This post may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and complete a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
It took me forever to convince myself to add Britney Spears’ albums to my vinyl collection. It’s not because I don’t like her music. Britney Spears has been a frequent contributor to the soundtrack of my life since middle school and I’ve always been a fan of her tunes. In fact, I’m pretty sure there isn’t a single person in the world who hasn’t bopped to her tracks at one point or another, whether they would like to admit it or not. She is just that iconic!
The reason I’ve been avoiding buying Britney Spears’s albums on vinyl for so long is because I didn’t want to contribute to her father and his cronies making money off of her hard work without giving her any control over it. Since that has changed, I am ready to enjoy her music in the best way possible (by listening to it on vinyl, duh) and honor her legacy.
Among all the Britney vinyl records I recently purchased was her most recent one, Glory. While it first came out in 2016, the album was reissued twice in 2020 with brand new cover art (which is a huge improvement over the original one) and several new songs. The first reissue only had the previously Japanese-exclusive song Mood Ring added to the tracklist. However, the second one, aka the Deluxe Edition, also included the song Swimming in the Stars and the Backstreet Boys collab Matches, as well as three remix versions of Mood Ring. And that’s the version that was reissued on vinyl.
I remember that when Glory first came out, I really enjoyed the first single, Make Me…, but I didn’t really pay much attention to the album beyond that. I’m glad that I decided to add all of Britney’s records to my collection because that gave me the chance to revisit this album and appreciate it for the true gem that it is. It’s really a shame that Glory did not get proper promotion back in 2016 because it truly is one of Britney’s best albums.
From the sultry Invitation and Just Luv Me to the bass-heavy Do You Wanna Come Over? and Hard to Forget Ya, every track on Glory will either make you dance your heart out or help you chill out and relax. My favorite entry in the album, though, is the original follow-up single Slumber Party. It’s just so sensual and catchy that it’s impossible not to dance along to its reggae-inspired beat when it comes on. FYI: the version of Slumber Party on the deluxe vinyl edition is the solo version without Tinashe.
Now let’s look closely at the actual vinyl release:
Artwork & Packaging
The deluxe vinyl edition of Glory comes pressed on two opaque white records in a stunning gatefold cover. There are two versions of the new cover that came out in 2020. The first version has a regular blue sky background, while the second version depicts a sunrise. As you can see, the vinyl edition features the latter. The “Parental Advisory” label is printed on the actual cover, it’s not a sticker.
The back cover uses a different image from the same photoshoot and the same sunrise background. And here is the main issue with this release – the tracklist is actually wrong. Do You Wanna Come Over? is listed as the second track on side one, but it is actually the second track on side two, between Clumsy and Slumber Party. That is communicated through a small sticker on the record’s plastic wrap. It’s pretty unfortunate that they made such a glaring mistake because, otherwise, this release would be quite excellent.
The inside of the gatefold serves a collage of three Britneys set against a desert background. They seem to be from the same series that yielded the original Make Me… single cover.
Instead of a booklet, there are three separate sheets each featuring a different photo of Britney on one side and song credits, thank you notes, or a cool logo-like graphic on the other. There are no lyrics available.
Two of the photos are slightly darker versions of the front and back covers, which is a little disappointing because they could have given us some extra shots from that stunning photoshoot instead.
The third photo is pretty cool and different, if not a bit confusing. While Britney looks stunning as ever, she poses in front of what looks like a leftover prop from the movie Transformers.
The Records
The album is pressed on two opaque white vinyl records. Each side contains six tracks, except for side one which has five tracks, contrary to what the track listing says. The records are placed in plain white paper sleeves.
I don’t know if it’s just my copy, but on side two of the first record there is a very slight black streak coming out from the side of the label. It’s not a huge deal as it’s not very noticeable but keep that in mind if you’re more anal than me about these things.
Sound Quality
This is definitely a high quality pressing of Glory when it comes to the overall sound. I’ve listened to this record several times now and I haven’t noticed any noise or unpleasant feedback that would negatively affect the enjoyment.
It’s a low volume recording which means there’s no noticeable static noise. There have not been any pops or skips, so I’m very pleased with this release. Then again, always remember to properly clean your records when you first get them so all the dust and dirt from the production facility doesn’t affect the playback quality.
Other Available Versions
Where to Buy
You can buy the Britney Spears – Glory Deluxe White Vinyl Edition from the following online retailers:
Or visit your local record store!
What do you think about this release?
I’d love to hear your thoughts about this release or Glory, in general. Do you like the album? How do you think it compares to Britney’s other albums? What’s your favorite song? Let me know in the comments below!
Stay on top of new and upcoming vinyl releases by signing up for the newsletter or following WhatsOnVinyl on Instagram. See you there!
