I grew up with 80's music. Various combinations of pop, rock, techno, and rap. When I look back on it, some of the music was good and some was bad and some I can't figure out why I liked. But one thing in common was that music artists for the most part prided themselves in writing their own songs. Whether is was the Bangles or Huey Lewis or Bon Jovi, it was the mark of a real artist to sing your own material. The only exceptions were the teen-pop acts like Debbie Gibson or New Kids on the Block.

There is still a certain amount of superiority if you write your own music. The only exception is Country music, where it's ok to be just a vocalist and the award shows have separate vocalist and writer categories. For the most part teen-pop music is also vocalist dominated: N'Sync and Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Sure those acts have a good say about what songs will go in an album and they participate in the whole production and they even write or partially write a few of the songs. But they're mainly singers and performers.

With her new album, Britney, Britney Spears continues to evolve her image. She said that her aim was to be a bit more mature than the previous album (which was more mature than the first album) and she wrote or helped write a few of the songs. It's all a part of being more of an adult and having more say in her career. It's an inevitable change as people do grow up. It's just a matter of what they grow up to be. And with this album Britney is still the sexy vixen that half her audience adores, though now it's a less innocent image, more bad girl at times.

From "Overprotected", to "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman", to "What It's like to be Me", this album has a definite sentiment. It conveys the idea that Britney is growing up and that, although not quite ready for the real world, she's more and more of an adult. Then again, maybe I'm reading too much into the songs. As usual, there is one cover song, this one being her own version of "I Love Rock and Roll". And it's all done with the usual teen-pop attitude that kids love and adults hate.

There is a certain amount of harrassment to listening to certain music or watching certain tv shows, especially with my friends. Ok, mostly with Dave. There's the sexual overtones that everyone assumes and that I do admit is there a bit, but then again it's not like that at all. I suppose Dave can look at Britney and go "Va-va-voom" and be fine with only seeing that part. But I can't. I wasn't brought up that way, neither by my parents nor by growing up in Sacramento nor by going to college at Berkeley.

I try very hard to not treat people like objects, to be unprejudiced and fair no matter what. It's an indication of how messed up I am that I have to work at being morally right. Dave doesn't have that problem. When it gets right down to it he's an upstanding person. So he's comfortable enough (and it's also a mark of friendship) that he can be a downright prejudiced bastard, for effect of course, not because that's the way it is. I admire that and yet it grates on me.

More so when he's poking fun at me. I don't have enough control to fight my faults and his remarks, well-meaning jests that they are. And I suppose that's one reason why I harrass his characters so much. So I keep to myself. Sure, my friends know that I like Hudson Leick and Britney Spears and others. But that's as far as it goes with them. I don't want to talk about it with them, I don't want to share with them, because I can't deal with them. I respect their opinion so being teased and ridiculed really hurts and the easiest way not to hurt is not to share.

Enough of that. "Britney" is an excellent album, another step towards becoming an adult, towards a bit more serious music. Regardless of what you think of Britney Spear's image, it's a good album and the songs are great to listen to.