Josh,

Excellent piece. I don’t own a Britney Spears album (or JT, for that matter) so I can’t speak for her music but I think it’s very true that she’s under much more of a microscope because she’s a woman. I wonder what would happen if the media just stopped paying attention…

Comment by Christian John Wikane — November 5, 2007 @ 10:13 am

While we disagree on a number of points (Cobain vs. Love, whether Blackout is any good), we can agree on one thing—she deserves better than she’s getting.  I would start to get uncomfortable and feel sympathetic to a mass murderer who got as much constant negative attention as Britney Spears.  The whole Gawker Stalker/Perez Hilton thing is the internet gone ugly, and it’s a disturbing sight, sort of a Lord of the Flies, inner petulant child, mob mentality that anonymity brings to some bloggers, commenters, and message board posters.  Thanks for writing this, and providing a counterpoint to the pile-on.

Comment by Mike Schiller — November 5, 2007 @ 10:47 am

Young Fresh and New. Beautfully written article Josh, with a thought-provoking appraisal of Spears as music artist, something most press have ignored or couldn’t fathom. Especially approve of the shout out to Swede sensation Robyn. I, too, thought of her while listening to “Blackout” and was shocked to see her listed as BGV on “Piece of Me.” Though the Danja tracks are endearing, it’s the dynamics of the Bloodshy tracks that are some of the most explosive techniques being displayed on any pop album this year. Good for her and good for PopMatters to acknowledge that the girl didn’t just “phone this one in.” It’s a keeper.

Comment by Gary Lee — November 5, 2007 @ 11:49 pm

You have accomplished two things that the media has thus far failed to accomplish, and have done so superbly;

1) Given voice to the tragic succumbing of a young woman to Misogyny disguised as Idolatry, and the uncomfortable realization that our culture cannot reconcile the image of the young, dumb, blond woman with any image of motherhood,

and

2) Broken the media taboo surrounding the critical examination of the systematic discrediting of Britney as any form of artist. If Britney were not an artist, and if everyone could do what she did in Blackout, then Mr. Federline would have been a star.

Thank you for this piece.

Comment by A Critic — November 7, 2007 @ 1:17 am

Good day, mister Josh Timmermann

I see you as a fair an intellingent person.  I wish the whole world would read this, and stop to think for a minute, and give britney what she really worths.
I can´t do so much from here, southern America,for brit, but i got the album and i really think its different and hot, i hope it´d be the gratest hit for britney until now.
i mean for me she is the ultimate star, even still growing, i want the world enjoy her career for at least 60 years
thanks for your attention and virtuous writing

Comment by Daniel González from Medellín- Colombia — November 9, 2007 @ 10:31 am