If I were to... say, have gone to 2 Britney Spears concerts this year, would that make me a crazy superfan? Would you be embarrassed to know me? Hmm. Do I really care at this point? Not really.
This morning's BREAKING NEWS (yes, this is what I consider important news) is that Britney is coming back to North America in August after she finishes her tour in Europe. While I worry that she is burning out, having been on tour for 6 months, I kinda am selfish and want more. (Gimme, gimme, more!!) And seeing how she's booked for 2 nights at Madison Sq. Garden, I can probably add one of those nights to my list of to-dos for the summer. Britney, pat yourself on the back for being the highest grossing tour of 09 so far!
Here are the tour dates, the tickets go on sale next Friday the 19th! YESS.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Britney Spears back on tour!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Review: Britney Spears: The Circus Tour
The Prudential Center, Newark NJ.
3.14.09
Opening Act: The Pussycat Dolls
Ok so this past Saturday was the event I have been waiting for for so long, the comeback tour of Ms. B. Spears. My friends and I had purchased tickets the morning they went on sale, I had a countdown going, so I was beyond words excited when the day finally came. After spending $40 on parking, being sad about the General Admissions "seating"/being split up, and just being confuzzled by all the girls who showed up LOOKING like Britney (girls, you're here to see her, not be like her), the show began.
The Pussycat Dolls are opening for Britney on this tour, and I can't think of a better combination. Both are extremely hot, extremely pop, and extremely Top 40. I was thoroughly impressed by the PCD, who sang and danced their way around the stage singing all of their hits - Beep, I Hate This Part, Buttons, Dont Cha, etc. They were uber entertaining, they were pretty good live, and really HOT. Oh, and they also sang their newest single, their version of the Oscar winning song from Slumdog Millionaire, Jai Ho. Here is the music video. And girls, it's called 'Jai Ho,' NOT 'Jay-Ho,' ok? Thanks. But as great as the PCD were, they knew they were filler for the REAL show. They kept saying, 'Are you guys excited for Britney??' UM A HELLLS YEAH?!?
So after their 40 minute set, a 15 minute break, and a 10 minute Circus warmup act, the event started. OMG. OMG. She came reigning down from the sky and sang Circus, and I was gone from there. Set list here. The freakin concert, and I'm not just saying this as a HUGE fan, is pretty amazing. It's music you know and love (come on, Britney has a discography any pop artist can envy), it's a show stopping eye-fest of costume changes (my favorite is the one on the left- naughty!), hard hitting dancing, pyrotechnics and fire, and one ringleader named Britney. She looks fantastic, she sounds fantastic (cause she lip syncs the WHOLE thing, ha!), she is back. Could she have danced a bit harder? Certainly. Could she have actually pretended to sing some parts live? Surely. But IT'S BRITNEY, BITCH!! The reigning princess of pop puts on an unbelievable show, and reaffirms that she is a talented performer. She deserves that much.So all you haters to the left. Britney is back, and I CANNOT wait for this next chapter in her career to unfold. I'm counting down for the next tour.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Britney Spears - If You Seek Amy
So I know I wrote about If You Seek Amy as my song of the day awhile back, but I just wanted to post about the newly released music video for 2 reasons: 1) She looks hot. Not her best video ever (see: Toxic, I'm a Slave 4U, Circus), but she looks hot, the song is hot, so what more do you want? 2) I AM SEEING HER IN CONCERT TOMORROW. Can I just repeat that? I AM SEEING HER TOMORROW. Barring no meltdown, no major disaster, no world-coming-to-an-end event in the next 30 hours or so, I will be sitting (in pretty good seats) at the Prudential Center, Newark, where she will be dancing and lip-syncing to her heart's content. CAN'T WAIT!
The last time I saw her was in 2001, for her Dream within a Dream tour. She looked like an ant from where we were sitting, but it was AMAZING. And being the biggest fan, I am UBER excited for her comeback tour. I will be twittering tomorrow's concert experience, so check that out. And here is the hot new video.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
2008 Entertainers of the Year: 4) Britney Spears
Are you surprised? I think not. Just like Robert Downey Jr., B. Spears has had a hell of a comeback this year (she says she doesn't like that word, but really, who are we kidding). She started 2008 in the psych ward, which cost her custody of her sons and forced her father to become the conservator of her estate, effectively ending her freedom. Up to that point, every time she did something bad (shaving off her head, beating up a paparazzi car with an umbrella, the 2007 MTV Music Video Awards performance), I'd be horrified, asking myself if things could get any worse. And then she'd go and do something that answered my question with a resounding YES. Except...
Starting in February, all of the unflattering paparazzi shots of her stumbling out of nightclubs and not wearing underwear started being replaced with semi-flattering shots of her doing things like going to the dance studio. Going into the recording studio. Going to Bally's and working out. Reconnecting with her old manager Larry Rudolph and her formerly estranged parents. And then came her well-received 2 guest appearances on How I Met Your Mother. Well, things really started looking uphill from there. She won 3 MTV Music Video Awards in September, her single "Womanizer" hit #1 in October, MTV aired a much talked about documentary called "Britney: For the Record" in November, and her 6th studio album, Circus, was released on her 27th birthday in December. The album sold over 500,000 copies its first week, easily doubling the first-week sales of her last effort, Blackout.
Hopefully 2009 will be another good year for Ms. Spears. She is starting her worldwide tour in March (I'll see you at the 3/14 show in Newark!!), and after that, who knows. Like Robert Downey Jr., Britney had done everything she possibly could to ruin her career, yet she's managed to turn her mess of a life around and show the world what she is capable of. Move over Rihanna, Katy Perry, and anyone else who was just keeping the Princess of Pop seat warm for her triumphant return. Britney Spears is a phoenix- just when you think she's down and out, she rises from the ashes better than ever. Take that, bitches.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Music: Britney Spears - Circus
Album: Circus
Artist: Britney Spears
Release Date: December 2nd, 2008
Genre: Pop
Welcome to Circus, Britney's very aptly titled record that was released this Tuesday. So this album has been streaming on imeem.com for weeks now, but I didn't want to listen to it until I had the full album in my hands, because I'm a huge dork like that. Anyways. I've heard very mixed reviews about this, her sixth studio album, but I am liking it more and more after each listen. I will say, it is no Blackout, which was pure pop/dance delight, and probably her best album yet, but this is a pretty good effort. Combined with some heavy promoting which she is actually doing for this album, a newly announced tour (crossing fingers on getting tickets), hot new bod (admit it, she is looking mighty FINE), and chart topping singles Womanizer and Circus, Britney is back, bitch. And no, I am never going to stop using that phrase.
If you're gonna get the album (and it is my unbiased opinion that you do), spend like $5 more and get the Deluxe Version, which comes with 3 bonus tracks and a DVD with a making-of featurette and the Womanizer video. By now, you've heard Womanizer like a million times already- proof that you too can write a hit with a max of 6 words in the entire song, as long as it is stay-in-your-head-all-day catchy. While I enjoyed Womanizer very much, it's not my favorite of hers, and certainly not the best song on the album. Her second single, Circus (the video was leaked, it is SO awesome as I predicted) is so much better. You'd think the title Circus meant like, the state of what her life has become, but it's actually kind of an empowering, 'duh i'm hot, so let me entertain you with my awesome dancing on the dancefloor' kind of song. Yes, it's repetitive. But when the song goes from the slowed down pre-chorus and launches into the amped up chorus...ILOVEIT!
I also love If You Seek Amy, which is easily the other best song on the album. Um, in the context of the song, the way she sings the title, it turns into Eff-You-Cee-Kay-Me (I'm trying not to spell it out for real, for the more conservative readers of the blog). I LOVE WORDPLAY! Is that wordplay..? Soundplay? Whatever. And I've said before that I'm not a fan of her singing ballads, because that's really not the best use of her vocals. Perhaps what made Blackout so great was that there were none on the entire album. There are 3 on Circus. While two are predictably just whatever, man oh man is Unusual You a GREAT song. It's a bit faster than a straight up ballad, but did I mention it's a GREAT song? It is.
Recommended Tracks: Circus, Kill the Lights, If You Seek Amy, Unusual You
Grade: B+
Monday, December 1, 2008
[Mixtape] It's Britney, Bitch!
So it's officially Britney week here at Life in Boxes. Ok, KIDDING, Jorge and Julia would kill me if I even so much as floated that idea around. Let me re-phrase. In honor of Britney's comeback (Circus, out in stores tomorrow, my review coming later this week), I've declared it Britney week for me...In my heart. So, don't expect posts about any other subject from me this week! If you haven't checked out the MTV documentary Britney: For the Record, I think you should- it's a really interesting look into the craziness that is her life, and I'm pretty sure MTV will re-run the crap out of it. Say what you will about her, but I don't think many of us can be thrust into the spotlight/fame/money as she has and come away with it unscathed.
I was going through my iTunes collection, and I realized that Britney has a pretty extensive songbook, considering her decade long career. So, here are some of my favorites for this special Britney mixtape edition, some probably familiar to you, some probably not as much. Ch-ch-check it out.
1) Hit Me Baby One More Time - Her debut song, she certainly made a splash by making Catholic schoolgirls...sexy. Apparently the idea behind that was all Britney. Even at the age of 16 she knew that sex sells. The music video recently was named #1 most iconic video of all time on the now-defunct TRL, and it was also the last video to be played on the finale of that show. This is the song that made me a die-hard Britney fan. Classic!
2) I'm a Slave 4 U - Oh how I love this song. From her third album, Britney, this single was a defining moment in her career, when she shed all traces of the virginal girl-next-door image for a more steamy, grown up look. Love the hot hot video, and who can forget the MTV VMAs, when she danced with that giant snake (my favorite performance of hers ever)? Say what you will about her, but no one puts on a show like Brit.
3) Oops I Did it Again - This is my favorite song to sing at karaoke. Mainly for the awesome dialogue in the middle of the song, which I turn into a monologue. I can recite it for you at any given moment... "All aboard! Britney, wait before you go there's something I want you to have...Oh it's beautiful, but isn't this... Yes, yes it is..."
4) Born to Make You Happy - A song off her first album, she released it as a single in Europe but not in the US, which is a shame cause it's my favorite off that album. It's ballad-y, which is not my favorite sound on her, but she makes it work and even shows off her vocal capabilities. YES, SHE CAN SING WHEN SHE WANTS TO.
5) Piece of Me - Her Blackout album is generally touted to be her best, and this is the best song on that album. This might be my favorite of hers of ALL TIME, and it makes me sad that it wasn't a bigger hit, but it's not surprising considering it came at the heels of her public meltdown. The video did manage to win Britney her very first MTV VMAs in September.
6) Toy Soldier - Also from her great Blackout album, it's one of my favorites. So darn catchy, and my friend Ed and I were obsessed with this song for awhile.
7) I Run Away - This is an unreleased B-side song that can be found on the 'expanded version' of the Britney album, which I don't own. It's a sad little song, and I love it.
8) Circus - I LOVE THIS SONG RIGHT NOW. It's her newest single off the album of the same name, and I just love it. The video debuts later this month and from this preview, it's looking good. Very aptly titled for what her life has become, I cannot wait for her to go on tour next year. YESSSSS.
Bonus: Oh, and I hate Christmas songs (probably cause my heart is cold and black, idk), but there are only 2 holiday songs I can tolerate- Mariah's All I Want For Christmas is You (just imagining the amount of money she probably gets off the royalties of that song makes my head hurt), and Britney's sweet My Only Wish (This Year). Happy Holidays, and Happy Unofficial Britney week!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
These Four Things I Know Are True
1) Don't ever say out loud, to your parents, joking or not, that they're embarrassing. I had to put up with 40 minutes of passive-aggressive weird behavior from them as a result. I didn't really mean it, per se, but I wasn't completely kidding either (hey I know I'm not the only one who feels this way). Nonetheless, they were offended, and I felt bad. Parents have feelings too.
2) My hair and fashion inspiration is Katie Holmes, minus the weird rolled up jeans look she was rocking for awhile. On occasional good days, my hair does look like this. Most days however, this is what my hair does. I guess it could be worse.
3) Jason Mraz is the best musician to see live, and I don't say that lightly. He puts on the most awesome, entertaining shows, so much so that I saw him 2 consecutive nights in a row this past weekend and I loved every minute of it. Mraz mixtape coming up later this week, but for now, enjoy this and this and this.
4) Britney's Womanizer music video debuted on Friday. I like it, but it's kind of reminiscent of Toxic, which I LOVE. But, nonetheless, she is looking good (cue, gratuitous nude shots), and continuing onward with the uphill battle that is her comeback. YESSS.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Upcoming 08 Albums!
There are 3 months left in 08, and some big music names are releasing albums in this last quarter of the year. My favorite is Britney's 6th studio album release, which is being released on her 27th birthday and 2 days before my own. Can we say HELL YEAH??
There's nothing like holding a newly-purchased CD in your hands, and the anticipation that comes with it. The fact that CDs and their tightly wrapped and heavily stickered plastic covers are super hard to open is an entirely different matter. But not everyone feels the way I do about buying CDs, as we've all heard about the troubles record companies face in selling records in this day and age. Coldplay's super successful Viva La Vida energized the music industry this summer, let's see if these highly-anticipated upcoming releases can keep the momentum going.
September
22nd: The Killers - Day and Age
30th: T.I. - Paper Trail
October
7th: Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
28th: John Legend - Evolver, Pink - Funhouse
November
4th: Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux
11th: Ludacris - Theater of the Mind
18th: Beyonce - TBA
December
2nd: Britney Spears - Circus
9th: 50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct
16th: Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
Also rumored this year: Dr. Dre, Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z, Guns N Roses, among others.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
An Open Letter to Britney Spears
Dear Britney,
Exactly a year ago today, I wrote you an open letter to voice my frustrations with you, my favorite pop star, after a disappointing comeback "performance" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. By the time that happened, you were already in the middle of a shame spiral, and it was just a nail in the coffin for people writing you off as a giant has-been. And up to that point, while I was pretty adamant that you'd turn your life around and show these naysayers what you're capable of, I was also pretty tired of explaining to people over and over again that you were just going through tough times. So when you took the stage to "perform" Gimme More, and embarrassed yourself in front of millions who had been waiting for you to fall flat on your face, I was ready to give up as well. It was one thing for me to want you to be a semblance of your former self, so that I could say 'talk to the hand cause the face ain't listening' to every person who told me your days of glory are long gone. But it was completely another thing for you to actually take the initiative to turn your career and your life around.
Well, what a difference a year makes. Earlier this year, your started taking baby steps to a solid comeback. Slowly but surely, the "What crazy thing did Britney do today" started being replaced with things that were a little less drama-filled, a little more normal- here's Britney going to the gym, here's Britney hitting the studio, here's Britney playing with her kids. And in the midst of you looking a little bit less like a train-wreck and more like your old self, came word that you'd be guest-starring on How I Met Your Mother. And well, you did a pretty good job. That was followed by a second appearance on the show, which led to things like these really cute promos for this year's VMAs, as well as... the VMAs themselves.
Brit Brit, you did me SO proud. You didn't perform, like I secretly hoped you would, but that's ok! We got you and Jonah Hill, a surprisingly fun pairing, and we got you looking pretty, being normal and charming, AND winning all 3 awards you were nominated for. Is this the comeback of the century? No. But it's a small and steady step towards one. I hope your big night reminds you of why you do what you do, and why you are the biggest pop star in the world. I for one, am looking forward to the new and improved Britney Spears, and looking forward to people agreeing with me for once on how awesome you are, instead of, you know, the opposite. It's Britney, Bitch!
xoxo,
Your Fan Foreverrrrr.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
I love Britney, surprise surprise
I've held off on saying this for the last couple of months because I didn't want to jinx it, but Britney Spears is back, bitch! It's been awhile since news of any breakdowns or umbrella beatings or shaving off of the hair. With the bad influences (aka shady men) out of her life and her dad taking control over her finances, she seems to be doing pretty darn well. I hope this lasts, because as you, oh faithful readers of our blog, know, I heart her so and just want her to be the reigning queen of pop she once was (MOVE over Katy Perry). She taped a series of promos for the MTV VMAs recently, and they were just released yesterday. Her banter with host Russell Brand is really cute, and it's good to see her laughing and having fun again. Stop rolling your eyes, I can see you.
One more promo...
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
While you were sleeping...
Mini news roundup!
Spitzer linked to prostitution scandal.
Kinda old news by now, since it was ALL over the wire yesterday. The new development is that he's probably going to resign. How embarrassing. Guys, keep it in your pants. Love your wives. If Spitzer does resign, Lt. Gov. David Peterson would become NY's first black governor and the 4th in US history. Oh, and he's also legally blind. Just throwing that out there.
Obama rejects Hillary's offer of VP.
Touche. "With all due respect. I won twice as many states as Sen. Clinton. I've won more of the popular vote than Sen. Clinton. I have more delegates than Sen. Clinton. So, I don't know how somebody who's in second place is offering vice presidency to the person who's in first place," he said." LOVE the modesty, Barack!
The Vatican lists more 'thou-shalt-not' sins.
Move over lust, greed, and gluttony, there are some new, bad-ass sins in town. The list includes pollution, drugs, and excessive wealth, among others.
Study: 1 in 4 teens has an STD.
That translates into more than 3 million teens having a STD. Girls, keep it in your pants!! This is like a High School Confidential episode gone horribly awry.
Madonna inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Along with John Mellencamp, Philly soul producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, literate songwriter Leonard Cohen, British rockers the Dave Clark Five, and surf instrumentalists the Ventures. Yeah, I don't know the rest of them either.
Britney Spears to guest star on How I Met Your Mother.
I not-so-secretly heart Britney (shut up). I LURVE How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 8PM, Mondays). I am super duper excited.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
[Mixtape] Pop Pop Pop!
I love pop music. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I mean, pop is a pretty general term, it encompasses everything from teeny bopper music to top 40 to pop-rock/pop-country/pop-alt. In my opinion there is nothing like good ol' 90s pop music (MMMMMBop/boy bands/old-school Britney anyone???), but here are some worth listening to at the moment.
Miley Cyrus - See You Again
If you're not a teeny bopper, you probably don't know who Miley Cyrus is. Chances are though, you know her alter-ego, Hannah Montana, the wildly popular Disney Channel program that has made her a household name. The sold-out tour has had parents scrambling for tickets, some going for as much as $1000s of dollars. CRAZY.
Anyways, I really like this catchy song. I mean it's obviously a song for a 14-year old. "The next time we hang out/I will redeem myself/My heart can rest till then/Woah, oh oh oh I / I can't wait to see you again." HAHA, I LOVE it.
Jordin Sparks - Tattoo
She may have won America's heart earlier this year, but winning American Idol doesn't always translate into instant stardom. Her debut album was the lowest selling album of all previous winners on the show. I don't like her, I don't like the boring video, but I really like this song. It's mellow, she has a nice enough voice, and it's R&B laced froth-pop. Not as good as say, Beyonce's Irreplaceable, but good enough.
Fergie - Clumsy
Fergie has had a lot of good singles off her solo debut album this year- London Bridge, Fergalicious, Glamorous, Big Girls Don't Cry. Her newest single is super catchy, super cute, and thump-alicious. Ok, I don't even know what that means, I just made it up. She has a sense of humor, which I like.
Linkin Park - Shadow of the Day
I really didn't like their last album Meteora, so I kinda fell out of love with them. I really like this new single though. It's definitely more melodic and radio friendly than the hard-core rock stuff on the rest of the album. Even though Mike Shinoda's rapping is non-existent in this song, it's a nice change from all the screaming that goes on in most of their songs.
Wyclef Jean ft. Akon, Lil Wayne & Niia - Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)
I HEART Wyclef. I love the fact that he is: an artist, musician, producer, activist, Good Will Ambassador. Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant is his first solo album in 10 years, and he brings other artists into the mix for this tightly produced first single. It is obviously a socially conscious album, and Sweetest Girl, with its theme of young prostitution, is no exception. The beats are kind of happy and upbeat though, which is a contrast with what the song is really about, but uh, whatever.
And of course...
Britney Spears - Piece of Me
You know me and Britney go way back. Not kidding when I say it's the best song off her Blackout album, and I'd like to venture to say that it's my favorite song of hers of all time. Even though she didn't have any part in writing the song, it's still as autobiographical as you can get. I will listen to it on repeat for days, I will hear it on the radio then play the song off the CD right after, I will literally drive everyone I know crazy with how many times I can play and still enjoy the song. The music video is coming (this one won't be self-financed/self-directed, thank you very much) and I am excited. Don't be a hater. Give it a chance. Embrace it and love it.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Music: Britney Spears - Blackout
Album: Blackout
Artist: Britney Spears
Release Date: October 30, 2007
Genre: Pop/Dance
Anything I write about Britney's new album here is probably not going to change the already conceived notions in people's mind about the current state of her career and life. We've all seen the headlines, we've all seen the daily trainwreck of a life she leads in front of the paparazzi, we've all seen the VMA performance. But anyone willing to give this album a chance will be surprised at how good it is. It is a departure from her other albums, in the sense that pop!Britney is gone, she is no longer the co-writer of any of the songs, and she has definitely lived a thousand more lives since her last album, 2003's In the Zone. While a departure from her old sound, it is certainly a good one, probably one of the best albums she's put out. With that being said, it is the album where Britney is in it the least, overpowered by thumping electro beats and a heavily synthesized sound. Basically, all the songs more or less have the feel of the pulsating first single 'Gimme More,' which was produced by Timbaland protege "Danja" Nate Hills.
Blackout has a modern, albeit, heavily processed, sound- a testament to where mainstream music seems to be heading. Its relevance to pop culture today not only comes in its sound, but lyrically as well, with Britney taking on her status as tabloid/paparazzi fodder in songs like 'Piece of Me,' or her failed marriage/relationships in 'Why Should I Be Sad' (produced by Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes). This is a dance album, with Spears wisely steering clear of slow ballads, which were never her strong point anyway. Every track provides a strong beat, and is polished to a T in the hands of her producers. Her breathy voice flows in an out of songs, supplemented by bouncy beats and catchy hooks.
There are standout tracks of course, but the entire album as a whole is a piece of brilliantly produced work. No, I'm not overexaggerating this point. To get an artist like Britney in to the studio, to work with her not terrible, but certainly not great vocals, and to write the words and music that perfectly capture this tumultuous (to say the least) time in her life AND make it sound great? It is no easy feat that this is her best album in years. And unfortunately for her, that is to the producers' credit, not hers. But it is still a great album, and I hope people will be able to see through the craziness of her real life and appreciate the music anyway.
Recommended Tracks: Gimme More, Piece of Me, Radar, Heaven on Earth, Toy Soldier
Grade: A-
