Britney Sings "Britney"

By C. Young

Thursday October 25, 2001 01:00 PM EDT

"This is the first album I have ever really written and taken my time on," Britney Spears said in a conference call to reporters to promote her CD "Britney," due in stores on Nov. 6. "So when I actually listen to the whole album, it's just that much more special. I don't know if I'm the best songwriter in the world, but I had a lot of fun doing it and hopefully I will get better and grow." At 19, Spears has a special identification with the soul ballad "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." "It's really where I'm at right now and something I can really relate to." She also relates to the one cover version "I Love Rock 'n Roll," originally a hit for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 1981, which she describes as "very girl-power." She also sings it karaoke-style in her upcoming movie debut "Crossroads," which deals with such girl-power issues as eating disorders and date rape. Fans will no doubt read a lot into the song "What It's Like To Be Me," co-written by her boyfriend Justin Timberlake, which she claims isn't at all about her. "It's talking about a girl in a relationship and the boy doesn't understand what she's going through. Before she opens up to him, he has to realize what she's about."