With a not-exactly-rapturously received lead single that dipped its toe warily into dubstep (the cunningly titled ‘Hold It Against Me’), Britney’s new album was always going to be a wild card. And luckily, it is, but in the good way. While keeping classic Britney touches, Ms Spears shows exactly how she’s stayed around for so long. Bloodshy and Avant track ‘How I Roll’sounds like a bloghaus Britney bootleg – all stripped back instrumentation and layered vocals. Meanwhile ‘Gasoline’ is classic ‘Toxic’-era Spears and ‘Inside Out’ is a garage-influenced mid-tempo ballad. The whole album brims with the laidback confidence of someone who knows she’s back on top. Britney claims it’s her best work yet. She’s not wrong.
Ailbhe Malone