November 17, 2003
Jam
Music
      Artists A-Z
      Album Reviews
      Concert Reviews
      Concert Listings
      Pop Encyclopedia
      Music Blog

Movies
Television
Video
Theatre
Books
Country
Celebrities



Video Gallery
RSS Feed

BOWIE

Album Review: Britney Spears

IN THE ZONE
By JANE STEVENSON



IN THE ZONE
Britney Spears
(Jive-Zomba-BMG)

Spears' fourth disc is her most likeable yet. It's also the singer's most sexual and experimental, in a harmless, Madonna kind of way.

No surprise then that the Material Girl appears on and co-wrote the silly first dance single, Me Against The Music. Better bets are two sexy, sweaty dance tunes: The throbbing Breathe On Me -- with Spears pleading "Boy, don't stop, 'cause I'm half way there / It's not complicated, we're just syncopated" -- and the ode to masturbation Touch Of My Hand, a pop-electronica confection that brims with Eastern-sounding strings. Also good is the Moby-produced, mid-tempo Early Mornin', bolstered by strings, electronic beeps and big beats; the "Bollywood" strings-drenched pop song Toxic, and the fun, funky Brave New Girl.

But not everything works, such as the harder-edged urban cuts like (I Got That) Boom Boom featuring the rap of the Ying Yang Twins -- "She naked, she soakin' wet /Striptease like a mutha', dripping sweat,"-- and the R. Kelly-written and produced hip-hop-pop tune Outrageous. Also falling flat are the reggae of Showdown and The Hook Up.

When it comes to ballads, Spears keeps them to a minimum, weighing in with the mainstream-sounding Shadow and Everytime, the latter offering clues to her breakup with Justin Timberlake. (More on Britney Spears)

Track Listing
1. Me Against the Music (featuring Madonna)
2. (I Got That) Boom Boom (featuring Ying Yang Twins)
3. Showdown (featuring Ying Yang Twins)
4. Breathe On Me (featuring Ying Yang Twins)
5. Early Mornin'
6. Toxic
7. Outrageous
8. Touch of My Hand
9. The Hook Up
10. Shadow
11. Brave New Girl
12. Everytime
13. Me Against the Music (featuring Madonna) Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix
 


Browse Reviews by Artist





HOT MUSIC HEADLINES
Chet Flippo dead at 69
Cyrus gets wild in racy new video
10 infamous songs about exes
Jackson video testimony airs in court
Gaga doesn't like duet with Cher
Slim Whitman dies at 90
Warren got high with Snoop Dogg
Kanye blasted for Parkinson's lyric
Chris Brown fights graffiti ruling
Cyrus: Alcohol more dangerous than pot
More Headlines
Mary J. Blige sued over axed gig
Rihanna: most-viewed Youtube artist
Etheridge clarifies Jolie surgery remarks
Bynes, Wyclef to team on album?
Man caught on Rihanna's roof
Goo Goo Dolls return with 'Magnetic'
Drake wants to settle Brown feud
Lil Wayne's excuse for flag stomp
Bieber hits photog with Ferrari
Mumford bassist on the mend


Who's coming and when
Want to know when your favourite band is coming to town? Check out Clive, JAM Music's extensive Canadian concert listings.

TV Listings
Wondering what's on tonight? Check out our TV listings for the complete schedule in your area.
Movie Listings
Find out what's playing at a theatre near you.








Will you miss Mariah Carey on "American Idol"?
Yes. She was a great addition.
No. Not at all
Mariah Carey was on "American Idol"?


Results