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Britney Spears - Circus
Who remembers the first time that you heard Baby one more time? Who remembers the explosion in young girls wearing school girl outfits? It seems like those days were a million years ago now. However, here we are with another Britney album and a fresh outlook on that old look. I have to admit, I was one of those people who thought that Britney should go into hiding and sort her life out. Take a year off just to figure out who she was exactly and what she wanted. Am I disappointed there is a new album? Not in the least. I was actually excited and looking forward to hearing what she had to say on this one. I never listened to any leaks or listened to any of the hype or distain that came along with it. I wanted to use fresh ears on this one.
First thing I did when I bought the album (yes I actually bought the album, went to the store and purchased myself a copy); I put it on my iPod and started listening to it right away. There were a lot of highlights on the album for me. First thing I noticed was the fact that her vocals weren't over produced like they had been on her last effort with Blackout. The ballads have returned and I became an immediate fan of My Baby. "Cause without you, how did I get through all of my days” is a beautiful lyric and the song actually gave me goose bumps and I’ve never had a Britney song that has done that for me ever.
Next up I’m going to leave you with Jonathon's top five points about the new album:
Britney's voice is back.
Obviously it won't ever be as strong as the voice that kicked off a whole crazy era of bare midriffs and provocative naivety. Nonetheless her voice is much clearer this time around as opposed to the overly processed vocals from 'Blackout'. Even her ballads are strong. The most processed and layered sounds, at first glance, are from 'Mannequin'. Even so, it allows the listener to take in what she's doing with a bit of sugar on top. Hmm, kind of like a candy apple on Halloween.
Danja!
The man is responsible for bringing 'It's Britney, bitch' to the masses. He got 'Get Naked (I Got a Plan)' to the point where you can't help but think some nasty naughty thoughts. He's back for a few songs on Circus ('Kill the Lights' and 'blur'). 'Kill The Lights' is Britney taking on the paparazzi once again, and honestly? The sass is enough to knock them off their feet. The lyrics are bouncy and not so serious, yet you can tell that she's taking them on with vengeance. As for 'Blur', it's a morning after, thought provoking song. Did I just seriously sleep with this guy? What was I thinking?! I need to get the hell out of here…The track isn't for me, but I'm sure there are people out there who can relate.
It’s a three ring circus.
What better way for Ms. Spears to make a comeback than to show up on the scene armed with the best type of entertainment? Check out her most recent performances of 'Womanizer' and 'Circus'. Although she's got a ways to go, the whole theme of this album is the perfect image for her to climb back to the top with. It suits her well, considering the horrid past year or two. Her life is a circus, her platform is chaos. The album art and everything else about it is perfect for an album so late in her career. Especially with how fickle people are these days.
'Out From Under'.
Ballads are not Britney's forte; there is no way around this fact. You go to her for the fast, body shaking beats for a shameless good time. However, somewhere along the line she was able to pick up Guy Sigsworth (he also produced 'My Baby', which is a little too sweet for my taste) to work with her on her 2003 album, In the Zone. Well, it looks like he couldn't stay away! If you can step outside of life for a moment and put yourself in her shoes, the ballad has a sound to it that makes your heart ache just a little for the girl. Who it's about is left to your imagination, but I have a feeling it might be about a certain pop star that just can't let the past go.
Everyone thought Britney Spears was a casualty.
They wrote her off as another washed up pop star that had fallen very far from grace. Honestly, as a devoted fan, I had mixed feelings over the whole ordeal. Will she come back? Is her personal life too much? With a little help from Larry Rudolph and a steady stream of interesting producers on her side, Circus is going to be remembered as the album that brought Britney back into the lime light she was meant to stand in. It's a great group of tracks that dive somewhat into a more personal realm, but with the ability to be so general they can be perceived as mindless pop ready for the clubs. Bottom line: Circus is a perfect album that temporarily satisfies the thirst we all have for more Britney. Like she states in the track Circus “All the eyes on me in the center of the ring, just like a circus”. Her life has been one huge ‘circus’ that the whole world has been watching. I believe, with this album she is claiming back that part that she lost along the way.
Even though I do have some reservations about the tour that she is planning for herself right now, I believe that she is taking a step in the right direction with her music and moving forward and pushing behind all the controversy that has plagued her in the past few years. It just goes to show that no matter whom you are and what you go through, you can come through it. The light always does shine and Britney has shown her new light with the release of Circus.
Natty's top five songs from the album:
