Surprise! Britney's New CD a Triumph

"A Sizzling, Well-Crafted, Electro-Pop Dancefest," Raves AP

(AP)  Britney Spears, "Blackout" (Jive Records)

Just when it seemed safe to write off Britney Spears as a punch line only capable of entertaining people through tabloid escapades, she goes and gets all musically relevant on us.

"Blackout," her first studio album in four years, is not only a very good album, it's her best work ever - a triumph, with not a bad song to be found on the 12 tracks.

Granted, a Spears rave should be put in its proper context - it's not like we're talking Bob Dylan here. Spears is a lightweight singer who only flourishes when she has great songs and great producers to supplement her minimal vocal talent.

But when she has that help, she's fierce. And she gets that boost on every single track on "Blackout," a sizzling, well-crafted, electro-pop dancefest that should return her to pop's elite.

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Photos: Britney Spears

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This is a shocker, given all the lowlights Spears has given us this year. From her embarrassing MTV Video Music Awards performance to her bizarre public antics to allegations that she's an irresponsible parent, Spears has been a walking disaster. It seems amazing that she even found her way to a recording studio, let alone did anything of value while in it.

But Spears emerges on "Blackout" as the antithesis of her tabloid persona - confident, sensual and in control.

"I got my eye on you," she coos on one of the album's best tracks, "Radar," a sexy techno groove that you can't help but bounce to - a feeling that permeates all of "Blackout's" tracks. You won't find any saccharine ballads or fluffy pop on this disc - it's all about generating heat on the dance floor (and if Spears has shown us anything in the last year, it's that she knows how to party).

On the aptly titled "Freakshow," produced by Danja (who worked on Justin Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds"), Spears gets voyeuristic with a tantalizing promise to get wild in the club. The hypnotic "Get Naked (I Got A Plan)," also produced by Danja, features Spears breathlessly asking, "What I gotta do to make you move my body" before demanding, "take it off, take it off, take it off."

It's not all about grinding to the music, though. On rock-tinged "Piece of Me," produced by Bloodshy & Avant, she defiantly address her critics: "I'm Mrs. Bad Media Karma, another day another drama ... I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, I'm Mrs. 'Oh My God That Britney's Shameless."' And on the slow-burn, Neptunes-produced "Why Should I Be Sad," the album's last track, she cops to heartbreak but refuses to let it get her down, a rare vulnerable moment.

Listening to "Blackout" is not only an energetic release, it's also a relief: No, Spears hasn't completely lost it, and yes, her career has a flicker of fire left - actually much, much more. But with all the damage Spears has done and continues to do to her public image, will anyone outside her core fan base (and who knows what that consists of these days) care anymore?

[briansgirl2]

Now if only she would work on her "Mommy"skills. I understand her Mom, Dina, is writing a book on "child-rearing"!!!

[keithle1]

Hmm... go figure. Guess there is life left in Britney yet. Not my kind of music. I wouldn''t buy it. I''m not interested in getting on the dance floor. Too old for that.

I only like that old song of hers "Baby One More Time" from back in the day.

As far as her "private life", she needs someone who really loves her to take care of her.

[lil_d3vil]

Her album Alcoholic BLACKOUT will only be bought by teeny boppers. not my cupo tea as I cant stand an over synthesized voice.

As to her mother penning a parenting book..
what a joke. Is the title going to be,
How to be the perfect stage mother and pimp your daughter?

[tnt1954]

no offense but i just read on yahoo news boards
that britney''s mom is writing a how-to-parenting
book. i know it sounds funny, but my ma and
pa did that too, i made them millionaires
by the time i was 14, that''s what kids are for.
there was a guy at my junior high, a genius,
he worked for north american rockwell designing
rocket and satellite systems at age 13, he
made more money in one month than those teachers
made their whole lives. and he gave all the
money to his parents, like i did. so we could
live better. britney did the same. so the
book, is how to turn your kid into gold.
it should be called. i had the midas touch.
britney went for extra gold, extra credit.
i got multiple sclerosis at age 14, so i
had to take low-paying jobs after that.
stunt children of america is a tuff group
to be in. it mighta been caused by an injury.
you too can live off your kids. good luck.
should be a *** good book on parenting.

[anagil]

Only Happy for Brittany. Everyone has their ups and downs but without a camera following you 24/7.

[tnt1954]

lightweight is like in boxing, referring to
size of lungs and voicebox. usually her types
are more soprano, it takes a big tall person
to make the deep bass ranges. thank god
for microphones. imagine a concert no
microphone. its snow white looking at herself
through the time travel mirror seeing beauty
and seven giants and never wanting to see
the evil old queen in it, down the road apiece.
cinders of sin. a hash pipe i made in
high school in ceramics class, for my, more
distinguished comrades and alumni. it was
in the shape of a christian cross. the engraving
down the vertical crossbar was cinders of sin.
higher ups in ''the family'', broke it into
a million pieces of eight, and ''light my fire''
by the doors, and ''playing with fire'' by the
rolling stones was cast right into the fiery
furnace with shadrach, meshach and abdendego.
they lived on, although i remained shackled.
for the crime of ''conspiracy to have fun''.
a very serious felony in ''my family''.
some families are more light-hearted than others.
there is the featherweight class too. some
of us get the heavyweight families. who
refuse to head to o.a. they head for the
refrigerator or 31 flavors instead, and lie
about where they went. Godzilla as ma. i still
feel the japanese are behind these fires of love.
just this week past. judge ito, and ito
farms of ventura. britney: what fires? i didn''t
see any fires?

[tnt1954]

nekesa mumbi moody you wrote a great article
for associated press. isn''t associated
press, like real mysterious and stuff?
her core group are valley girls, who also
live in malibu on the weekend, and sometimes
dance at cinnamon cinder and date guys in
venice, ca and south central, but say bongiorno
to bonporno. because, why should i share?
get to the lair? i detect spanish influence.
castenets? carmen! o''lay. bizet. you don''t
have to look it to be spanish. plenty of
platinum blonde spaniards. they''re viking descendants. raided years and years ago. spanish
scandinavians.

[afmca]

Just wait until all she can do is lipsynch it is concert. They can make anyone sound good in a studio.

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[ecuadoriana]

she can''t sing unless she is saturated with over-production ("Spears is a lightweight singer who only flourishes when she has great songs and great producers to supplement her minimal vocal talent."), she doesn''t write her lyrics (I''ve heard her speak- she doesn''t strike me as a deep "artist" containing profound insight), does not play an instrument (& no, playing K-Fed''s flesh pipe doesn''t count), has no actual talent (her "dancing" even before the melt down was basically supported by back up dancers in order to distract from her arm flapping/hip wiggling farce posing as dance moves), possesses no redeeming social qualities (when was the last time she spoke out against any social injustice or environmental issue?), she looks & behaves like a runaway train wreck, has had her children taken away...

why is she still in the news?

her album is titled "blackout"? is this alluding to her mental blackout, that she has blacked out the fact that she has 2 children?

[cricketmk3]

I don''t like to see anybody''s life go down the drain as Britney''s has lately and I''ll be happy for her if this album is successful but I would much rather hear of her success as a loving mother rather than with an album. Maybe a positive reaction to this album will give her a boost of confidence and a desire to be successful in other aspects of her life. I hope so for the sake of her boys!