Criticism | “Oops!… I Did It Again” dedicates Britney Spears as the pop star we know today

A year after making history with “… Baby One More Time”, Britney Spears returned to the forefront with the debut of the highly anticipated “Oops!… I Did It Again”. Launched in May 2000, the production, consisting of twelve tracks in the standard version sold in North America, not only made a splash in the American charts (starting with the highest number of 1.4 million copies, a record which she held for a decade and a half), but also fell in favor of the public and critics who recognized a new side of the already established pop princess. Although he remained true to the iconic identity enjoyed by the previous album, Spears dared to explore uncharted territories that moved away from mere romantic tales and that opened up space for initial discussions of freedom and freedom. empowerment.

Likewise, the 1999 work “Oops!… I Did It Again” has had an obvious marketing success, mainly due to the fact that the singer is renewing partnerships with names like Max Martin, Per Magnusson and Rami Yacoub, for example. – a trio of recognizable skills. Alongside them, countless other producers have teamed up to bring the production to life and, while some might have expected a lush and problematic mix, the result borders on sonic perfection and even audacity, which is ramifies into artistic progressions and unusual choices over time. Perhaps the track that best represents this burgeoning avant-garde, which would be better promoted in ‘In the Zone’ (2003), is the one that gives the track its name – an amalgamation based on heavy synthesizers and the pinnacle of pop dance, whose familiar themes take on a more epic and memorable dimension.

Throughout the album, different sonic inflections emerge as elements that grab our attention – something very good for a career just taking its first steps into the complex phonographic world. In the semi-ballad “One Kiss from You”, which abuses the characteristics of teenage pop in a romantic tale that borders on high school, we dive into a sort of deconstructed reggae, courtesy of Steve Lunt; “Where Are You Now” is immortalized in a touching and passionate personality; “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know”, meanwhile, benefits from the elegance of Robert John “Mutt” Lange and the poignant presence of Shania Twain in the composition of verses that takes us back to the mid-1990s. , surrounded by originalities. And, creating a bond that unites the two acts on the CD, we have the incredible rendition of “What U See (Is What U Get)”.

On another spectrum, Spears lends her voice to hymns of self-discovery and independence that introduce listeners to a new side of her personality – like “Don’t Go Knockin ‘on My Door”, an electro-dance vibrant in which the artist rediscovers self-confidence after a tragic end; “Stronger”, easily one of the album’s highlights, is steeped in tantalizing, tantalizing distortions that merge synth-pop with R&B, declaring an emancipation that has been marked for ages; and the lyrical fairy tale of “Lucky” hides critical messages behind a very common narrative in show business – that of a young woman who is engulfed in stardom and who, even in the center of the spotlight, feels lonely and helpless. in times of crisis.

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As if the ecstasy of the aforementioned tracks weren’t enough, Britney doesn’t let us rest on the dance floors and expands the microcosm she so carefully crafted – something that opens up an even more immersive layer with the songs. who conclude the trip: “Can’t Make You Love Me”, an underestimated ode to the Europop of the 80s which deserved to be transformed into a promotional single; the ethereal hip-hop construct ‘When Your Eyes Say It’, defining a genre that would be much more in vogue in the years to come; and “Dear Diary”, saving the classicism of the enchanted fables of love, whose modest production is gently touched by the piano and violins and closes the record with a touch of gold. In the midst of so many gems, we even overlooked the forgettable re-recording of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” – which has no place in the plot that Spears offers fans.

“Oops!… I Did It Again” does something extraordinary and manages to repeat the feats of Britney Spears’ spectacular debut in music – perhaps surpassing them with a masterful standing ovation. Bordering forty-five minutes of sound energy and pure performance security, the album extends to the present day all the barriers it has broken with an incomparable and enviable heritage.

Rating per track:

1. Oops!… I did it again – 5/5
2. Stronger – 5/5
3. Don’t knock on my door – 5/5
4. (Can’t get no) Satisfaction – 2/5
5. Don’t let me be the last to know – 4.5 / 5
6. What you see (do you get) – 5/5
7. Lucky – 5/5
8. A kiss from you – 4.5 / 5
9. Where are you now – 4.5 / 5
10. I can’t make you love me – 5/5
11. When your eyes say it – 4.5 / 5
12. Dear Diary – 4/5

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