Blackout (Britney Spears Album)

Blackout (Britney Spears Album)

Blackout is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears, released on October 26, 2007 by Jive Records. Spears wanted to make a fun, danceable album with uptempo, high-energy music, incorporating electropop and dance styles with elements of funk, Euro disco, and dubstep. Its themes range from fame, sex, love and dancing.

Spears started writing songs for the album in November 2003, following the release of her previous studio album In the Zone, and began experimenting with a more acoustic sound. Following her marriage with Kevin Federline in 2004 and the birth of her first son the subsequent year, she began recording the album in 2006 with producers J. R. Rotem, Danja and Kara DioGuardi. She gave birth to her second son and filed for divorce in late 2006, after which she continued working with producers such as The Clutch and Bloodshy & Avant. Recording sessions took place at various studios around the country, including at Spears' home in Los Angeles. Some of the producers claimed to be impressed with her work ethic and professionalism, despite her widely-publicized personal problems. The cover sleeve and images were shot by Ellen von Unwerth. The centerfold pictures, which feature Spears and a priest in suggestive poses in a confessional, were condemned by the Catholic League.

Blackout was to be released on November 13, 2007, but it was moved up to October 30 due to unauthorized leaks. Zomba Label Group sued Perez Hilton for posting at least ten leaks on his gossip blog; the parties reached a settlement in June 2009. Upon its release, the album received mostly favorable reviews from music critics, who called it her most progressive and consistent album yet, but suggested its quality should have been attributed to the producers rather than Spears, and also criticized her vocals for being overly-processed. The album was to debut at the top of the Billboard 200, but debuted at number two due to a last-minute rule change. The album topped the European Top 100 Albums and the Canadian and Irish charts, while peaking inside the top ten in another thirteen countries. By the end of 2008, Blackout had sold 3.1 million copies worldwide.

Three official singles were released from the album. "Gimme More" reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a top-five hit in fourteen countries. "Piece of Me" reached the top-ten in twelve countries, including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Unlike her previous albums, Spears did not heavily promote Blackout. Her only performance to promote the album, "Gimme More" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, was universally panned by critics. Blackout has appeared on many of the end of the year and decade lists including reader polls by Billboard and Rolling Stone, while The Times named it as the fifth best pop album of the decade. In 2012, the album was added to the library and archives of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.