Teen-pop sensations have a short life. Britney Spears was good till her fourth album In the Zone (2003), and then there was a steady decline in her vocal prowess.
Now she is no longer a teen-pop sensation, but she has bounced back with Glory, her ninth studio album. Nearly 20 years after ‘Baby One More Time,’ Britney, who is now in her mid-30s, comes up with ace of an album.
Her voice has been manipulated in a number of ways in the various tracks — crooning, cooing, giggling, talking, lilting and singing. The album begins with ‘Invitation’, and it is indeed an invitation to have a good time as the rest of the album demonstrates.
Although not in the range of pop classics, ‘Make Me’ (featuring G-Eazy) is a sultry, sensual dance track that gradually grows on a listener. However, the track is spoiled by rapper G-Eazy’s performance. This is clearly an unsuccessful collaboration. In ‘Private Show’, Britney reveals her real self — minus the veneer of studio polish. In ‘Man in the Moon’, former pop sensation pines over an astro-boy who’s left the planet with her heart. It is a sci-fi or rather a sigh-fi number.
‘Clumsy’ is a pulsating track with its electro guitar, metallic synths and rhythmic digital claps. A perfect three-minute Britney song. ‘Do You Wanna Come Over?’ is club class and a party hit reminiscent of Britney’s early years. While ‘Slumber Party’ is a catchy jam with tinges of reggae, ‘Hard to Forget Ya’ appears to have some Bollywood influence. At the end of the song, ‘What You Need’, Britney declares “That was fun”, after the music stops. This, in short, sums up the album.