17 at the time of this release, Louisiana's teen dream Britney Spears works her guts out for every vowel and yearning growl on this impeccable slice of middle America. Partly produced from the same stable as the Backstreet Boys, Britney's songs have a strange, submissive twist: the full title of the mind-blowing debut single should be "Hit Me Baby One More Time." Obviously "Hit"'s got an okay slang meaning now but the song and much of the mood of this album strikes a direct line to the Ronette's "He Hit Me And It Felt Like A Kiss" in its desperate need to keep a boy by her side. Britney may be the young front for some middle-age money-makers but that's beside the point. She puts her life into this record; whether you like her teen pop or not, that dedication cannot be ignored. --Charlie Porter
Track Listing
Baby One More Time You Drive Me Crazy Sometimes Soda Pop Born To Make You Happy From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart I Will Be There I Will Still Love You Deep In My Heart Thinking About You E Mail My Heart Beat Goes On
