Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures  |  Adult
Boston  |  Portland  |  Providence
 

Britney Spears

BRITNEY-BLACKOUTINSIDE
Spears’s fifth studio album is a witchy electro-pop wonder as suspect as those prescription pills photographed in her purse a few weeks ago. Yes, it’s been a bad year for Spears, with that embarrassing VMA appearance, and the even more bizarre performance — the “Eat it, lick it, snort it, fuck it” quip — she let loose outside a courtroom just days after Blackout leaked on MTV.com, VH1.com, and LOGOonline.com. The good news is that lyrics like “I’m Mrs. Oh My God, that Britney’s shameless” (“Piece of Me”) aren’t quite that bad. Over a vibrating bass, Britney baby-baby-talks while the Swedish producing team of Bloodshy & Avant play with her pitch and Spears shows a little self-awareness. The disc’s obvious dance singles, “Gimme More” and “Hot As Ice,” are helped by Timbaland protégé Nate “Danja” Hills. (He’s credited on five of the album’s 12 songs.) Spears also takes a stab a Blondie-style new wave with “Heaven on Earth,” the disc’s biggest departure and another pleasant surprise. Blackout may be more a tribute to the skills of the A-list producers who guided her through the disc than to any of her own talents. But at least she was smart enough to accept that guidance.
Headlines from the Web

Shaggy to work with Britney Spears & Robbie Williams?

8/29/2008 9:45:31 PM

Source: The Daily Mirror, UK

Shaggy to work with Britney Spears &... The Boombastic Mr Lover Lover man Shaggy has revealed that he wants to do a...

8/29/2008 9:45:03 PM

Source: The Daily Mirror, UK

Britney, Paris Air Savage Anti-McCain Ad

8/29/2008 4:06:22 PM

Source: Yahoo! News

Kevin looks well Fed on trip out

8/29/2008 2:42:07 PM

Source: The Sun, UK

'Britney's Too Big for VMAs'

8/29/2008 1:56:00 PM

Source: WIOD NewsRadio 610

Pharrell: 'Britney's Too Big for VMAs'

8/29/2008 1:55:20 PM

Source: WKBZ NewsRadio 1090

Britney's License Trial Still Idling

8/29/2008 11:52:58 AM

Source: Yahoo! News

Britney Spears to team up with Olympic hero Michael Phelps at MTV VMAs

8/29/2008 11:23:22 AM

Source: The Daily Mirror, UK

Britney Spears is super-talented, says Pharrell

8/29/2008 8:14:17 AM

Source: The Daily Mirror, UK

Britney Spears' double is a man!

8/29/2008 7:35:58 AM

Source: Times of India

Blogs

Shaggy - Shaggy Eyes Spears Collaboration

8/30/2008 10:14:30 AM

Source: ContactMusic Ltd

Shannen Doherty Criticizes 'Panty-Less' Starlets

8/29/2008 5:49:33 PM

Source: Starpulse News Blog

Pharrell: Britney's Too Big For VMAs

8/29/2008 11:33:23 AM

Source: Starpulse News Blog

St. Paul Scoop: McCain's Video Blitz

8/29/2008 9:01:29 AM

Source: Tech Daily Dose

Tip of the day: Britney Spears Diet Secrets

8/29/2008 8:29:38 AM

Source: Styledash

Latest Articles

pandj.jpg

Over and out for Opie

Newsman takes a walk rather than embrace tabloid lexicon
Jim "Opie" Hummel has been among the handful of local wild and crazy reporters who consistently come up with solid, aggressively pursued, and flashy stories.
By PHILIPPE + JORGE  |  August 06, 2008
080719_bighurt_list

Vicious squircles

The Big Hurt: grave errors and virtual disappointments
Someone has made off with Ian Curtis's gravestone.
By DAVID THORPE  |  July 15, 2008

Baby mama drama

Diverse city
I’ve been working to kick my heavy diet of mainstream media programming.
By SHAY STEWART-BOULEY  |  June 25, 2008
feat_gitmolist.jpg

A night in Guantánamo

Staying in a replica cell, with no waterboarding included
I’d volunteered to spend the night in the replica cell (which is modeled on the ones at Gitmo) because we’ve all heard stories about unlivable conditions at Gitmo but can’t come close to imagining what it must be like.
By JEFF INGLIS  |  June 18, 2008
080613_cusack_list

Interview: John Cusack sounds off on War, Inc.

Say everything
Most filmgoers recognize John Cusack as a brooding sexy, sometimes sardonic leading man.
By PETER KEOUGH  |  June 11, 2008
Ascent_Centerlist

State of the art

RISD grads share their visions
RISD’s annual “Graduate Thesis Exhibition” could be just the place to glimpse the future of art, as predicted by the school that U.S. News & World Report recently said has the best master of fine arts program in the country.
By GREG COOK  |  May 28, 2008
00000_thisjustin

How private are your medical records?

Technology watch
Let’s face it: the worldwide Web is making privacy obsolete.
By MARY ANN SORRENTINO  |  April 30, 2008
080502_madonna_list

Who’s that girl (now)?

Madonna pulls some Hard Candy from her purse
I’d wager that Madonna is not much of a fun person.
By DANIEL BROCKMAN  |  April 29, 2008
080418_baldwin_list

Just the two of us

Nat Baldwin lugs his bass into your heart
I almost slept over at Nat Baldwin’s house once.
By CAMILLE DODERO  |  April 22, 2008
080411_thorpe_lsits

The Big Hurt: Clubbing baby seals: not okay

This week in social activism
Pop icon RICKY MARTIN paid a humanitarian visit to Cambodia recently in support of victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
By DAVID THORPE  |  April 08, 2008
yaellist

Yael Naim

Atlantic
I can’t understand half of what Yael Naim is singing on her homonymous sophomore release, and her inscrutability only adds to her charm.
By SHARON STEEL  |  April 08, 2008
08408_thorpe-list

The Big Hurt: Fire sales

Plus, this week in tedious headlines
The world’s largest collection of recorded music has gone up for auction on eBay with a starting bid of $3 million.
By DAVID THORPE  |  March 04, 2008
listMattCosta-02-big[1]

California comfort

Matt Costa at the Paradise, February 29, 2008
With the touch of two keys, “Mr. Pitiful” began, the crowd erupted, and Costa’s southern comfort turned into a pop star fiasco.
By DANNY DEZA  |  March 03, 2008
080229_bassline_list

The low end

The bassline house invasion
The British rave revolution of the late ’80s/early ’90s is accurately viewed as the source of the ever increasing number of dance genres in the UK.
By RICHARD BECK  |  February 26, 2008
080222_thorpe_list

The big hurt: Hello, goodbye

And a warm hello to STP, Britney, and Lily Allen
I should probably explain that this is not the same David Thorpe who recently resigned from a different local newspaper where he wrote a beloved weekly column very, very much like this one.
By DAVID THORPE  |  February 20, 2008
listbooks_proust_author_cLo

Senses come alive

Did art prove science before science did?
Are Jay-Z’s synapses wired to express supreme confidence?
By CHRISTOPHER GRAY  |  February 13, 2008
touchlist

Dirty dancing

A fitting opening for 'Inappropriate Touching'
The exhibit is called “Inappropriate Touching,” and whether you wanted it or not, that’s what you got at the packed opening reception.
By GEORGIANA COHEN  |  February 05, 2008
080125_libertines_list

Doherty dos and don’ts

From the Libertines to Babyshambles
Not even Pete Doherty’s regular absences were enough to hold back the Libertines.
By MATT ASHARE  |  January 22, 2008
080125_godzilla-list

Oh no, Godzilla

They say he’s got to go
Let me tell you exactly how long I played Godzilla Unleashed : two hours. Two miserable, excruciating hours of my life that I will never get back.
By MITCH KRPATA  |  January 22, 2008
LISTDOWNLOAD_KateNash_300CM

Buzz babes

The new "It" girls
Among the top contenders early on: a mom setting the tone of a teen-pregnancy flick.
By VICTORIA WELCH  |  January 14, 2008
Video

Britney performing at VMAs?

8/27/2008 7:15:55 PM

Source: CNN Video

Live from Denver: Blogs, video, real-time updates at thePhoenix.com/Election2008
More: DNC 2008
HOT TOPICS
 More Topics . . .
MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



Saturday, August 30, 2008  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
StuffAtNight Latest:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2008 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group