Britney Spears - Circus

POP

Tabloid hysteria aside, Britney Spears is shaping up to be one of pop’s most interesting stars, and if we’re lucky, she’ll endure more iconic chameleon-esque reinventions, Madge-style, for many years to come. Some will fail spectacularly and some, like magnificent sixth album Circus, will reaffirm exactly why we need her around. One of 2008’s finest singles, ‘Womanizer’ is an excellent place to start, and soon gives way to a plethora of instant Spears classics; much less reliant on the vocoder than Blackout and driven by crunchy beats, defiant lyrics, infectious hooks and soaring melodies. It’s dark, edgy and ever-so-cleverly made – with the minor exception of ‘My Baby’, which is a right soppy clanger. Skip that and play the awesome ‘Kill The Lights’ twice instead.