Sporting a school uniform (in that debut video shot by that porn director) instantly made Britney one of the most lusted-after females in the world. Girls and boys idolised her in equal measure but the delicate balancing act between sweet and seductive would need addressing sooner rather than later. 'Britney' sees Ms Spears take a pin and emphatically burst the bubble of her youth.
It's out with the cute and cuddly and in with saucy and raunchy for album number three as the world's most famous 'virgin' ditches the teddies and pigtails for good. She's chosen the final year of her teens to do what she's been promising for a while and 'grow up' in spectacular style.
If recent minimal attire and suggestive quotes about reaching an older market weren't enough, then just listen to the pulse soaring Neptunes-produced 'I'm A Slave 4 U' and 'Boys' with the duo's trademark beats punctuated with pants and orgasmic murmurings. Subtlety goes out the window but can the kids handle it? Or more importantly can Dad handle it?
The easy answer is yes. Comparisons with Madonna at this early stage are premature but Britney obviously shares Mrs Ritchie's drive and ambition but more importantly her astute business head. The new direction is a gamble but a calculated one. She's not foolish enough to dispense with the formula that put her in this position in the first place. For every beckoning call there's one halting any advances. Take two of the song titles, 'I'm A Slave 4 U' and 'Let Me Be'. It's independence and servitude in the same breath. Confused? You will be.
Rest assured, 'Britney' offers variety and hits a-plenty. For every funky grind and biting rhythm served up by The Neptunes, there's a healthy portion of 'Oops…vibes ('Overprotected', 'Lonely', 'Cinderella') albeit with updated 'don't treat me like a kid' lyrics.
While she's been guilty of gluing sure-fire singles together with rotten fillers on her previous two albums, Britney uses this opportunity to take the odd risk and adds a welcome edge to her sound. 'Anticipating' is reminiscent of 'Holiday' or Kylie in disco mood, the obligatory cover version - in the past a stumbling block - turns out to be one of the highlights (Joan Jett's 'I Love Rock N'Roll') while the Dido-penned ballad, 'I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman', takes a leaf from the Westlife book and allows us a rare chance to hear her voice without computer manipulation.
The change was inevitable. Britney is no longer a child and she desperately needs to reflect this in her music, look and attitude but sensibly she's straddling both camps at present. Who is Britney Spears at the end of 2001? There's some Britney of old, a sexier side, a sprinkling of Prince and Janet Jackson, and a touch of the unknown. Can she fail? In the short term probably not as this is by far her best work to date but the real test is yet to come.
