Checked iTunes to find that Britney Jean is still streaming. I'm listening to it now. I'm not that keen on Alien on first listen. I'm surprised that it has been used as the album opener.
I skipped Work Bitch and Perfume as I've heard those songs already. I'm listening to It Should Be Easy (feat. Will.i.Am). Meh...not keen on it to be honest. Though I've not exactly made it a secret that I'm not a fan of Will.i.Am. I'm a little disappointed that he's one of the main producers on this album. (If I have my facts correct).
So now that I've heard it a few times, I'm sad to say that I think this is one of Britney's worst albums.
Overall I just feel underwhelmed, I like the album, but it feels very mish/mash, quite frankly when I heard will.i.am was executive producer I groaned, but I tried to hope for the best, unfortunately my worst fears were realized.
The album is just so bland, a few moments of greatness but overall the songs are some of the weakest I've heard since her 2nd album.
Unfortunately they cut amazing producers like Danja, Bloodshy & Avant and Naughty Boy and tbh, they probably would have made it better, will.i.am's influence is all over this and it shouldn't be, he has made this album too much about him.
Individual tracks:
1. Alien - a really nice track but lacks a powerful chorus.
2. Work Bitch - Catchy, bouncy and amazing.
3. Perfume - Beautiful, heartwarming and a nice track written by Sia.
4. It Should Be Easy - Awful, absolutely dire. Autotune is horrific.
5. Tik Tik Boom - So catchy! A great track, I love Urbaney.
6. Body Ache - So generic but still catchy.
7. Til It's Gone - One of the best, great instrumental and very catchy.
8. Passenger - Lovely song, great vocals and beautiful message.
9.Chillin' With You - A wonderful duet, the constrast of the vocalists are gorgeous.
10. Don't Cry - So bland, verses are nice but the chorus is forgettable.
Overall the production is weak as well, the vocals sound too processed, it was billed as a personal record and Blackout 2.0. Well, this isn't either, it's got a few personal-ish tracks but no one really cares about her relationship with Jason, we want tracks on her breakdown, her custody battle and her addictions.
And this is nothing like Blackout, that album was a flawless, epic, amazing electro pop album, this is made up of four good tracks, a couple of bland ones and a couple of horrific ones.
It's hurts me to be so critical because I love Britney, she is my favourite artist of all time and that won't change, I'm just very disappointed. Every artist is allowed a couple of duds but I was hoping Britney would never have one, I was wrong, this is her dud.
For the next album please ditch will.i.am, let him NO WHERE near the album production, and when you say personal, give us personal, and when you say Blackout 2.0, GIVE US Blackout 2.0.
I can only imagine the amazing tracks that must have been left off the tracklist for these ones.
Don't know why people are raving about 'Til it's gone'. I reckon it sounds like a Cascada cast off. Sure it's great dance music. But as a Britney song.... Terrible.
Hi everyone! I haven't posted in ages on the forums but I thought this would be the perfect time to return alongside Britney's new album!
To begin with, I've been on a rollercoaster ride with this album before it was even previewed/released! I hold my hands up and admit I'm a massive fan of Britney's dance music; I don't care about her vocals, I don't care if she has co-written, I don't care if she poured her soul into a song, her dance music gets me moving! When I heard she was releasing a personal album, I got worried.
Then along came Work Bitch and my faith was restored for a while, but I was disheartened to hear it being recieved negatively. Then, along came Perfume and I appreciated it as a good edgey ballad and I was excited... time to check out the album...
1). Alien: I liked this song instantly and it snagged on my ear for a few hours later; however, it feels slightly lackluster in parts and never truly gets going. A strange choice to open the album! 7/10
2). Work Bitch: My gym song for the past two months; this is my Britney! I don't care if it's considered generic, it's Crazy, unique, assertive, flirty, GUVAHNAH! 9/10
3). Perfume: A pretty song that's pretty relatable too! I think with the right traction it could become a female anthem! Good hook and nice, but minimal production! 7.5/10
4). It Should be Easy ft. will.i.am: Yikes... I am torn here. This is robo-ney, the Britney I fell in love with on Blackout, but it is faaaar too autotuned. I don't judge songs which use autotune effectively as art, essentially, but this feels unnecessary and grating on the ears. Reminded me a bit of 3 Words by Cheryl and will.i.am which grated on me, but then grew on me and remains a firm favourite. Time will tell. 6/10
5). Tik Tik Boom ft. T.I.: THE SEX SIREN IS HERE! I'm surprised it too 5 songs to reach the topic of sex in a Britney Spears album, but here it is! I'm a fan of this song and evidently so are the people I'm living with! After me playing it in the kitchen while cooking dinner I've noticed most of them muttering "tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick boom.." occasionally; except one who thinks it's a similar word starting with d... Nice and urban! I like T.I's rap too! 8/10
6). Body Ache: I'm torn here. A song about dancing is obviously personal to Britney, but it doesn't live up to it's potential here. It feels quite subdued. I will give it credit, it IS catchy, but it feels like it's unfinished! 6.5/10
7). 'Til It's Gone: A solid favourite for me! At first I felt it was very Sweden-in-the-Eurovision (Not that that's a bad thing! So many examples to provide!) but I love the message, it's catchy, and it's strong for Britney! Future single? 8.5/10
8). Passenger: Another firm favourite for me! If this isn't a single I will be severely disappointed! It's a beautifully touching song that is incredibly radio friendly! It is catchy, assertive, but personal! SINGLE! 9/10
9). Chillin' With You ft. Jamie Lynn: I like the verses here, but the chorus lacks oomph. Jamie Lynn sounds weaker than I thought she would here, and Britney sounds on top form! It's nice, and personal, but not quite there! 6.5/10
10). Don't Cry: Similar to Chillin' With You, the verses are good, but the chorus falls flat. Anti-climax to the standard edition! 6/10
Over all I give this album 74/100... or 7.5/10... 75% ... B+
I'm slightly disappointed with a lot of the tracks!
Deluxe:
11). Brightest Morning Star: I really like this song! Britney's deluxe tracks always do it for me! If this replaced a song like "Don't Cry" or "Chillin" then the album would have been much more coherent! 8/10
12). Hold On Tight: It's okay! A bit forgettable! 6.5/10
13). Now That I Found You: Another great deluxe track! It seems very Avicii like! It surprised me! 8/10
14). Perfume (The Dreaming Mix): I don't see the purpose of this, really. It doesn't add much to the song. 6/10
Listening to te will.i.am track again and I think it's ok it's the will.i.am parts that annoy me, if they replaced thy with britney singing I think it would have been a 7
I am also waiting to hear the deluxe songs, I need to keep something a surprise!
I have a real problem with will.i.am, he is just awful, his singing and rapping are horrific and annoying and he should be put in jail for crimes against music.
I'd probably enjoy It Should Be Easy about 10 times more if he hadn't forced himself onto it.
So glad I pre-ordered it! finally have the album
Brightest Morning Star - Such a lovely track I really like the lyrics the chorus is sweet.
Hold On Tight - I really love this track.
Now That I found You - This track will grow on me it's okay.
After hearing all the album now my favourites are: Body Ache , Passenger , Brightest Morning Star , Hold On Tight.
I love all the album it's amazing!
People must have really bad taste in music because I've seen It Should Be Easy slated a lot and it's actually a great track.
People calling this a dud album, I really don't see how anyone can think that. Baby One More Time, Oops, & Britney are her worst albums. Since Blackout everything has been amazing.
Alien
Passenger
Tik Tik Boom (feat. T.I.)
Chillin' With You (feat. Jamie Lynn)
Brightest Morning Star
I don't mind Perfume (The Dreaming Mix) and Til' It's Gone, but still undecided on the rest. I'm not keen on It Should Be Easy because I think it's a bit overproduced and Will.i.am is really unnecessary on it.
People must have really bad taste in music because I've seen It Should Be Easy slated a lot and it's actually a great track.
People calling this a dud album, I really don't see how anyone can think that. Baby One More Time, Oops, & Britney are her worst albums. Since Blackout everything has been amazing.
Baby One More Time and Oops are her worst albums now, but I loved them when I was younger. I don't listen to Baby One More Time any more apart from the singles (and the title track is a classic as far as I'm concerned ). Britney (her third album) was actually quite good. I listened to it again recently and realised that it was actually a pretty decent album. Don't forget In The Zone too. That was a good album.
Now That I Found You is amazing one of my favourites great that Danny from The Script wrote it aswell he is a great writter. Should've made the standard album her deluxe tracks are always great I love He About To Lose Me on FF I think she should've released that maybe instead if criminal...
So I finally have the album (deluxe version) and I've listened to all the songs:
Alien - Love this one. So catchy! Was an instant hit for me the moment I heard it. Work Bitch - Great dance song with a good beat but doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album. I like it but I think it would have been better as a buzz single for her Vegas shows. Perfume - Nice ballad, reminds me a little of Everytime from In The Zone. It Should Be Easy - Very Blackout-esque but does it really need so much autotune? I think will.i.am ruins it a bit. Tik Tok Boom (ft T.I.) - Surprised it took this long to sing about sex on a Britney album Not sure what to make of it yet, I like urban Britney but I'm undecided about this song for now. Body Ache - Very reminiscent of Femme Fatale. It's catchy. Til It's Gone - I will admit it's a bit Eurovision-like and a bit generic but it's really catchy and a good song to dance to. Passenger - I was a bit sceptical when I heard this song was a reject from Katy Perry's Prism but I think it suits Britney better. It's quite a personal song. Chillin' With You - Strange one, this. The intro sounds a bit country with the guitars but then it becomes more poppy. Jamie Lynn doesn't sound too bad on it. Gotta remember Jamie Lynn is just starting her music career. I really like her single How Could I Want More and I'm looking forward to her debut album now. Don't Cry - Sounds a bit Blackout-esque. Is the autotune in the chorus necessary? Brightest Morning Star - Nice little tune. The title sounds a bit sad but the song isn't as sad as the title suggests. Hold On Tight - Generic and forgettable Now That I Found You - It's ok, a little generic though. Perfume (The Dreaming Mix) - Not sure it adds much to the song but it's not too bad.
Overall I'd give it 6.5/10. There are some good songs on there but some crap ones as well. It's not as good as Blackout or even Femme Fatale. I thought we were supposed to get Blackout 2.0?
Firstly, I seriously don't get why will.i.am gets so much hate …his mixing and production skills are top notch …he understands mainstream appeal and success.. and I think he works very well with brit-brit… her voice is a playground to his production… I kinda respect that…from both artists…
With regards the album…. well its a little unexpected ….
'femme fatale' and 'circus' were both polished versions of 'blackout'. 'blackout; the blue print - a game changer but misunderstood initially. This isn't blackout 2.0 . This has its own identity. All credit to Britney - this is her next game changer of an album.
It is more introspective … it is more retrospective and it is more shades of all the briny we have heard over the course of her career ….. with nods to the future..
it has uptempo - euphoria next to hyper ballads next to classic Britney pop next to to classic old school Britney…it is Britney eclectic!
I need a few more listens….
Critical acclaim is so far good!!! and for Britney very good!
I must say Chillin With You is such a grower becoming one of my faves love the sound of the verses and the "everyday everyday everyday chillin with you" but the verses are great love the emotion.
Comments
I skipped Work Bitch and Perfume as I've heard those songs already. I'm listening to It Should Be Easy (feat. Will.i.Am). Meh...not keen on it to be honest. Though I've not exactly made it a secret that I'm not a fan of Will.i.Am. I'm a little disappointed that he's one of the main producers on this album. (If I have my facts correct).
Overall I just feel underwhelmed, I like the album, but it feels very mish/mash, quite frankly when I heard will.i.am was executive producer I groaned, but I tried to hope for the best, unfortunately my worst fears were realized.
The album is just so bland, a few moments of greatness but overall the songs are some of the weakest I've heard since her 2nd album.
Unfortunately they cut amazing producers like Danja, Bloodshy & Avant and Naughty Boy and tbh, they probably would have made it better, will.i.am's influence is all over this and it shouldn't be, he has made this album too much about him.
Individual tracks:
1. Alien - a really nice track but lacks a powerful chorus.
2. Work Bitch - Catchy, bouncy and amazing.
3. Perfume - Beautiful, heartwarming and a nice track written by Sia.
4. It Should Be Easy - Awful, absolutely dire. Autotune is horrific.
5. Tik Tik Boom - So catchy! A great track, I love Urbaney.
6. Body Ache - So generic but still catchy.
7. Til It's Gone - One of the best, great instrumental and very catchy.
8. Passenger - Lovely song, great vocals and beautiful message.
9.Chillin' With You - A wonderful duet, the constrast of the vocalists are gorgeous.
10. Don't Cry - So bland, verses are nice but the chorus is forgettable.
Overall the production is weak as well, the vocals sound too processed, it was billed as a personal record and Blackout 2.0. Well, this isn't either, it's got a few personal-ish tracks but no one really cares about her relationship with Jason, we want tracks on her breakdown, her custody battle and her addictions.
And this is nothing like Blackout, that album was a flawless, epic, amazing electro pop album, this is made up of four good tracks, a couple of bland ones and a couple of horrific ones.
It's hurts me to be so critical because I love Britney, she is my favourite artist of all time and that won't change, I'm just very disappointed. Every artist is allowed a couple of duds but I was hoping Britney would never have one, I was wrong, this is her dud.
For the next album please ditch will.i.am, let him NO WHERE near the album production, and when you say personal, give us personal, and when you say Blackout 2.0, GIVE US Blackout 2.0.
I can only imagine the amazing tracks that must have been left off the tracklist for these ones.
Overall my score is 4.5/10.
To begin with, I've been on a rollercoaster ride with this album before it was even previewed/released! I hold my hands up and admit I'm a massive fan of Britney's dance music; I don't care about her vocals, I don't care if she has co-written, I don't care if she poured her soul into a song, her dance music gets me moving! When I heard she was releasing a personal album, I got worried.
Then along came Work Bitch and my faith was restored for a while, but I was disheartened to hear it being recieved negatively. Then, along came Perfume and I appreciated it as a good edgey ballad and I was excited... time to check out the album...
1). Alien: I liked this song instantly and it snagged on my ear for a few hours later; however, it feels slightly lackluster in parts and never truly gets going. A strange choice to open the album! 7/10
2). Work Bitch: My gym song for the past two months; this is my Britney! I don't care if it's considered generic, it's Crazy, unique, assertive, flirty, GUVAHNAH! 9/10
3). Perfume: A pretty song that's pretty relatable too!
4). It Should be Easy ft. will.i.am: Yikes... I am torn here. This is robo-ney, the Britney I fell in love with on Blackout, but it is faaaar too autotuned. I don't judge songs which use autotune effectively as art, essentially, but this feels unnecessary and grating on the ears. Reminded me a bit of 3 Words by Cheryl and will.i.am which grated on me, but then grew on me and remains a firm favourite. Time will tell. 6/10
5). Tik Tik Boom ft. T.I.: THE SEX SIREN IS HERE! I'm surprised it too 5 songs to reach the topic of sex in a Britney Spears album, but here it is! I'm a fan of this song and evidently so are the people I'm living with! After me playing it in the kitchen while cooking dinner I've noticed most of them muttering "tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick boom.." occasionally; except one who thinks it's a similar word starting with d...
6). Body Ache: I'm torn here. A song about dancing is obviously personal to Britney, but it doesn't live up to it's potential here. It feels quite subdued. I will give it credit, it IS catchy, but it feels like it's unfinished! 6.5/10
7). 'Til It's Gone: A solid favourite for me! At first I felt it was very Sweden-in-the-Eurovision (Not that that's a bad thing! So many examples to provide!) but I love the message, it's catchy, and it's strong for Britney! Future single? 8.5/10
8). Passenger: Another firm favourite for me! If this isn't a single I will be severely disappointed! It's a beautifully touching song that is incredibly radio friendly! It is catchy, assertive, but personal! SINGLE! 9/10
9). Chillin' With You ft. Jamie Lynn: I like the verses here, but the chorus lacks oomph. Jamie Lynn sounds weaker than I thought she would here, and Britney sounds on top form! It's nice, and personal, but not quite there! 6.5/10
10). Don't Cry: Similar to Chillin' With You, the verses are good, but the chorus falls flat. Anti-climax to the standard edition! 6/10
Over all I give this album 74/100... or 7.5/10... 75% ... B+
I'm slightly disappointed with a lot of the tracks!
Deluxe:
11). Brightest Morning Star: I really like this song! Britney's deluxe tracks always do it for me! If this replaced a song like "Don't Cry" or "Chillin" then the album would have been much more coherent! 8/10
12). Hold On Tight: It's okay! A bit forgettable! 6.5/10
13). Now That I Found You: Another great deluxe track! It seems very Avicii like! It surprised me!
14). Perfume (The Dreaming Mix): I don't see the purpose of this, really. It doesn't add much to the song. 6/10
Perfume
Til It's Gone
Passenger
The 2 weakest songs:
It Should Be Easy (featuring Will.i.am)
Chillin' With You (featuring Jamie Lynn)
I'm still waiting to hear the 4 deluxe edition tracks.
I have a real problem with will.i.am, he is just awful, his singing and rapping are horrific and annoying and he should be put in jail for crimes against music.
I'd probably enjoy It Should Be Easy about 10 times more if he hadn't forced himself onto it.
Brightest Morning Star - Such a lovely track I really like the lyrics the chorus is sweet.
Hold On Tight - I really love this track.
Now That I found You - This track will grow on me it's okay.
After hearing all the album now my favourites are: Body Ache , Passenger , Brightest Morning Star , Hold On Tight.
I love all the album it's amazing!
People calling this a dud album, I really don't see how anyone can think that. Baby One More Time, Oops, & Britney are her worst albums. Since Blackout everything has been amazing.
Alien
Passenger
Tik Tik Boom (feat. T.I.)
Chillin' With You (feat. Jamie Lynn)
Brightest Morning Star
I don't mind Perfume (The Dreaming Mix) and Til' It's Gone, but still undecided on the rest. I'm not keen on It Should Be Easy because I think it's a bit overproduced and Will.i.am is really unnecessary on it.
Baby One More Time and Oops are her worst albums now, but I loved them when I was younger. I don't listen to Baby One More Time any more apart from the singles (and the title track is a classic as far as I'm concerned
Alien - Love this one. So catchy! Was an instant hit for me the moment I heard it.
Work Bitch - Great dance song with a good beat but doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album. I like it but I think it would have been better as a buzz single for her Vegas shows.
Perfume - Nice ballad, reminds me a little of Everytime from In The Zone.
It Should Be Easy - Very Blackout-esque but does it really need so much autotune? I think will.i.am ruins it a bit.
Tik Tok Boom (ft T.I.) - Surprised it took this long to sing about sex on a Britney album
Body Ache - Very reminiscent of Femme Fatale. It's catchy.
Til It's Gone - I will admit it's a bit Eurovision-like and a bit generic but it's really catchy and a good song to dance to.
Passenger - I was a bit sceptical when I heard this song was a reject from Katy Perry's Prism but I think it suits Britney better. It's quite a personal song.
Chillin' With You - Strange one, this. The intro sounds a bit country with the guitars but then it becomes more poppy. Jamie Lynn doesn't sound too bad on it. Gotta remember Jamie Lynn is just starting her music career. I really like her single How Could I Want More and I'm looking forward to her debut album now.
Don't Cry - Sounds a bit Blackout-esque. Is the autotune in the chorus necessary?
Brightest Morning Star - Nice little tune. The title sounds a bit sad but the song isn't as sad as the title suggests.
Hold On Tight - Generic and forgettable
Now That I Found You - It's ok, a little generic though.
Perfume (The Dreaming Mix) - Not sure it adds much to the song but it's not too bad.
Overall I'd give it 6.5/10. There are some good songs on there but some crap ones as well. It's not as good as Blackout or even Femme Fatale. I thought we were supposed to get Blackout 2.0?
With regards the album…. well its a little unexpected ….
'femme fatale' and 'circus' were both polished versions of 'blackout'. 'blackout; the blue print - a game changer but misunderstood initially. This isn't blackout 2.0 . This has its own identity. All credit to Britney - this is her next game changer of an album.
It is more introspective … it is more retrospective and it is more shades of all the briny we have heard over the course of her career ….. with nods to the future..
it has uptempo - euphoria next to hyper ballads next to classic Britney pop next to to classic old school Britney…it is Britney eclectic!
I need a few more listens….
Critical acclaim is so far good!!! and for Britney very good!