Blackout by Britney Spears

Blackout is the fifth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on October 30, 2007, by Jive Records. It was originally scheduled to be released on November 13 in the United States, but was rush-released after being leaked online. The album was recorded between 2006 and 2007, during which time Spears' personal struggles and erratic behavior were highly publicized and overshadowed her professional projects. Spears collaborated with producers including Danja, Bloodshy & Avant, Sean Garrett, and The Neptunes. Blackout is a primarily dance-pop and electropop record with Euro disco and dubstep influences; lyrical themes revolve around love, fame, media scrutiny, sex, and clubbing. The project features a more foreboding and atmospheric tone compared to Spears' previous albums. Blackout received generally positive reviews from music critics, some of whom described it as Spears' most progressive and consistent album. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 290,000 copies after a last-minute rule change, and became Spears' first studio album not to debut at number one in the United States. However, it was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeding one million shipments. The album charted within the top ten of several national charts internationally and has topped the albums chart in Canada, Ireland, and the pan-European Top 100 Albums and has attained several certifications worldwide, including gold certification in seven countries, platinum in four countries, and multi-platinum in Russia. The singles "Gimme More", "Piece of Me", and "Break the Ice" respectively peaked at numbers three, 18, and 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Unlike her previous albums, Spears did not heavily promote Blackout; her only televised appearance for Blackout was a universally panned performance of "Gimme More" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. However, many of the songs of Blackout were performed on her tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears in 2009. Retrospectively, Blackout received widespread acclaim, with some citing its influence on pop music years later and it also ranked on many end-of-decade lists. The Times named it as the fifth best pop album of the decade. In 2012, the album was added to the library and archives of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.