B+
The preservation of youth has been a theme among celebrity culture for centuries. Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor and Madonna have all gone to great lengths in order to appear as young as they were in their prime.
As Liz Lemon articulated it, there are only two types of female celebrities – those like Madonna who stay in denial about their own age until their deaths and those like Meryl Streep who grow to embrace their own mortality.
Somehow, nostalgic pop idol Britney Spears has managed to do the impossible and successfully conquer her age while remaining as relevant and talented, if not more so, than the vast majority of current pop sensations.
Need proof? Look no further than her recent ninth studio LP “Glory,” a record that manages to simultaneously celebrate Britney nostalgia and cater to a modern audience. Needless to say, there’s something for everyone on this album.
It seems pretty clear Britney was going for a more retro sound on this record than her previous LP “Britney Jean.” I was reminded greatly of her first two albums “... Baby One More Time” and “Oops! ... I Did It Again” while listening to “Glory.”
A return to sound also brought a return to Britney’s signature sexiness in “Glory.” Songs like “Private Show,” “Slumber Party” and “Love Me Down” are as equally seductive in nature as classics like “Toxic,” “Criminal” and “I’m a Slave 4 U.”
On top of that, Britney appears to be going for a nightclub vibe on this record too, almost like Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way” or Nicki Minaj’s “The Pinkprint.”
I find it interesting that one of the last songs of the record is called “Hard to Forget Ya.” Of course, the lyrics are talking about a sexy encounter with a man, but it’s a song that seems to resonate only too strongly with her fans.
It has been almost ten years since Britney’s unfortunate meltdown, and while that may always be a dark and infamous point in her career, it by no means defines who she is to any of us. She will always be one of America’s greatest pop icons.
It’s hard to forget you too, Britney. But why would we want to do a crazy thing like that?
