The Circus Comes to Town

I think Britney herself said it best with "It's been awhile." Although it's been only a few years since she last tore up the charts, her erratic behavior was better at selling tabloids than albums. Now that she's really back this time, she's got a solid album to prove it. In fact, you'll be glad to know that lead single Womanizer is one of the lesser tracks in comparison. Womanizer feels flat when compared with the hyper, chantey feel of songs like the salacious If U Seek Amy (try saying it out loud, or rather in your head if there are people around.) Elsewhere, she succeeds with the confident Kill The Lights, cooing "is that money in your pocket, or you're happy to see me?" in reference to her famed experiences with the paparazzi. Surprisingly, one of my favorite moments comes in the down-tempo techno track Unusual You. It's gentle without being contrived, and still remains a standout. Speaking of standouts, there's also the title track Circus, with a chorus sure to be on everyone's lips in a matter of days; the introspective Blur where Britney admits she "can't remember what I did last night;"the chaotic Mannequin, which is actually downright experimental for arguably the most mainstream artist in the world; and the bass-slapping Lace & Leather, which feels like a tongue in cheek take on a Prince/Janet Jackson sound-a-like. The duds? My Baby, although certainly sweet, is one of the more boring songs I've heard in a while and Out From Under tries too hard to be emotional. Otherwise, it's a great album that I would definitely recommend as well as give the The Guide to Everything Fabulous stamp of approval. Circus hits stores December 2nd.
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Riding The Britney Comeback Train

We all know that Britney Spears has had some rough patches recently, so I've been patient with writing anything about her thus far. Well, this time, I'm convinced. There's been a few false second comings of the Britney we all know and love, but now I think she's really back.
It all started a few months ago, when, after staying relatively out of the limelight;she launched a comeback centered around the VMA's. After a whole bunch of back and forth about whether or not she'd be performing, she didn't. Instead she coherently kicked off the show and won three awards. Okay, not much of an achievement, but we're talking baby steps here!
While the smell of renewed Britney love filled the air, her record label took advantage of the opportunity and announced her next album. Circus, due December 2nd (less-than-coincidentally her birthday), was put together while she was undergoing this miraculous recovery and features collaborations in some degree with Lady GaGa, Lil Jon, Keri Hilson, and a whole long list of other equally notable people.
While at that point I was still a little skeptical, it's her upcoming video for her new single Womanizer that I'm waiting for to make my final judgment. From what I've seen so far, it promises to only further solidify her return. So join me in sitting through 20/20 tomorrow (Friday, October 10th) to see its premiere. It's been long time coming, but Britney's back!




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Going Gaga for Lady GaGa

From the minute Lady GaGa steps on the stage it's clear she marches to the beat of her own drum. Everything from the space age outfits to the cult-like backup dancers she is rarely seen without feel like something from the future;Yet she is heavily influenced by the 70's and 80's in her general approach to music. Overall, her style is a little Gwen Stefani, a little David Bowie, and a lot of mystique. But instead of shying away from the mainstream, she embraces it wholeheartedly and is fascinated with fame in general. So much so that she titled her album The Fame and dedicated several songs to it. And she's done a lot of research, spending the last couple of years writing for major artists, most recently for Britney Spears' forthcoming album. Keep an eye out for her, because there's a good chance she's about to become a phenomenon.
BONUS:to listen to some of her album The Fame, click

picture from seedreps.blogspot.com
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Say Cheese

In recent years we've become more and more fascinated with celebrities and every aspect of their lives. You can't go to a grocery store without keeping up with all the gossip, as tabloids compete to sell their shocking stories. With this uprising in our culture has come a notorious presence not just in Los Angeles, but wherever the stars will take them. They're called paparazzi, and it seems pretty clear they're here to stay.

There's a good chance you may have seen them at work. Shows like Pop Fiction capitalize on how our new media works. But the truth is that the paparazzi can be truly ruthless when they need to be. They fight and break laws, scale fences and climb trees, just to get a picture. It seems ridiculous, but it isn't to them. The market has gotten so competitive that simply following these celebrities around and taking pictures of them is not enough anymore. To really make money you have to get the shots that nobody else gets. When a story breaks, like Britney Spears being taken to the hospital or Shia LaBeouf getting in to a car accident, the photo agencies know that the accompanying pictures are extremely valuable to the tabloids, so they're willing to pay top dollar. This is where the paparazzo comes in. In a crowd of thousands, the one who is willing to go the extra mile will get the shot that is worth the most. Typically this is breaking the law.Recently Brad Pitt has threatened legal action for pictures taken of his family in France. The photos were quickly taken off the internet, but were already sold to a tabloid.
The whole point of this discussion is that their less than legal tactics have been brought up recently as new laws were proposed to prevent them. Such ideas as "personal safety zones," requiring paparazzi to identify themselves on their license plates, and press credential tags have been proposed. John Mayer, Eric Roberts, and Milo Ventimiglia all testified about the horrors they're faced with day by day. But apparently this has gotten them nowhere.The chief of police William Bratton made a snarky remark ("since Britney started wearing clothes, Paris is out of town and not bothering anybody any more, thank God, and evidently Lindsay Lohan has gone gay, we don't seem to have much of an issue”) and called the hearing a "waste of time." Apparently he believes that the laws in place are suitable and no further action is necessary. The outcome remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: As long as the public is voracious for the pictures, the paparazzi will do whatever it takes.

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