Circus (Britney Spears Album)

Circus (Britney Spears Album)

Circus is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears, released on November 28, 2008, by Jive Records. Looking to transition from her "more urban" fifth album Blackout (2007), Spears wanted to make her next studio effort "a little bit lighter", incorporating pop and dance-pop styles. The album was recorded during 2008, following Spears's much-publicized personal struggles in 2007 and placement under a temporary conservatorship the subsequent year. Several collaborators contributed to its production, including Bloodshy & Avant and Danja.

Upon its release, Circus received generally favorable reviews from critics, who complimented its production but criticized its lyrical content. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of over 505,000 copies. The album has become her biggest-selling consecutive album since In the Zone (2003), selling over 15 million combined sales of digital tracks and over 4.5 million copies worldwide, achieving the top spot in nine countries. The album gained a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording for "Womanizer". Spears embarked on her fifth concert tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears to promote the album; it gained controversy due to accusations of lip-synching during the Australian leg. She made several television appearances for additional publicity.

Four singles were released from the album, several of which became international successes. Its lead single "Womanizer" peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and registered as the largest jump to the top of the chart after debuting at number ninety-six. It became Spears's best-selling song in the country since "...Baby One More Time". The second and third singles "Circus" and "If U Seek Amy" peaked at numbers three and nineteen in the country, respectively. Consequentially, Circus became Spears's second album after ...Baby One More Time (1999) to have two top ten singles and her first to have two top five hits and three top-twenty hits in the US along with five charting songs on the Hot 100.