Britney

by Britney Spears

Overview

The title says it all -- that this third album is where it's all about Britney. Actually, the titles say it all: Britney is "Overprotected," she pleads "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman," tries to let us all see "What It's Like to Be Me." All three songs are pivotal moments on Britney Spears' third album, the record where she strives to deepen her persona, making it more adult while still recognizably Britney. That much was evident from the selection of the first single, "I'm a Slave 4 U," a sultry Neptunes-produced salute to Prince that is so far removed from the big, glitzy Max Martin productions that are her signature that at first it sounds awkward, even wrong. As it grows, it sounds like one of her best singles -- a skittering, spare funk number that is a perfect next move for her teasing sexiness. Such a departure seems to signal a full album of surprises like that, especially when teamed with the aforementioned title, but Britney isn't that bold -- after it opens with the Neptunes' retro-future funk, it delves right back into Martin territory with "Overprotected." At first, that's a disappointment, but then the small, yet significant, changes become apparent. Rhythmically and melodically, the whole album is sharper, tougher than what came before. What used to be unabashedly frothy has some disco grit, underpinned by Spears' self-determination that helps sell hooks that are already catchier, by and large, than those that populated her previous two albums. While there's no denying that this reinvention and statement of dogged individuality is no doubt a calculated move (and a brilliant, timely one at that), there's no denying that it's effective, in large part because Spears is committed to making this record work. She's co-written more songs than ever before, and these are strong selections, whether it's the hard-edged "Lonely," the sweet "That's Where You Take Me," or, especially, the neo-disco "Anticipating," one of the pure delights on this record. These are small steps forward -- really, the most overt steps forward are the collaborations with the Neptunes on "Slave" and "Boys," which are the sexiest sounding cuts she ever did -- but most of the Martin productions sound fuller (particularly the Dido-written ballad "I'm Not a Girl"), and Rodney Jerkins offers some welcome rhythmic invention on many of his contributions. This isn't a perfect record -- Martin stumbles on "Bombastic Love," Jerkins drops the ball on "I Love Rock N Roll" (this year's entry of the now obligatory cringe-inducing classic rock by Ms. Spears) -- but it does sound like the work of a star who has now found and refined her voice, resulting in her best record yet (and rivaling Mandy Moore's eponymous album as the best teen-pop record yet released). It's enough of a reinvention to suggest that Britney will know what to do when the teen-pop phenomenon of 1999-2001 passes for good. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	03/31/2023
Label:	Sony Music
UPC:	0196587738617

Tracks

1. I'm a Slave 4 U
2. Overprotected [Radio Edit]
3. Lonely
4. I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
5. Boys
6. Anticipating
7. I Love Rock 'N' Roll
8. Cinderella
9. Let Me Be
10. Bombastic Love
11. That's Where You Take Me
12. What It's Like to Be Me

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Britney Spears   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
The Neptunes   Guest Artist
Paul Umbach   Guitar
Tyler Collins   Vocals (Background)
Wil Wheaton   Vocals (Background)
Chris Thompson   Vocals (Background)
Max Martin   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Nile Rodgers   Guitar
Jeff Pescetto   Vocals (Background)
Sue Ann Carwell   Vocals (Background)
Jennifer Karr   Vocals (Background)
Esbjoern Oehrwall   Guitar
Damion Hall   Vocals (Background)
Will Wheaton   Vocals (Background)
Jeanette Olsson   Vocals (Background)
Thomas Lindberg   Bass
Jason Scheff   Vocals (Background)
Albert Hall   Vocals (Background),Vocals (Background)
Nana Hedin   Vocals (Background)
Brian Kierulf   Bass,Guitar
Annika Thoernquist   Vocals (Background)
Bosslady   Vocals (Background)
Daniel Savio   Turntables
Josh Schwartz   Bass,Guitar
Isaac Phillips   Guitar
Ann Marie Bush   Vocals (Background)
Corey Chase   Scratching
Damien Hall   Vocals (Background)
Deann Dover   Vocals (Background)
Maxayn Morguchi   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Pablo Munguia   Engineer
Stephen George   Mixing
P. Williams   Composer
B. Kierulf   Composer
Rich Tapper   Assistant Engineer
Chad Hugo   Composer,Musician,Instrumentation
Jean-Marie Horvat   Mixing
Dido   Composer
W. Robson   Composer
Pharrell Williams   Composer,Musician,Instrumentation
Justin Timberlake   Composer,Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Mark Suozzo   String Arrangements
Max Martin   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
The Neptunes   Producer
Tim Roberts   Assistant Engineer
Brian Garten   Engineer
Brad Gilderman   Engineer
Britney Spears   Composer
Rich Johnson   Assistant Engineer
Rami   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Steve Lunt   Composer
Jorgen Elofsson   Composer
Ryan Smith   Assistant Engineer
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming,Keyboard Programming
Richard Travali   Mixing
Marc Lee   Assistant Engineer
Dan Milazzo   Assistant Engineer
Aaron Kaplan   Assistant Engineer
Alan Merrill   Composer
Fabian Marasciullo   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Javier Valverde   Assistant Engineer
John Amatiello   Engineer,Pro-Tools,Assistant Engineer
Tom Coyne   Mastering
Jaime Duncan   Assistant Engineer
B. Spears   Composer
J. Schwartz   Composer
James Biondolillo   String Arrangements
Charles McCrorey   Assistant Engineer
Jill Tengan   Assistant Engineer
Brian Kierulf   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming,Vocal Engineer,Vocal Producer,Instrumentation,Drum Programming,Vocal Arrangement,Keyboard Programming
Josh Schwartz   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Vocal Engineer,Vocal Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Marc Stephen Lee   Assistant Engineer
Michael Tucker   Mixing,Engineer,Pro-Tools,Vocal Engineer
Wade Robson   Composer,Musician,Producer
Andrew Coleman   Engineer
Yasu   Engineer,String Engineer
Richard G. Johnson   Assistant Engineer
Daniel Milazzo   Assistant Engineer
Jimmy Biondolillo   String Arrangements
Brad Gilerman   Engineer
Jake Hooker   Composer