Following a year and a half, which seem to result in disaster after disaster for Britney Spears, including a run in the psych ward, losing custody of her kids, and most recently her permanent conservator ship, the pop goddess, who has seem to pulled her self together in recent months, is back with to try another shot at skyrocketing back to the top with her sixth LP, 'Circus'.Officially set to drop on December 2nd, the pop star's 27th birthday, 'Circus', is the follow-up to 2007's 'Blackout', which was near perfection and critically praised, but also grabbed the title as singer's worst selling studio album, given the lack of promotional efforts.
The opening track, as well as, lead single, 'Womanizer', was a nice way to reintroduce the reigning Queen of Pop (Sorry Madonna) and showcased that Britney hadn't lost her ability to create a fun and catchy pop anthem, shown most evidently by the song's record breaking journey to the top. The track became Britney's second No.1 hit, and broke the record for biggest jump to the top spot (96-1), that had just been set by T.I. and Rihanna the week before. Sure, the song didn't live to any of Britney's other first singles ('Baby One More Time', 'Oops...I Did It Again', 'I'm A Slave 4 U', 'Me Against the Music', or 'Gimme More'), but it more than accomplished what it set out to do.
'Circus', set to serve as the second single, is bass thumping ride, where the singer claims, "I'm like the ring leader, I call the shots", and expands by cooing, "Don't like the back seat, gotta be first", a bold, but true statement, given the singer is arguably the biggest star in world (Sorry Beyonce).
The Frou Frou's Guy Sigworth assisted, 'Out From Under', showcases Britney's voice over a beautifully written ballad, something clearly missing from 'Blackout', as she declares, "I don't want to dream about, all the things that never were, and maybe I could live without when I'm out from under". A testament to the dissolution of her marriage to Kevin Federline, or at least that's the way it's perceive, either way , the track is a total winner and stands as one of the album's brightest shining stars.
The aggressively urbanized, 'Kill the Lights', takes a subject liking to 'Piece of Me', but is just as compelling and even manages to produce the same catchy one lines, such as, "Is that money in your pocket, or are you happy to see me?". The poppy electro-fueled, 'Shattered Glass', is a break up winner, about infidelity, that sees Britney comparing the state of their relationship to shattered glass.
'If You Seek Amy', which translates to 'F.U.C.K. Me', was produced by early Britney collaborator Max Martin and will surely be eaten up by the masses if it eventually gets the much needed release. The track is a creatively smart, saucy, and stunning standout.
Bloodshy & Avant, the producers behind 'Toxic, strike gold again on the melodically influenced, 'Unusual You', whereas, 'Blur', puts a pop urban spin on the 2008 Carrie Underwood hit, 'Last Night', as far as subject matter.
In an ode to the Latino hotties, 'Mmm Papi' surfaces, whereas, the dance friendly, 'Mannequin', is overly contagious track that demands you bust a move. Both tracks are a complete fun fest.
The seductive, 'Lace and Leather', takes on an 80's, Madonna influence vibe, that said, the track is just as sexy as the its title, while, 'My Baby', dedicated to her two sons, is a striking salute.
Overall, compared to 'Blackout', 'Circus' is like a it's twin, but given 'Blackout' was a more urbanized spin, this one takes more of a pop approach, and showcases Britney's vocals more, whereas, 'Blackout' relied more on the use of production and the auto tune. That said, Britney has never been a great singer, she isn't even a good singer, passable at best, but she has a knack for creating addictively infectious music that traps us under her spell every time, something her once counterparts Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson, who are obviously stronger vocalists, are still trying to do.
4.5 out of 5
GREAT REVIEW! same rating as me =]
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