The title says it all -- that this third album is where it's all about
Britney
. Actually, the titles say it all:
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
. 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
isn't that bold -- after it opens with
the Neptunes
' retro-future
, 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
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
on
"Slave"
and
"Boys,"
which are the sexiest sounding cuts she ever did -- but most of the
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 --
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
will know what to do when the
phenomenon of 1999-2001 passes for good. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine