Sunday, December 7, 2008

Britney a ringleader of her own Circus - finally

At risk of offending my regular readership, I have a confession to make:

I am a Britney Spears fan.

And I like her new album.

The tracks on Circus - with the exception of the repackaged Radar from her Blackout album - are current, catchy and marketable to the club scene and Top 40 radio.

I've heard Circus at least a half dozen times since I purchased the standard edition on Thursday. (The deluxe edition is on its way.) Womanizer, Kill the Lights, and Unusual You stood out as the highlights to me. The first track, Womanizer, is pure Britney, complete with scandalous music video; Kill the Lights seems reminiscent of her current opening act, The Pussycat Dolls; and Unusual You has a new-age feel that is unique to Britney's recent offerings.

Two tracks on the album -- Out from Under and If You Seek Amy -- appear to allude to previous relationships, the former with Justin Timberlake and the latter with Kevin Federline. The lyrics from Out from Under read as an attempt at closure while If You Seek Amy broadcasts as an angst-filled breakup song.

I might be in the minority, but the song Circus seems like a miss. It's likely to show up in concert though, because early reports on the upcoming tour show a center-ring configuration. Circus fits the bill in that case. Mmm Papi and Blur are the weaker tracks. I wouldn't miss either of these if they weren't played live.

For the record, Blackout was a solid offering last year. Unfortunately, Britney was in no shape to promote it. It is encouraging to see that she is planning a full tour in support of Circus.

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