Oops, she’s done it again! After nearly two and a half years, Britney Spears released her ninth studio album, “Glory,” on Aug. 26 — and she did not disappoint.
The album comes in both a standard and deluxe version, but those interested in the work should definitely choose the latter. The five tracks added on the deluxe version are far more valuable than the three dollar difference between the versions on Itunes.
“Glory” is a perfect balance of classic Britney style and a mature new outlook. The songs have smoother, calmer melodies and lyrics that mirror the thought process of a woman rather than the young girl we tend to think of as Britney Spears. This is displayed in the soft vocals of the work’s first single “Make Me…,” featuring G-Eazy. Spears doesn’t stop there, however, she continues her infamous style of provocative topics with the tracks “Slumber Party” and “Do You Wanna Come Over?”
The vocal range she demonstrates makes the album interesting; we hear a rather rare version of Spears’ voice in “Private Show.” Rather than the high range we hear in songs like “Lucky,” Spears sings the majority of the song in a lower range, that’s a bit more similar to the voice she speaks with, but still uses a bridge featuring the typical Britney voice. We see a similar style of singing on the track “Just Like Me.”
Spears challenges the idea that music can’t be both catchy and meaningful. Accompanying her fun, provocative tracks, Spears includes pieces like “Man On The Moon,” “Just Luv Me” and “Just Like Me,” all of which discuss love. With tracks markedly different from other love songs in the pop industry, Spears expresses independence and confidence throughout her album. Through lyrics like “I know that I’m worthy” when addressing a significant other in “Just Luv Me”, she demonstrates that relationships aren’t meant to equate to self worth. The song explains that she’s more than capable of taking care of herself and all she wants from a relationship is love, When that love goes to someone else, Spears says “she can have you” in the heartbreak of “Just Like Me.” Though this track communicates a lot of pain that comes from betrayal, Spears maintains that she doesn’t need anyone who doesn’t love and remain faithful to her. She displays an interesting balance between the emotional flow of life and staying connected to yourself.
Spears also experiments with music in different languages, proving that the princess of pop has no language barriers. “Man On The Moon” contains a countdown in French, while the deluxe version of the album includes a song with Spanish lyrics, “Change Your Mind (No Seas Cortes),” and a complete song in French.
From those who grew up listening to “Hit Me Baby One More Time” to others who avoid pop music like the plague, listeners can’t deny that Britney Spears has quite the comeback story. Even though she’s been questioned and criticized for years, Spears’s new album proved to us all that her talent and creativity deserve all the “Glory.”
