Now, Britney's seen that we're looking at her like she's some kind of freak so she's decided to do somethin'. That somethin' is the release of her second new album in fourteen months. Is Circus a well-staged show or an elephant-ridden mess?
Britney Spears - Circus
Electronic sirens mark the beginning of Britney Spears' record Circus; apt for an electropop artist whose life has been full of turmoil, hospitalisation and court cases for the past 18 months. That's behind the world's favourite pop princess now though, and 'Womanizer' boasts a clear message of 'I'm back'. It's not a perfect piece of urban-pop a la Gimme More by any means; it's repetition soon grates and the middle 8 with it's disasterous 'maybe if we both lived in a different world / but we don't' lyric is barely worthy of a late-stage demo; however it makes a statement and brings a catchy hook to the masses, so it's job done.
On the title track Britney's monotone vocals are layed over a dingy beat with no climax other than a sensual pre-chorus. It's another almost-but-not-quite moment, and as second single it can't even begin to compare with the almighty 'Piece Of Me', Britney's biggest UK hit since 'Everytime'. Things get a little more old-school next; on 'Out From Under', a Guy Sigsworthy slowie, Brit cooes over tinkling piano beats harking back to the more epic aforementioned hit. It's not a retread though, more of a casual nod, and as such it works. 'Kill The Lights' is a banger with Danja production whose lyrics aren't exactly unlike those of 'Piece of Me', but whose hook is altogether different. It's another fairly decent if unspectacular moment and completes the album's reasonable opening quarter.
'Shattered Glass' is where things really begin to pick up. A fierce kiss-off which sees Spears smirk about an ex-lover's loss and her gain, it packs a fantastic chorus which borders on melancholy. It's ridiculously short and an extra verse or a proper middle 8 could easily have been added, but it sports charm aplenty anyway. 'If U Seek Amy' and it's cheeky title mark the first time Britney has worked with current hitmaker of the moment Max Martin since his earlier peak at the turn of the century, when she was an innocent bubblegum pop favourite with little sex appeal. That is corrected here, the raunch stacked high as Britney sighs 'oh baby baby, if u seek amy tonight' over an electronic marching beat not unsimilar to that of P!nk's world-beater 'So What'. It's brilliantly fun, catchy stuff perfectly suited to Spears.
Brit's frequent collaberators Bloodshy & Avant, responsible for 'Toxic' and 'Piece of Me', return to weave their magic on the album's highlight, the beautiful 'Unusual You', a midtempo with a heart-breaking hook of 'didn't anyone tell you you're supposed to break my heart? I expect you to'. What makes it such a winner is a truly believable vocal; the sad vocoded effect placed on Britney's vocal works perfectly and a cute electro-string-aided middle 8 tops it all off. On 'Blur', a guitar-aided mellow number, Britney confesses 'can't remember what I did last night, everything is still a blur'. She may not be a credited co-writer but it seems a fairly realistic scenario given the trauma of her life up until recently.
'Mmm Papi' is as ridiculous as the title would suggest, and by far the most enjoyable uptempo on the album. Britney sounds sexiest when she's not trying; her slight drawl is hugely appealing. It's the sort of song which will likely draw criticism for being deemed trashy but it's actually hugely fun and as radio-friendly as they come. 'Mannequin' ruins the run of highlights with it's throwaway lyrics sung over a trashy, crashing backing track with no distinguishable melody or hook. It rivals 'Boom Boom' as the most dreadful thing Brit has ever lent her vocals to, and rumours of it being the set's third single are worrying to say the least. On Dr. Luke's 'Lace and Leather', Britney chirps trite lyrics over a dramatic, frantic backing track. It's verging on filler but it's enjoyable all the same. 'My Baby', the album's closer and the second and final Sigsworthy ballad, again falls a little limp. The chorus is nice enough but we're in generic arena here, all guitars and high-pitched vocals. Given the album's electro undertones, 'Unusual You' would've been a far more appropriate closer.
Circus boasts some seven bonus tracks over it's release in various territories; first up is 'Radar', which is advertised as a 'new mix'; in reality the changes are so minimal it's barely worth a listen, especially given that the original wasn't exactly a highlight of parent album Blackout. 'Rock Me In' is a fun ditty with production from electropop genius Greg Kurstin; a fast-paced chorus and short song length mean it's gone as fast as it came, but it's a worthwhile addition to any fan's collection. 'Phonography', a Bloodshy number which sounds more Danja, is dark, sexy and delicious. 'I make no apologies, I'm into phonography', our girl informs us; 'talk that sexy to to me!'. Phone sex anthems don't get much better than this. Of the above, the UK only gets 'Radar', which is something of a shame.
'I forgot my name, I forgot my telephone number' Spears apologises on 'Amnesia', a sweet and summery affair with a massive hook. There's no telling what Larry Rudolph was thinking when he chose this album's tracklist, but he needs some sort of punishment because this is clear hit material, one thing the main album is a little low on. Rising star 'Lady GaGa' contributed to 'Quicksand', another light affair with a large reverb hook of the kind so fashionable at present. Again, the song should've made the main tracklist. 'Amnesia' is on the UK edition of Circus and 'Quicksand' is an iTunes-special.
Two more tracks close the affair; 'Rock Boy', an in-your-face pop-rock moment which sounds more Ashlee Simpson than Britney (not a put-down) and is easily forgotten, and 'Trouble', which is infinitely more interesting and features a heavy sample of Madonna's wonderful 'Get Together'. It's a tantilising glimpse into how Britney doing an album of Confessions-esque dark dance would sound, and it's available as an iTunes pre-order bonus.
As a whole, Circus really works. It has a near-perfect balance of fun, sexy, fierce and melancholy, the four ingredients Britney has always done so well. It sports decent songwriting and strong, fresh production and aside from the odd plunker a well-chosen tracklist, although three or four of the bonuses not making the cut is a real shame. Most importantly it tells the world that Britney is still relevant - moreso than ever, even.
She definitely did somethin'.
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