britney_spears album fifth studio album american recording artist britney_spears released october opting establish music career fourth studio album zone began planning project work continued time spears publicized personal struggles including instances erratic behavior divorce overshadowed professional endeavors represents musical departure spears earlier work featuring atmospheric tone terms musical lyrical direction collaborated producers including recording studios united_states including spears home los_angeles intention creating uptempo high energy music efforts resulted primarily electropop dance pop record sees additional influences euro disco funk lyrical themes revolve fame media scrutiny sex release received mixed positive reviews music critics complimented spears progressive consistent album times named fifth best pop album decade album added library archives originally scheduled released november united_states ultimately rush released unauthorized internet leaks expected debut number billboard debuted number week sales copies minute rule change consequently distinguished spears studio album debut number position united_states later certified platinum recording_industry_association_of_america riaa exceeding million shipments record charted national charts internationally attained certifications worldwide end sold million copies worldwide sources claim million million singles released lead single peaked number billboard hot charted strongly internationally follow singles piece break ice respectively peaked numbers united_states experienced moderate success worldwide unlike previous records spears heavily promote televised appearance universally panned performance mtv_video_music_awards background development november promoting fourth studio album zone spears told entertainment_weekly writing songs album hoping start record label confirmed written songs european leg bus hotel room concerts following marriage october spears announced letter official website going time enjoy life december surprise appearance los_angeles radio station premiere rough mix new track lisa spears recorded song live band tour dedicated legends icons lyrics lament fall calling unforgettable unpredictable listeners breakdown revealed wanted song single upcoming album tentatively titled original doll hoped release probably maybe little sooner january spears posted letter website saying think previous letters talking taking break meant taking break told cool look don know work play things work fun like work anymore hands management business things feel control representative stated spears working studio album scheduled moment plans service lisa radio lisa released bonus included dvd spears gave birth son september interview people february spears explained anxious resume career commenting missed traveling road seeing different places dancers having fun feeling stage knowing best love needed break needed hungry asked album said experimenting home studio live musicians stripping sound playing piano spears wanted album represent louisiana roots explaining grew listening blues little listen record label signs hit song voice came like try influences sound going like know stated said hoped album current pop scene adding boring wow spears announced pregnant second son days later producers told mtv_news working spears september spears gave birth second child filed divorce november citing differences divorce public behaviour drew attention worldwide media ended separate rehab facility promises february manager released statement march saying successfully program tour tour fifth concert tour britney_spears started venues secret pulled surprise performance april los_angeles nightclub reading san_diego appeared late april media sources identified act spears quickly sold tour began san_diego marked time spears performed live june featured spears accompanied female dancers performing shortened versions songs including hits baby time toxic displayed choreographed dance numbers costume change performance breathe zone male audience member participated onstage opening performance received mixed reviews critics said spears looked happy great shape deemed seen inferior previous efforts great experience spears love returning stage simple setting outside san_diego venue sold tickets face value prices recording earnest recording album began according spears representative spears met las_vegas nevada march enlisted work album listening rihanna wrote recorded songs including everybody trust july started working contacted songwriters work team wrote seven tracks spears break ice naked got plan hot ice perfect lover world explained creative process difficult left pretty wanted felt gon ride didn face wrote spears mind played instrumental saying started singing added little having fun spears began recording studio las_vegas august seven months pregnant recording continued spears house los_angeles weeks gave birth commented gave percent don know mother added despite problems personal life far work ethic haven seen anybody come like sound album deemed bigger mature new britney explaining come hip hop throw producer heaven earth writer producer baby worked spears pregnant second child said spears worked hard called september told mtv_news spears trying current sound radio moment november spears recorded radar clutch new_york_city lewis wanted work long time motivated produce going help project great project come smith stated team tried create record britney_spears know love touch dealing stuff dealing commented spears arrived late recording sessions caught guard efficiency lewis adding absolutely nuts took directions don know expecting went cut record day filed divorce kevin pain wrote hot ice studio spears february stated songs recorded finished hour said thought going sitting couch eating came shook hand gave went right booth got heaven earth written known writing songs artists felt hadn found niche wrote heaven earth described honest song played song publisher met spears loved described heaven earth song transformed career known wrote produced tracks piece radar toy soldier album considered finished persuaded work new track commented rule write songs spears personal life sweet dreams answer song justin_timberlake cry river rejected record label duo wrote piece answer spears critics sent singer loved stated knew song broke rules came studio extremely learned lyrics heart car recorded song half hour album release told mtv_news album shows lot growth performer involved songs turned magic turns songs producers worked album luke composition stated spears objective fun album uptempo high energy music saying wanted stay away personal fun basic wrong feeling good celebrating album opens single upbeat dance pop electropop song influences disco funk song opens spoken intro spears says line britney bitch lyrics appears dance sex actually media fascination private life noted lines cameras dirty song second single piece runs tempo dance beat consists vocal causing split sound effect making difficult voice spears talks fame written like biography retelling sings nearly spoken manner track album radar electropop euro disco song features distorted synthesizers received comparisons love lyrics spears lets subject know radar lists qualities man fourth song single break ice opens spears singing lines know shouldn kept waiting song features choir singing background vocals sounding like duet explained song people girl guy girl saying little cold let warm things break ice chorus bridge begins spears saying like mimicking janet_jackson nasty album fifth track heaven earth euro disco love song new wave influences inspired feel love vocal lines taking place beat commented song written dark place saying thinking thinking perfect think touching perspective feels like need person feel safe feel good spears named song favorite sixth track naked got plan uptempo song sex constructed duet spears sings chorus voice distorted sound like decaying spears contributes series chants voice distorted seventh track built effect spears sings dancing spotlight lyrics chicks mad bout shake ass watch boy bridge vocals pitched low making sound masculine track toy soldier song reminiscent showcases military spears singing needing new lover hot ice song featuring background vocals pain sings higher register girl ability drive man crazy mama new baby tenth track baby contains guitar blends beat rock roll melody turtles happy lyrics sings lover touch come alive feel lips feel deep inside said inspired relationship spears son studio saying look way looked way hold baby kind struck interesting times kid times lover perfect lover song belly dance beat spears sings lyrics come hot twelfth track sad song directed husband bonus tracks everybody samples sweet dreams features spears singing lower register release artwork june spears posted message official website asking assistance title album options like like okay like joke boy integrity dignity october announced press release album titled referring blocking embracing life fully set released november announced october release date moved weeks october unauthorized leaks following day filed lawsuit claiming illegally obtained posted gossip blog songs unfinished demos album representatives alleged posts taken place course previous months requested real damages legal costs june parties submitted stipulation dismiss case undisclosed settlement agreement following month judge dismissed case prejudice cover sleeve images shot cover released october features spears sporting black hair wearing white reviewer ottawa citizen felt design pictures feature spears priest suggestive poses image shows spears wears cross sitting priest lap second priest sitting partition album released director communications stated group considered photos cheap publicity stunt promote album condemned spears mocking catholic added troubled girl especially family losing kids career downward slide album tactic promote mtv said images reminiscent madonna music video like prayer booklet contains pictures chairs ripped tabloid pages images music video album include thank list unlike previous albums critical reception received mixed positive reviews music critics album holds score indicating generally positive reviews based critical reviews according music review aggregator metacritic stephen_thomas_erlewine senior editor allmusic said album state art dance pop testament skills producers britney realize hire best best reviewer blender deemed consistent album seamlessly entertaining collection bright electropop watson entertainment weekly commented album poetry perfectly dance album abundant kind bouncy electro elements hottest hits reviewer nme said heavily treated vocals spears sound robotic adding human touches pitchfork_media called naked got plan centerpiece album added like superb modern pop probably released star moment britney walking makes great car crash copy record fit want popmatters said right utterly cover utterly ultimately forgettable time career voiced real thoughts life gon best pop booty jams social worker cuts supply hits magazine described influential albums modern pop slant_magazine writer sal_cinquemani compared album zone saying scores remarkably high isn step forward britney following surprisingly strong zone received writing credit majority songs opposed said counts significant event couldn mysteriously manufactured ill timed song counts markedly progressive strange alexis_petridis guardian called bold exciting album question able hear contents new_york_times said electronic beats bass lines thick spears voice thin album title suggests general mood observer stated spears delivered best album career raising bar modern pop music mix catalogue phoenix said album tribute skills list producers guided disc talents smart accept guidance consumer guide critic robert_christgau gave album said britney bitch piece single year baby feel deep inside perfect lover touch album pure plastic naked commercial performance according nielsen soundscan sold copies day availability united_states billboard compared sales favorably number album previous week sold copies estimated possibly debut billboard november billboard announced eagles week sales long road surpassed spears debut charts rules forbidding albums exclusively sold retail outlet case entering billboard magazine senior analyst director charts explained frustrated situation saying believe eagles sold seeing people stake suggesting afternoon day issued press release announcing long road sold copies night announced article agreement nielsen_soundscan billboard allow exclusive album titles available retailer appear charts effective week billboard debut number sales copies spears studio album debut number album set record biggest selling digital album debut female artist week time following release circus december entered chart number ninety sales copies march album sold million copies united_states canada debuted atop canadian albums_chart sales units number album britney certified platinum shipments copies australia new_zealand debuted number official charts respectively certified platinum australian_recording_industry_association aria indicating shipments units debuted number albums_chart sales units long road stayed chart weeks certified gold british_phonographic_industry bpi shipments copies ireland album debuted irish charts replacing magic debuted number european albums holding long road reaching chart album consistent performance european region hitting markets including debuting number switzerland number austria italy denmark number germany portugal according album thirty second best selling album end sold million copies worldwide singles released album lead single song received mixed reviews critics praised music criticized spears overly processed vocals peaked number billboard hot fifth hit second highest peaking single time peaked charts canada reached positions fourteen countries accompanying music video premiered october displayed spears featured break spears highly choreographed music videos received mixed negative reviews critics panned spears pole dancing lack storyline piece released second single album critics gave song positive reviews praising production defiant lyrics citing highlights rolling_stone ranked song number list best songs peaked number ireland reached positions australia austria canada denmark finland new_zealand sweden united_kingdom united_states second single album peaked chart music video directed portrayed spears life time showed friends order confuse concept spears situation received mixed reviews critics arguing body digitally altered video nominated categories mtv_video_music_awards won including video year break ice released final single received positive reviews music critics deemed strong electronic track album song moderate success reaching belgium canada finland ireland sweden charting australia new_zealand european countries united_states song reached number billboard hot peaking number hot_dance_club_songs chart accompanying music video directed released march anime video based character spears toxic music video portrays destroying highly secured laboratory clones including radar originally planned released single according clutch break ice released instead radar chosen fourth single release scrapped spears began recording new material sixth studio album circus later released fourth single bonus track album promotion days media speculation confirmed september spears open mtv_video_music_awards pearl theatre hotel casino las_vegas september announced going perform magic act parts performance bit thought rejected organisers minute performance began spears lip lines elvis_presley song trouble began camera panned reveal spears wearing black jewel bikini black boots accompanied male female dancers dressed black outfits pole dancers danced smaller stages audience performance universally panned critics new_york_times said prepared sunday night spears dance steps occasional words attempt lip new single commented spears looked wearing expression somebody deposited tornado promptly twisted away taking clothing sense purpose slow motion somebody poured cement boots bbc stated performance history books worst grace unlike spears previous albums heavily promoted magazine interviews talk appearances televised performances performance accompanied tour november mtv launched contest britney spears wants piece fans direct separate video piece footage interviews performances spears fans mix create mash footage winning video premiered december mtv spears picked winner winner received device year subscription spears entire discography released united_states legacy released spears behaviour public began clash image stephen_thomas_erlewine allmusic stated spears artist relied carefully sculpted door persona images replaced images britney beating cars fingers designer dresses stage new disaster stripping away public image added album served soundtrack britney drunken days reflecting excess noting album public spears lacked new_york_times said spears presence album explaining compared previous records cuts low profile marketed clean cut touring country microphone functioned largely prop intense tom pitchfork_media compared relationship spears american television series saying great wasn central good girl gone bad story story liberated britney disc life distraction extraordinary album critics referred high expectations album direction quality alexis_petridis guardian elaborated faced public image artist options making music golden pre days complete throw caution wind given fortunes harm taking musical risks commented spears opted results largely fantastic said successive tracks hard defiant envelope pushing dance pop expected spears paper precedent expected ballad song kids maybe high profile guest star don things like think britney sense avoid noted leaked online forum thread song hit seven pages hours generating mixed reactions mainstream underground music brings wider pop vocabulary attributed quality track economic reasons main causes album sales began suffer digital era albums online stores making easier consumers buy tracks entire album explained revolver blueprint pop albums track good track potential hit makes sense especially star date fast moving market reviewers noted use spears voice said serves reminder instantly recognizable spears vocals saying treated thin southern defining sounds pop noted album vocal treatment studio instrument disrupting songs helps reviewing spears demo telephone rolling_stone compared piece proving impact britney current pop people love fun britney telephone proves influential pop album past years june added musical library archive accolades ranked rolling_stone number list best albums album topped billboard poll best album year spears won votes votes cast year music awards album year times named fifth best pop album decade album appeared rolling_stone end decade poll voted seventh best album decade readers ranking best albums 2000s decade included number album appeared guardian writers favourite albums list track listing notes signifies vocal producer signifies producer signifies signifies additional producer everybody contains sample sweet dreams written credits personnel credits adapted allmusic charts certifications release history
Blackout (Britney Spears album)