Some basic stuff: Released on November 28th, 2008, little over a year after her last studio album. Debuting at #1, her 6th studio album to do so, it sold 500,000 copies in the U.S. it's first week. To date, it has sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. and over 4.5 million copies worldwide, making it her highest selling album in the U.S. since "In The Zone" (source).
Tracklisting as it appears on the U.K. Deluxe Edition.
Note: Reviews are going to be graded 1-5 from now on.
Note: Reviews are going to be graded 1-5 from now on.
1. Womanizer - Written and produced by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of the production team The Outsyders, their first, and only, contribution to Britney's discography was WELL received by the public, selling 4.5 million copies world wide (perspective: "Toxic" = 4.75, "...Baby One More Time" = 6.5). It was her first #1 song in the U.S since her first single "...Baby One More Time" and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording. Now, about the song, it's a hit for sure, Britney was wise to chose this number for her lead single; the repetitive chorus that is instantly catchy, the mechanical beat, complete with whirring and whizzing sounds from a factory and her equally robotic vocals make this a very stylized production. However, with that kind of production, which thanks to the credits I can blame John Hanes, comes a lack of personality and presence. It's understandable given the theme of the song that she would be produced to sound that way, however because of all the production, anyone could have sung the song. Newly leaked untouched studio vocal versions of some Britney songs show how heavy-handed the editor is with Protools and that she can still sing, you can listen to it here. It's kind of like Girl Scout Cookie ice cream. It tastes good, but you're still like what the fuck happened to my cookies? - 10/10
2. Circus - The second single and title track is the first of many songs produced by Dr. Luke, who co-produced the song with frequent collaborator Benny Blanco (a.k.a. Benjamin Levin). The duo co-wrote the track with songwriting veteran Claude Kelly ("Party in the U.S.A."). This track is one of my favorites, but when a song's a single, it's hard for it to truly be an all-time fave because it becomes so widespread, which this song did. A #1 song on the Billboard Pop Songs chart and #3 on the Hot 100, the single was a perfect follow-up to "Womanizer", outselling the single with 5.5 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles worldwide, and 2nd best after her very first single, "...Baby One More Time". This is a perfect example of producing a song to a theme without overshadowing the artist; the opening guitar strums and truly original stomp-clap beat, hard to achieve, the song grabs you and keeps you, building with an perfect pre-chorus where the clapping becomes more rapid and steady with an electric guitar melody that adds a touch of drama, complimented by some wacky background noises. The chorus is a thumper, featuring some vocal production reminiscent of "My Prerogative" and carnival-themed synth chords, it's infectious. This song features background vocals from Cathy Dennis, who wrote "Toxic", and Myah Marie, who is frequently a background vocalist for Britney due to their similar-sounding singing voices. Myah in particular can be a sore subject for hardcore fans as some speculate that her voice is used more than it should to beef-up Britney's, but she's an enhancement, not the main course. The song is undeniably Britney singing, but this was the start of the super-produced chorus' in pop music where the layers of voices on the chorus' are many. While some songs are a raw piece of meat, Britney is a full meal here, steak, salad and fries, complete with A-1 sauce, and that's nothing new, she's just ditched the choir background singers. - 10/10
2. Circus - The second single and title track is the first of many songs produced by Dr. Luke, who co-produced the song with frequent collaborator Benny Blanco (a.k.a. Benjamin Levin). The duo co-wrote the track with songwriting veteran Claude Kelly ("Party in the U.S.A."). This track is one of my favorites, but when a song's a single, it's hard for it to truly be an all-time fave because it becomes so widespread, which this song did. A #1 song on the Billboard Pop Songs chart and #3 on the Hot 100, the single was a perfect follow-up to "Womanizer", outselling the single with 5.5 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles worldwide, and 2nd best after her very first single, "...Baby One More Time". This is a perfect example of producing a song to a theme without overshadowing the artist; the opening guitar strums and truly original stomp-clap beat, hard to achieve, the song grabs you and keeps you, building with an perfect pre-chorus where the clapping becomes more rapid and steady with an electric guitar melody that adds a touch of drama, complimented by some wacky background noises. The chorus is a thumper, featuring some vocal production reminiscent of "My Prerogative" and carnival-themed synth chords, it's infectious. This song features background vocals from Cathy Dennis, who wrote "Toxic", and Myah Marie, who is frequently a background vocalist for Britney due to their similar-sounding singing voices. Myah in particular can be a sore subject for hardcore fans as some speculate that her voice is used more than it should to beef-up Britney's, but she's an enhancement, not the main course. The song is undeniably Britney singing, but this was the start of the super-produced chorus' in pop music where the layers of voices on the chorus' are many. While some songs are a raw piece of meat, Britney is a full meal here, steak, salad and fries, complete with A-1 sauce, and that's nothing new, she's just ditched the choir background singers. - 10/10
3. Out From Under - Where "Blackout" lacked in ballads, "Circus" makes up for, 2/3 were produced by Guy Sigsworth, Britney's go-to ballad guy ("Everytime", "Someday"). Written by Shelly Peiken (Gloria Gaynor, Christina Aguilera), Arnthor Birgisson and Wayne Hector, the song is actually the album's little-know only cover song, originally appearing on the Bratz: Motion Picture Soundtrack sung by Joanna Pacitti, you can listen to her version here. Britney's vocals on the song are appropriately breathy, "breathe you out, breathe you in", and they grow stronger as they near the chorus, building in intensity as the production changes from simply guitar to a hand-clap beat with drum brushing and some beautiful background vocals. Lyrically, the song is about trying to get over something, some may speculate it's love and she may be singing about Kevin, however I think this song is deeper than that; "I'll get it all figured out when I'm out from under". Her work with Guy is always a welcome change of pace on any album and is so beautiful, the guy really knows his way around instruments. - 9/10
4. Kill the Lights - Remember the team from "Gimme More"? Well they're back, sans Keri Hilson, plus Luke Boyd for another Danja-produced dark-pop song that sounds like it could have been left off of "Blackout". Tinged with brassy trombones, dramatic strings and a rock high-hat beat, the track is a rapid one, complete with booping synths that have become a Danja staple. The song is a fun one, with some parts playing like the score to a movie, especially her spoken word bridge. This is the first track that has very clear vocals from Britney, and they're good, as soon as she spits out "you don't like me", it's hard not to be motivated by her attitude and strong delivery. It's worth mentioning that there's no background vocalist credited here, though there are some clearly from Danja, the singing is 100% Britney. - 8/10
5. Shattered Glass - One of the shortest Britney songs in existence and also one of the finest. The "Circus" songwriters and producers produced this track, and it's hot. The song was released on promotional CD's for the album, including a 6-track megamix and as a track on a bonus CD included with the purchase of her "Circus Fantasy" fragrance in Australia. It makes you wonder if it was considered for release as a single, the track charted at 70 and 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Pop 100 respectively, so it was clearly popular. The song opens with some cool production, my bet's on Benny, sparkling, echo-y synths complete with some more circus-themed noises. The song's theme echo's that from "Womanizer" and has Britney dealing with a cheating man, and now he feels guilty; "was it really worth it, was she everything that you were looking for?". My favorite line also appears in my favorite segment of the song, during the short chorus; "you're gonna see me in your dreams tonight, my face is gonna haunt you all the time". This is just a glimmer of the pop-magic that Dr. Luke + Britney craft, and man does it shine bright. - 10/10
7. Unusual You - The first of a couple Bloodshy & Avant tracks was worked on with their often-collaborator Henrik Jonback and songwriter Kasia Livingston, who's original demo has leaked and provided background vocals that are easy to discern after listening to the demo, which you can do here. The track is the album's second bona-fide ballad, with a rock-edge and atmospheric, layered vocals that make the track, unusual, in the best sense of the word. The track is a truly haunting one, the only thing sharp to be found here is the industrial guitar strumming that remain a constant in the song. Everything else is soft and echo-y, clacks and clangs a thrown in amidst some tribal drumming, bright synths and xylophone action. Lyrically, the track talks about someone being unexpectedly good, so much so that it's unusual, and has one of my favorite lines from a Britney song: "up till now I thought I knew of love, nothin' to lose and it's damaged 'cause patterned to fall as quick as I do". - 10/10
8. Blur - Another Danja track, assisted by "Lago" a.k.a. Marcella Aracia and Stacy Barthe ("Cheers (Drink to That)" sounds, hate to say it, straight out of "Blackout". He has such a distinctive producing style that he uses with Britney, which is usually not a bad thing, however unlike it's predecessor, this album is a concept album, and most of the tracks are fitted for that, however his are blasts from the pasts. Thankfully on his productions, he usually doesn't touch her voice too much, and her lovely natural voice is showcased on this track, which is a mournful ode to the morning after a night "can't remember what I did last night, everything is still a blur". It is (of course) tinged with some sexual referencing, "who are you? what'd we do last night?", but keeps it PG-13, allowing Spears to say "hell", but editing out "shit" and "fuck", which take away from the power of the song. The production on this track is typical Danja, high-hat beat, booping synths, some guitar added in there. The track is a transition from "Blackout", after 12 tracks of partying, this is what happens when the sun comes up. - 7/10
10. Mannequin - Here again is a writing credit for Britney, along with the producers Harvey Mason Jr. and Rob Knox, with James Fauntleroy II ("No Air"). The track is trance-influenced and has some of the least-discernible lyrics from Britney ever, opening with verses sung in her high-high-register. The track is about... well the lyrics are "I can't help myself, I'm just doing what I do...I like it and I do what I like and then you do what I like and you like it". I don't really know what the song is about, but I don't even know the words either so. The song is a perfect combination of electro-rock, using hard electric guitar and drums combined with sharp synths and airy-AutoTune'd vocals. Note: an unmastered demo of the track leaked that features some clearer vocals from Britney, you can listen here. - 6/10
11. Lace and Leather - Written by "Circus" helmers Dr. Luke and Benjamin Levin, along with Frankie Storm ("Takin' Back My Love") and Ronnie Jackson. "French fingertips, red lips bitch is dangerous" Britney purrs on the opening to the track, over some twangy bass guitar and an electronic drum-pad beat that shifts into some distorted wind instrumentation that sounds like the sonic equivalent of a fun-house mirror. Her vocals on the track aren't that great, she's basically talking the verses and letting the AutoTune give her voice and certain sharp-tinge, but I won't fault her for that, it's just a jam track. Though it does remind of the way Britney used to attack a rock track. Fun note: Ke$ha provides background vocals for the song, presumably something that came about during her friendship with Dr. Luke and recording her debut album, and for the life of me, I cannot pinpoint her voice on the track, which is a good thing because it means she's truly just in the background. If I had to bet, I'd say she's on the chorus' opening line "baby take a seat, eyes on me" and not on the song's second verse harmonies, those sound like Britney. - 8/10
16. Amnesia (Bonus Track) - This track is a grower, on first listen, it takes a while to understand because it's a different sound, a different beat, a different mood than she's done before. "Unusual You" writer Kasia Livingston wrote the song with then-up-and-coming producer Fernando Garibay. The song is about an engaged girl getting tongue-tied around a guy in the club, so bad that it's amnesic; "didn't know it was over till you came on over and told me that you just can't forget about me". The track is very Garibay, he likes to change the mood during different parts of a track; the song opens with a bit of a spooky intro of haunting hums over a steely beat that continues through the first verse, but with the chorus, he adds in some bright synths and produces Britney's vocals to stronger and more forceful. For the second verse, Britney hammers away with a rap-edge to her voice, different from the moan-y wail she used on the first verse. He adds some sparkling textures here and there and is a fan of using multiple layers of background vocals for extended periods of time, something he repeats on "Quicksand". Note: the unmastered demo can be heard here. Again, who can pull off a track about leaving your fiancée for a guy in the club? Britnaaay. - 9/10
* Rock Boy (Bonus Track) - Another sub-par rock-themed bonus-track, this one written/produced by Danja. This one is truly a rock production compared to "Rock Me In", and he even leaves out his signature booping synths, in fact, there are no synths to be found here, which is the way to go, I'm glad he committed fully with this tack. The guitarist for this song deserves a mention, and I wish I knew who to credit for it because it most certainly was not crafted digitally. She shifts from silky sweet, "screaming your name", to bad-ass attitude, "I don't give a damn", changing in a way that calls to mind a schizophrenic groupie, which is pretty much the lyrical content of the song. She's no stranger to singin' about bein' 'Crazy' about a guy, but this is the first time it's been about a rock star. First time for errythang. - 7/10
* Trouble (Bonus Track) - "You and I left alone cannot be trusted" opens this Bloodshy and Avant + The Clutch number, which was almost certainly recorded for "Circus" as the studio session was captured in part on her documentary "For The Record". The song takes the better elements from previous B&A/TC tracks, with the synths bearing a strong resemblance to "Radar"'s opening and Britney's voice having a hip-hop flavor, in it's progression and production, having her sing-rap at times and with some layered falsetto vocals. This should have taken "Radar"'s place on the album. Moral of the track: "you can talk me into it if you wanted to"/"I don't want to lose control, but then again, I think I wanna lose control". - 8/10
Overall: - Perspective-wise, I had a resurgence of Britney-lovin' shortly after listening to this full album, but the gap of no-Britney in my musical life meant I missed out on being current on "In The Zone" and "Blackout", so for me, this was the album that really signified her comeback. Those two albums I missed were her least-pop albums, so this to me was her doing what she does best, classic Britney pop. The producers on this album were varied, which provided a nice array of tracks, and some favorites (Max Martin, B&A, Dr. Luke), which provided the staple pop hits that grounded the album. "Circus" is unique in that there were 7 bonus tracks released total, in various regions, 6 if you decide not to count "Radar" (I won't hold it against you), and that's a fan's wet dream. Most albums have 12 tracks standard,so to have 19 is pretty sweet. To close: the album isn't ground-breaking, it isn't as progressive of a sound as "Blackout", but man is it a fun, solid slice of pop goodness. - 9/10
6. If U Seek Amy - Britney's frequent collaborator Max Martin produced this track, which was co-written with Shellback ("Riase Your Glass"), Savan Kotecha ("If I Had You") and Alexander Kronland ("Oops!...I Did It Again"). Despite being a catchy song, the song didn't perform terribly well, peaking at #19 and selling just over a million copies in the U.S. Everyone and their mom knows what the song's cleverly written chorus is really saying, even my 60 year old dad, and the 'Amy' mythos doesn't hold up for long; "all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if you seek amy". Here, Britney's in a bit of a different mode than she's usually in, she's being a tease, not quite swearing, and giving you a knowing smile the entire time. The vocals on this song are an AutoTune'd dream, with some parts a little too robotic, but she compensates with sing-song-y "la la la"'s and a typical final-chorus vocal push at 2:50. The production is a jittery ditty, mostly driven by fuzzy bass and brassy synths, with the opening melody remaining constant throughout the song. Matin and Spears have an undeniable magic, and it shows, it's a shame this is the only track he worked on to be released. Ha ha he he ha ha ho. - 10/10
8. Blur - Another Danja track, assisted by "Lago" a.k.a. Marcella Aracia and Stacy Barthe ("Cheers (Drink to That)" sounds, hate to say it, straight out of "Blackout". He has such a distinctive producing style that he uses with Britney, which is usually not a bad thing, however unlike it's predecessor, this album is a concept album, and most of the tracks are fitted for that, however his are blasts from the pasts. Thankfully on his productions, he usually doesn't touch her voice too much, and her lovely natural voice is showcased on this track, which is a mournful ode to the morning after a night "can't remember what I did last night, everything is still a blur". It is (of course) tinged with some sexual referencing, "who are you? what'd we do last night?", but keeps it PG-13, allowing Spears to say "hell", but editing out "shit" and "fuck", which take away from the power of the song. The production on this track is typical Danja, high-hat beat, booping synths, some guitar added in there. The track is a transition from "Blackout", after 12 tracks of partying, this is what happens when the sun comes up. - 7/10
9. Mmm Papi - The first track with a writing credit from Spears was co-written with "Heaven on Earth" writer Nicole Morier and production team Let's Go To War. Widely a love/hate track among fans and critics, the track is a fun one, drawing on the 70's for inspiration; high hat and electronic guitar intro complete with a hand clapping beat makes this track a retro-goodie. Don't take the song too seriously, it certainly doesn't; "now see, I'm mami, and that makes you papi, and that makes us love-y". Interestingly enough, an article published about the track states that Nicole and Britney did all of the writing on the song, which I would believe, literally changing 1 word makes you eligible for a writing credit, which may be how the production team was credited (source). All time favorite eargasm gem; 1:53 strobe-like vocal moan. - 8/10
11. Lace and Leather - Written by "Circus" helmers Dr. Luke and Benjamin Levin, along with Frankie Storm ("Takin' Back My Love") and Ronnie Jackson. "French fingertips, red lips bitch is dangerous" Britney purrs on the opening to the track, over some twangy bass guitar and an electronic drum-pad beat that shifts into some distorted wind instrumentation that sounds like the sonic equivalent of a fun-house mirror. Her vocals on the track aren't that great, she's basically talking the verses and letting the AutoTune give her voice and certain sharp-tinge, but I won't fault her for that, it's just a jam track. Though it does remind of the way Britney used to attack a rock track. Fun note: Ke$ha provides background vocals for the song, presumably something that came about during her friendship with Dr. Luke and recording her debut album, and for the life of me, I cannot pinpoint her voice on the track, which is a good thing because it means she's truly just in the background. If I had to bet, I'd say she's on the chorus' opening line "baby take a seat, eyes on me" and not on the song's second verse harmonies, those sound like Britney. - 8/10
12. My Baby - This is one track most fans skip on the album when it comes on, myself included, I've listened to the track in full about 2 times before this review but I figure I should probably listen to the full thing a couple times. The track came about when Guy and Britney, the song's writers, were working on "Out From Under". This track vocally is more reminiscent of their other work, and she puts on her true Britney-ballad-voice, something that can't be AutoTune'd and shows quite plainly that she. can. sing. Period. It also shows her knack for busting out sentimental lyrics, singing about how her baby was the thing that got her through her tough times. The title is a bit of a head scratcher as she had popped out both her kids by then, it's like when you drive by a nail salon and the sign says "Magic Nail". Just one? Do I get to pick which one? However Britney is not an asian woman named Tammy and she should know better. - (It's about her kids, I'd feel bad giving it a rating.)
13. Radar (Bonus Track) - So. The most-likely theory behind this song being included as a bonus track, besides the fact that it's pretty awesome, is that Britney's label contracted the song with the producers for a cheaper price in exchange for it's release as a single, a promise that they kept, albeit a little bit later than intended. That didn't really turn out well for the single, only peaking at #80 on the Hot 100 and selling less than a million copies worldwide. However on a positive note, it was her 21st song to chart on the Pop Songs chart, which was a record for any artist that decade.
14. Rock Me In (Bonus Track) - For the first bonus track on the album, Greg Kurstin produces a rock themed track without committing fully, relying on an electric guitar driven instrumental that includes kick drums, hand claps and his signature booping synths. Britney and Nicole Morier co-wrote on this number as well, and some of the wording sounds like it'd be from Brit's head; "rockin' headspace, I'm trippin' out". Opening the track, Britney says "rock" and it's looped in a way that makes it sound like she's saying "cock-cock-cock", which I'm sure was unintentional. Cough. Her vocals on the track are pretty moan-y, with Brit rocking an almost British accent sometimes. The song is a bit of an oddity, not sure where it really fits in and I'm sure that's why it was released as a bonus track. Lyrically, it's another ambiguous-could-be-about-a-boy/just-wanna-have-fun songs; "I'm super fast now, you wanna chase?". It's not the best song, but it's an interesting one to have if you want to have em all. - 5/10
15. Phonography (Bonus Track) - This is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and the reason is quite simple, who else can pull off a song about phone sex? Britney, that's who, and with the title, she even invents a new word. The number is the result of Bloodshy & Avant + The Clutch, who worked together a lot on "Radar", meaning that the track was possibly left over or recorded for the re-release. The production is lightly tinged with some rock elements, snare & kick drums propelling the beat, however it is a synth-y affair, in true B&A style. If I were to type out my favorite lines from the song, it would be the entire track's lyrics, the song is very well-written, staying cheeky without bein' nasty. But if I had to chose one; "Baby if you're not alone, take me off speakerphone, what I'm 'bout to say right here's just for your ears to hear... I got a *69 for that ass". - 10/10
* Quicksand (Bonus Track) - One of my favorite Britney song's period, possibly helped by the fact that the song was written by Stefani Germanotta , a.k.a. Lady GaGa, like with Ke$ha, probably another case of a new artist working on other tracks as a result of their connection working on their debut material. The writing is so pre-The Fame Lady GaGa, her work for other artists is above-average pop, and this is no exception. Opening with a warble-y piano melody that stays constant and rides an underbeat of kick & snare drum. The track is about not wanting to move on from a relationship and holding on to it, despite "sinking like quicksand". Though no official credits have been released for the track, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Lady GaGa provided some, the repeating "like-like-like" is undeniably her voice, and you can hear her deep vibratto on the following word, "quicksand". There is another vocalist on the chorus' higher harmony, I can't tell who it is but it's not either of em. Note: An alternate version of the track exists, featuring slightly different instrumental and vocal production and more a more distinct GaGa version, you can listen here. There also exists a full demo of Lady GaGa singing the track, however only 9 seconds of it have leaked, a fun listen, and she sang the song live a few times, not the full track, but you can watch em both here and here. Also, last one, fan-made background strips reveal some clearer GaGa vocals, listen here. - 10/10
* Trouble (Bonus Track) - "You and I left alone cannot be trusted" opens this Bloodshy and Avant + The Clutch number, which was almost certainly recorded for "Circus" as the studio session was captured in part on her documentary "For The Record". The song takes the better elements from previous B&A/TC tracks, with the synths bearing a strong resemblance to "Radar"'s opening and Britney's voice having a hip-hop flavor, in it's progression and production, having her sing-rap at times and with some layered falsetto vocals. This should have taken "Radar"'s place on the album. Moral of the track: "you can talk me into it if you wanted to"/"I don't want to lose control, but then again, I think I wanna lose control". - 8/10
* Telephone - Originally recorded by Britney for this album, it was rejected by her management team and the rights remained with Lady GaGa, the song's writer, and Darkchild, the producer. It was reported that Britney then wanted it on her "Singles Collection" as 'Telephone (featuring Lady GaGa), however the Lady decided to keep the track, a wise decision. Only a test-demo of the track has leaked, and features some T-Pain-level AutoTune, but it's undeniably her voice; it circulated the internet for a while before Darkchild confirmed it as Britney's voice, but I knew, how could you not? I'm not gonna get into any Britney vs. GaGa who-did-it-better kind of nonsense, especailly since Britney's demo sounds like a 10 year old's Garage Band creation. You can listen to her demo here, and, just for fun, you can listen to the mash-up of the 3 ladies here.
Cover made by yours truly
Highlights: Circus, Shattered Glass, If U Seek Amy, Unusual You, Phonography, Quicksand, Amnesia, Trouble
Fun Facts: Due to "If U Seek Amy"'s controversial lyrics, a censored version was used that dropped the -k to become "If U See Amy". It's unique in that the studio provided the edit, having Britney record the altered line. Britney chose the albums singles, came up with their music video concepts and hand picked the remixes that were included on the "Womanizer" Remix EP. Britney recorded and released this album in a year, her fastest turn around time since her early album days. Not too shabby for a mother of two.
Sources: Album booklet, single back covers, YouTube and Unreleased Britney Spears.
What? 2/5 for Rock me in? you be trippin' I love that song
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