Britney Spears: The Circus

Say what you like about Britney, she's no shirker. While her fellow Mickey Mouse club alumni Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera knock out an album every three or four years, hats off to Britney for seeming to increase her work rate during a sequence of events - mental meltdown, disastrous awards-show appearances, lost custody battles, liaisons with dubious Brummie paparazzi - that would have imploded most careers.

In the thick of her public meltdown last year she somehow made time to record Blackout. A disembodied, Auto-Tuned Britney was perfectly suited to the febrile electronic sound world assembled for her by her producer-writers Nate “Danja” Hills and Bloodshy & Avant. At that moment it seemed as if the only people who cared about Britney Spears were those writing her songs.

Trumpeting her swift resurrection, Blackout's successor is clearly the record designed to win back all the people who felt that there was enough weirdness in Britney's life without listening to her weird music. It's not a bad album by any means. For the sweet languor of its chorus, Out From Under glimpses a world in which Stevie Nicks might have been enlisted to help write a few tunes for High School Musical. There's something pleasingly discombobulating too about the queasy pitch at which the recent single Womanizer unfolds.

On an album on which outright thrills are infrequent, such equivocal pleasures become magnified. It's understood that Britney wasn't given a record deal to deliver critic-titillating, metatextual future-pop, seemingly inspired by the hell of being a mentally fragile superstar in Los Angeles. It's just that she's really good at it. Co-written by Nate Hills and Marcella Araica - who wrote much of Blackout - Kill the Lights covers similar ground to that album's Piece of Me, a declaration of war on the paparazzi who provided the world with an hourly account of her breakdown. “Mr Photographer,” she hisses, ire no doubt stoked by her ill-advised affair with the Brummie snapper Adnan Ghalib, “I think I'm ready for my close-up tonight.”

Also bearing Hills and Araica's hallmarks is the gorgeous Blur, a sleepy collision of beats and warped keyboards that has Britney sounding not all that unhappy about her inability to remember what she did last night. Helping to shade in a rich purple patch in the middle of Circus, Unusual You will find a home with anyone whose love of melancholy Europop is fatal enough to take in Limahl's Never Ending Story.

Thereafter, it all gets a bit baffling really. Flouting the current convention for front-loading big albums with potential singles, the brilliant closer Amnesia - which sees big digitised Spector beats tied to a killer chorus and Britney multitracked to sound like Gwen Stefani - ends Circus on a high. Without deployment of your skip button though, you'll need to sit through one previously released song (Radar also appeared on Blackout) and some utter stinkers. The helium come-hithers of Mmm Papi couldn't be less sexy if Christine Hamilton were singing them, while the drippy Disney dreck of My Baby formalises Britney's return to pearlescent-white on-message pop.

Is this how it's going to be from now on? The Mickey Mouse Club days must seem several lifetimes ago. Why on earth would she want to go back there? (SONY, TS £12.99)

Britney Spears’s ‘Circus’ Album Artwork Leaks

Pink reader Tori sends in a bunch of photos of the CD booklet artwork for Britney Spears’s new album Circus (which isn’t due for release until December 2). Here are a couple of the pics that will be included in the booklet … including a close-up of Britney from the album’s backcover photo (which we got to see on Friday):

I do like the top photo … but I’m still a bit creeped out by the backcover photo. I had to cut out the scary-ass little clown, tho. I’m having a hard time with him. After the jump, check out a few more photos from the Circus CD booklet …

Yeah, there’s a lot of hardware going on in these pics. It kinda looks like the stylist stole a bunch of tiaras from various children’s beauty pageants and put them together to craft the jewelry for this photoshoot. I gotta be honest … I don’t love these pics … but, as I’ve said before, I’ve never been that impressed with the album artwork from any of Britney’s releases. It’s all about the music, y’all. But, I could be in the minority here … do any of y’all like these photos?

Spears spared criminal record with Video !!!

Is this girl lucky or what? Yesterday, a judge declared a mistrial in Britney Spears' driving-without-a-license case, sparing the pop star a criminal record, reports The Associated Press. How she's managed thus far not to have one is, quite frankly, beyond us.

Even after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Steele permitted prosecution and defense attorneys to make additional closing arguments Tuesday morning, the jury's deadlock couldn't be broken.

The jury's final vote was 10-2 in favor of acquittal. A city prosecutor didn't immediately indicate whether a retrial would be sought, but a later hearing was scheduled to determine whether the case would be pursued.

The jury posed a series of questions. Among them, "Why was she stopped in the first place?" Interestingly, there wasn't a real traffic stop that precipitated the case; Spears was cited for hit-and-run and driving without a valid California license later, after video of the accident surfaced. Defense argued that Spears didn't meet the state's residency requirements, and that her Louisiana license was sufficient for her to drive legally.

After a series of horrendous public meltdowns, it seems that the pop tart's priority of late is on her music career. Thankfully.

Britney Spears’ Teary Night

Still hot on the trail of a major comeback, Britney Spears was spotted looking teary as she left a Hollywood, California dance studio last night (October 20).

The “Womanizer” songstress looked a bit distressed as she made her way outside, sporting a black jacket, multicolored tank top, black workout pants, and white sneakers, hiding her crying eyes behind black sunglasses.

As for her current court case for driving without a valid California license, it seems the jury is deadlocked after a second day of deliberation.

The jury foreman indicated to press that after three votes, they had failed to come to a unanimous conclusion. He reportedly told the judge, “I think with each return to the assembly room, people become more entrenched in their position.”

Britney Spears trial jurors struggle

Jurors at Britney Spears' driving-without-a-license trial said Monday that they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, but a judge ordered them to continue deliberating.

"I'm going to ask you to make another attempt to resolve whatever differences you have," said Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Steele.

Jurors, who began deliberations Friday, resumed their discussions but twice sent notes to the judge saying they were deadlocked. Questioned by the judge after a third note, the foreman said the panel was split 10 to 2. He was instructed not to reveal whether the majority favored conviction or acquittal.

With each return to the jury room, the foreman told the judge, "everyone has become more entrenched."

But after several panelists said they thought reaching a verdict was still possible, the judge told them to continue deliberating. They later asked to review a transcript of the testimony of Spears' father, Jamie, the sole defense witness.

Spears, 26, did not attend the trial. She faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor.

The charge stems from an Aug. 6, 2007, fender bender in a Studio City parking lot. She originally faced an additional count of hit and run, but the charge was dropped after she reached a civil settlement with the owner of the other vehicle.

During the trial, an attorney for Spears argued that she was not required to carry a California license because she considers her native Louisiana her true home and held a valid Bayou State license at the time of the accident.

Britney Spears’ Latest Trial

For those of you who thought Britney Spears has finished her series of run-ins with the law…thing again!

The pop music fallen star is involved in a trial for the misdemeanor charge of driving without a California license. The singer has a Louisiana license, but she should have a California license considering the fact that she allegedly spends most of her time there.

Sandro Rodrigues, a paparazzo who works for the X17 paparazzi agency, was summoned in court and said that the famous singer spends about 80% of her time in Golden State. The paparazzo proved that the court should trust his testimony by showing them some pictures with Britney Spears.
"The picture [in which] she shaved her head? The picture [in which] she used the umbrella? That's me," the tabloid photographer told the jury according to The Los Angeles Times.


"We follow her from the house to the airport," he added.
Britney Spears did not attend the trial. Her father and conservator Jamie Spears did and, under oath, he told the jury that his daughter has been living in California only because of the child custody arrangement with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline. She has been planning to move home to Louisiana at the time and was only waiting to resolve the custody battle with ex-husband.



Jamie Spears has been the conservative of the singer’s estate since her mental breakdown earlier this year.
The singer could face a maximum six months in jail if convicted. However, she’ll probably get a fine and probation. Closing arguments are set for today.

Spears' father appears in court

Singer Britney Spears' father Jamie has represented the star in a court case accusing her of driving without a valid Californian licence.

The charge relates to an incident in Los Angeles in August 2007 when Ms Spears was photographed hitting a parked car and leaving the scene.

Mr Spears said she had planned to move to her home state of Louisiana so did not need a Californian driving licence.

The 26-year-old is exercising her right to stay away from court.

The pop star had initially faced hit-and-run charges but they were dropped last October when she compensated the driver of the damaged car.

The prosecution said it was "a straightforward case" - her address was listed as Beverley Hills so she should have a Californian driving licence.

Rejected

Her lawyer, J Michael Flanagan, told the jury there was no dispute she had been driving but said that, at the time, she had a valid Louisiana driving licence.

He argued that Ms Spears did not need a Californian driving licence because she was only a temporary resident of Los Angeles.

He said: "She was residing in California - I'm not trying to get tricky with terminology but 'resident' has a different definition."

Her father told the court that she intended to move back to Louisiana but that her ongoing custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline kept her in California.

Under cross-examination, Mr Spears admitted that his daughter had strong ties with California and acknowledged that she had got married and divorced in the state and had two children there.

Closing arguments from both sides were expected on Friday.

Mr Flanagan rejected a plea deal which would have resulted in a $150 (£85) fine saying Ms Spears did not want a criminal record.

She faces jail if convicted, but this is unlikely as she has no criminal record.

This week, the singer hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since her debut single Baby One More Time, in 1999.

Womanizer, the first track off her new album Circus, was boosted by first-week download sales of 286,000.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Britney Spears has returned to the top of the Billboard

Singer Britney Spears has returned to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since her debut single Baby One More Time, in 1999.

Womanizer, the first track off her new album Circus, was boosted by first-week download sales of 286,000.

Spears has scored the biggest opening-week tally by a female artist, beating Mariah Carey with Touch My Body.

Last October, top 10 single Gimme More jumped from 68 to number three, with first-week download sales of 179,000.

Despite a gap of almost 10 years between number one hits, the star has only had three other tracks in the US top 10.

Those records included Toxic, Oops!...I Did it Again and You Drive Me Crazy.

Her last album Blackout went to number two in 2007.

Circus is set to be released on 2 December, which also coincides with the star's 27th birthday.

After suffering a very public breakdown last year, which saw her lose custody of her children, Spears recently won three prizes at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Fans are hoping the new album is the start of a successful comeback.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday jury selection for the singer's court trial, for driving without a valid California licence, began.

However the singer exercised her right to stay away from court. Selection will continue on Thursday.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Britney Spears Opens Up in MTV Documentary

What do Barack Obama and Britney Spears have in common? They both have plans to deliver their own message in separate primetime specials.

To help promote her sixth album (and to show the world that she’s finally back on track), Britney Spears will open up her life for an upcoming MTV documentary. The feature - titled Britney: For the Record - will give fans behind-the-scenes access into the pop star’s life. Shot over a three-month period, the 90-minute piece includes video of Spears in the recording studio and preparing for the VMAs.

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In the doc (which can be previewed after the jump), the revamped 26-year-old will also candidly address the craziness from the past couple of years. Britney hopes this special will allow her to tell her side of the stories.

Britney Spears' Womanizer is Great!

I like Britney Spears' song Womanizer and i love its music video!
The song is vibrant and very catchy and the music video is fantabulous!
Now, reading about the video is nothing like seeing it! But this is what a comeback should sound and look like!
In the video, Britney first appears in nothing but the skin God gave her! Then she changes from a sexy housewife or lets say girlfriend, a sassy secretary, a hot tattooed waitress and a daring chauffeur driving a limo!
But for the first time in years, Britney looks like the old Britney! You'll see that her face has gotten back to its former state! It's like she went back in time to the days of Ooops and Toxic!
She has finally changed her stat from Cheetos-loving-former-pop-tart to Simply Sexy Britney!

Britney Spears Womanizer video - watch!

Here is the world premiere of Britney Spears newest, Womanizer. In a word, it’s FANTASTICCCCCCC!!!!!

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What do you think - is Britney back or is she BACK!

Britney's Ex Says He's Selling Sex Tape

Oops she did it again! Britney Spears is in the middle of another mess resulting from a "toxic" relationship. Her ex-boyfriend, photographer Adnan Ghalib, says he owns a sex tape featuring himself and the pop super star.

Ghalib, who dated Britney, says he plans to see the tape to the highest bidder. He told Heat Magazine "There is such a tape, but I won't discuss prices for hypothetical enquiries. Unless there's a locked-in deal, I will go no further."

He added: "I am not interested in selling out any other details about Britney."

The two hour tape reportedly shows Britney in nothing other than a pink wig.

Britney and Adnan supposedly in Santa Barbara, walking around, kiss on the cheek, 6th jan 2008

source: http://www.ktla.com/

Britney Spears Charity Painting Will Not Go Over Well With Wife/Girlfriend

Britney Spears is suddenly hot again — though we have no idea why. We can only attribute it to a.) less frequent mentions of Kevin Federline and b.) less frequent live signing. Nevertheless, Ms. Spears has done a commendable job in using her fame to help others and her resurrection in the spotlight can only mean good things for charity fundraising.

The 26-year-old recently stripped down to her knickers for artist Daniel Maltzman. The painting — which looks to pay homage to the pre-meltdown days — will be sold to raise money for charity in an eBay auction. All of the cash will go towards The Promises Foundation, an organization which helps low-income moms and their children.

Bidding for the autographed 4ft by 5ft unframed work of art is currently at just over $13,000 — with a final price above $15K expected by the closing hammer at 3pm EST. We would recommend consulting your significant other before throwing down a bid.

Britney Spears thinking about remarrying Kevin Federline?

Rumors are flying fast and furiously today that Britney Spears is seriously considering remarrying her ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Now, granted, she’s made a lot of progress these past few months: she’s lost a lot of weight, she’s stopped appearing drunk and without panties in public, and she even showed up at the 2008 VMAs looking pretty good, especially considering her performance at the 2007 VMA’s. However, even with all that progress, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to get back with a guy who didn’t really seem to be helpful in keeping her on the straight and narrow.

Regardless, Kevin and Britney are going together to couples counseling, and as part of their therapy, they are going on formal dates together. Which for them, would maybe be a trip to the KwikEMart. And in order to facilitate all this new togetherness, she’s selling her home for $7.9 million in order to get a place closer to Kevin so they can share better custody of the kiddos. The property is described as an “exquisite gated Italian Renaissance-inspired villa with three garages and a grand entrancefoyer” (source), so if you have some extra change, well, you know what to do.

Anyway, I’ll keep track of this story and see what happens. What do you think of Kevin and Britney getting back together?

Britney Spears Sucks on Cherries, Straddles Guy in New Video

Things get steamy in Britney Spears' new music video for "Womanizer."

The singer shot it yesterday at Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant and Elevate Lounge in Los Angeles.

One witness tells Usmagazine.com it features plenty of "erotic" choreography. (According to a leaked copy of the single, lyrics include: "Boy don’t try to front / I know just what gets you off.")

In one scene, Spears (who wears tight, black leather pants and fake tattoos on her arms in the video) lies on a kitchen counter and later straddles and makes out with a man dressed in business suit.

The scene continues with Spears sucking on cherries or dangling them around her mouth, all while straddling and crawling all over the man, the witness says.

All the hot and heavy action didn't seem to faze Spears.

"She seems to be all business," the witness told Us. "She'd just do one thing after another and then on to the next."

Spears worked up a sweat — her black bob wig was rubbing off on her forehead, says the witness — and an appetite.

For lunch, she ate three pieces of cheese pizza.

New Britney Spears - Womanizer

probably a Circus track!!!
this song and pictures belong to Britney and her crew
enjoy :)))

Britney Spears' Studio City mansion for sale

Britney Spears' madhouse is on the market. The six-bedroom Studio City home from which she was twice taken to be hospitalized is for sale for $7.9 million, People reports. It's an "exquisite gated Italian Renaissance-inspired villa," with six and half bathrooms, a pool and three garages.

Check out the Real Estalker for pictures. According to the blog, it's offered with select furnishings, accessories and artwork.

Spears' 'Womanizer' Single Delayed

Britney Spears' career comeback has experienced a slight setback -- her new song, "Womanizer," has had its radio premiere pushed back until the end of this month.

The pop star's eagerly anticipated new single was due to hit the airwaves in the U.S. on Monday, but a snippet of the track was leaked online by a radio station in Tennessee late last week.

And now bosses at Jive Records' Zomba Label Group have delayed the release of the tune until September 29 at the earliest.

According to online reports, the current mix of "Womanizer," the first release from Spears' forthcoming album "Circus," was not the finished version.

A source tells E! Online, "The mix was not finalized."

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/

The leaked song has now been removed from the Nashville radio station's Web site.

Britney Spears puts Beverly Hills house on the market for $7.9 million

Googling "Britney Spears" just now yielded 98,600,000 hits; googling "President Bush," 44,600,000. Makes you wonder what's wrong with this planet, doesn't it?

Nevertheless, here's one more contribution to Google: Britney Spears, pop princess or pop pariah, has listed her Beverly Hills Post Office home for $7.9 million.

The house is in a gated community and has about 7,500 square feet, with six bedrooms and 6 1/2 bathrooms. There's a wet bar, a library, a den, high ceilings and stone and mosaic tile floors. The master bedroom has a fireplace and a loggia. Then there's the pool, spa and arbor. It is being offered for sale partially furnished and decorated. And we suspect neighbors are popping open Champagne bottles.

This is the very same house that Spears was wrenched from in January by a well-executed LAPD plan to skirt the paparazzi and have the singer involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward at UCLA Medical Center.

Neighbors are unlikely to forget that winter night with helicopters buzzing overhead and more than 100 paparazzi who chase Spears for a living hovering at the gates.

Spears, whose every move has been dutifully recorded by paparazzi, the courts, her fans and her detesters, was last seen looking for a new place to live in the Hidden Hills and Calabasas areas. Definitely gated.

The midriff-baring 26-year-old singer is planning a tour -- or at least so says her mother. So maybe her new neighbors won't have the same headaches that her old neighbors had.

Tomer Fridman of Ewing & Associates, Sotheby's International Realty in Calabasas, has the listing, according to the Multiple Listing Service.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/

Britney Spears: The Sexy "Womanizer" Cover

We're 90 (maybe even 95) percent sure this is fake, but this alleged cover for Britney Spears' forthcoming single, "Womanizer," is making the rounds online.



The UK's The Sun is reporting: Britney's bosses are using these shots to promote her comeback single Womanizer. Dressed in sexy leather dominatrix gear and holding a whip, the singer is pictured leaning over a scantily-clad hunk.

Fake or not, this makes us want to buy her new album, Circus.



Well, actually, we wouldn't go that far. But the fantasy of getting ransacked by a smoking hot, S&M-clad Britney Spears is sure to make your afternoon.


Just make sure your boss isn't looking ...

Source: http://www.fashion.ie/