Anyone who knows anything about the history of the music industry will tell you that comebacks are hard to come by. In this day and age, an artist’s personal life is one of the judging points used to determine whether they’re capable of making it; it all determines whether fans, the media, and the rest of the world are going to like what you bring to the table. Unfortunately for Ms. Britney Spears, people tend to pay attention to her personal mistakes and missteps along the way, and most people doubted (pre and post-Blackout) that a comeback would even happen. Her dazed and confused performance at last years VMAs will go down in history as one of the worst performances by a tenured artist in the music industry. Aside from her extremely loyal fan base, just about everyone doubted that the head-shaving, paparazzi-dating, divorced mother of two would ever do it again. All of these blunders, plus the loss of her drivers’ license and conservator ship being placed in the hands of her father (not to mention the pregnancy of her 16-year-old sister) led most to wonder if she was capable of anything but creating more chaos and media attention.

Unfortunately for the haters, Ms. Spears is about to prove them wrong. After going to rehab to regain her mental consciousness and weeding out the bad influences in her life, Britney is stepping up to the plate again. She spent her summer in recording studios with over 30 different producers, some new and some old, searching for that sound that would help her regain her crown as pop princess. Her new album, titled “Circus”, is out on December 2nd (her 27th birthday) and has the potential to be album of the year (Lil’ Wayne, watch out) with pre-order sales already placing her in the top 10 on iTunes Top Albums Chart a full two weeks before the actual release. Spears maintains her dance-pop/European influenced sound, with the modern production causing most to wonder if Madonna’s “Hard Candy” was even that good. While she only penned two tracks on the album herself, the out-of-this-world production and new-aged song concepts (see “If U Seek Amy, and Mmm Papi), Circus will certainly be everything people are hoping for.

Of course there is not much to say about “Womanizer,” track one and the first single from the album. We’ve all heard it, seen the sexy, futuristic video for it, and have been exposed to countless remixes that have surfaced since its’ release. Whether you like it or not, its kind of hard to avoid that catchy chorus and its’ constant radio play.

“Circus,” the title track from the album, confirmed to be the second single with the video already produced, is sure to blow her competitors out of the water. The track is produced by Dr. Luke, mastermind behind the #1 singles of Katy Perry (“I Kissed A Girl”) and Kelly Clarkson (“Since U Been Gone”), and he proves that he can create a hit for just about any artist. The beats on the track are hard-hitting and are delivered with a mix of R&B and electro, making the song one of the most infectious and catchy tracks on the album. The dance breakdown toward the end of the track reminds fans that Britney will be returning with her exquisite choreography, something missing from Blackout’s videos and performances. This is one of the best songs on the album, and will be sure to please crowds on her yet-to-be-confirmed 2009 World Tour.

Three tracks in, Spears slows down the tempo and gives her attempt at a cover of singer/songwriter Joanna Pacitti’s “Out From Under.” Britney is definitely stealing her thunder, with the special effects and real Spears vocals turning the track into an acceptable ballad. She seems to be searching for freedom, a redemption of sorts from what she’s been through over the past couple years. While not necessarily an album highlight, the track still impresses the Britney fan and non-fan, and is sure to be considered a third single choice, if not beaten by fans’ appreciation for the more up-tempo tracks like “Kill the Lights.” This track is Spears’ message to the paparazzi—“Mr. Photographer/I think I’m ready for my close up (tonight)/Make sure you catch me from my good side (pick one).” What may be considered a sequel to Blackout’s “Piece of Me”, Kill the Lights is Britney’s chance to tell the paparazzi who’s boss, and she does so with confidence and reminds them that they “Can’t handle the truth.”

Something missing from Blackout was Britney’s sound from her bubblegum pop days as a teenager trying to make it on the music scene. She may have hung up her school girl uniform, but the sound still remains on “Shattered Glass.” An anthem for broken relationships, the track (also produced by hit maker Dr. Luke) delivers emotion and beats in one package. It is definitely evident on this track that Britney has ditched the auto-tune and is giving her classic sound a chance again.

Moving on to one of the most talked about tracks on Circus, “If U Seek Amy” features production from pop veteran Max Martin, who produced Spears’ first #1 single “Baby, One More Time.” We are reminded of this as Brit opens the track with her classic “Oh Baby, Baby,” but this song is not nearly as innocent as her first single, and it is not recommended that you let your mother listen to this one: “Oh baby, baby, if you seek Amy tonight/Oh baby, baby, we’ll do whatever you like.” She’s letting everyone know that you might love her and you might hate her, but no matter what all of the boys and all of the boys are begging to F.U.C.K. her. The track has some serious single potential with its banging beat and contagious chorus, and should be allowed by censors after tracks like “I Kissed a Girl” made the airwaves a little more risqué than in the past.

The second half of the album doesn’t seem to be nearly as exciting as the first. “Unusual you”, a mid-tempo/electro pop track is one of the most depressing tracks on the album, lyrically, as she sings “Baby you’re so unusual/Didn’t anyone tell you you’re supposed to/Break my heart, I expect you to..” Depressing, yes. A possible single? Definitely. Jive and Britney’s management should consider putting this out as a single to throw audiences for a loop who typically expect more dancy, bubblegum songs from the singer. “Blur” seems to reveal Britney’s party-girl side as she sings that she “Can’t remember what I did last night.” Is this just after a long night of partying? A one night stand? While the Danja production is decent at best, the chorus is rather repetitive. In fact, I “can’t remember” the last time I listened to this song since it leaked.

The next two tracks on the album “Mmm Papi” and “Mannequin” are a different sound for Spears, but are equally as pleasing as her previous tracks. On “Mmm Papi” she is looking for and calling her lover, or rather her “papi,” while what seems to be elevator music rings in the background over a clap-your-hands beat. The fun track is produced by newcomers Lets Go To War, and will definitely be a fan favorite. “Mannequin,” the song played in the dance rehearsal video posted on MSN and viewed by a couple hundred thousand people over 24 hours, is a catchy dance track with guitars and beating drums under Spears’ falsetto. At times it’s hard to understand her, but I’m sure the dance routine she comes up with for the track will make up for any lyrical problems. While the track may not be single potential, it will definitely be a hot live performance.

Taking the S&M route, “Lace and Leather” talks about seducing her lover and that she wants to push it to the next level and introduce some lace and leather into their sex games. While the bassline reminds me of something from Justin’s FutureSex/LoveSounds, Britney still puts her style on the tracks, singing with confidence about attracting boys with her manicured nails and losing innocence. A break in the song features a Carlos Santana (no, not really Carlos Santana) guitar breakdown before she goes back into the chorus one more time: “Baby take a seat/Eyes on Me/This is my show…You’re one and only pleasure/all decked in lace and leather.” This may be one of her sexiest tracks to date.

Even though Britney nailed “Everytime” on In The Zone, she might want to avoid the ballads. While the closing track on “My Baby” is very personal to her (it’s written about her sons), and her vocals do not sound overproduced, the song is not very exciting and there’s no doubt there are other slow tracks she could’ve pulled from. It’s a little hard to see her attempting this one live, but her writing effort and the vocals at the end of the song still earn her some credibility.

As far as bonus tracks, I find myself wondering why they’re bonus tracks in the first place, as most of them are better than some of the tracks included with the album. The standout Japanese bonus track “Amnesia” is an awesome track with a young, 50s-pop, song-you-would-request-on-the-jukebox type sound. The muffled drums and tambourine in the background give the track it’s fun-loving sound. It’s a rather funny song, as she sings that she can’t remember her name, her address, or her telephone number. “Rock Me In”, rumored to be written by the amazing Lady Gaga (hence the Ga, Ga, Ga, at the beginning) is another fun track featuring guitars and reminds the listener of In the Zone’s “Brave New Girl” from 2003. It’s an OK track, not one of the best, but you can definitely tell by the lyrics that it was written by Gaga. The final bonus track, “Phonography” is perfect for this cell-phone obsessed society as she sings “And I like by Bluetooth buttons coming loose/I need my hands free/Gonna let my mind roam/Playing with my ringtone,” Who knew Britney was obsessed with phone sex?

As a whole, Circus represents everything Britney needed for a great comeback. She has confidence, amazing production, little to no auto-tune, and a real demonstration that she can still sing after years of having children and smoking cigarettes. (Just kidding.) But really, this album is going to blow people out of the water. It contains a an unprecedented mix of her old and new sounds, instead of the overproduced Britney we heard on Blackout, and even takes us back to her Baby, One More Time era in terms of production and vocals. Her choice to expand her production selection is what’s really going to make this album different from all the rest. With the right promotion and a well-rounded and produced World Tour, she’s cooking up all the right things for a successful comeback in the face of all who doubted she could ever make it. Ladies and gentlemen: the princess, or excuse me, QUEEN of pop, has returned.

Download or Die: “Circus,” “If You Seek Amy,” and “Amnesia” (Bonus Track)

This article has been read 701 times since Thursday, November 20th, 2008. It was posted on at 6:54 pm by Sean and is filed under Album Reviews, MP3, Music, Reviews. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.