Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time [Japan Bonus Tracks] (CD)

All Music Guide

At the beginning of the '90s, teen currency shifted from bubblegum'n'Tiger Beat to grunge'n'Maximum Rock Roll. Although it may have been pushed from the spotlight, teenpop hadn't died it, in a way, went underground, spending time on the fringes of pop culture. One of the leading lights of the exiled teen brigade was The New Mickey Mouse Club. For several years, it toiled away on the Disney Network, earning a small fan base but, more importantly, providing a launchpad for several careers, including that of Britney Spears. Like her fellow NMMC alumni 'N Sync, Spears shot to stardom in the late '90s, just as she was on the verge of late adolescence. By that time, everything old was new again. Albums like her debut, Baby, One More Time, were topping the charts as if they were Hangin' Tough, which is only appropriate since it sounded as if it could have been cut in 1989, not 1999. Baby, One More Time has the same blend of infectious, rapinflected dancepop and smooth balladry that propell...ed the New Kids, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany to the top of the charts, not to mention 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys. Much of this is due to the BBs' producer, Max Martin, who is also the mastermind behind Spears' debut. He has a knack for catchy hooks, endearing melodies and engaging Eurodance rhythms, all of which are best heard on the hit title track. That should signal that Baby, One More Time, like most teenpop albums, is an artful blend of frontrank singles and wellcrafted filler, which means that it will either sound like meaningless fluff or a great party, depending on your point of view which is determined by your feelings on the single, of course. [...Baby One More Time is also available in a release with added bonus tracks.] - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read more Less