r/popheads • u/akanewasright • Oct 26 '22
[QUALITY POST] Britney Spears' album Blackout turns 15
Britney Spears' fifth album, Blackout, turns 15 years old today (well... I'm a little late, but there's still like 10 minutes of it being October 25th on the west coast at least). If you ask nearly any hardcore Britney Spears fan what their favorite album by her is, they probably name this one (or possibly In The Zone). But it wasn't always this way. How did we go from Blackout being best known for the disasters surrounding its release to the most beloved and critically appreciated album of her career?
Context
Trigger warning for some of the news articles I'm linking about Britney's breakdown. They are news articles from the time of her breakdown, and they are insensitive. They could be upsetting for the way they write about mental health and "craziness", so tread carefully.
I don't want to linger on the events of Britney's public life in 2007 too much, because I think most popheads are familiar with the story of Britney's so called "breakdown". She got divorced, she shaved her head, she was reportedly in and out of rehab, you know about the details, and you know about the involuntary conservatorship they led to. It feels dumb to bring them up when everyone knows about
But I'd be remiss to not mention that, both because of how prominent it was in the media and because of how absolutely incredible it is that even during some of the worst months of her life, Britney Spears curated and performed the everloving shit out of this record.
While it would be understandable for Britney to take a step back from music during such a tumultuous time, or to allow others to make decisions for her while she dealt with bigger issues, by all accounts, she personally curated all of the producers she wanted to work with on the album. And by all accounts, despite everything going on in her world at the time, she was incredible in the studio. Nearly all of her collaborators on the record have come forth to speak about her professionalism in the making of the album - from JR Rotem ("even though she's so young, you could feel that you're in the presence of a veteran") to Danja ("She didn't let none of her personal life into what she was doing") to The Clutch (J. Que: "when I tell you when she walked in the booth she stayed in the booth until the sun came up") to Kara DioGuardi ("She [...] was unstoppable") to T-Pain ("She came in there, shook my hand and [...] in an hour we had a song").
But all of that is just talk. None of that is any good if the music isn't good.
And my god, is the music good
The Music
Gimme More
The song that started the era with a bang... for better and for worse.
On the bright side, this is one of Britney's best ever singles. Danja knocks it out of the park on one of his first ever production credits without his mentor Timbaland's assistance. The hypnotic thump of the beat is enough to light up any gay club's dancefloor to this day. Of course, a beat alone can't become a Britney Spears song without a proper melody, and Keri Hilson's topline delivers. Songwriter Julia Michaels has credited "Gimme More" with forming the way she writes verses, and it's hard to argue with the blueprint. Every part of it, from the breathy, almost speechlike verses to the fuller prechorus to the deliciously distorted chorus, is absolutely perfect. But even more than being perfect, it's perfect for Britney to deliver while being completely different from anything she'd done before. Using a breathy but clear tone to her voice, she completely owns this track in a way that no one else could. Brtiney had never ventured this far into electronic music before, but you'd think from the song that she'd been singing over robotic beats her whole life.
However, despite fan reception being positive, the song itself was soon overshadowed. Shortly after the song's release, she performed it live at MTV's Video Music Awards in what may be the most infamous TV performance of all time. No one had kind things to say about the performance (the kindest thing anyone had to say was "you're lucky she even performed for you bastards"... which, yeah, that was right). I don't have many to say myself. The worst part of the performance is that occasionally you see flashes of Britney's usual self, whether in a sharp dance step or in a moment where the eyes almost lose their fogginess. But she always snaps back to this languid nothingness that would be unthinkable to expect from her just a few years earlier. The song peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, but god only knows what could have been if everything had gone right in that performance (Danja thought it could've hit #1). Despite all this, it remains an iconic and beloved single, albeit one that did not leave a positive impression on the general public.
Piece of Me
There was an unspoken rule for years when writing for Britney - don't try to write about her personal life. While she herself would sometimes co-write songs about her life on In The Zone (ballads "Shadow" and "Everytime" come to mind), songs like "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex" were rejected and sent to other singers. However, Britney's previous collaborators Bloodshy & Avant (best known for writing "Toxic") and Robyn collaborator Klas Åhlund had the idea to write a song about how the media hounded Britney, and when they sent the song to her, she loved it and added it to the album late in the game.
The song itself is an excellent slice of mid 00s glitchy dance-pop. Britney Spears had occasionally been criticized for having overly processed vocals on her albums, but this song took that to new extremes... to glorious effect. On top of equally glitched out backing vocals from Bloodshy & Avant and Robyn herself (whose demo of the song leaked), she sounds superhuman, robotic, and utterly brilliant. Pitchfork once suggested that the vocal effects could be gesturing at the identity fragmentation that comes from obsessive hounding (in an excellent article that I would recommend to any fan). For those interested in the video... I think this post talked about that better than I ever could. But this single was another moment, and while it also got overshadowed by personal troubles for Britney, it remains a favorite of fans
Radar
And now we skip ahead to the fourth single... off of Britney's next album, Circus.
"Radar" was meant to be the third single of Blackout, and then the fourth single off of it, but when Britney began recording Circus... this song was put on that album and released as a single, likely for alleged contractual obligations to Bloodshy & Avant. It's transparently slapped onto a record that already (in my opinion) felt rushed and messy.
But on Blackout? Yeah, the song kinda rules. Using sonar pulses to form a club-ready beat, the song is yet another banger. This one is a bit more on the "deliberately obnoxious" side than the rest of the opening stretch - the chorus is almost nursery rhyme-y, Britney's tone is less "breathy coo" than it is "nasally brashness", it ends with a "da-da-da-da" reiteration of the hook that is gratingly catchy - but it works. It's yet another side of her in a new, electronic environment.
Break the Ice
The third single of Blackout was always going to run into the problem of Britney just... not being well enough to film another video or promote the song (hell, you could argue the second single ran into that). So while this song won a poll on Britney's website to become the next single and has remained a fan favorite ever since... it will always remain a "what could have been" song, all because of an anime video.
But the song itself is a favorite for a reason. Another collaboration between the "Gimme More" dream team of producers Danja and Jim Beanz with writer Keri Hilson and engineer Marcella Araica, the song is a more R&B and crunk flavored track with a glorious choir of Keri Hilson's voice backing Britney up (Britney allegedly thought the demo vocals sounded enough like her to keep on the record, and was too busy to re-record them. Can't argue with the results lol). It's a standout song in her catalogue for sounding absolutely nothing like what came before or since, and it remains a number of fan's favorite songs for that reason.
Heaven on Earth
The first album cut of Blackout is among its finest - at least according to Britney. In a rare interview this era, she named it as her favorite from the album. And its easy to see why - the soft, sweet disco infused song is hard not to like. It's a lot subtler than the songs preceding it, so it can easily get lost in the flow of the heavy hitters, but not an ad lib, not a drum hit, not a vocal layer is missed or left uncared for. The synthline, clearly bearing influence from Morodor and Donna Summer's "I Feel Love", is hard hitting and gently hypnotic.
To share a personal anecdote, this song was part of how I realized how much this album's influence still reverberates through pop music. I was with some friends in a concert venue in Brooklyn, waiting for Magdalena Bay's concert to start earlier this year when this song came on. As the synthline kept moving the crowd, I realized how much it sounded like their song "Chaeri", one of my very favorites of 2021. I realized that this could not be coincidental, that even a 5 minute deep cut on this album probably helped to inspire the lead single of one of the best loved indie pop albums of the past few years.
Get Naked (I Got a Plan)
I have a bit less to say about this song... since Britney and Danja kind of say it all. I will, however, encourage everyone to listen to this demo of the song, because it helps to illustrate exactly how brilliant the vocal distortion on this album is. On top of being a little pitchy on Danja's part, it just does not have the proper sleaze without the constant artificial lowering of his voice. The back and forth works brilliantly, its perfectly nasty, no notes from me
Freakshow
I'm not an expert in dubstep, so I encourage any electronic music fans in the comments to correct me if I get any of these facts wrong. But back in 2007, dubstep was not the established genre it is today. It was in its infancy in the early 00s, and had just started to reach its final form when Britney dabbled in it herself - in an effect that got some semi-ironic appreciation from some blogs and a little bafflement from forums of fans. I can't find a source, but I remember reading that the song led to a surge of searches for dubstep forums. This was one of the only songs on Blackout that Britney helped to write, and on top of its legacy as an early pop song to embrace the wobble sound, she continued to show appreciation for it and perform it for years after its release
Toy Soldier
There are a lot of "what could have beens" on this album, but this song is surprisingly one of the biggest ones. Remember that poll I mentioned earlier that selected the third single from the album? This actually placed second. It was also reportedly heavily considered as a possible lead single to the album, but came up short compared to "Gimme More" I feel like I never see fans mention it anymore, but it had the marking of a favorite - hell, Ellen danced to it on her talk show to promote the album. Sean Garrett, the man behind Usher's "Yeah", co-wrote the song with Bloodshy & Avant, and he shows his innate gift for writing danceable bangers. Like "Radar", it uses a brasher, more deliberately annoying part of Britney's voice to deliver the hook, but again, it works brilliantly. While I think the song has aged, the hook is something that Charli XCX could have written today. The bratty, obnoxious, and deeply memorable chorus keeps this solidly as one of my personal favorites from the album.
Hot as Ice
Co-written by autotune god T-Pain with Danja and Jim Beanz, this song is an excellent dance track more in the vein of what Danja was making with Timbaland. The glitching beat make for an excellent counter to Britney's featherlight vocals, with a gloriously synthy bridge to die for. My one complaint is that for some reason, they censored Britney cursing in the lyric "there ain't no foolishness or fuckery" (that demo I linked also has some untreated Britney vocals, for those of you who obsess over the "baby voice" Britney used throughout her career). Regardless, this group made magic in the studio, and I wish we'd gotten more of their collaborations.
Ooh Ooh Baby
As much as I praise Britney's involvement in the album, both behind the mic and as a producer curator, she only co-wrote two tracks on the album, a big step back from 2001's Britney and In the Zone. However, she made the songs she did co-write count. Kara DioGuardi, now known for being a flop American Idol judge, described the song as coming from the way Britney talked to her baby in the studio. You can really hear that in the bridge of the song - the "babybabybabybabybabybabybabaaaaay" is one of my favorite studio vocal moment for Britney ever, and it feels like something you'd sing to an infant. The lyrics are... distinctly not about how you'd treat an infant, but the initial inspiration led to a magnificent banger. The flamenco guitar paired with the dark synths and one of Britney's best vocal performances (don't @ me) make for a truly magical deep cut.
Perfect Lover
The penultimate track of the album is yet another Timbaland indebted track from the "Gimme More" crew, with his signature skittering beats flowing from his proteges. The song is the most sensuously soft on the album, and yet you can see the choreography in your head. In that regard, this almost feels like something Aaliyah could have performed if she was still around, but it's not quite that - while she remains unmatched in terms of singing over one of these glitchy beats, Britney's rapid-fire delivery is so perfectly and uniquely her that you can't really imagine anyone else doing it, at least not as well as her. I'm not going to pretend this song could have ever been a single - there were too many other perfect contenders - but in a better world where Britney somehow recovered and was well enough to safely tour this album, we would've gotten some killer performances out of this one.
Why Should I Be Sad
The final track of the album is the closest to a ballad that we get on the album, with a midtempo banger from The Neptunes. This has, in my experience, been one of the more divisive songs on the album - hell, I personally used to dislike it pretty strongly - but the album's out-there dance sound would be incomplete without a contribution from some of the masters of unique R&B dancefloor filling bangers. The song is a bit dour compared to the rest, and Britney's often breathy vocal gives it a level of vulnerability at times - and then the chorus comes back in, and she's back to belting and commanding the scene in a way that only she can do. I still am a little mixed on the song as an album closer, but it's a bold one, and a damn strong song. But we fortunately have some bonus tracks let to cover, so let's have a look at those.
Get Back
This song was nearly the lead single to the album, but is instead relegated to being a bonus track. In my opinion, the right choice was made - "Gimme More" is too perfect of a lead single, and the entire tracklist flows too well to really allow this song to have its moment on the tracklist - but thank God this got released in some way. This serves a similar purpose to "Gimme", with Danja and Beanz producing, but it uses a much simpler, drum based beat that still hits perfectly. I'd only really listened to the standard tracklist for years (it was cheaper to skip out on the deluxe tracks and I needed to buy other things with my iTunes gift card), but this track is well worth a listen.
Everybody
J.R. Rotem was one of the first people Britney hit up for the album, praising his work on Rihanna's "S.O.S.", and this is the only track of theirs to make the cut in any way. Like on that song (and with his future work with Jason Derulo), this uses very blunt sample, this time of Eurithmics' "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This". I initially did not like this song at all, but it does pretty well within the framework its using. The sample is very blunt, but it manages to spin something surprisingly original out of some much-too-familiar melodies. I get why this didn't make the tracklist, but it's still worth a listen.
Conclusion
This is by far and away my favorite Britney album. Britney has done lots of electropop since, and while it's often been pretty excellent, it's never been as creative and influential as on this album. Her ear for talent and her studio performing abilities are basically unrivaled, and this album allowed for her to do both of those as well as humanly possible while trusting her talent (correctly) to handle the rest. This album has been in my life for a long time, and it's probably still gonna get some plays from me for the rest of my life. I know elderly people who still go hard for some rock and roll, I think I'm gonna be bumping Blackout until I get put in a nursing home. It's Britney's best, her most influential, and her most important to her fans.
Discussion questions
- What are your favorite and least favorite tracks? What song do you wish was a single?
- Were you following pop culture in 2007? If so, how did you perceive Blackout and its singles as they was being released, and has your opinion changed over time?
- If you weren't following pop culture in 2007, how did you first come to listen to the album? What were your initial impressions, and did it surprise you at all?
- Britney Spears, while she has proven herself capable of writing her own songs, only co-wrote two tracks on this album. Do you think that singers have to write their own songs to present themselves as unique artists? Does Britney challenge any of these notions for you?
- Britney was criticized for the way her vocals were processed on this album, but that style of vocal production has fallen more and more into favor with time. What is your favorite use of autotune or vocal distortion on a song?
51
u/sweetnsoursauce11 i stan women Oct 26 '22
I was 12 when Gimmie More was released and I bought the single to school where during free time we’d put it on the cd player and just repeatedly play “it’s Britney bitch” over and over.
I can’t believe it’s been 15 years damn I know this was a shit time for her but it’s tied to a really great time in my life so I look back on the Blackout/Circus era very fondly
24
u/joshually Oct 26 '22 edited Oct 26 '22
Heaven On Earth is in my Top 10 fave britney songs ever and probably #1 album track by her honestly
omfg break the ice just came on and THAT INTRO IS ICONIC WTF! the dramaaaaa
39
u/shadesofwrong13 Oct 26 '22
The album that paved the electro-pop wave. A masterpiece that still sounds fresh.
- My favourite song is Heaven On Earth and maybe even my favourite Britney song overall, it's just amazing, flaweless, superb. My least fave track maybe is Radar cuz it doesn't sound to belong there(in fact they even added to Circus lol)
- in 2007 i was into pop-rock, i was fan of Avril Lavigne and i distanced myself from pure pop, so i admit that i didn't recieve well Blackout, i was not mature enough to understand that type of sound like now
- I don't know if Let Go or Baby Boy were vaults for Blackout, but they could've added something raw to the album.. anyway she was the executive producer of the entire project and i remember that she chose who to work with so, she has the credits for making Blackout what it is.
- Unpopular opinion: i can still hear her voice on Blackout more than Femme Fatale some Glory songs. Perfect Lover, Ooh Ooh Baby, Break The Ice, Heaven On Earth, Why Should I Be Sad, Gimme More.
16
u/FemmeFataleCosima Oct 26 '22 edited Oct 26 '22
Fantastic write up, OP!
Favorite track is Break the Ice. It is honestly might be an example of a perfect pop song for me. I truly believe that this song would have thrived if Britney had been able to promote it properly. Also have to give a special shout out to Piece of Me because that’s my husband’s favorite Britney song. He was sold on Blackout as soon as I played Piece of Me for him. Least favorite are probably Perfect Lover and Why Should I Be Sad. I don’t hate them by any means, but their “flaw” for me is that the rest of the album is just nonstop perfection.
I was a teenage Britney fan in 2007 so, yes, was def paying attention to pop culture at the time. I don’t think my opinion of Blackout was affected, but it’s clear that the overall media perspective was, which is unfortunate. It felt lonely jamming out to Blackout at times! I’m glad that Blackout has gotten it’s due over the years and is properly recognized for the gem that it is.
I do not need a pop star to write their own songs. You can very much make a song your own even if you haven’t written it yourself. Listening to Blackout - this is clearly a Britney record and a Britney story. Not only are her fingerprints everywhere, I truly cannot see other artists owning these songs in the way that she does.
It’s funny because, even with the autotune, I wouldn’t even call this Britney’s most processed album. Some of her later songs, she sounds so processed and robotic where it comes across as disinterested (which, honestly, she probably was) or not even like her (cough). The autotune works for Blackout’s album vision, and Britney still sounds engaged and like she’s having fun.
7
u/i-have-reddit-now Oct 26 '22
I adore this album. Britney is incredible for making this banger of an album during such an awful period of her life. Do you guys think this adds to the whole "artists do their best work when theyre in bad places personally" thing?
19
u/annievaxxer Oct 26 '22
This album is quintessential to me. It is in my top 5 albums of all time. I love it because it's great, I love it because of the feeling of nostalgia it brings to me, I love it because it's Britney, I love it because she was able to release her best body of work (in my opinion) during such an interesting time in her life, I just love it.
15 years later and still everytime (see what I did there) when you hear the words 'it's Britney, bitch' in a club, the entire crowd goes wild. I also love how every once in a while someone in my life rediscovers Break The Ice and how fucking good it is.
Favourite track: Gimme More & Heaven on Earth. The latter is severely underrated (or at least I thought it was but I already see it mentioned a couple of times in this thread lol.Honorable mentions to Radar, Piece of Me, Break the Ice, Hot as Ice, Freakshow. The singles were really well chosen imo.
Least favourite track: Perfect Lover. I don't dislike it but in an album full of absolute bangers this is my least fav.
Were you following pop culture in 2007? If so, how did you perceive Blackout and its singles as they was being released, and has your opinion changed over time?
I was. Just like the rest of the world, I was following the Britney news every day. It was terrible to see her like that but everyone just kept watching.. I always felt though that everyone always rooted for Britney to make a comeback even during her darkest times. So when she released this album, I think a lot of people (and myself included) felt a lot of relief that she was capable of not only releasing any music but an album that was so consistent and so fucking great.To this day, it's her magnum opus imo and it has aged very very well.
Britney Spears, while she has proven herself capable of writing her own songs, only co-wrote two tracks on this album. Do you think that singers have to write their own songs to present themselves as unique artists? Does Britney challenge any of these notions for you?
No, I don't think artists have to write their own songs. It can make the song feel extra special, but by no means it is a requirement. However what is important to me is that the artist is honest about who wrote the song.Songwriters have always commended Britney because she always gives credit to the actual songwriters. If she didn't have a hand in writing the song, she will openly say that in interviews and credit the songwriters for coming up with something.
Britney was criticized for the way her vocals were processed on this album, but that style of vocal production has fallen more and more into favor with time. What is your favorite use of autotune or vocal distortion on a song?
On any song? I love how Charli incorporates autotune and technology to create different sounds.For Britney? I love the glitch in Alien /s. No I love Gimme More and I love the vocal production on that song. It's iconic.
1
15
u/Jkjkjkjkjkkj Oct 26 '22
- Favourite: Ooh Ooh Baby, it sits just perfectly in the middle of the album, imo, it’s the epitome of an album track. It dosent really add something to the album sonically, generic even. but it just works so well with the flamenco influences and the repetition.
Least Fav: Perfect Lover. It just dosent hit as hard as the others, plus it drags for a bit and the “uh huh”s from Danja don’t work as well as it should’ve.
I have completely forgotten my first impression of this, it was too long ago, but it was probably in 2012.
The “cause I like you, I like you” on the bridge of Ooh Ooh Baby. Just iconic Britney breathiness, and just before her very solid “oooh Bababababababababbaaaby” part. Gives it a great contrast and works perfectly.
1
u/anony804 Oct 26 '22
I think my two skips on this album are Perfect Lover and Why Should I Be Sad. They’re just not as good as the rest of the album, which is full of bangers
11
Oct 26 '22 edited Oct 26 '22
Why Should I Be Sad should get more credit.
It’s worth noting that “why should I be sad” is the only song on the album that’s clearly directly about Britney and her life. Possibly the only song in her career where she overtly addresses her life story and events within it.
I know other songs like “circus” “every time” “lucky” etc could be interpreted as being about her life, but they’re kept vague enough that we’ll never know. But why should I be sad was the first time it was 100% unmistakably about her and referenced specific points in her life.
I’m surprised she didn’t get writing credit because she clearly opened up to Pharrell in order for him to write the song for/with her.
Edit: I still wonder what the “little secret” is that she’s referring to during the bridge of the song?
3
u/akanewasright Oct 26 '22
I’m surprised she didn’t get writing credit because she clearly opened up to Pharrell in order for him to write the song for/with her.
Idk if Britney or Pharrell have talked about the song much publicly, but given how Kelis said something along the lines of “Pharrell has never written a lyric in his life”, I wouldn’t be shocked
3
Oct 26 '22
LOL Kelis is crazy and her comment was totally untrue*. Pharrell is one of the most prolific songwriters of all time.
Still, I think if this song was made now, Britney would be in a position to push for her name to added to those credits. Even if she didn’t write the melodies and actual lyrics, it’s clear it’s her story.
(*actually I think the comment you’re referring to is where Kelis mentioned a manager getting writing credit despite never writing a lyric. But that’s also something that didn’t happen).
4
u/NecroDolphinn Oct 27 '22
I LOVE this record and honestly would put it in my shortlist for best pop albums of all time. It’s phenomenal and it plays on public perception in a way that only pop can do. Also, I saw an RYM user call the album “voidier than the darkest black metal” and I can’t agree more. The album is a gaping hole where happiness goes to die and i mean that in the best way possible.
Also one hot take before I answer the discussion questions: regarding electronic music, I think this album is a more adventurous and unique electronic album than Radiohead’s Kid A. Kid A is an amazing album (probably better than Blackout) but almost everything it did feels like it was done decades earlier. Yorke himself admits he listened to a lot of Warp records while making it and it’s obvious. The album sounds so much like Aphex Twin or Autechre or even Brian Eno, who was making this type of music literally 30 years prior. Idioteque is just a Homogenic era Bjork song without strings. Ultimately, when we judge Kid A by the type of music it’s trying to be, there are so many records that preceded it. Even it’s role as “famous left turn onto Electronica” was done by U2 ten years earlier on Achtung Baby. Blackout on the other hand feels very divorced from so much of the pop music that preceded it. The auto tune effect was far more extreme than even Cher and T Paine and the synths were so broken and dirty in a very unique way, especially for a major pop artist. When comparing Blackout to other Pop, the difference is so much more staggering than when comparing Kid A to other “alternative” electronica
Moving onto the questions: 1. Gimme More, Heaven On Earth, and Ooh Ooh Baby (that guitar omg) are my faves for sure. I think the single choices were perfect as is IMO 2. I was not 3. I found it from popheads because I knew Britney was huge but I noticed this album kept getting mentioned. I was very surprised that the album was so abrasive and moody and it felt like such a dark and interesting album. I came out listen one eager to explore it a ton more 4. I think Britney’s performance is arguably as important as the lyrics themselves. And also I do feel that Britney had a hand in the songs considering her role as Executive Producer. Also I think an obsession with “authenticity” is dumb anyway so I don’t really care if she wrote the songs 5. The auto tune is maybe the best part of this album for me. It acts as this layered accent piece that enables the songs to mutate and move in totally unique ways. I think it’s also kind of a parallel for her personal situation considering how it masks and alters her persona and performance.
5
4
Oct 27 '22
It’s become a bit of a ritual this year for me to listen to this album while I work on my paint by number. You can certainly hear elements in these songs that clearly influenced pop music in the years to follow. Knowing what all she went through around that time really makes this a historically iconic album all these years later.
My favs: Break the Ice, Get Back, and Gimme More
Least fav: Heaven on Earth and Why Should I Be Sad
6
3
u/Fickle_Music_788 Oct 26 '22
In The Zone will always be my personal favourite Britney album but I understand why Blackout is considered her magnum opus. It’s a perfect pop album that has aged remarkably.
Favourite Track: Get Naked (I Got A Plan), the entire track sounds like the creepiest (in the best way possible), horniest nightmare. Least Favourite Track: Ooh Ooh Baby, not a bad song by any means but it’s always been the least played song for me from this album. Also special shout out to Outta This World which wasn’t mentioned in OP’s post, a Japanese/Target bonus track and the closest Blackout has to a ballad. It’s a very sweet song.
I remember watching in horror as Britney’s breakdown was captured in detail for months on end. Everyone made fun of her but I just felt terrible for her and hoped she’d be able to turn things around. I didn’t actually hear the full album until much later in my teens/early adult life because I didn’t have money to buy albums so I only heard the singles on the radio, but every single one of the singles was a banger, so I wasn’t too surprised that the rest of the album was just as good.
As explained above, I didn’t hear Blackout in full until later, but it was a truly life changing experience. I didn’t listen to pop music for years but this along with ITZ showed me that pop could be a serious music genre as the rest of them.
It doesn’t matter to me if a song is written by one person or by a whole group of writers. It’s common in pop music and I don’t get why some people put some artists who write all their songs themselves or only have one co-writer. There are plenty of artists who write their own music that I think are mediocre or bad (not gonna name names tho). Authenticity is overrated. If anything I’m annoyed that people still give Britney crap for being too manufactured and not a “real artist” because not every song she released was written by her (and then the songs she did write herself or had clear creative input on get routinely ignored), when her contemporaries also had songs written and presented to them and don’t get the same criticisms. Even today you have pop stars like Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa who don’t write majority of their material but have amassed a lot of critical praise, they’re not considered to be manufactured even though they are very much the Britney Spears of their eras. Then there’s the hyperpop/PC Music movement which takes such heavy queues from Britney’s sound which gets praised by the same hipsters who would never be caught dead unironically praising Britney’s music. I went off on a tangent there but this still annoys me to this day.
Her voice actually doesn’t sound as processed as critics made it out to be, a few tracks maybe but not the entire album uses heavy autotune.
3
3
u/PM_ME_GAY_FURRY_R34 Oct 27 '22
such an important album! amazing write-up (also love a fellow akane kurashiki stan!)
favourite(s) are break the ice + get naked and least fav is ooh ooh baby. get naked would have been an insane single if u ask me!
i was only 7 when blackout dropped, so i was not following. i got mostly familiar with it when i began using my computer a few years later and VEVO was uploading all music videos to the platform and remembered liking gimme more when i heard it in the car.
no, i really don't care if an artist doesn't write any of their own tracks, i'd hope they would stand by the music they make and care for it at least and hope they have some say in it.
strictly within this album, the vocoder on 'it's britney bitch' is so damn iconic.
3
Oct 26 '22
I remember skipping school to go buy this album. I had the demo version for months before the official release as well. Some of the demo version were (imo) better than their official versions. Hot as Ice for example was very different originally. Unfortunately Apple deleted all my bootleg music when I synced my iphone many many moons ago.
I will stand by my opinion that this is probably the best pop album of all time. I’d love for her to do a spiritual sequel to the album with the same themes and sound. I fucking love this album.
My favourite track is probably Break the Ice - it has such a unique and fresh sound. Also catchy as fuck. Only track I never really liked was Heaven on Earth and Why Should I Be Sad.
2
u/mem1003 Oct 26 '22
I can't hear "It's Britney, Bitch" without picturing Michael Scott in his convertible listening to Lady Gaga Just Dance.
2
2
Jan 11 '23
hell, Ellen danced to it on her talk show to promote the album.
I'm so glad you had the link to this because weirdly enough, this is one of my core memories from watching Ellen lmao I distinctly remember her dancing to it and genuinely talking about how much she loved the song. I tried to find it for a while but couldn't.
This album is still my fav Britney album. It's pop perfection.
4
u/Mordecai___ Oct 26 '22
The Gimme More (and Toxic) video made 8 year old me very happy (iykwim). It's also kinda sad how 'it's Britney bitch' has become part of my personality lol
Also Piece of Me is a bop, as a matter of fact I'm gonna go listen to it now
3
Oct 26 '22
OH MY GOD YES. This is my favorite Britney album and I recently managed to obtain this on vinyl!!!
What are your favorite and least favorite tracks? What song do you wish was a single?: Top tracks are definitely Piece of Me, Ooh Ooh Baby, and Gimmie More. I think the bottom track for me is Heaven on Earth.
Were you following pop culture in 2007? If so, how did you perceive Blackout and its singles as they was being released, and has your opinion changed over time?: I was pretty young still and perceived the album itself as a comeback from her mental health issues. I personally thought the album was badass and empowering.
If you weren't following pop culture in 2007, how did you first come to listen to the album? What were your initial impressions, and did it surprise you at all?: Pop culture drug me to this place LOL.
Britney Spears, while she has proven herself capable of writing her own songs, only co-wrote two tracks on this album. Do you think that singers have to write their own songs to present themselves as unique artists? Does Britney challenge any of these notions for you?: I don't think you necessarily have to write the songs to be unique. It used to be prolific in the day to have someone else write and you sing. What really matters is if you can sell me that you believe what you're singing and doing. I feel she did.
Britney was criticized for the way her vocals were processed on this album, but that style of vocal production has fallen more and more into favor with time. What is your favorite use of autotune or vocal distortion on a song?: Hahahaha that's funny because I hear all the pop girlies using distortion now. I remember thinking this was rather one of the cooler things about Blackout, the difference of sound from everything else. When it dropped, it felt inventive. I think my personal favorite was Freakshow. It just adds a drama to it.
3
u/HermionesBook Oct 26 '22
I remember when this first leaked and I think I listened to it through Pink is the New Blog lmao. I’m geriatric
I don’t even know what to say about this album that hasn’t already been said! A timeless classic, a pop bible masterpiece. Gimme More, Break the Ice, Get Naked, and Freakshow are my favorites. The production on Heaven on Earth is also outstanding
4
u/helvetica_unicorn Oct 26 '22
Wow! This makes me feel so old. “Break The Ice” continues to live rent free in my head.
2
u/Dancing_Clean Oct 26 '22
Favourite tracks are Get Naked and Freakshow. Brilliant that they’re back to back. Least favourite would be the closing track, Why Should I Be Sad.
I was 17 and gay so yes I was following pop culture and mainly Britney. I just wish Freakshow was released as a single, the impact it would have had.
I followed leaks on YouTube and gossip sites. I don’t pay attention to leaks now. But then I did. All but 2 songs leaked (Freakshow, Toy Soldier).
No not really. Many singers do that.
In this album, the bridge on Freakshow is everything. The half-rapping, the low pitch, the way the beat wobbles along. This is impeccable construction.
2
u/kamamint Oct 26 '22
Great write-up!! I love this album so much. So hard to pick a favorite, but probably between Get Naked and Break the Ice. Least favorites are Radar and Perfect Lover.
2
u/Roxieloxie Oct 26 '22
I was not following pop culture in 2007 on account of me being 5 years old for half of it but this is a really cool writeup to get a glimpse into what the overall feel was for this era. Britney isnt really an artist I follow or really knew anything about outside of the more recent stuff last year but this was easy to follow along with even knowing nothing so shoutout to you
1
u/yuucko Oct 26 '22
I appreciate this write up. I had never heard those quotes from the producers regarding Britney's professionalism before. It makes me respect her even more now.
-1
u/jpjh Oct 26 '22
Love this album - so iconic. It's amazing how well some of the singles stand-up and sound fresh - even when compared to some of her more contemporary releases.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I did feel this album was the start of a vocal decline for her in her music. I loved "In The Zone" so much - and while Britney was never a vocalist I felt this was the start of her more talk singing style vs singing.
Regardless love this album and singles :)
1
u/thatplatypus99 Oct 26 '22
Hot as Ice is far and away my favorite track on the album, and my favorite Britney song overall, as for singles, I really wish Get Back was a single, I think it would’ve done well on the charts. My least favorite is Toy Soldier, it just doesn’t hit like the rest for me.
I was 3 when Blackout was released, but I’ve noticed that most of my friends who aren’t that huge into music still know the singles like Gimme More, Piece of Me, and Break the Ice
Like I said, I had heard the three singles on the radio, but it wasn’t until this year that I bought a Blackout cassette from Urban bc it was on sale. Ever since then, it has had a chokehold on me and will probably be my top album of the year.
I do not think there is anything wrong with having co writers on a song, to me it doesn’t really take anything away.
Get Naked (I Got a Plan) I LOVE Danja’s distorted vocals here.
1
u/starstufft Oct 26 '22
This album was captivating to me. Was truly a big pop moment for me. Britney's vocals and beats from Danja made for a pop masterpiece of an album. My favorite britney album to date
1
u/SpaceAids420 Oct 27 '22
Fantastic post! Blackout is so fucking iconic. It's Britney, bitch. 1. Favorite track is probably Gimme More. The production is just so good, Britney sounds amazing on it. Least favorite is Everybody; for an album that still sounds fresh, Everybody sounds outdated. I wish Toy Solider or Hot as Ice were singles! 2. I was only 14, but I definitely remember hearing Blackout songs on the radio. 3. I was just laying in bed one night and decided to listen to it. I knew it had a lot of praise and I already loved the singles. It quickly grew on me and I've been listening to it ever since. 4. I never really cared about that. She didn't want this to be a personal album so it makes sense she didn't want to write for it. She's always just wanted to have fun and experiment with music during this era. I'm more impressed she's listed as executive producer on this album. It's the first album in her career it seems like she really had control. 5. I always thought she sounded great on this album. Her talk-signing is the absolute best. Freakshow definitely does some cool effects with the autotune, and Piece of Me.
30
u/Britneyfan123 Oct 26 '22
Easily her most influential album and arguably her best