THIS is an abridged review of Britney Spears’ “In the Zone,” which appeared in The Post last week. The album is available in stores today.
* BRITNEY SPEARS “In the Zone” [] Jive Records
Get out a bucket of cold water and lock up the children ’cause Britney Spears is in heat.
If her innocence is still in question after her MTV lip-lock with Madonna, then her oversexed new album, “In the Zone,” solves that one for good.
Men who liked to ogle her but never listened to her now have a reason to tune in: She finally sounds as hot as she looks.
No more extolling the virtues of virginity: In “Showdown,” she coos, “I’m not a tease, would you undo my zipper please?”
With silky lounge grooves, hip-hop and reggae hints, and Spears’ breathy vocals, it’s obvious the singer is trading up to a more mature male audience.
Britney accomplishes everything she wants to here, finally separating herself from her candy-coated past with an eclectic and sophisticated pop sound.
On the down side, Spears’ vocals seem to be declining over time. On “The Hook Up,” her voice is so processed it is unrecognizable as her.