Britney Spears

Hey, at least she didn’t put out a live album, right? With only four full-lengths under her rhinestone-encrusted belt, Mrs. Federline is already shucking a retrospective. The 17-track My Prerogative documents her transition (though not in chronological order) from schoolgirl moppet to sexpot strumpet, with a couple of remixes and rare cuts thrown in to pad things out. The title song takes its name from Spears’ unimaginative remake of Bobby Brown’s already pointless signature song. (“Humpin’ Around” might have been a better choice.) Most of the name-brand singles are here in all their shallow splendor, propelled by hooks-a-plenty and vocals as airbrushed as the greasy snapshot of Spears on the front cover. Primordial ditties such as “Sometimes” and “Oops! … I Did It Again” maintain a sweet-toothed charm, and heavy-breathing late entries such as “Toxic” and “I’m a Slave 4 U” are buoyed by the best production money can buy. Bubble gum? You bet, but bubble gum tastes great occasionally, and Prerogative serves satisfying slices of mindless tweenpop.