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'Glory'

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OMG. Britney performing in the Apple Music festival in London. I just applied for some tickets. Please God please... I'll do anything...

I've just seen a Britney playlist titled 'This Is: Britney Spears' on the first page of my Spotify. 'Do You Wanna Come Over?' is third on the list, following 'Baby' and 'Toxic', whilst 'Make Me...' is seventh.

 

I know! I'm sorry!!!! My friends and I from college get together to play new music from artists we all like and we were going to wait until Saturday, but I have to go to a meeting with some builders for my businesses second opening location and then my best friend is leaving back for Cali, Sunday am and we have listened to new Britney albums together since 'blackout' (or the chaotic EP, but lmfao... Irrelevant.) She just moved this last winter so we even planned a trip around it, lmfao MESS.

 

Plus they said if I didn't attend they would play 'Bionic' instead, so all other reasons aside... It was my duty as a stan !

The last bit nails it: I forgive you (it's only acceptable to listen to Bionic for 'You Lost Me'.) Seriously though, I'm glad you've enjoyed it! Your comments have made me so excited to listen to the album myself; I think I'll have everyone's rates available to look at during my second listen of the album (that's if I even like the first listen! :ph34r:).

I've just seen a Britney playlist titled 'This Is: Britney Spears' on the first page of my Spotify. 'Do You Wanna Come Over?' is third on the list, following 'Baby' and 'Toxic', whilst 'Make Me...' is seventh.

 

 

Omg, on UK Spotify? As in advertised as one of their playlists?

Omg, on UK Spotify? As in advertised as one of their playlists?

Yeah, it was on the main/browse page, the third playlist along (after #ThrowbackThursday and some dance playlist I think). It's gone now but I don't know whether that's because I've listened to the playlist and they've replaced it with something I haven't.

Yes, Liam! 'You Lost Me' is Christina's BEST.

 

I really think this is coming to dethrone 'Blackout' and 'In The Zone', what a BRILLIANT album. Really. There is NO filler on this.

OMFG @ 'LIAR' :mellow: :mellow: :mellow:

 

WHAT KIND OF ANTHEMIC SONG IS THIS!!!!!?!!?!?!?????

OMFG @ 'LIAR' :mellow: :mellow: :mellow:

 

WHAT KIND OF ANTHEMIC SONG IS THIS!!!!!?!!?!?!?????

 

I KNOOOOOW WTF. IT'S STRONGER'S OLDER SISTER THAT DEAD LIFTS!

Review from the Boston Globe

 

Britney Spears’s career trajectory has probably kept various journalistic enterprises afloat over the past 18 years. From the raised eyebrows that accompanied her schoolgirl-gone-bad outfit in the “. . .Baby One More Time” video to her 55-hour marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander in 2004, the messy breakdown she suffered in public during the late 2000s, and the still-active conservatorship that followed, Spears has spawned exclamation-point-emblazoned tabloid coverlines and breathless blog posts. And that doesn’t even take into account the redemption-minded pieces that have accompanied her post-2010 existence, which includes probably the crowning achievement for any American pop star: a Las Vegas residency, “Britney: Piece of Me,” which has been packing the Planet Hollywood Casino’s Axis Auditorium since late 2013.

 

That show, however, probably would not exist were she merely Britney the tabloid fixture. Britney the pop star — defined by a snake-slither voice, always-on sexiness, and ability to stretch vowels far beyond their natural breaking point — has fronted a series of dynamite singles that both inadvertently and deliberately mirrored the themes of post-millennial pop. Spears’s Max Martin-penned debut single “. . .Baby One More Time” was a teen-pop flag plant, its wah-wah guitar and storming piano only serving to emphasize how loneliness could, conceivably, kill a person. “Lucky,” from Spears’s second album, seemed to presage her eventual tumult, telling the story of a young star who “cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart” over a bouncy beat.

 

“I’m a Slave 4 U,” from 2001, found her growing up in public, its jittery beat supplied by the forward-thinking production duo the Neptunes; “Toxic,” from 2003, combined electro-shock guitars with spy-movie splendor. The glitchy “Piece of Me,” off 2007’s breakdown chronicle “Blackout,” chided the tabloids for their push-pull relationship with their subjects; “Till the World Ends” turned the apocalypse into a Spears-led dance party.

 

Now, there’s “Glory,” Spears’s ninth album and first since 2013’s will.i.am-produced “Britney Jean.” The new album, released on Aug. 26, succeeds where its predecessor stumbled, song-wise: It sounds relatively unencumbered by expectations, the result, perhaps, of “Britney Jean” making a soft landing on the charts and on radio. While there are saps to relatively current trends — “Love Me Down” has her mimicking former duet partner Iggy Azalea by way of Fergie’s pout, “Slumber Party” backs Spears’s coos with a gentle reggae-inspired beat, and the slow seduction “Make Me” features white rapper of the moment G-Eazy — most of “Glory” operates in its own pop space.

 

If it had been unearthed from a time capsule, “Glory” would feel more like a credible companion album to Spears’s 2003 album, “In the Zone,” which spawned “Toxic” and Spears’s torch-passing duet with Madonna, “Me Against the Music,” than a pop superstar’s major release in 2016. In part, that’s because of callbacks to Spears’s past offerings. The flirty “Do You Wanna Come Over?” — part booty call, part call for more human connection — is jolted to life by the slashed guitars that helped make “Toxic” a pop thrill, while the “bayyy-beee” Spears drawls before the pre-chorus of the sparse, paranoid “Just Like Me” reaches all the way back to her beginnings.

 

But more importantly, the album has an unbridled energy that’s refreshing in late summer 2016, when pop-radio playlists are dominated by a hungover malaise where interactions are guarded, and potential romantic partnerships viewed skeptically at best, or as transactions in the making at worst. One might think that devil-may-care attitude comes from Spears being past 30 and not needing to impress callous youth (or radio programmers) anymore, but that’d be a misguided impulse. Spears’s best singles were marked by a desperation born of wanting to go all in: “my loneliness is killing me,” “I’m addicted to you, don’t you know that you’re toxic,” heck, even “gimme more.” The high points on “Glory” — “Do You Wanna Come Over?,” the blissed-out “Man on the Moon,” the jumpy “Clumsy,” and the buzzing, hopped-up bonus track “If I’m Dancing” — echo that spirit. If Spears isn’t belting Celine-style, at least she’s throwing herself fully into her vocal performances, so that others will follow full-throated.

 

Spears has a kooky side, as evidenced by her social-media postings, which include photos of fun with her two sons (Sean and Jayden, now 10 and 9) alongside shots of her and her “Piece of Me” dancers sticking out their tongues. (There’s also the occasional inspirational quote.) “Glory” honors that impulse with campy tracks like “Private Show,” fronted by a winking, bravado-filled performance that makes one wonder what Spears would be like at a karaoke bar, and the horn-accented “What You Need,” which could be a revue’s show-closing “Toxic” reprise.

 

“That was fun,” Spears shrugs at the latter song’s end. One could say the same about “Glory,” a pop album that operates on its own terms, partly thanks to the way the white-hot notoriety of the star at its center allowed her to, after all these years, rule her own pop fiefdom.

 

I'm pissed I allowed myself to be so curious as to find out she ends the album with "now that was fun". What an awesome surprise that would've been. WAH.

 

Also f***ing yes at the UK promo. I will die if I don't win, aka prepare my funeral.

“That was fun,” Spears shrugs at the latter song’s end. One could say the same about “Glory,” a pop album that operates on its own terms, partly thanks to the way the white-hot notoriety of the star at its center allowed her to, after all these years, rule her own pop fiefdom.

 

http://i1373.photobucket.com/albums/ag361/tylaaah1/38D10976-F5AC-4584-AD57-405042847068_zpscvfkafzz.gif

 

 

(Ps- sorry blackout!, my bad!)

My review for Attitude has been sent in. Should be live tonight or tomorrow morning. :)

 

Yeah, it was on the main/browse page, the third playlist along (after #ThrowbackThursday and some dance playlist I think). It's gone now but I don't know whether that's because I've listened to the playlist and they've replaced it with something I haven't.

 

This is amazing. Hopefully it keeps reappearing. That's HUGE for her that it's been featured.

I've refound it by repeated pressing 'back' on my Spotify but couldn't when searching for it. Turns out it is from 7 days ago, which may be why it disappeared from the main page.

 

https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playl...G90arHCBP2WrMeg

 

Oh, I am already following it. It's a great playlist and I hope they add more from Glory onto it tomorrow, but I was mainly just excited that they've started featuring it on the main page!

I daren't post my first full rate lmao. This whole album is all killer and no filler! Like, seriously :mellow:

 

10.0 'Invitation'

 

What a fantastic opening! So sensual and just the perfect way to ooze you into the feel of the album. I don't think it'd work well as a single at all, but I do absolutely love this. It kinda reminds me of Miley's 'Adore You'!

 

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10.0 'Make Me'

 

Well, we all know about this one and it's steadily climbing up my rankings to become one of my absolute favourite Britney tracks! Sensationaaaaallll.

 

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07.0 'Private Show'

 

I can see why this was chosen as an instant grat. It's a fun, sexy song. Definitely my least favourite amongst the album though!

 

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09.5 'Man On The Moon'

 

As I said earlier, this reminds me of 'Trip To Your Heart' in the best way possible. Like it's attractive older sister. So cute, but not "sickly cute". I can see this becoming one of my firm favourites.

 

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11.0 'Just Luv Me'

 

THIS is exactly what I had imagined 2016ney to sound like! It's absolutely PERFECT. I agree it might be too soon after 'Make Me' to release it, but I really do hope it's a single at some point. In fact, I wouldn't mind it as the 2nd single because I feel that this could connect more with the GP overall.

 

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09.0 'Clumsy'

 

A lot of people seem to be having some sort of disdain to this right now, but I am still loving it personally! Haha. No the strongest on the album, but good enough to give people an idea of the idea!

 

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10.0 'Do You Wanna Come Over'

 

This is solidifying itself as a Britney classic for me. It's so quintessentially Brit, but brought bang up to date. Ridiculously anthemic! Definitely a single. Surely???? Preferably second to bridge in between 'Make Me' and 'Just Luv Me', but hopefully at some point!

 

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08.5 'Slumber Party'

 

Really like this. I think this will be the "big grower" of the album for me. Very early Brit with a modern twist. It's cute and sexy.

 

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08.0 'Just Like Me'

 

Another great song that I can see growing on me more! I could see this working as a single at some point too, tbh. Bizarrely though, the chorus production reminds me of Gaga's 'Alejandro'!

 

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09.0 'Love Me Down'

 

POP-REGGAENEY! *.* So much fierceness that's been missing since 2007 in this track, I can't deal. The verses are quite Fergie-ish! Single worthy tbh. Her vocals at the VERY end of this song *.* Retroney "oohhh yeahhh".

 

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08.5 'Hard To Forget Ya'

 

Attitudeney <3 Really enjoyed this on my first listen. I think it will either grow on me for the better or grow on me and grate. We shall see!

 

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08.0 'What You Need'

 

This song reminds me of 'Do Somethin''! So playful and fun and so FIERCE. SO FUCKING FIERCE.

 

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09.0 'Better'

 

This is probably the closest a song has been to Justin's current sound! Such a smash. Like, if it wasn't tagged as Britney Spears, I really think this would be one of those tracks that clogs up the streaming charts for months on end, like every DJ Snake/Major Lazer song out there and that's not only saddening to think, but also angering. </3

 

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08.0 'Change Your Mind (No Seas Cortes)'

 

Always here for bilingualney! YES. SLAY. Love the European flavour to this song too! Reminiscent of 'Criminal' in some ways, except with more personality (and minus the stunning middle 8)

 

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10.0 'Liar'

 

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START WITH THIS. LIKE. WHAT IS THIS ANTHEMIC PIECE OF POP!? At least we know Britney hasn't lost her touch when it comes to the bonus tracks! OMFG.

 

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09.5 'If I'm Dancing'

 

This has some sort multi-cultural vibe to it and it's stunning. Her vocals in the 2nd verse are reminding me of 'Amnesia' so MUCH and that can only ever be a good thing!

 

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08.0 'Coupure Electrique'

 

Not gonna lie, I was expecting to like this a lot more than I actually do. I can't help but feel slightly disappointed with it. Still a banger though! I think it'll grow on me over time, but due to the positive reviews of this, it didn't quite live up to expectations for me.

 

 

 

 

 

I just CAN'T at this whole album. It'd slot perfectly in between 'In The Zone' & 'Blackout'. SO f***ING FLAWLESS. Literally not ONE filler track. I'm trying my hardest to see this without rose tinted glasses rn, but I can't and I don't care atm!

 

SLAY ME BABY ONE MORE TIME!!!!!

 

I'm just so f***ING thankful, we have another album of this caliber from her again! After the last few albums (which I've liked a lot, to varying degrees obvz) I kinda resorted myself to the knowledge that we were never gonna hit 'Blackout'/'In The Zone' levels ever again... but BAM this one is released and giving me life!

Oh my god, these reviews are making it so hard to hold off :cry: :cry: :cry:

Ok my little review :P This is definitely her best album since Blackout, it feels like she's finally being allowed to be herself again and the music really fits her voice and personality and everything! I hope this is some of sort of new pop norm because this sort of album is just amazing. It feels all the better that I didn't really have high expectations for this at all and now she hits us with this!

 

10 Invitation

I LOVE the melody of the chorus. It's the perfect mx of playful Britney and the sexy coy vibe the album has overall! A brilliant opener.

 

07.5 Make Me... Ooh

Still can't fully take to this, it's growing a lot but I just feel like the rest of the album does this better.

 

04 Private Show

I still can't @ this. Her voice just doesn't fit it at all imo, it just jars me as a whole. I can't think who exactly would be better singing it but I feel like it would be better sung by someone else with the rght sort of voice for it. This is nothing against Birntey it's just that she uses her voice so perfectly on the rest of this album and this seems like a misfire by comparison.

 

10 Man On The Moon

SO STUNNING. I agree with the Trip To The Heart comparisons actually, I never thought of that but it's basically TTTH via Alien. Like the chorus of Invitation, this sort of sing-songy melody really makes her voice shine and this is so captivating and sweet :wub:

 

10 Just Luv Me

HOW WAS THIS OR DYWCO NOT THE LEAD. It is very Good For You (I'm sorry to use that comparison again :lol:), so sexy, coy and playful and the public would SURELY eat this up if it was given half a chance! I love this so much mroe than I expected to from the descriptions we were given.

 

09.5 Clumsy

This does stick out a bit :lol: I still really really like it, it's good to have a Britney banger on the album! I just feel like musically this is a bit more Britney Jean than Glory.

 

10 Do You Wanna Come Over?

YAAAAAASS WHAT A BOP. I think this is the best choice of 2nd choice, and then Just Luv Me. It's just so addictive and crazy but it all works so well, it's quintessentially Britney.

 

08 Slumber Party

Anohther potential single! I'm not loving this quite as much as others seem to be but it's definitely very strong.

 

08 Just Like Me

I love the subtle production to this! Not a favourite exactly but I feel like it will grow.

 

09 Love Me Down

This would've been a big hit for her in like 2010 I feel. The chorus is so catchy, this would GO OFF in a club!

 

07.5 Hard To Forget Ya

I feel the same as Jonjo, I like it for now but I feel like it's gonna go one way or another.

 

08 What You Need

Not a huge highlight but I love her voice on this, I think it might grate on me soon but it's so playful and sassy which I love.

 

07.5 Better

Jonjo said it perfectly - if this was a more current person with DJ Snake or Major Lazer it'd smash. It's not my favourite though becasue I'm so tired of this sound :(

 

09 Change Your Mind (No Seas Cortes)

Omg the chorus *.* This is such a bop, I love the European flavour to it.

 

 

11 Liar

WHAT KIND OF MULTI GENRE BOP. This is like some amazing amalgation of GGGB Rihanna and AIEW Kelly Clarkson. Didn't she learn with Amnesia not to put this on the album?!

 

08.5 If I'm Dancing

I love the PC Music touches to this! It's definitely like an airy How I Roll.

 

07 Coupure Electrique

Her pronunciation is making me wince a bit but this is nice a little experimental oddity at the end. Definitely more bonus track than main album.

 

 

Overall it's astounding how much better this is than Britney Jean in the production, vocal touches etc. It just feels way more comfortably Britney and that's so good to hear!

Review from Digital Spy

 

There are only a handful of artists that can command mass hysteria when it comes to their album releases, and one of them is Britney Spears. Whether you love her or hate her, there's always curiosity when Ms. Spears decides to release new music.

 

Her 2013 album, Britney Jean, was met with a muted response, however; it seemed that Britney had sort of given up. Similarly, last year's misguided duet with Iggy Azalea, 'Pretty Girls', was perfectly serviceable but nowhere near the calibre of material that had turned Brit from a Louisiana-born child star into a global icon.

 

So, when rumours started to circulate two years ago that Britney was working on a new album, it was no surprise that people approached the concept with trepidation. What would a Britney Spears album sound like in 2016? Would it be any good? Would she be engaged with the material?

 

Well, the singer's ninth studio album, Glory, is finally here. But does it live up to its title? Here's our track-by-track review of one of her most important albums to date…

 

1. ''INVITATION'

 

Whereas Femme Fatale, Blackout and In The Zone all opened with stone cold bangers, Britney Jean introduced the world to a softer side of Britney Spears. In a way, 'Invitation' combines the electronic sensibilities of 'Gimme More' and the whirring of 'Me Against the Music', and slows it down. Spears' vocals, while filtered, sound crisp and clear, the singer reaching into her much underused falsetto. It's atmospheric without being moody, wistful without pretension and rather lovely. The track is probably the best album opener of any Britney album to date.

 

2. 'MAKE ME… (FEAT. G-EAZY)'

 

The lead single from the campaign, 'Make Me…' was a welcome return to form following 'Pretty Girls'. A mid-tempo banger, the track sees Britney coo breathily over an electric guitar and soothing electronics. What's so refreshing is that Brit's signature vocals are given the space they need to shine; she sounds sexy, engaged and like she truly loves it. An unnecessary but understandable feature from Gerald 'G-Eazy' Gillum neither adds nor takes away from the final product, which is luscious, sultry and so damn catchy.

 

3. 'PRIVATE SHOW'

 

Released as an 'instant-grat' from the album, 'Private Show' showcases Britney's long forgotten experimental side. It's a doo-wop track that sees a surprisingly powerful vocal turn from the singer, and it's heaps of fun. The production is so layered, with clicks and vocal harmonies making up the most of the arrangement, and Britney sounds alive. Again, her falsetto is put to good use, too, and the track proves what a dynamic vocalist she can be.

 

 

4. 'MAN ON THE MOON'

 

All you have to do is look at Brit's Instagram to see that space seems to be of particular interest to her. So, it's unsurprising that on Glory we've got another space themed track, 'Man On The Moon' (Britney Jean opened with the similarly sci-fi themed 'Alien'). You'd be forgiven for thinking that the track was lifted from the singer's 2001 album, Britney. It's a proper pop song, with a singsong-y chorus that's on the right side of bubblegum. Like Leslie Gore's 'It's My Party', the track taps into that middle space between melancholia and euphoria, and there's a longing in Spears' vocals that taps into the track's existential lyrics as she stares longingly out at the stars. Oh, and there's a completely brilliant jangly guitar riff that's bound to get stuck in your head.

 

5. 'JUST LUV ME'

 

Vulnerability is something that has been missing from nearly all of Britney's albums post-In The Zone. Tracks like 'Everytime' signalled that under the sheen of dance routines, expensive videos and high octane stage performances, there was a sensitive and delicate soul that could convey emotions without melodrama. While 'Just Luv Me' isn't a ballad as such, it's a song that taps into Spears' softer side. Lyrically, Britney is craving affection, opening herself to the often overwhelming feeling of love while needing nothing in return. It's subversive in the way that Selena Gomez's 'Good For You' acknowledged the varying states of emotional and sexual power play. And, like Gomez's track, the production, handled by Cashmere Cat and BloodPop, is full of yearning and darkness. This song is crying out to be a single.

 

6. 'CLUMSY'

 

Like on 'Private Show', 'Clumsy' sees Britney's voice change from one line to the other. It's most definitely all her, but again, it's testament to the uniqueness of her vocals; she can play almost any character within the swoop of four bars. Saying that, 'Clumsy' is probably the only moment where Glory veers into generic territory. The EDM breakdown that substitutes the chorus sounds unfinished and like something from Britney Jean. Saying that, we love it when Britney references herself and the sweet "Oops" before the drop is a moment of bliss.

 

 

7. 'DO YOU WANNA COME OVER?'

 

Britney Spears songs have always been about sex in some form; even when she was 16 years old, there were sexual connotations bubbling under nearly all her tracks. Saying that, 'Do You Wanna Come Over?' is a sex jam for the Grindr generation. Like the mobile dating app, Spears is ready to provide whatever you want and whatever you need, you just need to come over. It's the most fun that the singer seems to have had on a song since 'Toxic', pulsing bass and dissonant acoustic guitars creating something delightfully weird.

 

 

8. 'SLUMBER PARTY'

 

When we saw the tracklisting for Glory, we were half expecting 'Slumber Party' to be a Ciara-style sexy slow-jam. We weren't quite expecting a 'Hotline Bling'-style ode to fornication and sex tapes, as she sings, "We use our bodies to make our own videos/ Put on our music that makes us go f**king crazy, oh." It's dreamy and genuinely sexy, something that Britney hasn't truly been since Blackout. The syncopated synths in the chorus are delightful, as is the surprising addition of a bombastic horn section in the final chorus. Similarly, the final chorus contains the best Britney ad-libs this side of 2003. Now, all they need to do is get Drake on a remix on this and we've got a smash on our hands.

 

9. 'JUST LIKE ME'

 

Jealousy isn't a topic that Britney has broached too many times before - usually she's the sex siren getting down on the floor in the club. That's why 'Just Like Me' feels so real. The track, which was co-written by Brit, alongside Justin Tranter, Julia Michaels and Nick Monson, is probably the most personal that the singer has been in years, despite Britney Jean's protestations. The song sees Britney play a scorned lover who catches her partner in the throes with a woman who looks just like her. It's genuinely emotional, as Britney is haunted by the image, echoing harmonies adding atmosphere and depth. While oscillating synths and drum machines whir in the periphery, the track's acoustic guitar and Britney's delicate vocals create something elegant and fragile.

 

10. 'LOVE ME DOWN'

 

Don't let the dubstep wobbles on 'Love Me Down' put you off, this song is a bop and features one hell of a bridge as Britney coos, "My baby don't love me down, don't love me down, don't love me down," over a frenetic beat. Where 'Love Me Down' shines, however, is in the ad-libs. Britney is serving 'Stronger' style vocals, and at the end of the song there's a gloriously distinctive Britney vocal run that'll give you chills.

 

11. 'HARD TO FORGET YA'

 

Again, 'Hard To Forget Ya' is a throwback to the pop songs of yesterday. Everything from the melody to the production reminds us of the sorts of tracks you would have heard on Christina's Stripped or, indeed, one of Britney's early albums. It's most definitely an album track, but that doesn't take away from the song's finger-snapping beats and it's euphoric chorus. Like all the best early 00s throwbacks, it'll be hard to forget this one.

 

12. 'WHAT YOU NEED'

 

Like on 'Clumsy' and 'Private Show', Britney's belting is back in full force, delivering the most un-Britney song of her career. Doing her best Tina Turner impression (seriously), this song was clearly inspired by 'Proud Mary' (the middle eight is just crying out for a huge sing-a-long). We'd have never thought that Britney could have pulled off a divalicious track like 'What You Need' but she does, and she does it with bags of sass and attitude. At times it verges a bit on 'soul-by-numbers', but then there's Britney's unique tone that makes the whole thing bizarre and yet highly listenable.

 

13. 'BETTER'

 

While it sounds like it could have been lifted directly from Justin Bieber's Purpose, 'Better' is a shimmering slice of Major Lazer-inspired, tropically tinged pop that brings Glory well into 2016. And why this song has been relegated to a bonus track we're not quite sure, as it's arguably one of the album's strongest moments. The middle-eight is a wonderful moment of pure abandon, Britney appearing to lose control as she proclaims that it's all "so good, so damn, so good." Likewise, those vocal ad-libs feel like they were lifted straight out of 2001 and it's an utter joy to listen to. This is the sort of song that Britney should be recording in 2016. It's current, a perfect fit for her vocals and bop-y enough that it's sure to get a fire dance routine.

 

14. 'CHANGE YOUR MIND (NO SEAS CORTÉS)'

 

Latin-pop was never really in Britney's repertoire. It seemed that, during the Latin explosion of the late '90s and early '00s, Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera had that covered. That's why 'Change Your Mind (No Seas Cortés)' and its flirting with flamenco is so damn brilliant. Like Femme Fatale's 'Criminal', the song is weird, wonderful and so damn catchy. However, under the sheen of the sprightly production is a song that would put Christian Grey to shame, as Britney sings "No seas cortés", or "don't be gentle". Brit's vocals remind us of 2003's 'Early Mornin'', and as her come ons become stronger the production builds and swells until a final chorus that's so pent up with sexual energy that it feels like Britney herself might burst.

 

15. 'LIAR'

 

Britney has always been an innovator, something that was sorely lacking from Britney Jean. Luckily, it seems that with Glory, Britney's dedication to creating new musical genres is in full force as we can only describe 'Liar' as a saloon-bop-come-power-ballad. The beginning of the song is lifted straight out of a Western, and then the chorus smashes in and you're suddenly in the middle of a emotional battle that would suit Kelly Clarkson. It's something that Britney has never attempted before, and it's pretty darn special. What 'Liar' showcases again is Britney's willingness to experiment; one minute you're sat in a bar in the south with a whiskey in your hand and the next you're belting out a massive '80s style power ballad. Only Britney…

 

16. 'IF I'M DANCING'

 

Not only does 'If I'm Dancing' see the welcome return of Britishney ("If I'm dahhncing"), but the song, again, is as experimental as they come for Ms. Spears. It simultaneously reminds us of 2011's 'How I Roll', In The Zone's 'Brave New Girl' and '3', while appropriating elements of PC Music and the frantic edge of 'Bitch, I'm Madonna'. Scattering bleeps, scratches, edited whip cracks and weird vocal interjections make up most of the production, as Britney breathily delivers the completely nonsensical lyrics about lotion and how her shop is red and pink (or something). It literally feels like 'If I'm Dancing' is the aural equivalent of Ms. Spears' wacky, quirky and ridiculous Instagram account, and it's brilliant, if a little bonkers.

 

17. 'COUPURE ÉLECTRIQUE'

 

In English, 'Coupure Électrque' translates to "power outage" or "blackout", and the song is most certainly the most ominous track on Glory. Oh, and the whole thing is sung in French, too. Britney does a rather good French accent, and (after feeding the song through Google Translate) we've deduced that the track is (obviously) all about sex; Britney wants to make love until there's a power cut. The song is truly the weirdest moment in Britney's 18 year career, with sonar-like synths popping around a forceful percussion. In fact, the song has a mechanical feel, not in the delivery but in how industrial, robotic and futuristic it feels. It's one hell of a way to close an album, and we absolutely love it.

 

The verdict:

 

The past 10 years haven't been easy for Britney fans. While the singer may have delivered a career defining album with Blackout, the three subsequent follow-ups, while polished in the cases of Circus and Femme Fatale, felt rushed and devoid of that special something that made a Britney Spears album a, well, Britney Spears album.

 

That's why, when listening to Glory, you're confronted with how unequivocally Britney the whole collection is. Across a mammoth 17 tracks, we get to see every side of the singer, from vulnerablity, sassy jazz pop, broadway wannabe, bang on trend pop connoisseur and boundary pushing experimentalist. It might be one of her longer albums, but each track has well and truly earned its place here.

 

Best of all, however, is how present and engaged Spears sounds throughout the 54 minutes. Even when the album verges on box-ticking with its light sprinkling of Major Lazer/Bieber style bangers, it still retains enough personality to be distinctive.

 

When Britney began teasing the album over two years ago, she used the terms "left lane" and "artsy fartsy". Well, Glory is most definitely those things and more. It's a triumphant return of one of pop music's most essential players.

 

 

I feel like this is a good time to actually expect great things from an album instead of holding back to avoid any disappointment.

 

I've got a party tomorrow night with a predominately indie/rock fan group of friends, but they are totally getting converted with this pop royalty.

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