Music and Lyrics
Circus has been described as a sequel to Spears's fifth album Blackout, taking influence from pop genres, including electropop and dance. She described the album as "lighter" than Blackout, which was more urban sounding. Its "fiery" and "confrontational" lyrics have been also compared to those of its predecessor. The album has been compared to the works of Janet Jackson, Eurythmics, New Order and the songwriting of Prince, Leiber & Stoller and Phil Spector. Circus incorporates themes that were acknowledged in Spears's earlier work. "Circus" and "Kill the Lights" discuss fame, which was previously seen in "Piece of Me", while "Womanizer" and "Shattered Glass" talk about a womanizing man.
Circus opens with its lead single "Womanizer". It features synth sirens with a repetitive chorus, and lyrically discusses a cheating man; it was described by Spears as a girl anthem. "Circus" addresses her feelings as an entertainer and performing, highlighted in the lines "All eyes on me in the centre of the ring just like a circus / When I crack that whip everybody gonna trip just like a circus". Its electronic dance elements were compared to those of Spears's earlier single "Break the Ice". The ballad "Out from Under" incorporates acoustic guitar backings, and has gathered comparisons to her track "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman". "Kill the Lights" is a dance-pop song that talks about Spears's conflict with paparazzi. Critics noted similarities to the works of Madonna. as well as Spears's own "Piece of Me". "Shattered Glass" utilizes dark electronic beats and details a non-repairable relationship.
"If U Seek Amy" integrates "glam-rave" elements with traditional pop styles; it gained controversy for its double entendre, where the title sounds phonetically like "F.U.C.K. me". The synthpop track "Unusual You" deals with a woman finding unexpected love. It has been compared to musical themes from the 1980s and 1990s, and has been noted as a "pulsating ballad". "Blur" sees the inclusion of urban influences, and lyrically recalls the morning after a party with lyrics "Can't remember what I did last night/I gotta get my head right, where the hell am I? Who are you? What'd we do last night?"; it drew similarities to Spears's prior song "Early Mornin". "Mmm Papi" draws elements from a 1960s go-go rock guitar and Latin-pop dance hall themes. Despite its "fun" nature, it was criticized for appearing to "revisit the Lolita persona of "…Baby One More Time". It has been suggested that its lyrics deal with either Spears's father Jamie or paparazzi Adnan Ghalib. "Mannequin" is a dance-pop song with a trip hop influence; while being noted for its "risky" and "futuristic" nature, it has also been suggested that Spears's vocals sounded "lifeless". "Lace and Leather" gained comparisons to Vanity 6's works from the 1980s and featured a then-unknown Kesha as a backing vocalist. "My Baby" was written by Spears about her two sons Sean Preston Federline and Jayden James Federline, and closes the album.
Read more about this topic: Circus (Britney Spears Album)
Famous quotes containing the words music and, music and/or lyrics:
“People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties. They are still being passed around—the music and the ideas.”
—Bob Dylan [Robert Allen Zimmerman] (b. 1941)
“I fear I agree with your friend in not liking all sermons. Some of them, one has to confess, are rubbish: but then I release my attention from the preacher, and go ahead in any line of thought he may have started: and his after-eloquence acts as a kind of accompaniment—like music while one is reading poetry, which often, to me, adds to the effect.”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)
“Chad and I always look for deeper meanings; we can analyze Beastie Boys lyrics for hours.”
—Amy Stewart (b. 1975)