With its title, Circus nods knowingly at the madhouse that is Britney Spears' life, acknowledging that things got a little rough after the release of 2007's Blackout. It's no secret that Blackout's launch didn't go as planned: the furor surrounding her stumbling VMA lip-sync of "Gimme More" was eclipsed by her institutionalization -- a drama played out live on TV, as so much of her life is -- and the loss of custody of her two young boys to ex-husband Kevin Federline, all of which pushed Blackout far, far to the background. Britney herself didn't exactly seem engaged on Blackout -- it was a club album, a producer's showcase, so it didn't matter if Spears didn't give herself over completely as the behind-the-boards team carried her through. That distance combined with her troubles did give Britney the appearance of losing control completely, and the best way for a pop star to right herself is through image -- hence Circus, a friendly remake of the hedonistic Blackout that posits that all is better with Brit-Brit now, thank you. If Blackout was a producers' album, Circus is a handlers' album, intent on sweeping away any recent unpleasantness -- the only acknowledgement is that title -- and acting like nothing ever happened, imagining that this is still a world where Britney remains envied and desired, where she can be dolled up as a gauzy Farrah Fawcett pinup on her album cover, where she can sing a drippy ballad about "My Baby" and have nobody raise an eyebrow. She can get away with the former with a bit more ease than the latter if only because all the time, effort, and money is poured into the club tracks, such as the thumping, stuttering first single "Womanizer" and its better, the relentless "Kill the Lights," so sleek and sexy it winds up diminishing the rest of the record.
"Kill the Lights" may be exceptional, one of Britney's best-ever singles, but it also doesn't have much competition here: it's one of a handful of tracks that follow through on Blackout, while the rest of Circus plays it safe, never hitting the beats hard enough to alienate a pop audience but perhaps layering on a bit too much saccharine for dance fans. It's careful and considered, right down to the single-entendre "If U Seek Amy," a Katy Perry-styled exercise in crass commercial carnality that is at once the best and worst song here. Best because Max Martin once again works his undeniable pop magic, turning this into a trashy stomper that feels inevitable and eternal, working against any sense of taste or decorum, something that the lyrics work overtime to undercut as they insist that all the boys and all the girls still want to F, U...well, spell it and you'll get the picture, and if you don't, Britney's elocution will paint it for you. This sexy strut doesn't work not because Spears' desirability took a nosedive in the five years since In the Zone -- although it did -- but because Britney's sexiness never was this explicit; she teased and hinted, at least in her music, and it feels wrong to have her be so nakedly vulgar here. Still, it was a necessary move, a way to stir up headlines and perhaps snatch the tabloid tiara from Katy's head, but the rest of the record doesn't follow through as it resorts Spears' standard formula: a couple of great dance singles, a couple of pretty good chill-out cuts (best being Bloodshy & Avant's "Unusual You"), a couple of not-good-at-all ballads, and a whole bunch of stuff in the middle. If she feels marginally more connected here than she did on Blackout, it's a Pyrrhic victory, as Circus never feels as sleek or addictive as its predecessor.
She wanted to be like Madonna, but wasn't tough enough. It would be okay, if she had anything else to offer.When Britney Spears released Blackout, my immediate thought was of rebound boyfriends. With all the public scandal going on in her life, it was hard to believe it was something true and inspired. It was obviouslly an "I'm still standing" statement - a rebound album. Despite that, when I r...
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by Will-W. Make no mistake about it, I love Britney Spears. And you would be lying if you were not in the very least rooting for her comeback after a tumultuous 2006-2008. It is during this period that the public saw America's sweetheart of pop go from invincibility to vulnerability. With her life now back in order and a record time rebound, Spears continues to delve headfirst into a demand
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Britney is back and better than ever!!! Celebrate Get your listen to her full new album, "Circus", dropping today for free right here!
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The word circus perfectly describes the last 2 years for Britney Spears. But between the hospital stays, mental evaluations and court proceedings, Britney Jean Spears did manage to have some high points: seemingly cleaning up her act, her MTV Video Music Awards wins and her brand new album, appropriately titled Circus. Widely referred to as [...]
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An actual excerpt of a Circus review by Neil McCormick of The Telegraph : To the clockwork synth stomp of 'If U Seek Amy' (which, sung fast, becomes 'If you're sick of me', or is it 'Eff, you, see, kay me?') she presumably deliberately hints at the crash-and-burn image of Amy Winehouse, while singing "love me, hate me" and crafting a hookline out of manic laughter ("ha ha hee hee ha ha ho!"). ...
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: CIRCUS - Big Synths - Nice Production - Many Radio Hits - Similar To "Blackout" : SO SHE'S CRAZY WERE NOT ALL PERFECT ..lol - Man so I just finished listening to Britney's new release "Circus' for some reason I was looking forward to getting my hands on this because the production on the last album was really sick, any who the first thing that I noticed was that "Circus' had all of th...
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Don't worry Muusers: I have, in fact, survived the Circus of Britney Spears . Sure, there's been some scrapes and claw marks along the way. I've been manhandled by a duo of evil clowns, nearly fed to the lions and tigers, and somewhere along the way, I distinctly recall being forced to slap a drunken hooker. Luckily, I managed to elbow my way out from under the tent flap…Some might even say .
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Once again, I find myself listneing to Britney Spears which I have to say for the first time in my life, I actually quite like her now - someone call a doctor now - I know! I have never really been into her all that much, but it finally seems that she's making the sort of music that appeals to me and my favourite genre. So when "Circus" landed in my inbox yesterday, I thought hey, let's give...
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"Womanizer" Britney's new single off her upcoming 6th studio album, Circus was unleashed & played everywhere last Friday. It only took one day for remixers to start doing their thing. Here's probably the first one to hit the web made by swiss the Dominik von Werdt."Womanizer (Dominik von Werdt Remix)" | downloadDominik von Werdt explains:i wasn't completely honest the other day at your studio w...
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So guys, despite "allegedly" giving boyfriend Marilyn Manson the old heave-ho, the insanely talented Evan Rachel Wood (of Thirteen fame) is hanging on to one memento from their relationship -- her man-spired makeover. See, right after Evan Rachel Wood hooked up with the goth singer, she ditched her blonde locks and went dark -- very dark -- coming out the other side of a reinvention tunnel lo...
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This little sneaky loop got everyone super excited yesterday. It's JUST A LOOP. Not a finished track. Nope Nope. But its still an mp3 of decent quality and a perfect teaser for the track. Catch "F.U.C.K. Me" after the jump: Britney Spears - If You Seek Amy (Sneaky Loop) This song makes me LOL over and over again. Related posts THE [...]
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yeah... so this is so last december but its on the radio all the time and I love the refrain... i feel the adrenaline running thru my veins, spotlight on me and i'm ready to break...
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Don't worry Muusers: I have, in fact, survived the Circus of Britney Spears . Sure, there's been some scrapes and claw marks along the way. I've been manhandled by a duo of evil clowns, nearly fed to the lions and tigers, and somewhere along the way, I distinctly recall being forced to slap a drunken hooker. Luckily, I managed to elbow my way out from under the tent flap…Some might even say .
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I can NOT settle down after seeing these preview pictures from behind the scenes of B 's new video for "If U Seek Amy." Stepford Britney with a "...Baby One More Time" inspired daughter for one her most unapologetic, sex-infused numbers yet?! BRILLIANT. The sheer tongue-in-cheek-nessity is enough to make me burst at the seams. I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THIS VIDEO. GURL, Y U SO CRAZI?! Clic...
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I KNEW IT. It's official . After leading in the fan favorite polls for months now by major percentages, the third single has been selected. Get ready to get nasty ladies and gentlemen, because the third single from Britney Spears ' Circus shall be..."If U Seek Amy." It had to be done...It's another Britney classic, isn't it? Though I'll never truly get over the bitter loss that was the for...
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Break out the poppers and lube...It's time for a quick go-to upon the dancefloor, B style! First up is BitchSlapHappy 's brutal flashing lights rendition of the track. It's pretty club-tastic, and especially impressive given its unofficial nature. Hold on until 2:30 for a sensational explosion of repetitive bliss...Loves it! DL: Britney Spears - Circus (BitchSlapHappy 3 Ring Circus Remix) ...
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An actual excerpt of a Circus review by Neil McCormick of The Telegraph : To the clockwork synth stomp of 'If U Seek Amy' (which, sung fast, becomes 'If you're sick of me', or is it 'Eff, you, see, kay me?') she presumably deliberately hints at the crash-and-burn image of Amy Winehouse, while singing "love me, hate me" and crafting a hookline out of manic laughter ("ha ha hee hee ha ha ho!"). ...
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It may be premiering tonight at 8 PM EST on ET, but the real version has already leaked (once again) on the internet! Nothing too different here, aside from Bulgari's product placement at the video's beginning and a slight variation on cut shots in some scenes. I think they may have shortened Britney 's laugh at the end, too. Shameful! Still, this is epic-nessity at its finest. Make sure yo...
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Y'all...I am OMGing all over the place right now. The mysterious tweets have been answered--Britney Spears is returning to America with a second US leg of The Circus: Starring Britney Spears! From Britney:"I'm so excited to bring The Circus back to North America. I've made some really cool changes to the show that I think my fans are really going to love. I also get to bring the show to some ne...
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Alright I struggled with this one. Didn't really wanna put Britney on P&P but I'm sure a lot of people are curious what her new stuff is gonna sound like. It's been slowly leaking today, so if you're curious, check it out. Got them from PMA and Mossip. It's gonna be great for 10 year old girls to be singing along to If You Seek Amy. Britney Spears - Circus Britney Spears - Lace and Leat...
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Bradley Loves Britney or How I Spent My Thanksgiving Break After approximately three miserably failed attempts at sleeping on the night of December 1st, it became evident that I would not be getting in that three hours of sleep before the concert. Instead, I waited up patiently until I met up with my fellow Britney buddy, Erica to hop onto the 4 AM train and begin our journey into New York. Co...
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Congratulations to Britney for winning Best Album of the Year at the 2008 MTV EMAs ! Thanks to a member of BadMediaKarma Forums , we've got a video grab of her acceptance speech...Straight from the set of her second single, "Circus"! FREAK. OUT.
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If it floats your flotsums and jetsums, BreatheHeavy has just posted an eight minute mix of Circus . And no, I'm not kidding. I haven't listened yet...For two reasons. One, I'm at work. Two, I'm not caving...Yet. Not this easily, anyway. Give me an hour and I'm sure you'll find a review up on here after my internal organs start caving in on themselves, forcing me to click "Play." WHY, GOD....
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Alright, we all pitched in to make "If U Seek Amy" a reality...and look how well we did!Now it's time to give Britney her best ballad since "Everytime."Head over to Britney.com and VOTE for "Unusual You" as Britney's fourth single from Circus!VOTE OR DIE....for "Unusual You," that is.
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Womanizer |
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| 2 Circus |
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| 3 Out from Under |
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| 4 Kill the Lights |
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| 5 Shattered Glass |
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| 6 If U Seek Amy |
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| 7 Unusual You |
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| 8 Blur |
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| 9 MMM Papi |
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| 10 Mannequin |
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| 11 Lace and Leather |
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| 12 My Baby |
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| 13 Radar [*] |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Circus")
