Is it fair to assume that this album is (at least one of) the most underrated and under appreciated albums of all time? If so, why?

 

If you don't think so, also why?

For me, personally? Yes. I honestly think the singles run has really tainted it's legacy a little and can't help but feel it would've been better received had that been stronger (hehe).

 

A run of:

 

Slave > Overprotected > Cinderella > Lonely > Before The Goodbye/Let Me Be (AA Side with BTG pushed harder in European countries)

 

Would have been unmatched imo.

 

I GET that INAG,NYAW was used to promote the 'Crossroads' movie and 'Boys' for Austin Powers, but I'd rather they were just separate from the era tbh (oh and absolutely no need to give ILRNR a release at all - But we should've got that video to 'Lonely' or something)

It's super underrated! I love the album so much, it always makes me happy listening to it! Super nostalgic :wub:

I wouldn’t go that far I mean it still sold millions… something like Come and get it by Rachel Steven’s would qualify for one of the most underrated albums ever! It’s a massive step up from the first two albums though and I don’t think that was noticed.

Edited August 17, 20213 yr by spiceboy

I love INAG, NYAW and at the time I felt like this album was huge. Slave was also everywhere I turned at one point so I never felt like it was underrated - at the time. But maybe overtime, it’s become less appreciated amongst Britney’s albums and I’m not really sure why that is.

It definitely feels somewhat underrated. It reminds me of Girls Aloud's Chemistry - one of their best albums, supported by an unusual run of singles that doesn't really represent the album. Britney is my second favourite album of hers, behind only In the Zone!

 

I think they got the initial run of Slave, Overprotected and I'm Not a Girl correct but it goes a bit awry after that. Cinderella, Lonely and Bombastic Love all have clear hit potential! I Love Rock 'n' Roll did not need to happen at all really, maybe a fun b-side, and Boys was fine as an album track.

i think the problem 'Britney' has is that its such a diverse album... the albums that followed 'In The Zone' and 'Blackout' were such powerhouses but 'Britney' really opened the door for her leap into adulthood but it still blends with such bubblegum.

I never gave this album the proper attention it deserved back in 2001/2 because I was never really keen on Slave, I owned Overprotected and INAG on single then didn’t like Boys much and hated the ILR&R cover.

 

I agree that the last two should’ve never been singles and INAG probably should’ve been a Crossroads soundtrack single/Britney conus track.

 

Cinderella, Before The Goodbye, Bombastic Love and That’s Where You Take Me, could or should’ve been singles.

it's such a mixture of an album and i think thats why its so underlooked

 

Songs like 'Anticipating' and 'I'm Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman' don't really belong alongisde 'Boys' and 'Slave'.

 

And then you have a bonus track like 'Before The Goodbye' which really bridges the gap between kid to adult... I can see why it was going to be a single at one point!

It is certainly an underrated album, it obviously did very well in the charts (especially considering the airplay ban Britney had at the time in the US, I still cannot believe Slave did so poorly as over here that song was absolutely massive!!), but it sold a lot less compared to her first two records (which makes sense as those were so big) and the singles underperformed compared to the big hits she had before.

At the same time, I feel the album has always been loved amongst fans. I think it's her second best record, just behind ITZ, and have always seen a lot of people online who feel like that.

I still love this album and consider it as possibly my favourite. I like every song on the album. It’s a very cohesive piece of work. It certainly didn’t achieve the same level of success as the first two albums but it’s a stronger album than both!

I don't know about the album, but this song right here is really good and this performance is Britney at her best: