sound flat and the lyrics are left alone with generic vocals, sounds and phrases. Allthough all this might not sound charming there will be some chart sucess for the album. But this one will not happen in my ears. Sorry Brit, but the average of 6,2 does agree with me.
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