I will not hide, I am a massive Britney Spears fan. From "...Baby One More Time" through "Ooops!... I did it again" to "Britney" I have been buying merchandize, voting for her videos and requesting her songs on the radio. I have loved every single one of the afore mentioned releases.
"In The Zone" is different. Some people might say that it was obvious that she was going to redirect her creativity this way in order to still be cool. I agree. Britney has shifted from the "apparently innocent" to "blatantly sexualy". When I bought her first single I was 14 years old. I am now 18. The same way I grew up and matured, went from living with my parents to being on my own, Britney changed as well. She boommed when she was 18 years old and her audience was primarily young teenagers. Now she is at her fourth album and had she not evolved her releases would have not been as successful.
I agree that her lyrics are racy and extremely sexual, but which 22 year old is not that way? I hate to say this but, the majority of the 22 year old women I know are doing the same as Britney, voicing her sexuality, however they are not on record, they are on college campuses, clubs, and bars nationwide. I'm not saying they are sluts, and I don't think Britney is a slut for singing about her personal experiences.
I think that the same way writers need to figure out to what type of audience they are writing, music artists must do the same prior to releasing their albums.
About the critics (parents), they have the right of not purchasing the cd to their daughters, but if they do then they can't complain if their young ones start to behave like Britney. If you don't approve of the material why buy the cd, watch the tv specials, listen to it on the radio? You can always change the channel or the station! (This goes to those who think she is talentless too!
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