Yes, she did. Even if the title track’s chorus is a blatant rip-off of the Barbra Streisand/Barry Gibb duet, “Woman in Love,” it’s still darn catchy–much more than anything from 1999’s …Baby One More Time (save the album’s fab title tune, of course). With the rest of the 12 songs here, the teen queen pretty much delivers a remake of her last album. Songs like “What U See (Is What U Get)” and “Stronger” show Swedish songwriter-producer Max Martin in his element, churning out another and yet another slick smash with staccato synth beats and heavily overproduced melodies. But even at his strongest points, he can’t bury Britney’s voice far enough below the virtual guitars–and it’s obvious this girl ain’t no Celine. Except for the horrendous ballads, however, that doesn’t make a stitch of a difference. The pop songs have all the qualities of memorable tunes–the choruses are clear and catchy, the beats are bouncy enough to make you shake your bonbon, and the singer is about as randy for love as Austin Powers is for a shag. Edit out the low-water mark–when Britney mutilates the Rolling Stones’ misogynist anthem, “Satisfaction,” by oversexualizing it with inserted “uh”s (“I can’t get no, uh, satisfaction”)–and you’ve got a hit-packed album that’s as guilty a pleasure as reruns of Beverly Hills 90210. –Heidi Sherman
Import exclusive edition of Britney’s second album includes three previously unreleased bonus tracks NOT on the U.S. edition, ‘Girl In The Mirror’, ‘You Got It All’ & ‘Heart’. 15 tracks total, also featuring the hit title song ‘Oops!… I Did It Again’ and a cover of the Rolling Stones classic ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’. Jive.
–This text refers to an alternate
Audio CD
edition.
