It has been only a year since the release of the pop princess Britney Spears’ last album Blackout when she comes back with the new material. It is but obvious that the singer is well aware of the fact that the critics being not too flattering with her during the past few years can endlessly discuss her mistakes including those in her personal life and thus has decided to restore her own image. If Blackout was a club album on which Spears herself did not have to spare much effort as the core job was done by a professional producers’ team then the new album Circus proves to be a much more real Britney’s record. Her vocals and songwriting skills finally sound again although not too distinctly against the background of powerful productions but still much brighter than on Blackout. Of course Circus does not widen the content frames staying on the artist’s classic territory: these are the songs of her fame and sexuality, a couple of sentimental ballads, rebuffs to the opposite sex and unsophisticated pop-tunes. Yet we can now state for sure that Britney Spears has coped with her problems and continues to conquer the world.
Telling about her new album Britney said that she was very interested in experimenting with the producers, both with those who have already worked with her before and those with whom she collaborated for the first time. Thus the new team members have been Danja and Bloodshy & Avant (Toxic and several tracks on Blockout), Max Martin (…Baby One More Time) and also the projects the Underdogs and The Outsyders. It was the latter who made the first single Womanizer, which for the first time after …Baby One More Time debuted number 1 on the Billboard Hot100 chart, it is one of the record’s most powerful moments as there are all the components of a successful hit in it including a memorable tune, appropriate beat and effective lyrics. The title composition Circus offers a new way to look at the relationship from the point of view of a cynical, haughty and stone rich heroine and a sensual ballad Out From Under has been already recognized as the best after I’m Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman. Another quite over-proud composition Kill The Lights reminds the general atmosphere of the previous album as well as Lace And Leather with a nice disco flavor and Shattered Glass is devoted to a failed relationship. Among the album highlights one should name Unusual You with a catchy tune and a danceable track Mannequin, finally offering a vivid, contagious beat in combination with smart lyrics and bold audio-effects. The songs of a content that does not do credit to Spears such as Blur of a heavy hangover, Mmm Papi, filled with erotic so much as it sounds almost indecent and a somewhat strained ballad My Baby on which Britney does actually sing cause quite conflicting emotions. Yet on the whole there is not much filler on Circus and its highlights fully compensate all its shortcomings.
The release of album Circus is scheduled on 2 December when Britney Spears turns 27 years old. Far from every girl of the same age could boast to have achieved as much as the singer and which is more important has survived so many personal troubles. Nevertheless to err is human and in spite of everything she still remains honest with herself and her fans. After a slight warm-up on Blackout and not a very successful performance on a certain ceremony last year Britney is persistently regaining the former form, doing it slowly but steadily. For instance she plans a new world tour to support Circus the following year, eagerly gives interviews and is sincerely happy with what her sixth creation is resulted to be. As on all of her works most different moods, characters and ways of behavior live together on her new album for they all comprise Ms Spears’ interesting personality. The only thing she can be reproached for these days is her abandonment especially notable on a few new songs with unambiguous implication for which some of the critics even call her vulgar. Hopefully she manages to calm down a little as the time passes and find new ways to attract attention. By the way, on December, 2 the band Take That’s new album is going to be released and it is called The Circus which is just a coincidence and we may not worry that somebody might confuse the two records but the competition still promises to be very hot.
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