No one would blame you if you believed Britney Spears‘ glory days were behind her. In the last few years, we’ve seen a not-so-good girl teetering on the edge of sanity. We’ve come to expect drama from our idols. Still, Britney has gone from coy school uniform temptress, supposedly chaste romances with Justin Timberlake, and feuds with Christina Aquilera to pantiless parties with Paris Hilton, assaulting photographers, rumored drug overdoses, shaving her head, and a painful MTV Awards performance where a queen became a sad shadow of her former self.
She hasn’t handled the pressures of fame well. These are the times that kill our idols, the experiences that leave them cold and lifeless in hotel rooms and bedrooms of their sprawling mansions. She is, after all, 27 years old now. It’s easy to believe that we would do better if you or I were in her stiletto heels. However, we have no way of knowing what’s going on in the life she leads outside the prying eyes of the paparazzi – those rare moments when the cameras aren’t aimed her way.
Considering her unraveling, the prospect of a comeback seems far-fetched. But seeing – and hearing – is believing because Circus is not only her finest work in years, it may even be described as her Sgt. Pepper or Petsounds. It’s an album where everything that makes her a star comes together in one glorious moment. It’s peak Britney Spears.
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The cheeky and sharp Womanizer opens the album. It’s an empowering dancefloor hit directed at a cheating man. “It’s a girl’s anthem. That’s why I like it,” Ms. Spears said in a recent interview.
With hundreds of thousands of iTunes downloads in its first week, “Womanizer” leaped from #96 to #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, the biggest Hot 100 jump in history. The house beat enthralls while Britney analyzes the man who can’t stop cheating on her. Her voice is distinctly aggressive as she condemns his behavior and repels his advances.
Similarly, the title track’s lyrics compare showbusiness to a circus, and Britney is the ringmaster. Whereas it’s tempting to believe the song hints at Britney’s freaky side, it is very much analogous to how she controls her destiny. The whip she cracks isn’t on some wayward lover but across the backs of the media as she beckons them – dares them – to follow her. Ms. Spears’ return to form here is confident, encouraging, and obvious.
In Kill The Lights, Spears appears to be writing a letter to her photographer ex with lines like, “Mr. Photographer, I think I’m ready for my close-up” and “Is that money in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?” “Blur” will set tongues wagging as Ms. Spears portrays herself as a hungover party girl asking, “Who the hell are you, and what did we do last night?” If pop/rock star antics are to be believed, it’s probably a position she’s found herself in more than once.
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“Unusual You” shows off Spears’ vulnerable side as she sings, “Didn’t anyone tell you you’re supposed to break my heart, and I expect you to.” It reveals a breadth of experience most twenty-somethings acquire once they’re much older, if at all.
“If U Seek Amy” takes an old pun and weaves it into an instantly danceable and naughty track. Purposely provocative, it’s already garnered some attention from “concerned” groups like the Parents Television Council (PTC), who are threatening to file indecency complaints against any radio station that plays the song during the daytime. The controversy surrounding this song is nothing new for Britney Spears, as she has always pushed the boundaries of pop music. She may even welcome the attention. Perhaps it was an intentional and ingenious ploy. After all, if a stuffy pearl-clutching group is offended, it will surely be a hit with the younger generation. However, the PTC’s reaction has sparked a new discussion on the censorship of pop music, what is considered appropriate for daytime radio, and who gets to decide.
Britney Spears’ ‘Circus’ is an ambitious and eclectic album offering something for everyone. From the upbeat, pop-infused bangers to the more somber and reflective ballads, Spears proves her ability to craft a unique listening experience with an impressive variety of music. Each song is an excellent example of how Britney has grown and evolved as an artist. Circus is an album that proves Spears is still a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
