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Blackout is the fifth studio album by famous American pop singer, entertainer and musician Britney Spears. It was released on October 27, 2007 in Australia, October 29, 2007 in the UK and October 30,2007 in the U.S., and around the world. According to IFPI, Blackout had shipped 2 million copies worldwide by the end of 2007. Blackout was ranked at number fifty by Rolling Stone in its publication of the Top 50 albums of 2007.

Album history

In February 2006, it was reported that Spears was "in the midst of recording her next album, which could surface later this year." According to People, Spears said "her new music could reinvigorate the current pop scene." Eleven months later, Spears revealed in a personal message on her official website that she was "working hard to release the new album sometime later this year."

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." After Britney's personal troubles in the beginning of 2007, Garrett said "She will be coming back really strong, I promise," and that there are "a couple of bombs, instant party classics that we worked up then, and we are still feeling strong about them." Garrett also told People that the album's sound "is like 'Toxic' times 10." In July 2007, Garrett stated "I've got this one record I've been holding for 10 months that...will shake up the world. It's uptempo, out of control...produced by me and Bloodshy," and also revealed that "the record is done and definitely what people want to hear from her." The song in question turned out to be "Toy Soldier".

Jonathan "J.R." Rotem said that Spears had uptempo club songs, relationship songs "and everything in between." He later said of his work with Spears that his "goal is to try to one-up it." Rotem also revealed "there's some dance stuff; there's some slow, more introspective stuff; some club things."

Britney Spears began working with Nate "Danja" Hills while she was pregnant with her second child. Recording began in Las Vegas and continued at Spears's home in Los Angeles. Songwriter Keri Hilson said that Spears "gave 150 percent." Hills, Hilson, and their co-writers wrote "Gimme More", "Break the Ice", "Get Naked (I Got A Plan), "Perfect Lover", and "Outta This World". In August 2007, it was revealed that "Gimme More," would be going to airwaves as the album's first single.

The album was originally slated to be released on November 13, 2007 The release date was later brought forward to October 30, due to numerous unauthorized online leaks and to prevent any future illegal distribution of songs. Internet blogger Perez Hilton is being sued by Zomba Label Group for posting at least ten unfinished or complete tracks on his website.

When asked about Spears' most meaningful song on the album, she responded: "I really like 'Heaven on Earth.' I really like the producer. It's different than all the other songs."

There was confusion as to the album's title prior to an official announcement. Spears's website ran a competition for fans to vote for the album's title; however, none of those names were used. Several sources claimed "Piece of Me" was the album's title as well as second single. On October 5, 2007, a message was posted on Spears's official website confirming that the title of the album is Blackout. A spokesperson for Jive Records has said that the title and theme of Britney’s fifth studio album Blackout is about "blacking out negativity and embracing life."

On November 13, 2007, U.S. store Target released a special edition of Blackout with the bonus track "Outta This World", a bonus mobile wallpaper and ringtone.

Spears won "Best International Album" for Blackout at France's NRJ Awards in January 2008. Spears was not present to accept the award, so a representative for Jive Records accepted it on her behalf.

Promotion

This is the first studio album for which Spears did not do any promotion prior to its release with the exception of her performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. However, Jive posted the commercial for the album, which was in rotation on television and on its official YouTube page and a phone call on KISS FM with Ryan Seacrest.

In addition to the official "Piece of Me" music video, the "Britney Spears Wants a Piece of You" contest, in which fans could create videos for "Piece of Me" single themselves using MTV.com's Video Remixer, began on November 30, 2007. The winning video aired on TRL on December 20, 2007. MTV, Jive Records, and Spears herself chose the winner.

Release history

Critical reception

The album has received hundreds of positive reviews. Digital Spy called it "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". The Guardian stated that "It's a bold, exciting album: the question is whether anyone will be able to hear its contents over the deafening roar of tittle-tattle. Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ rating and praised the album as "a perfectly serviceable dance album abundant in the kind of bouncy electro elements that buttressed her hottest hits." Popjustice also stated the album was "modern sounding, and brilliantly produced." 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". Critics have also noted new influences in Spears' music, such as the London-based underground electronic genre dubstep as the main influence for the track "Freakshow".

This album was ranked at number fifty by Rolling Stone in its annual publication of top 50 albums of 2007.

However, there were also negative reviews. Newsday titled its review "Save your money" and called the album "terrible". 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."

Chart performance

It was initially predicted both by music critics, the media and fans alike that the album would claim the number one spot in its first week of release in the United States after it sold 124,000 copies in its first day of release. However, a last minute and controversial rule change which allowed albums sold at only one retailer to appear on the Billboard 200 denied Spears the top spot.

Therefore, despite selling 290,000 copies in its first week, the album became her first studio album not to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Instead, it debuted at a still impressive number two with sales far behind that of The Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden which claimed the number one spot that week selling nearly 711,000 copies exclusively at Walmart. This made Britney the only female artist in history whose first five studio albums have debuted in the top two slots on the chart. Blackout also set the record for the biggest-selling digital album debut by a female artist in one week.

The album was received equally well in the United Kingdom, debuting at number two on the UK Albums Chart, her highest debut since her sophomore album Oops!… I Did It Again, which debuted at number 2. The album quickly fell out of the top forty. However, the album managed to remain in the top seventy five through continued sales and has been certified Gold. As a result of the success of the album's singles "Gimme More", "Piece of Me" and "Break the Ice", the album climbed back into the top forty in its twenty second week of release, with a massive jump of eighteen places from number forty three to number twenty five in one week. The following week, the album climbed another six places and re-entered the top twenty, placing at number nineteen in the chart and marking its ninth week back in the top 40.

In New Zealand, the album debuted at number eight on the New Zealand Albums Chart, making it Spears' highest debut since Oops!... I Did It Again back in 2000. Although it quickly fell off the chart, it re-entered after the sucess of Piece Of Me and climbed back up to number eleven where it stayed for three weeks. Blackout was certified Gold for sales of 7,500+ after fifteen weeks. So far the album has remained on the chart for nineteen weeks.

The album was also successful in Australia, debuting at number three on the Australian Albums Chart and has so far reached Platinum status, for sales of over 70,000 copies.

On the whole, the album sold 578,906 copies in its first week, ultimately debuting at number two on the United World Chart. The album continued to sell strongly in its second and third weeks of release, with combined sales of almost 400,000. The album has continued to sell consistently and by the year the end of 2007, it has so far sold 2,000,000 copies worldwide.

Track listing

Bonus Tracks

Singles

• "Gimme More" is the first single from Blackout. Spears performed the song at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards on September 9, 2007. It was released earlier to radio stations on August 30, 2007 and as a digital download on iTunes on September 27, 2007. "Gimme More" became Spears' highest peaking single since "...Baby One More Time," having reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Since the release in September of 2007, "Gimme More" has been certified Platinum in the U.S.

• "Piece of Me" was released for radio airplays in the US and set as the second single off the album. The music video was shot on November 27, 2007 at Los Angeles restaurant and night club Social Hollywood. It debuted at number sixty-five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart mostly due to its digital download sales. Since the release of the "Piece of Me" music video, the popular single has risen to number eighteen. It has also reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart, number two in Australia and on the UK Singles Chart, and number five on the Canadian Hot 100. "Piece of Me" has been certified Platinum in the U.S.

• "Break the Ice" was officially released to for radio airplays in the U.S. on March 3, 2008, and a promotional CD was released. In addition, the single has been steadily climbing the Mediabase chart, and is currently at number twenty-five. On February 11, 2008 Jive's Britney Spears official website confirmed it as the third single. The music video for the song premiered on March 12.

Charts and certifications

Notes:

- Sales data from United World Chart is exclusive of any sales globally for final week of 2007, and first week of 2008 where Blackout failed to appear on the top 40 album sales for those weeks. Week 51 of 2007, Blackout sold 73,000, and week 2 of 2008, it sold 88,000 globally, therefore sold an average 80,000 units per week globally over this period.

Awards

2007

2008

Personnel

• Vocals – Britney Spears
• Background vocals – Britney Spears, Corte Ellis, Jim Beanz, Robin "Robyn" Carlsson, Kara DioGuardi, Sean Garrett, Keri Hilson, Windy Wagner, Pharrell Williams, Nicole Morier, Ezekiel "Zeke" Lewis, Nate Hills
• Keyboards – Avant, Bloodshy, Fredwreck
• Bass – Klas Alund, Eric Coomes, Henrik Jonback
• Guitar – Eric Coomes, Fredwreck, Henrik Jonback

Production

References

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64. Apelzin Awards Winners
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External links

• Official Website/Under Construction
• Jive Official Website/Blackout Magazine
• Official UK Site

• Pages with empty short description
• 2007 albums
• Albums with alternate track listings
• Britney Spears albums
• Jive Records albums