In the Zone - Spears, Britney (Cassette 2003)

Imagine just for a split second that you were a teenager (and now a twenty-something) from a small southern town in Louisiana and before you know it; you ve been catapulted to an astronomical level of stardom. Your every move is captured by the paparazzo and scrutinized by the entire world. You live your life beneath the most infinitesimally smallest of microscopes losing you virginity to America s favorite white boy (Justin Timberlake). You re the girl on the wall of pre-pub-escent young boys and you ve been elected the role model for adolescent girls worldwide. WHEW! Sounds like a whole helluva cross to carry for one person right? Such is the life of Britney Spears - pop-star extraordinaire.

In The Zone finds Spears at a critical crux in her career. It s sink or swim time and I m happy to say that save for a few hiccups, Spears has done an exceptional job. While In The Zone doesn t completely abandon the pop sounds of yore, to weather the storm of longevity Britney has decided that dance music is her weapon of choice and with this, her fourth album she s made what is probably the most sound decision of her brief career.

We re almost there/ I m feelin it bad and I can t explain/ My soul is bare/My hips are movin at a rapid pace *Britney Spears (from Me Against The Music)

Fresh off of that kiss with the so on her last leg former queen of pop Madonna, Spears released a collaborative effort with Madge entitled Me Against The Music and while Spears ain t doing much singing on the track and Madonna s presence is unnecessary at best it s a good piece of dance music which again is definitely the direction that Brit is headed.

Shorty/ She think she fine/ Fine enough to blow your mind/ Shorty/ She think she bad/ Get on the floor and shake that a$$ *Yin-Yang Twins(from I Got That (Boom Boom)

In what has got to be the most unlikely pairing ever, Spears teams up with the grimy Southern duo The Yin-Yang Twins, and it s hoedown, square-dance sounding beat sounds almost like you might hear it in any urban club, but as it is it s a fun track.


Showdown is one of the strongest tracks that In The Zone has to offer. I could well imagine this song becoming a single, if only for its deliciously electric effects and the way Spears just takes charge of this song. It might just be about that alleged dance-off that Britney and her ex (Justin Timberlake) had at a dance club, I m just speculating there but in any case, it s an amazing track.

Just put your lips together and blow *Britney Spears (from Breathe On Me)

Breathe On Me does channel the essence of Kylie Minogue and if channeling said essence is going to make Britney sound this good she should do it all the time. I m shocked at how good her voice sounds on this track and I m left wondering why this side of her voice doesn t get highlighted more often. While the songwriting and subject-matter leave a little bit to be desired on Early Mornin , I can t help but fall in love with the production. I m slightly agitated by the just above whisper, come hither sound to Britney s voice but the song has a really infectious quality.

Sexy as I wanna be/ Got these fellas chasing me/ It s bout time I hit the streets/ All my girls still feeling me *Britney Spears (from Outrageous)

Producer du-jour R. Kelly helps Britney release her inner freak on the sexy Outrageous , which spills over confidence and self-assurance while Spears does her thing in a trench coat and my underwear . If there was any question as to if Britney Spears was a grown-up, one only need to listen to this song to know the answer is a resounding HELL NO.

I love my self/ It s not a sin/ I can t control what s happenin

Touch Of My Hand is an a word perfect. Of course much will be made about it s subject matter of masturbation but it borders on the sounds of Bjork which is the highest compliment I could ever pay the platinum one. The Hook Up touches on the reggae sensation that seems to be sweeping music and it sounds like a No Doubt reject.

I ve seen quite a lot of mention that this is supposed to be Britney s Ray Of Light (Madonna s electronic music awakening) and will In The Zone does have a few moments that capture the spirit of the Material Mom, none of them have as much conviction. Shadow has a few moments where Spears actually sounds like Madonna, but the song is way too overproduced, so much so that it just overpowers Spears vocals which is a shame, because they re really good on this track.

Brave New Girl sounds like the theme to a really bad teen movie, and if you stopped for a moment and listened to the lyrics it s a cute, empowering kind of track that just goes wrong with it s Alka-Seltzer bubbly production. Everytime has impressed me more and more every time (ha ha) that I ve listened to it. While Britney is definitely not a powerhouse singer, she does a damn good job here. It feels quite vulnerable and lullaby like and of all of the ballads that I ve heard her do it s the most convincing.

- Final Thoughts -

I m Not A Little Girl Anymore *Britney Spears

I m not in the business of feeling sorry for celebrities, but I can t help but feel a little empathy for Miss Britney. Growing up is a hard thing to do, never mind with the world watching and for the most part I think she s doing a good job at handling the pressures of being a girl trying to grow up.


Great Music to Play While: Dancing your a$$ off!