Accuse Britney Spears of many things — but don’t count a lack of self-awareness among them. Entertainment Weekly was given official access to four unmastered tracks from the star’s way-under-wraps upcoming album (label insiders say that all song leaks on websites such as perezhilton.com are not only unsanctioned, but often incomplete) — and the first one’s a doozy. Produced by Bloodshy & Avant, the Swedish team behind her 2004 smash ‘’Toxic,'’ ‘’Piece of Me'’ kicks off with her standard breathy-sexy growl over a thumping hook: ‘’I'm Mrs. American dream/ Since I was 17.'’ Then things get darker: ‘’I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous/I’m Mrs. ‘Oh my God, that Britney’s shameless’/ I’m Mrs. ‘Extra, extra, this just in’ / I’m Mrs. ‘She’s too fat, now she’s too thin.”’ At other points in the song, she refers to herself as ‘’bad media karma'’ and insists, ‘’Another day, another drama/ I can’t see the harm in working hard and being a mama.'’ According to her reps, the song may very well be her second single after the already charting ‘’Gimme More.'’

The spare, glitchy ‘’Radar'’ is also credited to Bloodshy, and promises, ‘’Boy, I’ve got my eyes on you,'’ accompanied by Vocoder ‘’da da da’’s and what sounds not unlike a real live Doppler radar machine (how method!).

‘’Break the Ice,'’ meanwhile, may remind some of Nelly Furtado’s 2007 hit ‘’Say It Right'’ — and for good reason; it also gets its sound from Nate ‘’Danjahandz'’ Hills (the producer behind ‘’Gimme More'’).

Finally, ‘’Heaven on Earth,'’ an airy disco-queen come-on in the vein of Gwen Stefani’s Sweet Escape, was penned by songwriter Kara DioGuardi (she cowrote both Ashlee Simpson’s ‘’Pieces of Me'’ and Kelly Clarkson’s ‘’Walk Away,'’ as well as Stefani’s ‘’Rich Girl'’).

Not heard so far: any ballads or explicit references to Kevin Federline or other famous exes (JT, you’re in the clear — for now). Spears’ as-yet-untitled fifth studio album is due Nov. 13.

Courtesy Entertainment Weekly

The following is from People.com

Like many of today’s young dance-pop starlets, Britney sounds like she’s looking back to the ’80s as she moves forward toward the release of her fifth studio album (and first since 2003’s In the Zone), due out Nov. 13.

In addition to the pulsating first single, “Gimme More,” other tracks we heard at an exclusive preview have a synth-heavy sound that nods to new wave. The defiant “Piece of Me” the likely second single and possible album title, features Spears’s heavily processed voice issuing the challenge: “You want a piece of me?” to her foes. The track was produced by Bloodshy & Avant, the Swedish producing team behind her hit “Toxic.”

“Break the Ice,” another uptempo number featuring Spears’s trademark breathy vocals, was produced by Timbaland protegée Nate “Danjahandz” Hills.

The Rihanna-esque “Radar” (also produced by Bloodshy & Avant), sets Spears’s chirpy delivery to a bouncy beat, while the driving “Heaven on Earth,” an early fave, is a throbbing throwback to “I Feel Love”-era Donna Summer.

Now, I'm not trying to hate on Britney... but I really wanted to hear something different and uniquely hers for this new comeback album. Reading that all these tracks sound like other artists' hit songs that I enjoyed somewhat, doesn't sound all that interesting. And it definitely doesn't make me want to shell out money for the album.

I have "Toxic" on my MP3 player, so I hope “Piece of Me” is good as it sounds like the only interesting one.

Reading that all these tracks sound like other artists' hit songs that I enjoyed somewhat, doesn't sound all that interesting. And it definitely doesn't make me want to shell out money for the album.

Don't worry about that! It's 2007 -- you can download it off the Internet, for free, illegally!

I cannot wait for this album to come out.

Neither can I Shawn. I think Britney is definitely doing a good thing by using the dance sounds of the 80's in some of her songs. It's what's "in" at the moment and I definitely think she needs to get people dancing.

Her producers said they wouldn't have any references to her personal life on this album, but I'm kind of glad that she is addressing it. I can see why they wouldn't want to, but in a way it showing people that she's aware of what has gone wrong with her life and is trying to fix it.

I believe "Break the Ice" is actually "Been A While". Though the one I've heard isn't finished, you can tell once it is it's going to kick ass. Break the Ice would be a great club song.

All of them sound like they sound really good. Don't believe in comparisions everyone will find some way to link one song to another. I remember several music critiques believed most of "In The Zone" sounded like Madonna's "Erotica" and "Bedtime Stories" albums.

i cant wait to hear Pice Of Me... ‘’I'm Mrs. American dream/ Since I was 17.'’ ... amazing. this song i can tell is gonna be my fave song of hers - ever.

I cant wait for this album.