Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Average pop album
It gets 2 stars because there are probably only 2 songs I’d listen to again. It’s throwaway pop that is long gone but an important milestone in the direction of music in the late 90s. Glad it’s gone though.
I have a similar problem with almost all late 90s/early 2000s pop, which is that it sounds super dated, and often there's only one good song on the album and the rest is filler that's just a worse version of the good song. Also the albums are usually a lot longer than they need to be
You know, usually I get one of these pop albums and I'm not too excited about it, but it ends up being much better than I thought it would be. Not so with this album. The hit songs are still good, but everything else feels super generic. Even the production of this album feels uninspired. In retrospect, I feel justified in not giving a crap about this album in 1999 2/5
Noh...
+1 for the e-mail song which a beautiful time capsule. Honestly learning about Max Martin and his relationship to the English language makes some of these songs make a liiiiitle more sense. But as always with pop albums, can i please skip the middle 8 tracks of boring love ballads.
the hits are the hits, but the filler is some of the emptiest pop music ever recorded
the hits were the hits but the rest of this album felt like being an archaeologist, unearthing never before seen britney. i will never get over how funny "e-mail my heart" is
That opening song is still pop perfection. Everything after that I can’t get into. 2/5
You know what's the killer and what's the filler. Just go listen to a greatest hits album instead.
Seriously? I guess it was popular and catchy enough...
Why? Why on this list? Oh well, it’s not reprehensible enough to get one star, but I’m giving it the bare minimum for not being awful.
Big pop with a lot of moans
…Baby One More Time is a pop junk food feast—a Big Mac with extra cheese, fries, and a milkshake of pure pop bliss. Max Martin’s hooks hit like a sugar rush, while Britney’s star power barely keeps it from falling apart. The title track is undeniable, but most of the rest? Filler bloat. Musically forgettable yet culturally untouchable, it’s a time capsule of late-’90s excess—greasy, over-the-top, and impossible to ignore.
It's brittany
I don't know where to start this review, but I guess I never expected to be sitting here thinking to myself that I have many thoughts about Baby One More Time by Britney Spears of all albums I listened to because of the generator. The main thing is well: this era of teeny bopper, turn of the century music is for the most part... not great for an album but has always a great single or a great song hidden in between all the fluff of the album (or the songs that I don't enjoy at least). I'm not gonna say this album is great since I find a lot of the songs to be either melodramatic power ballads or dance pop tunes which the former gets grating because it reminds me of those live action TV movies from Disney Channel and the latter IS very fun and I wish there was more of it instead of the former. Yet, I still can find something in those cheesy ballads in how they remind me of being like 10 or 12 watching those old Disney Channel TV movies and find some nostalgia in that era of TV that I remember pretty vividly and then just think "well it isn't great and isn't my kinda pop but it's really cute and even making me feel good??" Which is wild because again, I thought I'd be sitting here saying it's teen pop with the one good song and move on (and I mean yeah, Baby One More Time overshadows the entire album except for The Beat Goes On which kinda sounds like a very simple attempt at doing the sound of Debut or Post era Bjork and I'm still so surprised by it). I don't think I will sit and relisten to this again (unless I get dared to dive into her discography) but I feel it gave me a good enough time that I can't ignore that or avoid that it reminds me of a bunch of things I enjoyed once. So yeah, thanks Britney.
the Pop Princess starts well, but then drops into generic sounds
Even if you try, it’s hard not to have heard about Spears and her struggles. What I’ve read about her conservatorship issues makes me respect her on a human level. As far as this album goes, though, it sounds to me like what happens when you try to sexualize a former Mouseketeer for cynical commercial gain. There are a couple moments where you catch glimpses of sincere talent, but not enough to justify an hour-long pop album.
Like chewing one of those cheap 90s bubble gums. Overly sweet, so much so that there is nothing to actually taste but sugar. Then it's just instantly bland. Zero nutritional value. You also get the nausea and disgust that comes with overstuffing yourself with candy. The album certainly has its relevance if you want to comprehend a very specific feeling of a very specific time period, but it still hurts to listen to all of it.
It's pure pop. It's dense. It's dated.
Iconic. But it does feel a bit like a hodge podge of sounds. Just throwing some things at a wall. Soda pop? Wth is that. 2.5
Peoples opinion on this is clouded by how hot they thought britney was 2/5
I mean... its a bog-standard pop record with a couple (or at least one) standout song.
не очень
There's simply not enough here to carry an album. The opening is great, the middle is almost okay, and the closers are a waste of time.
I guess this was an influential album, but it's pretty hollow and helped inspire decades of similarly hollow music. Still, listening to it is incredibly easy.
For better or worse, this album is now part of the fabric of pop music. I couldn’t find many redeeming qualities on a personal level, this is generally pretty bad, annoying and cringey. The low point was E-mail My Heart, and that’s when I decided I couldn’t listen to it again.
Shocked how many of these songs I knew. Shocked how terribly cringey they are.
Leave Britney alone. In seriousness, I hear a lot of Michael Jackson in the production here. Too bad I don't like Michael Jackson. I suppose the album belongs on the list, but not for good reasons.
My expectations were high because it's Britney hello?? Girl was slaying since the late '90s with her singles -- which I actually like. But I guess she's another one of those great-singles-but-terrible-albums artists ://
Early Pop superstardom. Ok. [whatever happened to that cute girl on the cover? Man did her life spiral.]
She has a good voice, but for a pop album, there's a lot of boring songs on here. 2/5
Nope
Some well written hits, and some dull and generic 90's pop share an album
I guess this is why I missed this decade for music. Way too poppie for me
Not for me. I know, and don't particularly like, Britney from the singles; a whole album doesn't make it better. It's well-produced (possibly over-produced) bubblegum pop, largely inoffensive, although I don't like Britney's nasal, adenoidal voice, but some of the songs, like the duet with Don Phillips, are really poor. Apart from Baby, Hit Me... the best song is probably the cover of The Beat Goes On... and that pales in comparison with the Sonny and Cher original.
Is this music for me? Not really. I didn't listen to it at the time and the only reason I know some of these songs are that you couldn't escape them (honest). However, seeing as this is a debut album of one of the biggest pop acts of a generation you probably should listen to it. Also, now I'm older, I can openly admit "...Baby One More Time" is a banger - even the late Darius couldn't wreck this tune. Best Tunes: ...Baby One More Time; (You Drive Me) Crazy; Sometimes
Will not be listening again sorry Britney. BOMT remains a classic - everything else is forgettable and sounding pretty dated. BOMT drags it to a 2.
It is a crime against humanity that Baby One More Time makes the list but BLACKOUT is omitted. Called the "Bible of Pop" by critics and fans alike, Blackout is considered Britney's greatest musical achievement, was imitated for years, and was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's musical archive only five years after its release.
omgg niin pikku kouloutyttö mutta niin sensuaalinen omg...ihq... alkaa uskomaton bänger, sitten alkaa ollakkin jo aika hankalaa kuunneltavaa. mainostyyppistä musiikkia :() vois ehkä ostaa jotain tuotteita rn emt.. voi kuunnella puolikas biisiä ja sitten mennä seuraavaan koska heh kuultu koko homma jo (periaattessa näin...).... länsimaailmanvalta loppuu noin tässäkohdin maailmanhistoriaa, kun ruvettiin tälläsiä pimpsakoita fanittamaan huohhoijjaa... rise of china. 願榮耀歸給天上的父，願祢的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。求你赦免我們的債務，作為我們日用的食物， 如我們也赦免了我們的債務人一樣。王國、權力和榮耀，直到 nice quad stretch ....................baby one more tejime
Bit meh. Didn’t realise beat goes on was her song originally 5/10
una buena escucha, no la pase mal pero tampoco me gustó demasiado, las letras no me gustan, bastante decepcionantes y la mayoría de las canciones no destacan demasiado. Eso si Baby One More Time canción es un clasicazo. Total del álbum: 65 2estrellas
I got my first boner from seeing hit me baby on MTV
Tiene un par de hits pero meeehhh, queda viejo, demasiado formula-noventosa- que ya me da un poco de cringe a esta altura
Великая заглавная песня, еще пару приличных песен, и куча такого-сякого филлера. Хочется сделать комментарий: современные поп-дивы гораздо лучше в этом смысле. Лучшая песня - ...Baby One More Time.
Extremely front heavy album. It starts with two, dare I say, bangers and the rest is mediocre. It really shows that it's from the era of pop that had some really popular singles just to sell an otherwise forgettable album.
This is clearly a meme inclusion and I probably shouldn't dignify it with a full review, but while I'm here there are a few cool things about this album: 1) it's by Britney Spears, who is an icon I generally like (even on her less critically acclaimed records that get lots of play in gay spaces i.e. Work Bitch, Womanizer) 2) I used to be obsessed as a kid with this Olly Murs track called "Troublemaker" in the mid-2010s, which happens to be a near chord-for-chord ripoff of (You Drive Me) Crazy. Unfortunately this version doesn't have a Flo Rida feature like that track does, because it easily would've boosted the energy. 3) Max Martin's legacy as an all-time producer in pop just about started here, and without him I would not have my favorite album ever Found Heaven. So thank you Max. Even if we haven't met on the fairest terms here. What's the most heartbreaking part about this inclusion is it's a peek into the early era of poptimism, when journalists weren't QUITE there yet. If they had only waited a few years, maybe they could've predicted Blackout becoming the cult classic instead and this review could be way more interesting. But alas, I'm stuck talking about this one. In one ear and out the other... 4/10
Not a Britney fan. Not a great album either.
I've never been the target audience for this record, in fairness there's some big hits on it, just not the kind of thing I'd listen to out of choice
Although the basic thrust of the album hasn't aged well, you can't deny she's a star and this album rampaged through American culture like a bill in a china shop. So this album does deserve a spot on this list. I never listened to the whole album back in the day; the whole endeavor -- the album cover, the Rolling Stone spread, the videos, her overall packaging for the male gaze -- bothered me in a way I didn't have words for then. Listening straight through now I can't say I like it much. Once past the hits it's really pretty boring.
I was a 16 year old boy when this album was released so was Britney, so needless to say I was a preeeettttyyy, pretty big fan, just not her music. So I wasn’t too excited to have to listen to this. That being said, the title track is an absolute banger, it’s undeniable. The rest isn’t good, however. 4.3/10
not my jam, teen pop. Understand it's historical significance.
Cheese. And oof, clearly some dude in a weird fever dream wrote “Born to Make You Happy.”
i miss toxic
Good stuff. I don’t know about top 1001 though.
It starts with a barricade of hits, carefully even if industrially crafted, but the thing is that, for a close to an hour record, the genius pop seems to completely fade byt the 4th track leaving the listener with only half decent songs for the rest of the album... it was ok in 1999 a time sadly more remembered in this case for the public and her environment mistreatment of Britney. Baby One More Time the track is timeless, but the true gem from this album is Sometimes. Weird times.
This starts and I'm like 'oh boy I forgot how GOOD this song is'; track 2 gets on, and I'm like 'oh boy I forgot how GOOD this song is'; track 3 begins and I'm like 'this is it, isn't it?' Yep, 2 tracks of absolute candy magic and the rest is pure filler. My favourite lyrics though were: " I bet you we can pop like we've never popped it before, Why we keep comin' back for more and more for sure (sure), It's cool Britney when we get down on the floor, yeah, And we go on and on until the break of dawn" At the time of recording, Britney Spears was 17...yeeesh
There’s not a world in which you need to listen to this album before you die Baby One more time is a great pop song but the rest is serviceable late 90’s pop at best and doesn’t have any lasting value
I've already heard the 1-2 songs on this album really worth someone's time, and despite having come of age around the time when this album came out I wasn't very susceptible to being pulled in by this one. There's not a lot in this album that has aged particularly well.
oh god
No more times. That was plenty.
the facehugger instar of poptimism
Definitely on the list because she’s a cultural icon, not because it’s good. Gave a star for an all time hit, but not much more there.
The title track is no doubt a paradigm-shifting pop sensation, but outside of that this album was just really difficult to get through. Some records have important lyrics that are difficult to understand because of the genre/singing/mixing/etc. but this was the opposite. "Born to Make You Happy" encapsulates this.
The title track is good, the rest is typical Swedish pop garbage that only belongs at Eurovision
Anybody else feel nauseous looking at this cover? Like is it just me or does it cause the word 'exploitation' to play over and over in your head? Just me? Anyway - this is kind of terrible. That first song is understandable as a pop hit but come on. 'E-mail My Heart'? These are not serious people.
I don't want to be too harsh; for all her popularity and accolades, Britney Spears has evidently not had the most straightforward path in life. However - this ain't it. Title track aside (and even that lacked oomph shorn of its video), this is an underwhelming confection crafted by a bunch of hack Swedish songwriters (go check the credits - what's the deal? A forlorn hope that ABBA's talent was somehow racially endemic?). Anyway, the rhymes are obvious, the music is bland and gusts of emotion are signified by key changes. Spears herself sings in a breathy, quavery voice that proved peculiarly influential; but it's the delivery of someone either seventeen or seventy. 'Soda Pop' at least gave me a laugh with its cod-Caribbeanisms and a backup singer who sounds fresh from doing Pato Banton karaoke. Pop of this era could be good (Aqua's 'Aquarium' is close to a masterpiece) and Spears would record better - 'Toxic' was top notch. This, though, is simply bad. Yesterday I was wrapping my brain around Pere Ubu, you know...
A banging opening but it’s not my vibe
It’s nostalgic. And still just as bland as it was in 2000.
Look. There are good pop albums, and there are just... pop albums. This album falls into the second one. It's hard to believe it's 25 years old. But listening to some of the songs and production, it shows how 90s-sounding the album is. Britney Spears is a fairly decent singer (Christina Aguilera has a better voice, IMO). It's just the material she was given to sing is just so... pedestrian. I mean, "E-Mail My Heart"? That aged well. The title track is still decent, but it can't carry the whole album. Next.
I figured this was coming. I mean, you probably have to include on this list the debut album of someone who (upon releasing it) instantly became a pop phenomenon and the biggest star on the planet. But that doesn't mean it's a good album. I still remember the first time I saw her video for Baby One More Time; I immediately said she is going to a huge star. Decent vocals but an image and look that would smash. If you know anything about Britney's life and career, that album cover says it all doesn't it? Innocent girl in an on-first-glance innocent pose that is much more sexually suggestive on closer inspection. That's exactly how she was marketed and exploited. A shame really. She had two smash singles - the uptempo and catchy title track and You Drive Me Crazy. I don't even recognize two of the other three singles - Sometimes (yes) and From the Bottom of My Broken Heart and Born to Make You Happy (nope) - all of which are pure schlock. And the non-singles are barely listenable. Then there are the lyrics on this whole album (umm, Email My Heart...ugh) - just dreadful. More thanks we can give to her record producers and the entire music industry at the time that was hell-bent on producing pop icons not talent and enduring quality. I don't blame Britney at all for this album. But given how big three of the singles were, this album is surprisingly bad. Still, it was a watershed moment in pop music history, for better or (mostly) worse.
I've tried to be open-minded in this whole 1001 thing. That was rewarded with discovering that pop artists like Madonna and Christina Aguilera weren't as bad as I thought. But this one - yeah, it's as bad as I thought. Her singing style makes me cringe - she sounds like she's trying to be sexy, but just...no. The music is cheesy formulaic pop. Absolutely soulless. Yeah, this is awful. So why a 2 rather than a 1? To me, a 1 is absolutely unlistenable. I don't like this, but I could tolerate it (and even had to admit some of the simple, formulaic songs are earworms). So, a 2 feels more appropriate. But barely. Tracks that had some redeeming value: Soda Pop, Born to Make You Happy.
This album was better than I expected. Musically it's not groundbreaking, but there's not as much filler as I expected. Or you could say the filler is not as bad as I expected. I didn't like the hits very much, but I didn't hate any of the songs. Britney was unavoidable at the time, so that alone is a reason to put her on the list. Favorite song: and the beat goes on, of the originals: soda pop, which doesn't really sound like her singing. Sounds more like Christina Aguilera to me.
Impossible to overstate how influential Spears was back then. I remember baby one more time being played all over the place and the girls at school singing and mimicking her dance moves. Britney was only barely 17 when this album came out and the adult themes of love that she sings about is... unsettling. Gross, even.
Vanishingly insubstantial, but, sure, glimmering with sweetness and freshness. And quite expertly packaged, too, in the way of the most cynical American pop culture products. Net-net, it's about as good as a precision-engineered 21st-century reboot of teen pop could be, which is to say pretty bad.
Menos ...Baby One More Time, no me ha gustado nada. Me ha decepcionado.
Wasn’t expecting a Britney album on here. I guess it was culturally huge. I didn’t care for it when it came out and I still don’t.
Iconic but not for me
Verschrikkelijke zoete popmeuk, weinig inhoud, en ook niet echt goede muziek.
2 good songs, 1 ok, rest boring pop ditties
Total shit apart from two songs (love u britney)
Could have used some more Max Martin.
I have to say 'Baby One More Time' is a great pop song. I also have to say it's the only track here I can bear.
The big hits of the time on this album, but also a lot of dross filler, don’t think this needs to be on the list.
Man, this shit just isn't my bag. The lyrics are vapid. The music is basic. It's somewhat catchy sometimes, but it inspires absolutely nothing in me.
Of all the Britney albums, this one made the list? Preposterous! Adult me says this is one stinker of an album. Grade 9 me probably would’ve given it a 5. Even though it sucks I sang every single stupid song because I actually owned the album and apparently use precious memory space for bad song lyrics.
Holy key change! I was prepared to give this a fair chance; I'm not averse to a bit of bubblegum pop. But beyond the title track and a couple others, the rest is formulaic blandness.
Not an album for me.
This is a joke right? I did it. I listened to the whole thing. I am now listening to 8 hours of Iron Maiden on shuffle to cleanse my ears.
Baby one more time is a huge nostalgia bomb. The rest is forgettable teeny bop pop.
…Baby One More Time (song) holds up. The rest of …Baby One More Time (album), not so much. Although that statement implies that the album was ever up in the first place. I actually don’t know because I never listened to the album until now. Britney was 15.5-16.5 years old when these tracks were recorded and had just turned 17 when it came out. Many of the albums songs involve the narrator desiring a love interest or lamenting heartbreak, which is strange coming from someone that age. Other than the title track, there isn’t much worth listening to here. Unless you enjoy hearing laughably bad tracks like Soda Pop just to know how silly and ridiculous music can get.
I feel so conflicted about this album and the context that surrounds it. On one hand, sure it's a fine pop album with catchy songs. But I felt so uncomfortable listening to it knowing that Brittney Spears was a child when this was recorded, especially with some of the lyrical content and music videos. I wish I could rate it incomplete if I could.
I mean, what can I say? I loved it when it came out when I was 9, but I’m nearly 34 now and this is just funny. Go ahead and Email My Heart, Britney.
No thanks… Girl pop/boy band is not my scene at all, and IMO the beginning of the music quality experienced today
In the beginning there are some decent songs, e.g., I like Sometimes. For the langer part the music leaves me either indifferent or irritated.
Jesus another iconic album of an awful era. Lotta overlap with the Timberlake album I listened to last round, but this one's way more interesting to think about, even just culturally. Both of those albums were dropped from later editions of the book, but imo they should have kept this one on there. Makes me really sad to listen to, knowing the injustice of what was coming up for her. Setting aside the paparazzi angle, though, I would have been 7 when this released, and I couldn't stand this music back then. It was interesting to revisit this, having picked up more literacy about what Music was doing during that era. It was cool to be able to detect "oh this is doing shit that Janet Jackson had already worked over 10 years ago." R&B repackaged for white people, there's a much bigger context that this is clearly a component of. Any case, I didn't really like this. I do like "Toxic" alright, but I never sat down with the album it came from, so idk if the rest of her stuff from that point sounded like that.
Menos ...Baby One More Time, no me ha gustado nada. Me ha decepcionado.
Opener is explosive, one of the best songs of all time. The rest of the album is pretty syrupy and generic but not wholly unpleasant. She weirdly sounds like Christina sometimes. I want to lift it to 3 because of the title track but it's a 2.5 through and through.
I wanted to like it but past the singles it’s horseshit!
The first two songs I think we singles from this and the sound very similar. There is a bit of variety in some other songs. I don't care for those so much. The production is really good here. Makes the album tolerable.
Ultimately, this is a manufactured pop album that could have been made by almost any female singer. Would it have been such a massive hit without that video for "...Baby One More Time" - I don't know. There's no real coherence to this album as it veers between dance and teenage love songs.
Mostly schlock, not Britney’s fault, there was some vibe here and there, but overall it was a difficult listen
No thanks
Aside from the title track (which is a certified BANGER), most of the songs on this album are saccharine and dated. It's a shame what the industry did to Britney. 4/10 Would I listen again? You'd probably have to hit me baby one more time.
2+
tennie-bob pop
HAHA that's so funny. Marisol and I ate at Pie Hole the other day and they had a paper plate taped to the cash register with a bunch of little magazine cut outs of Britney Spears face and text saying 'Tip me baby one more time". and here we are today with this album. LOL! I'll give it my best shot but not sure if I'll hang the whole time. Okay I can't finish it. lol
Can't listen to this one but I'll give it a 2 star
I just can't give bad pop more than a 2-star rating.
Beyond the singles this was actively terrible.
Menos ...Baby One More Time, no me ha gustado nada. Me ha decepcionado.
There's something very creepy about this album. You've got a 16? 17? year old girl singing about trying to keep her man happy, but the songs were written by think tanks. I don't know, it all seems very manipulative and skeevy.
Couple of hits. The rest was meh 4/10
Leave Britney alone.
I do not like this. It's not a style of music that I enjoy or think deserves much respect. But, trying to meet it on its terms, I can get it to a 2.
I get this speaks to an audience. It’s just not for me. The If I Were a Rich Girl bit was cute. Satisfaction? Bleh.
Britney Spears has certainly been historically mistreated by record companies, her own family, the press, and the public. Her career and image were carefully managed and manipulated and unfortunately the result is not great. This is unimaginative corporate pop designed to sell records and an image. Of course, it’s wild success is why this album is on this list, but this is not good music.
This was a huge hit and there are some very, very good... even great... pop songs on this album. The album as a whole is a vit disjointed and all over the place. For 1999 when people were still making (and listening to) albums, it feels like a collection of singles. It does deserve a half star more than I'm giving it, but not a full star mor, so I rounded down
There is a reason why this is pop and not classic.
Incredibly mid tween bubblegum pop. 2 or 3 decent songs and then a load of breathy dirge. 5ive should have taken Baby One More Time Just below middle of the road 48/100
I was a young teenage girl in the late 1990s when this album came out, so I remember well how huge the singles 'Baby One More Time' and then later 'Sometimes' and 'You Drive Me Crazy' were. Although I liked the singles at that time, I have never bought the full album or listened to it in its full length. After all these years, this album sounds a tad too dated. The hit songs are the best, but the slow ballads and other fillers on the album just drag too long (except for the 60-s inspired The Beat Goes On, which is a good ending of the album). It's also not genuine when 17-year-old Britney sings about broken hearts etc. Objectively looking at it, this album doesn't really deserve anything above 2. P.S. In hindsight I can only feel sorry for this girl - she was built up, she was used by both her parents and the whole entertainment industry and when troubles came she was thrown away. She seemed to be a naive but good-hearted girl when this album came out. She paid a big price for the success and millions of dollars.
Daar zit je dan, als man van 35, een serieuze mening te vormen over het debuutalbum van Britney Spears. Britney Spears is denk ik één van de objectief gezien mooiste vrouwen die ik nooit een lekker wijf heb gevonden. Ik weet niet wat het precies is, maar ik knapte altijd op haar af. Doe ermee wat je wil. De eerste 3 tracks zijn het meest bekend. Knetterfoute pokoes, 1999 was een rare tijd. We snakten naar luchtige muziek om het doemscenario van het Y2K probleem even te vergeten. Je hoort het succes van de Backstreet Boys terug in de muziek, daar moeten we (zeker bij die eerste 3 tracks) eerlijk over zijn. Die open hi-hat die steevast voorafgaand aan de snare op de 4e tel wordt ingezet is een duidelijke weggever. Tante Britt zet een gek stemmetje op, een beetje als een pornoactrice die ongemakkelijk vaak 'yass daddy' zegt. Dat vond ik toen al fout, al had ik toen nog nooit een pornoactrice aan het werk gezien. Op track 5 heb je nog 'Born to Make You Happy', wat ook weer fout maar wel lekker is. Helemaal aan het einde heb je nog een halve jungle dubplaat (The Beat Goes On) die wel verrassend is. De rest van de nummers op het album zijn 13 in een dozijn. Probeersels die niet aanslaan. 3,5 hit op een album van 12 nummers is een prima score, m'n album gisteren scoorde 0 uit 16. Het is bubblegum pop, het is fout, onbewust ken je van 3 nummers 98% van de tekst, met een beetje pech zit het de rest van de dag in je hoofd. Word ik hier enthousiast van? Zeker niet. Maar de hits zijn voor een keer wel te pruimen en ik kan het op zich wel waarderen voor wat het is: Een catchy tijdcapsule. Voor de hits zou ik (gerate naar stijl) een 3 kunnen geven, maar de 2e helft van het album trekt de boel wat naar beneden. Een 2 dus, want de tyfus wat is dit fout zeg. Respect voor iedereen die de albums op deze lijst in de auto onderweg naar het werk aanzet. Ik zou dat bij deze niet durven.
Started off strong but very mid after “Sometimes.” Every song kinda sounds like “I Knew I Loved You” by Savage Garden.
I am uncomfortable
Strong nostalgia here, but the music isn't my favorite.
there are plenty of examples of good pop music. this isn't one of them.
Britney Spears' debut album was a signaling for the new era of pop, as a core demographic (teenagers) would now be catered to with the likes of solo artists instead of boy bands and girl groups. It would still be distinctly dance-oriented with some R&B influence, but the product would look a little different. I am referring to Spears as a product here because, in the eyes of the industry and audiences alike, she was not a person. She was less than a person. She was a puppet. With no writing, production, or creative credits, Spears is only here to sing the lyrics and look the part. It is a particularly vapid role to fill but most of the blame ought to be placed on Jive Records for this shameless commodification of music as an artform. Riding on the strength of one single (two if we count You Drive Me Crazy), this album has little to offer. The ballads are uninspired, the hooks are weak, and the inspirations are shallow. Nothing about ...Baby One More Time, save for the title track, is worth remarking. As for the earworm single, it serves its purpose as a danceable pop song that performed well on the radio. It's good enough. The real importance of this album lies in it's cultural impact outside of music. Spears was the blueprint "pop star" in every respect, and other would follow with the likes of Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and eventual K-Pop idols. It's a tale as old as time, since the teenager first became a marketable demographic with disposable income, but Spears' impact seemingly brought the pop star into a whole new era of commercialization. It's made people millions at the cost of her well-being. In truth, Britney Jean Spears deserved better.
I guess just not my cup of tea
I came into this hoping the album aged well, especially considering the revival of 90s R&B in pop music lately. However, my low expectations were not low enough. The production on many tracks can only be described as abrasive and downright irritating. Spears' vocal performances shift from 'seriously what are you doing' to excellent, but not enough to carry this album. I can understand why it was so successful at the time, but it doesn't stand up so well now.
I really didn’t want to be this person but my unfortunately my entitled expectations were correct. Really boring, nothing-y lyrics… I just felt sorry for her. Having a bunch of blokes sit around and write a song about ejaculation for a teenager to sing. I know it’s said to be an incredibly important and influential album but I can’t give it any more stars for that alone. At least there were some catchy moments here and there and the title track is objectively a good pop song.
Mmmm play once in a very long time
Outside of the opening two tracks, there is not a lot to recommend here. The production sounds decidedly of its time and the ballads really drag for me.
I realize this is quite a popular album and timeless in it's own right, but I didn't buy it when it originally came out and it hasn't swayed me to do so to this day. It's just not my cup of tea, personally.
Baby one more time is a classic 90’s pop song. All of the music is very dated. I don’t know if it’s looking too much into it, but it’s strange how one sided the love that is being sung about is. Also “born to make you happy” is a weird concept and sounds like she was born to be someone’s property (husband) and not her own woman. I don’t think it’s a good example for girls to strive to make other people happy above your own happiness. I don’t know…
Eh. I gave it an extra star because I can’t separate it from my childhood. But never again will I listen to this album.
This is the first album my toddler self really loved. It doesn’t hold up.
I could have done without 3 versions of the same song on this “deluxe” album. I was familiar with several of these, but I can’t say that I love this. Definitely preferred Christina Aguilera’s album.
I managed to listen to the entire album. I didn't think I could do it, but I did it.
I was ready to slam this with a 1 but some of the songs actually are a little catchy. It's all so very brainless though. I'll give it a 2 because I soiled many a tissue to Ms. Spears as a young man. I'm 2 years younger, I'm that creepy. I am creepy though. Don't care.
Not as horrible as I thought it would be, but definitely not good. I get why it’s on the list as it was extremely popular when it came out. 2 stars.
Adorable. I haven't listened to this since I was in grade school. I remembered turning on this and Christina Augulara and N'Sync once I found grunge in 6th grade. It was fun to come back to this as an adult. Unfortunately, that's where the fun stopped. Soda Pop is a ridiculous song and Sometimes is legitimately good, but everything is so forgettable. Like eating macaroni and cheese from a mediocre cafeteria. It's not exactly objectionable, but bland and unsatisfying.
This album changed the face of pop music toward teen pop, energizing yet friendly and accessible production using strong funk and soul influences. It paved the way for a wave of female artists, and with the likes of Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry, would indirectly shape music for decades to come. But despite that, it's more of a reflection of the cultural shifts of the time than a depiction of artistic innovation. It inspired a lot, but had little artistic value. Derivative of other pop of the time, a lot of songs fall into cliches with cheesy teen lyrics and cheap pop tropes to try to tug the audience's heart strings. The instrumentals feel very commercial and predictable. There's some diversity in there between tracks, but it only makes it more bearable to listen to. Most tracks feel like they're trying to highlight Spears' vocal abilities, her dynamics and range, especially with the excessive multi-tracking, and it comes off as forceful and lifeless. That being said, I actually do like the first 4 tracks. The title track is an incredible song that shows her potential and has a ton of power and emotion, with strong Sly funk in her voice and the guitar. "You Drive Me Crazy" is pretty good but forgettable. "Sometimes" was the strongest ballad but is also generic and forgettable. "Soda Pop" grabbed my attention but I wouldn't really call it good. Giving it 2 stars for the over-the-top production and some diversity. And many of the songs are ok, not necessarily awful.
I thought this might be a nice bit of 90s nostalgia but beyond the massive titular track, and to a lesser extent Sometimes, (You Drive Me) Crazy, and Born to Make You Happy there was not much to remind me of my youth. Yes, it's pop in it's purest form, but it's also a pile of wank in my opinion. Makes me wonder why Britney made it so big, so much of it is anodyne and saccharine sweet to the point of nausea.
This is not a good album. That said, I do understand its inclusion here. It's an impressive example of manufacturing-craft that must be admired in some ways - at least in terms of marketing, persona-building and crafting a phenomena. It's like cheap fruit-flavored bubblegum in more ways than one. It's clearly marketed toward kids and teens, it's overly sweet, mass-produced, entirely artificial, highly predictable while pretending to offer variety, not enjoyable to anyone with an ounce of discerning taste - and yet, it's an absolute best-seller, the taste of which is familiar to everyone. This is the first time I ever listened to more Britney than her big hits, which are admittedly amazing for karaoke as long as they aren't taken seriously. The rest of the album is exactly as I imagined it would be. One notable exception is Soda Pop - what in god's name is this auricular abomination? 1.5 rounded up for karaoke purposes.
süßlicher Kram
Didn’t love
I understand her contribution to pop music. I lived through the sensation that she was at the time. I know her importance to the queer community. I have all the sympathy in the world for her as a teenager who got ground up in the gears of the industry. I just do not like this music at all.
One star each for baby one more time and you drive me crazy, the rest, not so much.
Another one that is not my thing.
Son debut album. Album pop le plus influent. Ça vole pas super haut après la 1ère chanson.
Nawet nostalgia nie uratowała ;-)
Typical pop.
I won't deny that the opening/title track is a great pop song and it's what's keeping me from giving this one star. After that however it's just a series of diminishing returns. I think Soda Pop might be one of the worst songs I've ever heard.
Britney is a fantastic singles artist but yeah, unfortunately this gets pretty mediocre pretty quickly and just goes on too long. The (incredible) title track is the only real stand out
Opens with a banger then drops of into a pile of forgettable cheesy pop nothings. a good single doth not an album make.
Too repetitive, fav: Born to Make You Happy
I get why this is on the list, but apart from a couple songs there's not much here for me. Something about pop music from this era (Christina A, J Lo, etc.) makes me feel like I'm stuck in a stuffy doctor's waiting room on a hot day. "Born to Make You Happy" is such a problematic song, I can't even start. Given what we know now about how Britney was abused over the years, I really find it hard to enjoy this album at all
in the late 90’s, bubble gum pop was everywhere and the big debate was who was more talented, britney spears or christina aguilera. we’ll get back to that question shortly. while this album does contain songs that have a “stickiness” to them that make successful pop songs, it also has everything that i hate about the genre from that era… breathy “sensual” vocals, drum machines a’plenty, vapid and empty lyrics. and it falls into the trap that most modern day pop music falls into, the singer does not write any of their songs. it’s literally putting someone else’s words in your mouth. it’s the textbook definition of inauthenticity. anyway, going back to the question at the beginning of this review. while britney spears may have been more popular (from what i remember at the time), christina aguilera could sing circles around her. and it’s not even close.
It's hard to write about this album without discussing the absolute shitshow around it. We've had commercially produced pop for a long time, but this one really hypersexualized a child for profit, then kept the child from having access to that profit. This record is fine, not my music, but it's fine, but it's also a projector of the grotesque underbelly of the music industry.
Oh boy. The few songs I’ve heard are catchy but the rest is a bit meh.
Pop halt
It's Britney Spears, what else do you want to know?
I'm going to start this review by saying I truly feel sorry for this girl. I don't think she's ever received any true support from her family or those who were suppose to look out for a young child. Truly disgusting and sad. I'm am rooting for Britney Spears to have a wonderful life. As for the album, I really felt strange when I saw the album cover and actually listening to her music. Don't know why, it just felt weird. I really enjoyed The Beat Goes On. But I was thinking of the days of Sony and Cher and their TV show. Outside of that, just felt this was bubble gum, generic music meant for pre-teen girls. I can't believe this album was an hour long either. Rough listen and just not for me. But good luck Britney. 2
1.5 There was a song or two that wasn't quite as bad as the rest.
not gonna go through this
It's typical pop of the era, but in all honesty done very well. She's leagues ahead of the slightly newer equivalents ie Beyoncé and her ilk. Having said that, it's not my thing but I can still appreciate despite all the hype she does have talent, a mid 2
Nausea inducing. Just can’t stand her voice. Pop is not my thing, but even this cold old heart can be warmed occasionally by a nicely sung pop tune. We all have guilty pleasures right? Just not this bile. The closest to thawing me out was ‘Sometimes’. I’ll give 2 stars because it’s better than the other genres clogging up the bowels of the 1 rated albums.
Oh baby baby! I bought the single when it came out. Shoot me now or have I just got eclectic tastes? '...Baby One More Time' and 'Born To Make You Happy' are the standouts. 'Soda Pop' is a very low point. The rest just drifts along in a sugary sweet sort of way. So pleased there are no pop-Country songs which I was half expecting, some small blessings. It's not a bad first outing for the trailer trash which done good. A low 2.
What in the 1999 is email my heart?
Brittany taught me everything I know http://britneyspears.ac/lasers.htm
Drive me crazy and baby one more time are bangers. Rest of album feels dated and forgettable.
Grew up with it, not a huge pop fan. Some classics of course.
The first 5 or so tracks are pretty good, enjoyed the sparse rhythm and the drive of Spears' voice. The rest of the album didn't connect with me. The significance of her album driving the return to teenie-bop pop in the late 90's was a cultural milestone, but overall I found the album lacking as a whole. 2/5.
Interesting to hear the first record of an immense global pop star. Like what the hell were Soda Pop and The Beat Goes On? I guess she was finding her footing/personality but the singles carry hard (2.5/5)
Couple of classics but overall album wasn’t for me 5/10
35/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 This is generic bubble-gum pop, with occasional catchy bits. I'll say this much; this is far from the worst album I heard this week, thanks to this list.
Email my heart is one of the most of it's era songs I could ever imagine. The fact that it is followed up by "beat goes on" is excellent too. Really variable quality here. Some undeniable all timer's , then some absolutely basic dirge. Although I tend to not review an album based on the deluxe version extras (in fact I usually skip them), shout out to the David Ospina Radio mix of ...baby one more time - a real Pro Evolution Soccer 6 menu music banger of a remix.
I mean what can I say about this album other than I was born in 1993.. I heard this album so much growing up and personally I'm a britney fan, at least her early days, I mean how could you not be? Especially being born in the era I was.. That being said this album ISN'T perfect no but it does has so many great pop songs on it.. to name a few I mean lets start with the opening track and one of her most famous songs, '...Baby One More Time', which is like saying the words "Pikachu" everyone knows Pikachu.. A great energy song, then we get 'Crazy' which has big psycho energy (early signs) but its such a catchy song.. then we have probably my favorite song on the album, 'Sometimes' its this like ballet-y kind of 90s song and it just feels good.. I love this track. I hated Soda Pop myself, this is what I meant by this album isn't perfect lol.. but then honestly, the later half of this album just was not it. I mean it definitely front loaded this thing but god like this album just kind of feels like a mess, a bunch of different sounds and not like a collective piece which I guess is fine, its pop music but idk, lets just say the second half has a lot of dollar general shopping music on it.. BUT that being said 'Born To Make You Happy' is my SECOND favorite song on this album, it was ALMOST my favorite but like the more I listened to it I thought, "God it's so fucking corny" lol but idk I just like it. 'From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart' is a great break up/broken up/sad song, its got a bit of uhh.. extra.. vocals on it, but its a decent song.. and then, honestly after that like it just gets bad in my opinion, I don't want to get too into the songs but I definitely think the goods on this thing are in the front/middle. Overall: 2.2/5
Surprisingly bad. 2 good songs and ouch
First things first, not my jam... I had to listen to this in headphones at the dead of night so no one would catch me. Obviously it's the monster debut album from the preeminent pop star of the 21st century, starts off strong with the title track but then dips when the second song "You Drive Me Crazy" comes in as it's not the far superior single version. Song three, "Sometimes", is pleasing enough for a mushy pop ballad but thereafter is far more misses than hits and full of emotionless generic pre-millennium pop beats that could have been lifted from a preset library. She would go into better things as far as her career was concerned, but was this as good as it got? It was definitely the biggest commercial success she'd experience but it just felt so empty out with a few fleeting moments.
Mostly boring pop
Si bien entiendo contextualizado lo que fue este disco, hoy en día es inescuchable. La producción es demasiado. La verdad que los únicos instrumentos que son tocados están puesto de forma que parecen irreales o están muy poco presentes. Entre scratches sin sentido, efectos que aparecen una sola vez y sintetizadores molestos que están muy al frente, hacen que decaiga mucho el disco. Obviamente lo único que unen y generan una línea de continuidad es la voz de Britney y las baterías programadas. Si bien existen buenas canciones, la producción muy de la época destruye todo. Hitazo: baby one more time Canción favorita: crazy Sorpresa: born to make you happy
love Brit but no, not to listen to
First song fine obviously knew that. The rest is just bland so bland
No... No place for this on this list
Genre defining 90s bubblegum pop. Although not something I would ever listen to on my own it seems pretty obvious why it is so popular. Repetitive angsty teenager lyrics that are easy to sing and simple 4/4 beats for dancing. The entire oozes a predictable premanufactured cheesiness.
To bangers, resten høres it som Boyzvoice
Made me want to revisit other albums of this time period. Full of nostalgia and I was surprised how many songs I knew. Still, the lyrics are pretty corny and the vocal style is distracting and doesn’t hold up.
innocuous pop for the most part. the slow ballad songs are forgettable, the big singles are kind of catchy, hard to pinpoint why it caught on so much at the time, 1999 was a weird time in music.
The hits are catchy, the rest isn't for me. Just feels like filler.
Pop music like this is not for me. I had to suffer through my sisters listening to this album over and over growing up. They aren't terrible songs, definitely catchy, but very over-produced.
Very nostalgic. First few (singles) were good. Rest of the album was only ok. Honestly felt like filler songs.
How can the singles be so good and the rest of the album so terrible?
One of the best selling albums of all time. It's pretty wild really. Hard to get thru but I recognize the pop sensation on a couple of these singles. I wonder how many of the nearly 20 MILLION people that purchased this album listened to more than 3 of the songs on it. Glad its over.
Largely forgettable pop album beyond the singles. Which may have been the strategy..
who the fuck knew brocolli spears did a cover of the beat goes on? wild. it's not even an altered version, it's just a direct singalong to the all seeing i version that was released a year earlier. were they trying to make her hip or something? anyway that aside, it's nice to see that churning 16 year olds through the 90s pop machine creates such stable individuals.
Pretty dated, and way too long. I mean, it's not unbearable, but I did not get a lot from this album.
ehhhhhh About 3 songs in, I was ready to write something like "This album is actually good and some people are just not ready for that conversation" Was ready for a good chuckle at the song "Email My Heart", but I have no recollection of hearing it even though I definitely put it on 10 minutes ago. I started to dissociate after track 5 At least "The Beat Goes On" is a pretty good finish HL: "...Baby One More Time", "(You Drive Me) Crazy", "Soda Pop" September 21, 2023
Vapid dance pop. Yes, some of the tunes are catchy but the lyrics are shallow at best. This is teenybopper stuff more concerned with what the video will look like than the actual music.
Ughh..how did this make it on the list. I understand it has cultural relevance for the time but so do bell-bottoms and cholera.
Kivan melodista, tai melodisesti kivaa. Mutta en voi kuluttaa musiikkia, jonka soinnilliseen luonteeseen suhtaudun ärtyneellä huvittuneisuudella.
As a teenager, I hated the singles off this whenever they came on the radio. Now, as an adult, I can acknowledge they are bops, well-constructed pop anthems. Unfortunately, the deep cuts on this album do not live up.
I dont understand why she can't pronounce the word baby correctly, when it is in the title of the album. Her inability to sing leaves me baffled as to why anyone ever liked this album. Not a fan.
A couple of killer tracks and then farts ‘till the end.
Baby One More Time is a great song. A lot of the rest of this album sucks though
A couple of hit singles at the start, which do take me back to when I was a younger fella. But on the whole this is dated, saccharine sweet pop music.
Vacuous tripe.
2.4 this started off with a bang and kinda went meh after the first three tracks fave songs: drive me crazy, baby one more time
Oh baby baby, if I was a 12 Yr old starry eyed girl I'd think this was a good album... doh! This album is the definition of factory manufactured music and artist. Apart from the lead single, which was Britneys trademark song, the album is very boring and factory created.. not for me this one!
Made it through about 5 songs, that was enough. 2 stars.
I was hoping nostalgia would carry this, but it's really just forgettable and kind of cheesy pop, with some really nasally singing.
Such a massive album in terms of influence and wake for my generation. That being said, I just can't honestly say I enjoy it much. Things would get way more interesting later with tracks like "Toxic" which totally kick ass. This just feels a bit dated and even creepy in a certain light.
4/10. Yeah, I didn't really care for this. Felt like she was trying to sound like Tina Turner, but just wasn't great at it. And I'm sure the music sounded revolutionary when this came out or something, but now…
I didn't dislike it
I've been saving this one for a special time, and I can think of no better than my 500th album. I have never heard this album straight through, but this came out during my childhood and I have definitely heard it second hand bleeding through the door of my sister's bedroom. ...Baby One More Time deserves whatever flowers people have given it. This is great pop with all of the period production. As soon as the piano line drops you can't help but hear the whole thing play out in your head. Add also the funky little slap bass line :chefkiss: Ya know a reggae inspired pop song was not at all what I expected... Also not great. Born to Make You Happy is a better return to form. I like the instrumental here with the layering of the piano and wah'd out effects. The back half of the album really slipped by without anything notable (except for Thinkin' About You, which is a fun little R&B-inspired pop song). She certainly has a voice, but the overprocessed bubble gum 90s pop sound doesn't do a whole lot for me. Nothing I out right hated; nothing I loved. For me this is a high 2 verging on a 3.
The album cover is kinda weird. It has a few fun pop bops on it, but it's not a genre designed for a whole 11 track album
Good art is made of good choices and it’s become pretty clear that Brittney wasn’t making a lot of choices. Not a personal slam on Brittney. I think she’s great. I just don’t think this album is.
It’s Britney bitch. Kind of weird to see this making the list but alright. The first couple songs are pretty standard pop hits that covered the early 00s. Everything else on this album was some pretty bad generic pop that seemed made in a lab to get as many listens as possible. The featured and R&B cohesion was a big miss on this album and out of place. This was only worth listening to the beginning and that’s it. 4.6/10
Britney's voice is annoying but there's some good melodic song writing. I might have like it more if Christina Aguilera sang it.
Not for me.
Title track is a stone cold banger. Some other decent singles but largely a load of shite
I thought I liked Britney spears more but did not really enjoy this album that much. The only song u actually like is Crazy, as it's been my favorite Britney song forever. but the rest just weren't my style. since she's an icon, and since crazy is one of my all time favorite pop songs, I'll be kind about my ranking. favorite track: crazy!!
My first instinct was to wonder whether it is legal to look at this album cover. I was, obviously, familiar with the title track (and consider it incredibly catchy), but I never realised it was packaged this way. Anyway, legal musings aside, the music itself is of the repetitive, artificial, boring, an uninspiring nature that modern pop music grew to become over the years (since the early to mid nineties, if you ask me). So, yes, one good song, the rest can remain hidden.
This starts off strong with the title track that everyone knows, and Crazy (which I would expect most people, like me, would know it if they heard it). After that, it's a really uninspiring saccharine tour through various genres (Britney + reggae = total fucking shite!) and painful cliche; it feels really, really dated. And it's an hour long (if you include the two remixes of the single). 2/5.
This 1001 albums project has utterly failed with the inclusion of this album. This is no album - this is a more expensive version of the single ‘…Baby One More Time’. That’s all the consumer needed. The consumer thought they might get more of the same. But nothing else here is as good as that track - indeed, much of the rest is laughably poor, surely rushed, designed to capitalise off the success of the single as fast as possible. Now, the *song ‘…Baby One More Time’ is an outstanding pop record. And if this was 1,001 songs etc it would have to be included. But this project is not that. We did get more of the same eventually - ‘Oops!... I Did It Again‘ Is ostensibly the same song (even down to the ‘…’), before Britney’s immortality was assured with the magnificent ‘Toxic’ probably the greatest song of the 21st century.
I don’t think there is enough substance here to land on 1001.
First 2 songs are timeless jams. Sodapop was fun but not necessarily a good song. Rest of the album I am fully happy with leaving in 1999
The first two songs are very solid. Mostly bubblegum bullshit after that until "The Beat Goes On" which I actually enjoyed. Just really wanted to turn it off besides those 3 songs though.
Aight well, title track is obviously extremely influential in terms of the pop landscape then and even still today. My sister loved it, I hated it... but teenage self still thought she was cute, of course. Rest of the album is pretty meh, for me at least. I'm not the demographic and pop in general is not my thing. I love that there is a track called "E-Mail My Heart", hyphen and all. Peak 90s.
—I think when she says “Oh baby baby” it sounds like she’s saying “Oh bathin’ bathin’” —Soda Pop was more like-able than I imagined a song called Soda Pop would be. -I listened to half the album but I think I got a decent taste lol
Not bad for early pop
Pop culture! Thank you, Britney.
It’s not great, but to deride it fully ignores the appeal it had. A danceable clean album aimed at young girls was clearly an incredible move even if the writing and production is mid and the messages about romantic love are naive to the point of being harmful. The tracks are very bouncy and idealistic and if nothing else they are fun. It isn’t a great listen through for me, but I’m so far removed from the target audience that the fact that it has one track I like at all is impressive (Baby One More Time is obviously a banger). It certainly deserves a place on this list if just to offer a point to examine the grip pop music like this would hold throughout the following decade at least.
I get why it's on the list, but this is pretty bad.
This is not good for 2023, but it's far from the worst thing I've ever listened to and far from the worst thing I got here on the 1001 list.
Horrible album, filled with vapid pop songs. I was the right age for it at the time, but even then I hated it. Me getting older hasn't made it any better. The only reason why I won't give this album one star is because The Beat Goes On is actually a great song and I wish I knew it when I was 14.
The title track is a legendary piece of pop history and still holds up decades later. The rest is pretty formulaic and stale.
OK, but … why? 2/5
If I was a young woman who had her entire life on display, forced to sing songs blatantly written from a male perspective, and constantly objectified, I'd probably shave my head and break out car windows with an umbrella as well. Still doesn't make this album all that palatable.
Its britney bitch
2,5
The title track is still a goddamn earworm, 'Crazy' is catchy. But man, the rest of this is completely forgettable. I wish pop stars would be content with singles and not feel they needed a full length. Beyond that? It really is bizarre to me that people feel emotional connections to songs that just ooze by like sickly sweet treacle. How bout the message of 'born to make you happy' ? Woof.
Music for middle schoolers, but like, it's extremely creepy for 6th graders to be singing some of these lyrics... Everything from the dynamics, to the melodies, to the instrumentation, to the production sounds so manufactured and fake - it's boy band music but made by an overtly sexualized minor.
This is music for kids. The producers did a good job making the best of Britney's vocal but the backing tracks are absolutely mental if you listen hard enough. The guitar solo and the unnecessary record scratching on "(You Drive Me) Crazy" is almost too much. And the reggae one? I'm dead. The Euro-House "Deep In My Heart" probably spawned a million remixes that never made it to the US. The whole thing is super plastic and manufactured. There's nothing I can really fault since this kind of record is a bridge between Kidz Bop and grownup music. [post-script: On "Thinkin' About You" there are a couple of lines where Britney harmonizes with herself. Not sure what the interval is (Beato) but it sounds like the same effect used on more than a few Sublime songs.]
Meh. Very very pop, not my thing at all, and yet, there is something there. The acoustic indie covers of some of the songs are better, but also show the songs are ok without all the production and nonsense. "Email my heart" might be the most 1999 song title I have ever heard though, and most of the album just sounds like filler; especially the terrible remixes that close out the album. However, 1 good and 2 decent songs (3 of the 4 singles) => better than the albums that get 1 ⭐ (but only just - like 1.5000000001/5!)
This is a good example of how a star gets “manufactured”. They find a child celebrity who’s got the look and can more-or-less sing, link her up with Swedish producers and song-writers who put it all together, and more importantly score that multi-platinum hit, which apparently sounds a bit like a hit by Swedish pop-star Robyn. Anyway, I’m not an expert in teen pop, but the title track is great and some of the more up-tempo numbers are bearable. The ballads are putrid.
My reaction upon seeing this album pop up: "*sigh* Okay, here we go..." Knee-jerk reaction aside, I tried to give this a fair shake, but it went about as expected. The album peaked at"(You Drive Me) Crazy," which was track 2 (it's never a good thing when your best two tracks on your album are the first two). It was all downhill from there, with perhaps a small speed bump at "Thinkin' About You." No disrespect to Britney (she's never been a favorite of mine, but she's a decent singer, a better dancer, and seems like a nice person), but this album couldn't overcome the fact that it's a conglomeration of uninspired R&B-inflected pop songs written expressly to appeal to teenage girls. I suspect more of her albums will crop up, and they'll at least be better than this one.
While I've listened to the title track countless times, as well as a couple of the other singles here, this is the first time I've listened to any Britney Spears album in full, and I imagine it will be the last time for this one. I've got love for Britney herself, but less for most of these songs. Besides that tinges of discomfort brought about by lines like "hit me, baby, one more time" and "sometimes I run, sometimes I hide, sometimes I'm scared of you" I have a really hard time taking songs about deep love and intense heartbreak seriously when they're being sung by a teenager who has doubtfully experienced much, or any, of either. But such is the pop machine and, obviously, the formula works. Max Martin's music by numbers and the corporate buyers that snap it up have certainly made a cultural impact. As for the music itself, "Soda Pop" is a horrid attempt at blending bubblegum Britney with contemporary reggae sounds, "Sometimes" suffers from some unsettling lyrics and "I Will Still Love You" is a wee bit vomit-inducing but I was pleasantly surprised by the cover of "The Beat Goes On." "...Baby One More Time" is an absolute belter. "(You Drive Me) Crazy" doesn't reach the same stratosphere but is a perfectly enjoyable pop song. The rest of the album was quite a bit of "whatever."
Trying to give this one the benefit of the doubt, despite the fact that it's really not my taste. For what it is, the album is fine. But if you're looking for substance, you'll need to look elsewhere. Vocally, Spears sounds more natural and less processed than she will in later works. Arrangements are tight and boppy, if a little shallow. Ultimately, most of the songs are forgettable, although the title track is a pretty solid pop song. I can understand why this might be a touchstone for some people of a certain age, but I was 28 when this came out. I don't need to hear it again. Fave Songs: ..Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy, Born to Make You Happy
Why on earth is this on the list.
Sometimes an artist’s best album is their greatest hits and that’s absolutely fine.
Wasn't my cup of tea in high school, still isn't my cup of tea today. Title track had a nice funky beat under it. Otherwise, forgettable.
Si. Tiene un single histórico. Pero la lisura, vagueza y falta de todo de este disco es vergonzosa 3/10.
Ugh. Typical pop album. Nothing special here… let’s move on. 2.5/5
Eén goed nummer (de titelsong) maar voor de rest vrij dramatisch. Aan het begin gaat het nog, het eind is echt niks. Had beter een EP kunnen zijn, onbegrijpelijk dat het een volledig album is geworden. 1,5 ster als het kon, dus we ronden toch maar af naar 2.
Umm disappointing Sunday for a lazy Sunday...the title track is a banger as they they say. The rest depends into very lightweight cheezy pop. Insubstantial. 2
I really tried to approach this one with an open mind, but after a listen it's just not for me. It definitely does capture the late 90's pop music to a T.
Jeez that was a though listen. Had some bangers though
Probably deserves to be on the list for cultural impact? The title track still sounds huge and a couple of the other singles are either also genuinely decent or at least hold some nostalgia value. The rest is trash, really. But I suppose it was primarily aimed at kids.
This album is like candy, it looks shiny and colourful but it rots your teeth.
Ok, well. It's not as bad as I remember. I mean it's super over-produced, the lyrics are shallow and inane, and she's kind of terrible at singing. But... Maybe it's the perspective that this project has given me but, well... it's not Bjork or Devo so I guess it could be worse.
First 3 songs were pretty good. then idk what happened at soda pop and onwards
Menos ...Baby One More Time, no me ha gustado nada. Me ha decepcionado.
Aina ihana Britni <3
Oli tässä oma viehätyksensä kuunnella ja muistella
Baby One More Time (the song) is undeniably a masterpiece. Britney slays the vocals, the piano has attitude, the classic 90's drum beats. I love this song fervently. And with the slight exception of a couple other tracks that's about where it ends for me in the praise department. Nothing else comes close to it on this album and a lot of these songs sound seriously phoned in. Sometimes has possibly the most awkward key change I've ever heard in a song. Email My Heart may have aged worse than any song we're likely to review. The Beat Goes On really shouldn't. When I listen to this album I feel like I'm trapped in a chair at the dentist's office. 2/5. Gonna strongly recommend the music of Rina Sawayama here. She's inspired by a lot of the production and vocal stylings of Britney but is a much better and more interesting songwriter. Check out her EP Rina
Nope
Na een klein dansje verdween dit album toch al snel op de achtergrond. plots was ik al bij nummer 9. Kortom, nee.
Toegegeven, er staan een paar catchy liedjes op dit album. Verder is het ten hemel schrijend. Die stem! Alsof ze aan een heliumballon heeft gehangen.
I made sure to come with an open mind for this album since it came out when I was young and I didn't care for Britney Spears. Listening to it in 2022, it really starts off with a bang, before really becoming the same thing. Very front loaded and the rest of the stuff after the first couple of songs is disposable and forgettable. Better work was done by people like Max Martin later. The first couple of songs are bangers though. 2.5/5
I am trying to decide how much time to spend on this review. I don't want to be overly picky about what I listend to. ...Baby One More Time is the first full album I've listened to from Britney Spears, even though I have heard several songs. My shortest review is that the best tracks got an "okay" from me, but more of the tracks got a "no thanks". Too many songs with lyrics about a life changing love... from a teenager. The album felt very crafted, but it was hard to not see the album as a collection of tracks hoping to make it's mark in pop-culture. Spears was successful with an entry into pop-culture, but the music feels weak.
Basic and Overrated.
This album was very popular growing up, sure, but even back then I wasn’t a fan of it
Decent voice, but not much of interest for me
El disco abre con una canción muy conocida y la segunda también la reconocí. De ahí en adelante la mayoría de las canciones siguen la misma fórmula pero sin lograr destacar. Hay un par de canciones que suenan diferente pero sin llegar a ser buenas. Entre todos los discos reseñados he encontrado pop buenísimo (hola Tay-Tay) pero este disco no es el caso.
Habiendo pop muy bueno en la lista (Taylor Swift) este es el contraejemplo y creo que llega a la lista solo por el hecho de su relevancia en la cultura pop, pero no por su calidad. Por todos lados se nota la asquerosa mano de Max Martin: el teclado, los stabs, los silencios para entrar a repetir el coro, la guitarra acústica de fondo. Aquí creo un molde que se debió haber destruido en vez de usarse diez millones de veces más. Me sorprende que conozco demasiadas canciones del disco. Sin duda por haberle dedicado una infinidad de chances. 😏 Y creo que la parte que podría valer la pena es que Britney sí tiene una voz interesante: bastante rango, cambios interesantes entre nasal y pecho, etc. Igual eso no alcanza más que para su 2.
I didn't really care at the time and I don't really care now. Sure Britney was popular and what not but still just a shit pop album in my opinion.
2.5. Really?
Didn't completely hate it! Vocal effects are a little ick.
It's not terrible, just not for me. I did look into the meaning of ...Baby One More Time and it seems to a non-native English speaker "hit me" means "call me". I mean hit me up some time Britney we can have a chat. Fave song, Autumn Goodbye, mostly because it's the last song.
I'm not a 14 year old girl, so no, I do not need to hear this album.
You've gotta be fucking kidding me. I'm embarrassed for this list.
So a record executive has a great idea - use an unremarkable press shot for the sleeve - genius - retouch her teeth and bleach the whites of her eyes and slap some type on the top and another iconic sleeve is born. Larry Busacca, who took the photo, is often not credited. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. He's a bit cheesed. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsn8bBLlAE8/ Not much worth listening to on this album unless you like paper-thin lyrics and dull tunes. 'The beat goes on' is a nice song, but this is not a good cover.
Overall Rating - 1.11/5 (2.21/10). This album brings back every awful memory of the musical wasteland of the late 90s and early 00s. Why did I have to go from David Bowie Glam Rock to awful, overproduced, industrialized, cookie-cutter, bubblegum pop?
Eh
I was 15 when this came out. I wasnt a fan then but did enjoy the music videos (Cant remember why). The end.
Spear Britney.
Ah, yes, the sound of 2000. Overproduced, cheezy, unimaginative, and blindingly glossy pop made by gross men hypersexualizing teenage girls. If I found a man in possession of pictures from that photo shoot I'd call the police. And yet it's an album cover. This doesn't have Toxic on it, and that is the one Britney song I will listen to without complaint. Britney has every right to be on this list, but my god was this excruciating on multiple levels.
1.5 - not for me
I cannot stand this album. It does not appeal to me at all.
Well, this album doesn’t belong here. It just doesn’t. There’s nothing to even get excited about. The production is so “of its time” that it hasn’t aged well. It feels so shallow and over produced. Not to mention it feels like the definition of a record company’s kind of album. Just soulless, corporate, mass produced garbage. And that’s just talking about the music. The actual vocals?!? Who shoved this poor girl into this garbage? She has no place being a singer, her vocals are so terrible. It’s just breathy over-compensating singing and I find it wildly grating. I don’t say this lightly, but this is the WORST album I’ve heard on this list so far, and it also is insulting that a space on this list is being wasted with this. This isn’t even the best pop album from said time. Total waste of time, thankfully we as a society has moved on from this.
Oh my God, no. How they found FIVE singles to peddle from this bag of spanners is beyond me. Culturally significant, at a push. Musically significant, not a chance! My ears and brain do not thank you for requesting that I listen to this samey, cliched, bland, pop crap. I need to go and listen to some Joy Division to bring myself back down to normal levels...
Ugh.
I don't know why I expected more but this was painfully manufactured and lacked any soul past song two. Email my heart is a contender for the worst song I have ever heard. Music like this is not designed for albums, may as well just release two hit singles and be done with it. Sorry Britney. Bad.
Yeah. Sorry
Really terrible. I thought nostalgia of my youth would kick in but no such luck.
There are two ways to approach reviewing these albums. Some seem to score albums based on their historical impact or influence on future artists, while others score the albums based on their personal feelings about it. I fall into the second category, but I do try and listen objectively and not let my preconceived notions affect my score too much. That being said, this is basically what I expected it to be. Obviously this was a hugely influential album, but that doesn't make it a good one. It's trite lyrically (there are 3 songs with "heart" in the title for goodness sake) and musically. It's just a very difficult listen for me. I make it through all of it but didn't enjoy it at any point. Britney has a great voice, but I really can't stand the way she sings most of the album. At times she sings in a way that I can only describe as someone trying to hiccup seductively. It's incredibly annoying and occurs frequently. This is a 1.
2/10
This album is an example of the dark side of business, and has nothing to do with art. I’m not against pop music, but I am against the pursuit of capital at any cost regardless of who or what it impacts. Spears was a teenager here and the way she is marketed turns the stomach. Her struggles are well documented as a result. Who knows how many other people this impacted in a bad way by way of a corporate role model.
I was really expecting to come back and like this album and acknowledge that I was wrong and it is in fact a classic but actually no, I still don't like Brittany Spears