Glory
RCA
Release date: August 26, 2016
By Shawal Ras
Follow @shawalras
Pop Princess Britney Jean Spears has officially awakened from a long slumber with the release of her ninth studio album Glory. The glittered spotlight is finally on her, and it is a bright one.
Few years ago, Britney was universally penned by critics and fans after the release of her "most personal album" Britney Jean. The album, described as "undercooked" by many, was Britney at her lowest; too robotic (maximum usage of auto-tunes), no presence (lack of personality in her vocals), predictive (EDM is everything but groundbreaking), and ultimately, it felt rushed.
Today, Glory arrived. Staying true to its name, the album feels like a glorious, or rather Glory-ous, celebration of Britney Spears in a new era and at the top of her game, the comeback of her many comebacks. This album, in my honest opinion, is among her great releases since she emerged as a sexed-up catholic school girl in mid-1999 with '... Baby One More Time', forever being the fixation of many Millennials and adult men for years to come. Sure there's a few mess here and there but this album resonates with the current projection of music. No longer playing in her standard pop turf, Glory sees Britney experimenting with producing a much cohesive soundscape.
"You evoke the feeling / This feeling I've been dreaming now / I'm ready to reveal it / Let inhibitions come undone."
From the opening track 'Invitation', followed by 'Make Me... (feat. G-Eazy)', 'Just Luv Me', to the last track, 'What You Need', the LP feels vibe-y, at most. There are echoes, translucent beats, and trippy rhythms throughout the record. Other than the pulsating taps in 'Clumsy' and a 'Toxic'-esque guitar-riff in 'Do You Wanna Come Over?', Britney also tried trip-hop in 'Love Me Down', and placed her unique vocal at the front and center in 'What You Need'.
Production wise, Glory is a collective work of a handful of producers, spearheaded by Karen Kwak whom Britney referred to as "very gifted at knowing what sounds good" during an interview with Ryan Seacrest. Instead of relying on pop guru Max Martin (i.e. Taylor Swift's 1989, Adele's 25) or Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gotswald (he was a huge influence in the production of Spears' 2011 Femme Fatale), Spears experimented with new wave producers, namely; BloodPop (Justin Bieber's 'Sorry'), Burns (Beyoncé's BEYONCÉ), Ian Kirkpatrick, Cashmere Cat, Mattman & Robin, and many more. She also worked with several songwriters that are behind the minimal sound of today's alternative pop music, including Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter (Selena Gomez's Revival), Chantal Kreviazuk, among others. If you are familiar with these names, you can see how Glory shaped into its final form.
A clear standout track in the album is 'Slumber Party'. Edgy in nature, the track is heavy with bass, distinct brass, and marimba-groove. According to Spears' legion of devoted fans (the Army, me included), 'Slumber Party' is a hit single waiting to be dropped. Another outstanding cut from the album is the opening track itself, 'Invitation'. The mid-tempo slow burner is the perfect aural entrance to set the mood for the album, a rare decision for Britney who used to rely on bangers to open her previous eight albums. Truly memorable.
There's also a few moments in the album where she reminded us of the naïve appeal we used to when she released her first two albums. Despite these songs' modern takes on tween pop, 'Man on the Moon' and 'Hard to Forget Ya' are throwback tracks made to disrupt Glory's fuller soundscape.
Conclusively, Glory is indeed the singer's most cohesive and daring album to date, up to par with her other magnum opuses, In The Zone and Blackout. She took creative control, finally sounds like she's enjoying the process of making her own product when she chirped "that was fun" at the end of the album. After 18 years in the business, Britney finally completed the perfect trifecta for her legacy in music. There's an obvious growth to her as an artist and Spears is long due for a praise.
Listen: 'Invitation', 'Make Me...', 'Just Luv Me', 'Do You Wanna Come Over?', 'Just Like Me', and 'Slumber Party.
Skip: 'Man on the Moon' and 'Hard to Forget Ya'.
Also, stellar bonus cuts: 'Liar', 'Better', and 'Coupure Êlectrique'.