One of the best POP albums of the last decade turns 4 today! Blackout by Britney Spears broke new ground not only for the POP legend herself but for music in general. It helped pave the way for the urban/dance/POP fusion that was to occur in the following years. A POP album that was nothing short of brilliance with it’s cutting edge production and risk taking content, this was the album that propelled Britney to that next level status and all this while she was without a doubt at her lowest in her personal life.
You can’t argue with tracks like “Freakshow” which features early dub-step production years ahead of it’s time, “Get Naked”, “Heaven On Earth”, “Hot As Ice”, and of course “Gimme More” which birthed the timeless phrase “It’s Britney Bitch”.
In celebration let’s listen to “Toy Soldier” otherwise known as the biggest Britney hit that never was, well aside from “Unusual You” that is. The track was produced by Sean Garrett and features ALL the elements you could ask for in a TOP 40 radio hit, the fact it was never released as a single is far beyond me. It’s commanding drum kit, adventurous synth layers, and outstanding lyrical content are screaming to be played at the loudest of volumes. A big f*ck you to her ex, “Toy Soldier” still stands as strong today as it did in 2007. Hell, I wouldn’t mind if the label put it on a Femme Fatale re-release and serviced it to radio if I must say.
Britney Spears – Toy Soldier
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