It's the year end season again and the biggest stars are launching their albums to cash in on the holiday-buying mood of the public.
Indeed, it is no surprise that the pop-royalties are out once more to bask in their glory of their long-awating fans. Britney Spears is staging her Comeback Round-Two.
Beyonce is proving to the world that she ain't burning out any time soon and is as Fierce as ever.
Christina is out to show that motherhood has dented none of her diva-tude. And is out to remind the world how big a star she still is.
Ok, with the princesses clearly name-dropped (as they would like it) , let us briefly discuss what to expect when parting your hard-earned money on any of their big new albums in these credit crunch times. (After all, these girls need to pay their bills too , ok?)
1) Miss
Britney Spears' new album 'Circus' ; meant to cronicle and laugh at the hoo haa that she has always been since her
'Opps' days.
Of course , this time she's more specific with kids in tow and a 'womanizer' ex-hussy as she would like us to believe.
Ok, save for the fancy wild wild west theme, painfully well packaged album (double discs, loads of pictures within and an extra double-sided poster to boot) massive marketing hype that helped surge her ho-bum single 'Womanizer' to the top of the charts,
this is really a very average album, whether you are a fan of hers or not. Her previous album , 'Blackout' is a much better album. That album was a better comeback, unfortunately at a time when she wasn't ready .
In this album however, she's finally ready but the album's not. In 'Blackout, the songs were amazingly catchy . Every song there was single-worthy.
In 'Circus' though, the songs are painfully fogettable.
To a point of being boring, bellying the glossy production for-the-sake-of-it. Not one song is impressive. Not one track is outstanding with neither a catchy hook nor a hum worthy melody.
As usual, there's always that sugar-coated life-story of hers but who cares when you can't sit through a song pondering what's the hype all about and trying to tap your feet to the groove that isn't there.
This is sad for an artiste who's past albums were always filled with very strong melodies. How is it that the recording execs think, such a snooze-inducing material would end up as Britney's, let alone a supposed big comeback effort?
So, suffice to say, this album is average at best. She's still more the circus than the album-sake.
2) Miss 'Fierce'
Beyonce Knowles, has always been the drama-mama (ok, sista perhaps since she's not that old). And this new album , is none the different.
Her two discs (even for the non-deluxe edition)are meant to seperate the ballads and the hip-and-grind tracks. In the first disc, the ballads continue to show case her melismas as she wails her way
in an attempt to seal her position right next to Whitney and Mariah (good luck with that) . With well sung tracks like 'If I Were a Boy', so far, so good. She's nontheless, more toned down like she intended for this album. So don't expect too much of the
'to the Left, to the left' spite.
For the second disc, it is evident that Beyonce cannot resist but to slip back to her usual manic-self. She continues to booty like no one can. Songs like 'Single Ladies' is almost a rip off from her previous album while songs like 'Diva' is but self-indulgent.
Overall, compared to Britney's, Beyonce's a very consistent and well thought out effort.
Her reign as the #1 'it girl' seems unshaken if weary. Britney needs to buck up.'Sasha' is a well-befitting effort that shows her growth as a legitimate talent.
3)
Miss Aguilera is this generation's penultimate Big Voice as she roars louder than her petite frame would lead anyone to believe.
So raw is her belting that her angst can come off scary and you almost cringe at the possible vocal cord-damage she could well be inflicting upon herself . But who could blame her ? She tries her darnest.
All these years, she's seen the less talented Britney constantly atop of her and Beyonce , seemly 'destined' from the start to be the Queen of Dramatics, all of which should have been her's or part that of.
Still, there's no denying , Aguilera was nonetheless, never a small player. Almost it's biggest, in fact.
That said,
with upstarts like Leona Lewis (who incidently also has a Deluxe edition of her hit album 'Spirit' out now) in the horizon to add to that growing list of would-be-competitors, it's little wonder that Aguilera is rapidly oiling her guns and showing to the world that she is Miss Perfection. Yes, with a face seemingly carved by angels themselves, she's drop dead stunning. And yes of course, her voice is unmatced for sheer power and range.
This album, ' Keeps Getting Better' only proves it. Indeed, she does keep getting better from the lofty position that she already is.
***So now begs the big question.
Who's album should you pound your bucks on? Me thinks Beyonce's and Aguilera's.
If you still want Britney, get 'Blackout' instead. Q
