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Britney Spears - Blackout

In February 2006, it was reported that Britney Spears was "in the midst of recording her next album, which could surface later this year." According to People magazine, Spears said "her new music could reinvigorate the current pop scene."

American producer Sean Garrett first spoke of his songs for Spears in May 2006. Garrett described the tracks together as "some real crazy-ass stuff that the world is going to love."

There have been mixed reviews on the album. First the good ones: "the most danceable, modern and thrilling album that Spears has ever made, the disc where she finally shakes off the last remnants of her Mickey Mouse Club image." Rolling Stone went on to give the album three and a half stars out of five and joked that Spears will "continue to crank the best pop booty jams until a social worker cuts off her supply of hits." Rolling Stone also ranked 'Blackout' at number fifty in its annual publication of top 50 albums of 2007.

However, there were also negative reviews. Billboard stated, "This is still pop, but the last bits of Spears' song-and-dance girl veneer are cracking, along with the rest of her public persona." Other reviews noted the overwhelming presence of "studio trickery" had the effect of making her sound like a "Brit Bot."

"If a blow-up sex doll could sing, this is what she'd sound like," wrote critic Jim Farber. "In terms of studio trickery, Paris Hilton's album was practically 'unplugged' compared to this."