Britney Spears is back and she is slaying the charts. Cue the collective groan by Britney haters, “real music lovers” and those who just don’t get it. Yet, this new album Glory by Britney Spears is a triumphant return to the pop charts. I heard a few songs off this album off the radio and I immediately planned a trip to Target to buy this album because it captivated me so much.

This is Britney Spear’s ninth album and she collaborated with rising producers Mattman & Robin who have worked with Selena Gomez and Nick Jonas, and Nick Monson who worked with Lady Gaga and countless others. This album isn’t just filled with your run of the mill pop sounds, it’s layered with some reviewers would call “minimalist hip hop, R&B and brassy soul”, music genres. I was born in the 90’s so  whenever I hear Britney Spears  music it conjures up images of listening to music in a 1 disc- portable CD player and listening to my Hit Clips on the playground. Yes I know I’m aging myself here. Yet, I can’t help those images being conjured up whenever I listen to artists like Britney Spears who were making music when I was a young girl and are still making popular music.

Britney Spears has reinvented herself and with this album I don’t get the feeling Britney is trying prove herself to anyone. She is confident, sexy and sensual and she just exudes that track after track.  Invitation is the first song on this album and it’s a slow song with subdued vocals. Britney’s voice sounds so ethereal it’s almost like she is cooing into your ear it’s so soothing. This song doesn’t aim to hit you in the face with it’s vocals and it’s beats. It’s meant to ease the listener into this new album of hers. One of the more popular songs on the album is Make Me ft. G-Eazy. Presumably everyone has heard this tune, it’s been played on the radio, the music video came out and Britney Spears performed this at MTV’s 2016 Video Music Awards. This record is sensual and unassuming with its gradual chord progression. This song is meant to be played at the club with it’s sensual vocals and longing for the embrace of love lyrics.

Private show is the next song and if Britney Spears had a burlesque show this song would be it’s theme song. It literally invites the listener to their own “private show.” This song is provocative and slinky with it’s beckoning vocals crescendoing with a lovely falsetto. It’s interesting to note if I can’t choreograph an entire car dance to the music while I’m driving the album is not worth my time. I have the opposite problem with the album, it’s so groovy and full of positive vibes. If any song can be considered a ballad on this album Man on the Moon is it and it’s so infectious. Although it’s slower than what we would expect from Britney Spears, you don’t mind it because it’s so serene and has a way of staying in your head long after you have listened to it. On the 6th song on this album, Just Luv Me, Britney has created a thirst trap with this song that will leave you swooning. It’s not a banger but it’s sophisticated and you enjoy it nevertheless.

Clumsy’s vocals are gritty and have a synth-esque quality to them yet they are juxtaposed with this song’s what I would call “gospel clap” back beat. You know the one where you see people get the holy ghost in church and start clapping and shaking their tambourines vigorously. This song might be my favorite one on the album just because I feel this is so unlike what Britney Spears has ever done before and I love that. When this album was first reported as being something Britney was working on she said that  this was her goal with the album, “I want to do something very artsy fartsy. Something I’ve never done before. Even if it’s just going down a left lane and doing a bit of rock or rock/pop. Just do something really kind of out there and different.” That’s exactly what Britney Spears did and I applaud her for that.