In The Zone - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

In the Zone holds a score of 66 out of 100 (indicating "generally positive reviews") based on 13 critical reviews, according to the music review aggregator Metacritic. Jason Shawhan of About.com gave a positive review, saying that while the album's vibe is sexy, the result is a personal statement from Spears. He also added, "T's another thing about Spears' new record, as none of her previous albums ever managed to produce any kind of sustained emotional response than the pleasure that comes from a good pop record. I miss Max Martin, for sure, but it feels like Ms. S. has been paying attention to La Ciccone. To put it another way, this is Britney's True Blue." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that the album " all club-ready, but despite some hints of neo-electro and the Neptunes, it doesn't quite sound modern—it sounds like cuts from 1993 or Madonna's Bedtime Stories and Ray of Light. Production-wise, these tracks are not only accomplished but much more varied than any of her previous albums." Ruth Mitchell of BBC Online called "Early Mornin'" the best track of the album, but added, "Sadly, her attempts to prove her new-found maturity are what overwhelm and cloud all that is good about In The Zone." Mim Udovitch of Blender commented, "This I’m-coming-out record is an unhesitant move from songs of the heart to songs of the groin No longer a girl, freed from slavery, now fully a woman, she makes a pretty convincing mistress." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly called "Brave New Girl" and "Touch of My Hand" the best and most straightforward moments of the album, but added that "On a CD intended to celebrate her lurch into adulthood, Spears remains distant and submerged. For all her freedom, she's still finding her way."

Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone said, " voice is so processed, its physicality almost disappears. In the Zone offers strip-club, 1-900 sex, accommodating and hollow. Beyond the glittering beats, Spears sounds about as intimate as a blowup doll." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine stated, "Britney's fourth album, In The Zone, finds the pop tart coming of age with a bold mix of hip-hop and dance music, wiping clean the last traces of her bubblegum-pop past. For the most part, In The Zone is a big, fat, thumping love letter to the dancefloor, which makes Madonna's involvement even more appropriate." Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian commented, "Unlike previous Britney albums, In the Zone has no filler and no shoddy cover versions, just 57 varieties of blue-chip hit-factory pop. There is southern hip-hop, deep house, Neptunes-style R&B, the ubiquitous Diwali beat and, most importantly, oodles of Madonna." Jason King of Vibe deemed it as "A supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter." "Toxic" won Spears her first Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2004.