Artist: Britney Spears
Album: …Baby One More Time
Label: Jive Records
Release Date: January 12, 1999
Grade: B+
Combine infectious beats, catchy choruses and an underage blonde that has moderate singing talent, and what comes out is one of the best pop albums of all time.
When Britney Spears released her debut album, ...Baby One More Time, no one was prepared for the pop sensation that was about to be unleashed. Now, 12 years later, Miss Spears' debut still holds its own.
The first track, which happens to be the title track, introduces the listener to the sultry voice of Spears. As the contagious rhythm of the track gives way to the innocent vocals, the listener is taken back to a simpler time: middle school.
The second track is the song every person thinks of when it comes to Spears. It might have something to do with the provocative video, but more than likely, it's because every pop song for the past 10 years has tried to recreate the feel this pop cornerstone generated.
As the album progresses, more light-hearted pop songs start to mix with bubblegum ballads. Songs like "Sometimes," "Born to Make You Happy," and "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" are insightful and try to explain how a teenage girl feels about boys and relationships.
The rest of the album is chock full of feel-good dance-pop that is sure to get even the most stagnant hater tapping along. Even as Spears uses the latest technology to relay her message on "E-mail my Heart," her gorgeous, immature voice radiates through the speakers, showing the raw talent she possesses.
When Spears goes to close out the album with "The Beats go On," she introduces her dynamic skill, and it foreshadows the sound still to come.
What makes …Baby One More Time such a classic is the fact that Spears started a trend in pop music that still dominates the airwaves. For the past decade, almost every female pop star has tried to paint a picture of innocence before divulging into a promiscuous persona later in their career.
Whether you still crank the stereo when you hear the latest Britney song or cringe at the thought; it is undeniable that …Baby One More Time is one of the most influential pop albums of the past 15 years.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
