Take a flashback to 2007: Life is good, for the most part, “American Idol” is still the most talked about show in the country, the iPhone has just been released in stores, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” was released, and Britney Spears. Wait, Britney Spears? What did Britney Spears do in 2007? Boy, what didn’t she do? A common phrase used on merchandise these days, like this mug on Amazon, is: “If Britney Survived 2007, You Can Survive Today.”
Spears went through hell in 2007, from losing custody of her kids, and shaving her head in a hair salon, to assaulting a member of the paparazzi with an umbrella. Everyone talked about Britney so much that rumors formed that the White House utilized the discourse surrounding her to distract the public from the mishandlings of the Bush administration. Britney hit rock bottom in ‘07 and she still pulled the craziest stunt of hers and released an album.
On Oct. 25, 2007, Spears released her 5th album, “Blackout.” With barely any press and a now infamous MTV VMAs performance, this album remains her most overlooked album, often overshadowed by what she went through when she released it. The mainstream scope has never truly appreciated the masterpiece that is this album. “Blackout,” in my personal honest opinion, is one of the greatest albums released this century thus far by mainstream pop artists like Spears herself. “Blackout” stems from Spears’ most experimental, incorporating elements of dubstep and electronic music unheard of in pop music at the time. This album has been referred to as the “Bible of Pop”. The impact of this album can be heard all over music from the early 2010s with its heavy dance and electropop. Combined with its impact on pop music, this album is filled with timeless hits. Each track sounds like it could be its hit on the Billboard Charts. From the now signature “It’s Britney Bitch” song that is “Gimme More,” to the paparazzi callout that is “Piece of Me,” Spears left nothing to spare with this album.
Partnering with Timbaland protégé, Danja, “Blackout’s” sound was unique at its time. Tracks like “Get Naked (I Got A Plan)” and “Why Should I Be Sad” display such unique intricacies never thought to be released by America’s pop princess. That’s what makes the album even more of a must-listen to popheads out there. This is an album no one would ever expect the one Spears to have released at the time, especially considering her life struggles. Usually, we listeners separate the art from the artist, yet “Blackout” blurs that line. Britney’s problems were on full display in this album: A bit dark, a bit gritty, a bit scandalous and excessive, but fully transparent. Early Britney sang about boy problems, but in “Blackout” Britney sang about the paparazzi flipping her off or lusting after guys while at the club or partying. The rawness and DGAF attitude sung over 13 tracks in full transparency takes it to another level. She was showing the world how she truly felt, and we as a society decided to revel in her failures instead of applauding her for releasing an entire body of work in her troubled times. It took over a decade for pop culture to apologize for scoffing at Britney in 2007, which I am glad they did. Yet mainstream culture still hasn’t apologized for ignoring “Blackout” when it was first released and then copying it to death.
I have never been Britney Spears’ biggest fan. Her music never hit me in the right way. However, when a body of work by an artist deserves applause and recognition, I am more than happy to give it. “Blackout” by Britney Spears is a timeless, iconic album by the Princess of Pop and reinvented how we saw Britney herself. So revel in the drama that is “Blackout;” it’s one to listen to. And remember, “It’s Britney Bitch,” and don’t you forget that.