(Spears, Dennis, Karlsson, Winnberg, Jonback)
Album: In the Zone
Looking back, it’s pretty remarkable what whipped society into a frenzy in the pre-“W.A.P.” era in the early years of the new millennium. Ever since the premiere of her “…Baby One More Time” video, Spears’s career has been chock-full of moments that left many a pearl-clutcher scandalized, but the In the Zone era struck a particular chord that sent conservative America into a frenzy. “Showdown,” a tune that Spears penned with frequent collaborators Bloodshy & Avant, is a prime example of her dispelling any notion that she would stick to the G-rated content of her early albums. “I don’t really wanna be a tease, but would you undo my zipper, please?” This delicious slice of electropop was a precursor to the dark club vibe more deeply explored on her next masterpiece Blackout. Spears alternates between talking (taunting?) and breathy vocals as she builds momentum to the climactic middle eight. While the tabloids were busy using this and other examples to push their “good girl gone bad” narratives, Britney continued to explore and celebrate her sexuality through music that would eventually lay the blueprint for popstars who would be arriving later that decade. Times have changed and modern reevaluations of Spears and her work credit her with teaching us how to get over our sexual hang-ups and just enjoy the music.
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