Spears certainly seems too young for some of the come-hithers expressed in the album's pining love songs, but she delivers all of them convincingly, from the innocent "Sometimes" to the cheerful bop of "Thinkin' About You" and "Soda Pop" which, with its dash of African polyrhythmics, is …Baby One More Time's best tune. Still, there's a sense that these songs could be recorded by the Backstreet Boys or 5ive, or Brandy, or Monica, which ultimately renders Spears' debut pleasant but anonymous.
— Gary Graff (Wall Of Sound)
If you've started to wonder whether pop music was becoming a Mickey Mouse game, here's further proof that may well be the case. Like a couple of her buds in 'N Sync, small-town Louisiana girl Britney Spears is a refugee from Disney's The New Mickey Mouse Club who's traded in her ears for this collection of synthetic sultriness. It's already working, though; Spears is a hot property thanks to the title track single, three and a half minutes of pulsating libido lite in which Spears' vocals, surprisingly deep and rich for her age (but aren't they all?) is wrapped up in layers of synthesizers, electronic drum programs, and backing vocals. The other 10 songs on her first album offer more of the same, which means tuneful melodies, catchy choruses, and a dance-floor Europop sensibility courtesy of Swedish producer-songwriter Max Martin, who's also the guiding force behind the Backstreet Boys.