Britney Spears Album: “Circus”

I have to tell you I started listening to the album tracks weeks ago and loved about 13 out of the 15 songs that were going to be in the deluxe version. I bought the album of course today, had to go to 3 stores to find it (Walmart and Target were sold out so had to go to Best Buy) well worth it. My top songs of the album are Womanizer, Unusual You, If You Seek Amy, Circus, Out From Under, Kill The Lights and Phonography. Special Bonus in the Deluxe is the DVD (Interview about the making of the album), the directors cut of womanizer video, and a photos section (this part was not the best only has about 5-6 photos) but all is foregiven Britney is back with a vengeance...This deluxe edition definately worth it..you hear that Beyonce.

Last year's "Blackout" was a strong pop record that sold well, peaking at #2 on the Billboard charts and yielding a handful of hit singles. "Circus," therefore, represents more of a personal than musical comeback for Spears.

The good sense to release "Womanizer" - a chugging, energetic slice of guilty pleasure dance/pop with no self-conscious lyrical connection to Spears' personal life - as the lead single for the album - her second #1 single and first of the late 2000s - has certainly paid off.

"Circus" contains many potential smashes, suggesting it may have a shelf life of significant length. The naughty "If U Seek Amy" is all sass and swagger, and the title track percolates and bubbles with hyperactive energy. "Lace and Leather" is spare, sexy sensuality with its downbeat tempo and spacey synths, and "Kill the Lights" is an out-the-ballpark smash with its frothy tempo changes and matter-of-fact, detached vocal delivery.

It may take a few plays for the hooks to settle in, but these are songs are not Disney radio-fodder pop machinizations to be forgotten by next week. These hooks are contagious and, most importantly, completely fun.

Spears again attempts light, melancholy balladry in the vein of "Sometimes" and "Everytime (sp: Every Time)" after last year's "Blackout" was wall-to-wall sexual energy and party jams. "Unusual You" is a new variation on "Everytime" with a cushier, more understated hook that could spell surprise mega-smash, although such could also happen for full-throttle breakup ballad "Out From Under," even if its lyrics lean toward the overly literal. The soft, devotional "My Baby" provides a strong, unexpected conclusion.

Surprisingly, "Circus" is not a pure cotton candy/crackerjack sugar rush. Such a description is truer of "Blackout," which was unpretentious fun from top to bottom. Rather, it is "Circus" that is the more ambitious, mixed record, and, most importantly, it works where it should.

The best Britney album to me so far before "Circus" was "In The Zone", it was something about that album that was very layered and adventurous with its songs that made it stand out way past last years "Blackout" (also a great album but very one dimensional, and it gets old FAST).

Britney returns to her adventurous roots with "Circus", a layered, genre hopping, fun listen thats not as instantly catchy as "Blackout" but ultimately, holds up very well and is without a doubt her best album to date.

Because of how the album has a variety of different sounds, it has much more longevity than the synth heavy, distant "Blackout".

You get your dance songs, always top of the rank, and AMAZING.. Womanizer, Circus, If U Seek Amy (Pop perfection, you have to listen to this), Kill The Lights, Mannequin.

You get the ballads, Out From Under and My Baby which are very good sweet songs that is a complete joy to listen to after not having Britney Ballads for years.

And the great mid-tempo songs like the amazing Shattered Glass, Blur and Unusual You..

The only song I cant get into is Mmm Papi, but its still an OK song, I just need some time with it.

Overall, this is such a worthy purchase. Its her best album to date.

She has definitely matured as an artist and is finally coming into her own.

The Deluxe Edition has the DVD with the Womanizer video and the Making of, which I highly reccomend. PLUS the bonus songs Phonography and Rock Me In which are surprisingly great for bonus tracks.

Recommended definitely! Join the Circus today!

I really like this album and the Blackout album. I don't see her as the bubblegum pop teen anymore, because that did not appeal to me. I am not embarrased to buy her cd as a 29 yr old. I always thought she sounded young. Not anymore.

I really really like...MMM papi, Shattered Lights, If U Seek Amy, Manneuin and Kill the Lights.

I still don't care for her slow songs. But A for effort. F for execution.

Great Album-Buy it

It's rare nowadays that a CD stirs me so much to come out of hiding to write a review. I have written many many reviews here on Amazon, but it's not often that I find something good enough to find it worth spending my time on.

That being said, let's get to the meat of the review. I bought this CD simply because I loved "Heaven on Earth" from

and I read that the lady who helped produced that track, had another track on this album, which is "Rock Me In" on the deluxe version. That really was the only reason I bought this CD was to hear that song.

Well, first off, Womanizer is an awesome title track, but it pales in comparison to the rest of this amazing CD. Every track bleeds with emotion. Every track leaves a trace behind in your head. It really reaches out to grab you by the neck to make you pay attention. Britney's vocals have improved greatly since her early days and they truly do shine on some of the more ballad-esque tracks on the CD, especially on "Unusual You".

Many of the tracks are really fun, great to dance to and blast in your car. A couple of standouts are "Shattered Glass", "Circus", "Rock Me In", "Mannequin", and "Radar".

My favorite tracks on the album, "Shattered Glass", "Rock Me In", and "Circus". Don't get me wrong though, ALL these songs are amazing in their own right.

The Queen of Pop has truly finally returned after a few false starts, her talent shines on this album brighter than any previous release. Welcome back Britney.