'' In the Zone '' received positive reviews from music critics . At Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics , the album received an average score of 66 , which indicates " generally positive reviews " , based on 13 reviews . 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 does n'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 . " Jon Pareles of '' Rolling Stone '' said , " Spears 's voice is so processed , its physicality almost disappears . ... '' In the Zone '' offers strip-club , 1-900 sex , accommodating and hollow . Beyond the glittering beats , Spears sounds about as intimate as a blowup doll . " Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine stated , " Britney 's fourth album , '' In The Zone '' , finds the pop tart coming of age with a bold mix of hip-hop and dance music , wiping clean the last traces of her bubblegum-pop past . ... For the most part , '' In The Zone '' is a big , fat , thumping love letter to the dancefloor , which makes Madonna 's involvement ... even more appropriate . " Dorian Lynskey of '' The Guardian '' commented , " Unlike previous Britney albums , '' In the Zone '' has no filler and no shoddy cover versions , just 57 varieties of blue-chip hit-factory pop . There is southern hip-hop , deep house , Neptunes-style R&B , the ubiquitous Diwali beat and , most importantly , oodles of Madonna . " Jason King of '' Vibe '' deemed it as " A supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears 's development as a songwriter . " " Toxic " won Spears her first and so far only Grammy Award , for Best Dance Recording at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards ( 2005 )
47th Annual Grammy Awards
47th Annual Grammy Awards
In the Zone