October marks the 10th anniversary of Britney Spears’ sixth studio album, Blackout. Before getting into the crux of things, it’s important to set the scene.

2004

It’s 2004 and In The Zone is still a recent release. The album hit No.1 and produced worldwide hits ‘Me Against The Music’, ‘Toxic’ and ‘Everytime’, Spears is midway through her most ambitious and provocative tour to date: The Onyx Hotel Tour. A true spectacle, Onyx featured celebrity cameos, acrobatics, and a host of hit singles in its setlist. However Spears sought creative freedom. Whilst on tour she penned the hauntingly premonitory track ‘Mona Lisa’:

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve got a little story to tell

About Mona Lisa, and how she suddenly fell…

…Now, see, everyone’s watching as she starts to fall

Now don’t have a breakdown, you will hit the freaking wall”

And this is where we’re meant to believe that the breakdown started. First, Britney suffered a knee injury during the music video shoot for ‘Outrageous’. As a result, the Onyx Hotel Tour was cancelled. Future promotion for In The Zone was also concluded. Damage control came in the form of Britney’s first greatest hits collection, and a reality TV show (or should I say docuseries?).

Original Doll?

‘Mona Lisa’ premiered at the end of 2004 on radio station KIIS FM as the lead single from Spears’ upcoming album. Prospectively titled Original Doll, it was said to be halfway completed.

However, promotional efforts continued for the greatest hits collection – in the form of the music video for ‘Do Somethin’’. Spears’ label Jive Records said there were no plans for an album release. It appeared ‘Mona Lisa’ was going to be left in the dust. It did eventually have an official appearance, remixed and rerecorded for Britney’s docuseries EP.

‘Mona Lisa”s official release was overshadowed by the whirlwind of personal changes the star was going through. A second marriage and a child on the way prompted what many believed to be Spears’ break from music. Spears reiterated that the break was from ‘being told what to do’ and not music, but with Original Doll seemingly shelved, ‘Do Somethin’’ stood as the only remnant of the pop princess’s attempt to take creative control.

Blackout

The year and the half between the release of the EP and Britney’s next studio album are a messy and well documented period (see: head shaving, attacking a car with an umbrella, divorce) so I won’t get into it here. But somehow, through all of this, Spears was still making music. Work on Spears’ next full studio effort begun in early 2006. Leaks gave fans a mix of sombre ballads and club bangers, with Sean Garrett and Pharrell Williams noticeably present, but no one knew what exactly to expect from the singer’s next studio album.

The final product was Blackout: a dark, brooding pop experience which mildly hinted at Spear’s personal life. Gone were the radio-friendly bops that filled Zone; replaced by a more hard-hitting and club-ready sound. Our first official introduction to this was the now infamous VMA performance of lead single ‘Gimme More’.

You Need More?

From the blue contacts to the awkward side stepping across the stage, the whole performance was a mess. It rightly went down in infamy. The official music video didn’t do much to instil anymore faith in the general public about Britney’s return to the pop scene. It was a far cry from the Onyx Hotel Tour three years prior.  Considering what happened in between those three years, it’s important to remember that Blackout is now considered as some of Spears’ best work.

First, we have aforementioned album opener ‘Gimme More’. The songs iconic opening line ‘it’s Britney bitch’ demanded attention and served as a reintroduction to the new darker Britney (dubbed by fans as Darkney). What started off as a joke between Spears and producer Danja became an emblem of confidence. The line rightfully went down in pop culture history, with a will.i.am feature cashing in on its relevance five years later.

Even now, those three words are enough to fill a dance floor or make an arena erupt in cheers. When Danja’s floor-filling beat kicks in, it’s clear from the get-go that Britney is not playing games. The beat hits hard yet Britney’s vocal delivery is sweet as ever. This juxtaposition creates a contrast that many a pop starlet still try to imitate. Talkney is also in full effect, with every song on the album having Britney’s trademark spoken ad-libs.

Of the deluxe album’s 16 tracks, 4 were produced by Bloodshy & Avant who had previously collaborated with Spears on her EP and In The Zone, and 8 were produced by Danja, who was relatively unknown in the mainstream at the time. It was the producer’s first big project without his mentor, Timbaland – needless to say the stakes were high for both he and Spears.  Danja’s production create the moody backbone of the album but the other producers don’t give you a let up; ‘Heaven on Earth’ and the Neptunes produced ‘Why Should I Be Sad’ are the closest the album comes to balladry and even they are a far cry from Zone single ‘Everytime’.

Piece Of Me

If ‘Mona Lisa’ was Spears’ premonition of her own downfall then ‘Piece of Me’ acts as the perfect sequel. ‘Piece’ sees Britney truly take her crown as ‘the legend of the fall’, biting back at haters, paparazzi and naysayers in the best way possible: with a hot pop bop:

I’m Mrs. Lifestyles of the rich and famous (You want a piece of me?)

I’m Mrs. Oh my God that Britney’s shameless! (You want a piece of me?)

I’m Mrs. Extra! Extra! This just in (You want a piece of me?)

I’m Mrs. she’s too big now she’s too thin (You want a piece of me?)

On an album that was blacking out negativity (which subsequently led to an essentially promo-less era) ‘Piece of Me’ acted as the perfect reasoning why: Britney had become more of a staple in the tabloids for her personal life than her music. As a song and a single, ‘Piece of Me’ was a middle finger to those who thought they knew Spears ‘oh so well’. ‘Piece’’s warped guitar intro almost act as a warning to listeners that ‘Gimme More’ was not a fluke, Britney was coming for everyone that was out to get her.

The vocal production was also stellar. The use of vocal pitch-shifting in ‘Piece”s chorus and middle 8 put the production front-and-center whilst simultaneously also keeping a focus on Britney’s vocals. This technique would also noticeably feature on dub-step infused album cut ‘Freakshow’. It’s hard to imagine that such a sound would be absurd and different in 2007, due to its prevalent use in pop music today. It’s fair to say that ‘Piece’ brought the effect to that mainstream.

Similarly to ‘More’’s VMA performance, ‘Piece’’s lyrics, although not penned by Spears’ herself, became a pop culture hot topic. It perfectly encapsulated what made Britney so interesting: her ability to bring herself to the table as a talking point as a popstar should. The song almost acts as a game of cat and mouse between Spears and the media, basically saying ‘if you’re going to talk about me, then I’m going to talk about you talking about me’. She would again address the media with Circus album cut ‘Kill The Lights‘ (produced by Blackout frontman Danja).

‘Piece’’s video went even further to approach the media’s treatment of Spears, with Britney addressing the invasive nature of the paparazzi, and how manipulative and sleazy they can be. The video is self-parody tongue-in-cheek genius, from the literal ‘Britney army’ to the end scene of Britney watching herself visit the club televised as ‘news’. Although there’s no choreo per se, that club bathroom dance sequence is sure to be repeated. The video rightfully went on to win big at the 2008 VMA’s, including ‘Video of the Year’ solidifying Britney’s triumphant return as the princess of pop.

Number… Two?

Blackout became Britney’s first album to miss the No. 1 spot due to an midweek decision allowing albums sold exclusively at one retailer the opportunity to chart. From the internet leaks to the VMA performance, it would seem that Blackout had so much going against it. However this made Blackout the album of the underdogs, with a rebellious pop princess at its forefront. The album is rightfully considered as one of pop’s best, being featured at No.7 and No.5 respectively on Rolling Stone and Times album of the decade lists, as well as being inducted into the Roll & Roll Hall of Fame.

Many pop artists attempted to imitate the urban influenced sound that Blackout captured, but they fall flat. Blackout stands out the way it does because of its authenticity. Blackout was not an album littered with rap verses in order to make Britney appear more urban and edgy, nor was it a shift so far out of the realm of pop that it made Britney unrecognizable.

Bloodshy & Avant’s production was new yet familiar, allowing Blackout to fell like a natural progression from Spears’ earlier work. This progressive yet mainstream sound made Blackout cohesive & unique. So much so that it’s a sound that fans still clamor for with each new Britney release. Blackout stands as the only album executive produced by Spears. Fans believe it was this hands on approach which helped make Blackout the revered pop gem it is today.

To Be Continued?

The era ends with a ‘to be continued…’ at the end of music video for final single Break the Ice. Fans are still waiting for Blackout’s sequel. Circus could be described as Blackout’s popier companion, it’s production more slick & polished than brooding. Subsequent albums Femme Fatale and Britney Jean slip further into a more EDM, sometimes unrecognizable sound.

Celebrating it’s 10 year anniversary, Blackout still stands as one of pops most interesting and captivating releases. It has stood the test of time and feels as fresh and exciting today as it did on initial release. Spears’ most recent album Glory was on the right track to show that Britney can still deliver a great pop album. Fans still want Danja and Britney to reunite. One has to wonder if we will ever get the Blackout 2.0 that’s teased during the run-up to every Britney release since 2007.

Thank ya’ll for the #blackout love. I wish I could explain to you what it means to me that you love that album as much as you do ???

— DANJA (@only1DANJA) October 25, 2017

Listen to Britney Spears’ Blackout:

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“Not Tonight,” featured on Kim’s 1996 debut Hard Core, was already all-sorts of female liberation. Kim was happy to rhyme about the guys who wanted her to get down and dirty but wouldn’t return the favor. This was lyrical sexual empowerment. While some artists defend their tepid lyrics with “if a man said this, you wouldn’t have a problem,” Kim dove head first into a male-dominated category and made sure we knew what she wanted – and how she wanted it.

Fast forward to the summer of ’97 and “Not Tonight” gets a revamp for its single release. The Ladies Night Remix featured guest verses from Da Brat, Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez and Lisa Left Eye Lopes. Now, to put this into a bit of context, these were all hot female rappers, but at the same time up-and-comers. Lil’ Kim’s album had been released the year before, Missy had a slew of guest appearances and production credentials but was still gearing up to release her solo effort, Da Brat was two albums deep into her career, Angie Martinez had only appeared on one guest verse and Left Eye was achieving mainstream success as part of TLC. The beauty of the “Ladies Night Remix” is that is shows the versatility of rap, with each woman bringing their signature style and flow to the song. Each artist was at a different point in their career but when they came together there was a sense of unity. This continued on in the music video.

The summer-themed visual featured all the ladies together, riding jet skis, speed boats, and performing together in a safari themed setting. There was also a host of cameos from the likes of Queen Latifah, SWV and Mary J. Blige. It was truly a star-studded affair and can still be appreciated today where feature videos tend to literally be (video) phoned in.
The song was a success, charting at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being featured on the Nothing to Lose Soundtrack. It’s no surprise given the talent on the track, as well as Missy Elliott’s Kool and The Gang inspired chorus:

“cause this is ladies night, and our rhymes is tight,
yeah this is ladies night, oh what a night,
cause this is ladies night, and the feelings right
yes this is ladies night, oh what a night”.

The song has stood the test of time, being greeted with roars of applause when Lil’ Kim, Da Brat and Missy got together to perform the song at the 2014 Soul Train Awards.

It’s been 19 years since the “Ladies Night Remix” was released. With all the potential among today’s female rappers, it would be interesting to hear and see how they would come together on a single track. Sure, Nicki Minaj delivered arguably her best verse of Kanye West’s “Monster,” but imagine that with a host of other female rappers! “Ladies Night” is exactly what a collaboration should be: a mix of styles coming together on a singular track with the music video to match. So this summer, get the cocktails together, add this jam to your playlist and Get. Your. Life.

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Over was released in November 1997, preceded by the single “Love Gets Me Every Time”. The album peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200, topped the country charts and by late December was certified double platinum. However, it was in January 1998 that Twain really made her mark. “You’re Still the One” was released as her first pop and international single and was a certified hit – literally – going double platinum, earning Twain her first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and two Grammy Awards. The song was Shania’s ode to her lover and writing partner, Robert John “Mutt” Lange, and an oh-so-sweet kiss off to media criticism of their relationship: ‘They said: ‘’ll bet they’ll never make it’”… we’re still together, still going strong.’

“One,” as well as its parent album, falls under the umbrella of country pop. There wasn’t an abandonment of Twain’s previous sound in order to appeal to a mass audience nor was she conforming to the big-ballad style of Celine or hip-hop collabos like Mariah. Come on Over really carved it’s own lane not just for country music, but for music as a whole.

Internationally, the album was a success as well. ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ became Twain’s biggest hit in the UK peaking at #3 on the Singles Chart and the UK Dance Mix became the best non-number one single of the year. The international edition of Come on Over featured some pop-ier production handled by Lange and allowed Shania Twain to be an international music star, peaking at #1 on the UK Album Charts.

The success didn’t stopped there. In the 18 years since its release, Come on Over has been certified twenty times platinum and still stands as the best selling album by a female artist ever in the United States. Whereas “That Don’t Impress Me Much” has a great throwback feel, “You’re Still The One” has stood the test of time and is considered to be Twain’s most successful single. Another notable hit from the set was “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!,” a campy pop country hybrid that yielded quite the catchphrase.

Although Twain has only released one studio album after Come on Over there is no doubt her impact on the charts and on pop music as a whole. Twain’s crossover appeal no doubt paved the way for artists such as Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood to experience their own chart successes. Twain’s impact may not have been as explicit as some other 90’s artists, but there’s no denying her chart dominance and influence on the way people view country music.

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“Killing Time” almost acts as the “Dangerously In Love“ before Dangerously In Love, with every live performance of the cut ending with a then fresh-faced Beyoncé ad-libbing her heart out to a dramatic climax. The sultry background vocals of Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett really add to the song, providing an almost tense atmosphere.  Through their background vocals we fall even deeper into the story that Beyoncé sings to us: she tells us she’s been ‘waiting patiently’ but we can tell she been waiting for longer than she’d like to be: What should she do?

This sense of waiting is further emphasised by the ‘tick-tock’ of the percussion throughout the song. Again this draws us in, we are now in the same position – killing time waiting for the return of…? We don’t know.

Recently featured on the Destiny’s Child collection Love Songs – and therefore possibly displaying the song to a whole new audiences who are only familiar with DC3 – “Killing Time” is one of DC4’s best cuts, often overlooked due to the chart success of their sophomore album The Writings on the Wall.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3MNcc_LHE]

The first official single fairs much better in comparison. “No, No, No (Part 2)” was a hit in the US, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Official UK Charts. Reportedly recorded in just under 1 hour, the fast-paced rapping/singing style became signature for Destiny’s Child being repeated on their singles “Bug-A-Boo” and “Say My Name.” In addition to this, DC had the help of the recently Fugee-less Wyclef Jean, a hip-hop heavyweight who would definitely give them a level of credibility needed to break into the R&B scene of the 90’s.

Although the music video isn’t their most iconic, it still holds a special place in my heart. If I was on a swing set I would always break into “every time I see you and your boys…”. There was a clearly a sense of unity in the group which can be seen in the video. These don’t look like four girls who have just been thrown together, you can see that this is their years of hard-work and friendship coming to fruition.

Even with the break-ups, member replacements and later success, there is no way to you can discredit the foundation that Destiny’s Child was built upon. Although the current members still acknowledge “No, No, No” as their debut single, I would love for the first album to get more shine. It may not be the best but, as anyone can see, it was the stepping stone for greatness.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0wbtk6_vpE]

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