 In the Zone holds a score of 66 out of 100 ( indicating " generally positive reviews " ) based on 13 critical reviews , according to the music review aggregator Metacritic . Jason Shawhan of About.com gave a positive review , saying that while the album 's vibe is sexy , the result is a personal statement from Spears . He also added , " T [ here ] ' s another thing about Spears ' new record , as none of her previous albums ever managed to produce any kind of sustained emotional response than the pleasure that comes from a good pop record . I miss Max Martin , for sure , but it feels like Ms. S. has been paying attention to La Ciccone . To put it another way , this is Britney 's True Blue . " Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that the album " [ is ] all club @-@ ready , but despite some hints of neo @-@ electro and the Neptunes , it doesn 't quite sound modern — it sounds like cuts from 1993 or Madonna 's Bedtime Stories and Ray of Light . Production @-@ wise , these tracks are not only accomplished but much more varied than any of her previous albums . " Ruth Mitchell of BBC Online called " Early Mornin ' " the best track of the album , but added , " Sadly , her attempts to prove her new @-@ found maturity are what overwhelm and cloud all that is good about In The Zone . " Mim Udovitch of Blender commented , " This I ’ m @-@ coming @-@ out record is an unhesitant move from songs of the heart to songs of the groin [ ... ] No longer a girl , freed from slavery , now fully a woman , she makes a pretty convincing mistress . " David Browne of Entertainment Weekly called " Brave New Girl " and " Touch of My Hand " the best and most straightforward moments of the album , but added that " On a CD intended to celebrate her lurch into adulthood , Spears remains distant and submerged . For all her freedom , she 's still finding her way . " 
