The Underrated Miss Britney Spears

There is no denying that Britney Spears is one of the most iconic pop stars in the history of music. She has a legacy that is untarnishable. And while we know her hits and her legendary nasal growl, there is a part of her musical discography that is completely different than the teen pop star we know.

To understand this you have to know this about Britney. The entirety of her career has been micro managed down to tee. This was especially true in her early work. Every song that was given to the public was carefully picked by label executives. The success of Baby One More Time saw the end of the strong R&B voice that once came naturally to Britney. There was a squeaky pop image that was crafted and maintained up until her fourth album In The Zone.  And yes, singles like “Toxic” have garnered acclaim, but it still doesn’t touch the depth that Britney had back then. One of Britney’s best ballads “Everytime” was something born out of Brit’s own break up and her new interest in playing the piano. It’s her biggest writting credit, as she only had the help of one other writer on the track.

One of the biggest myths of Britney’s career is the mysterious unreleased album Original Doll. This album was supposed to come before Blackout, but was pulled by her label. It was going to be a personal album, and be about the freedom that was eluding her.

“The record label signs you, and you’re just thankful to get a hit song. You can’t really show off your voice and where you came from. I would like to try to have more influences of that sound. Not that I’m going to be like frickin’ Tina Turner. But you never know,” Britney told People in 2006.

But we never got the full version. Potential tracks like “Someday (I Will Understand)” and “Mona Lisa” made it on the promotional EP Britney and Kevin: Chaotic.

And while post-2007 Britney has had huge singles like “Gimme More” and “Womanizer,” all we got was the same emptiness that had been haunting her music for years. We didn’t get the same spark and talent that was popping up on Youtube.

So alas, Britney Spears as a true recording artist is not who we know and love. But imagine a world where Britney wasn’t famous for “Slave 4 U?” or “If U Seek Amy?”

Here’s of Britney deep cuts. Songs that show her range. Some songs that would’ve been hits had they been released and some that are just good.

Happy listening!

Apple Music