Critics Weigh In On Britney’s ‘Circus’

Britney Spears’ new album, out this week, is likely to be a huge hit, but is her “Circus” the three-ring extravaganza of albums past? The critics have spoken, and it seems that Britney’s back — mostly.

“‘Circus’ gives Brit pop a whole new meaning,” Ann Donahue writes in Billboard, praising her “double duty” between ballads and club-ready dance tracks. “She is in a class of her own.”

And the New York Times’ Jon Pareles noted that Britney’s past scandals helps the songs, rather than distracts from them.

“Ms. Spears’s publicized private life lends humanity to a musical presence that’s largely synthetic,” he wrote. “Most of her new songs are crisp, cunning dance-pop with a touch of schoolyard singsong. Just before they grow mechanical, they’re zapped with new effects or catchy melodic interludes.”

Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Willman gave it a “B,” calling the second half of “Circus” “a first-rate electro-pop album” but criticizing disappointing production work by Dr. Luke and longtime Britney collaborator Max Martin.

“Circus” currently has a 66 out of 100 average score on Metacritic, a Web site that aggregates reviews.

The fans have already reached a verdict, however, on at least one song – the album’s first single “Womanizer,” which broke records when it shot from No. 96 to No. 1 in a single week.