"Blackout" is the fifth studio album by American singer Britney Spears, released on October 25, 2007, by Jive Records. The album's production and release coincided with Spears' highly publicized personal struggles, which overshadowed her professional projects. She served as the executive producer, collaborating with producers like Danja, Bloodshy & Avant, Sean Garrett, and the Neptunes. The result is primarily a dance-pop and electropop record with influences of Euro disco and dubstep, featuring themes of love, fame, media scrutiny, sex, and clubbing.
Originally slated for release on November 13, 2007, the album was rush-released after leaking online. Initial reviews were polarized, with some critics praising it as her most progressive and consistent work, while others criticized it due to her controversial public image. "Blackout" topped the charts in Canada and Ireland and reached the top five in several other countries, including Australia, Brazil, France, Japan, Mexico, Scotland, Switzerland, the UK, and the US. It received platinum certifications from multiple countries and won Best Album at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards. By the end of 2008, it had sold 3.1 million copies worldwide.
The album produced three singles: "Gimme More," which peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking her highest peak since "...Baby One More Time," and reached the top ten in 16 other countries. "Piece of Me" peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 but found international commercial success, winning her first MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year, Best Female Video, and Best Pop Video in 2008. "Break the Ice" peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the initially planned fourth single, "Radar," was later included on her following album "Circus."
Unlike her previous albums, Spears did not heavily promote "Blackout"; her only televised performance was a widely criticized rendition of "Gimme More" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. However, several songs from the album were performed on her subsequent tour, "The Circus Starring Britney Spears," and her concert residency "Britney: Piece of Me." Over time, the album has been regarded as a career highlight for Spears and has been credited with influencing the pop music landscape of the 2010s, particularly in bringing electropop and avant-disco genres to mainstream prominence. It has been recognized among the best albums of all time by various publications.
In November 2003, while promoting her fourth studio album "In the Zone," Spears indicated that she was already writing for her fifth album and hoped to start her own record label. Producer Henrik Jonback confirmed they wrote songs during the European leg of the Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004. After her marriage to Kevin Federline in October 2004, she announced she would take time off but made a surprise appearance at a radio station in December to premiere a new song, "Mona Lisa," which she hoped would be the lead single from her upcoming album, tentatively titled "The Original Doll."
In early 2006, after giving birth to her first son, Spears expressed eagerness to resume her career, stating she missed performing and wanted to experiment with her sound, hoping to incorporate more of her Louisiana roots. In May 2006, she announced she was pregnant with her second child. After the birth of her second son in September, she filed for divorce from Federline in November, which attracted significant media attention due to her behavior during the divorce process. In February 2007, after suffering a nervous breakdown, she shaved her head, leading to intense media scrutiny and two stints in rehabilitation. In May 2007, she launched a promotional tour across the US called The M+M's Tour.
