It’s time to give the Princess of Pop her props. Ms. Britney is back – her fourth studio album hits the airwaves and the stores this month, riding on the infamous kiss and the first single, "Me Against The Music", featuring Madonna. The hip-hop pop track is a perfect vehicle for Britney’s and Madonna’s voice, blending together seamlessly. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish which pop diva is singing; nonetheless, it’s a great song.

In The Zone doesn’t stop there – think Madonna’s Bedtime Stories and Erotica fused together. If Britney has learned anything from Lady M it would be her masterful choice in her production team. Her producers are hot and cutting-edge, but yet have the Britney vibe and take her sound and artistic growth to another level. Working with Redzone, Moby, R. Kelly and The Matrix, just to name a few, was the best move Britney could have made.

With nine producers and more than a dozen song writers, I’m impressed at how this project jelled together. It is a sign of an artist with a clear vision. In The Zone is pure hip-hop pop – pure street and a pure pleasure. Long gone is that tired, overused Max Maximum sound that flooded the airwaves in the 90s. That sound was coined by Britney, but In The Zone shows no sign of nostalgia – it’s the future. Britney has moved on; she sounds older, wiser and more confident.

One listen to "Touch Of My Hand" and you will have to take your hat off to Ms. Britney. It’s a smooth electronic hip-hop track that is hot and sexy. Her auto-tuned vocals bounce over a mountain of pads and a sea of sultry bass. Check out the Moby-produced track "Early Morning" – it’s electronic meets pop, brilliantly delivered. And the track "Breathe On Me" gives you a taste of Britney’s sexuality and her signature come-ons.

This album is the platform Britney needed to establish herself as a real artist. Britney wrote and/or co-wrote ten of the twelve tracks – impressive from a girl who wrote very little on her previous works. Britney captures the urban chic she represents. Lyrically and phonically, some of these tracks are so street and on the DL, you would expect to hear Mary J. Blige belting out – but instead you get the lush vocals of the Pop Princess. You may have thought you’d heard the last of Britney Spears, but she is here to stay – so you’d better start thinking outside the box and get In The Zone.