Album Reviews
Britney Spears
`Circus'
(SonyBMG)
Just when you've written her off as a ``has-been,'' Britney Spears comes back with a fierce new album ``Circus.'' Her first single ``Womanizer,'' a thumping dance track, topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts, her first number one since ``Baby One More Time.''
Listening to the album, it seems like Spears has gotten her groove back. She doesn't disappoint with the Euro-techno beats of ``Circus,'' ``Kill the Lights'' and ``Unusual You,'' which will surely be favorites at the clubs. She even shows her softer side with ballads like ``Out From Under'' and ``My Baby,'' a song she wrote for her two children.
-Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Beyonce
`I am … Sasha Fierce'
Pop superstar Beyonce's latest album is a two-disc set. On the first disc, Beyonce reveals her ``real'' self through slow tracks like ``If I Were a Boy,'' ``Disappear'' and ``Halo.''
She unveils her alter ego Sasha Fierce on the second disc. As Sasha, she comes out strongly with catchy dance tunes like ``Radio,'' ``Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)'' and ``Diva.'' The album has a somewhat schizophrenic feel, with the first disc filled with sentimental ballads and the second disc with energetic club tracks. But whether as Beyonce or Sasha, she definitely wins over fans whatever music she does.
The Killers
`Day & Age'
(Universal)
American rock group The Killers are showing they've got new tricks under their rock star sleeves with their outstanding new album ``Day & Age.'' The album is filled with songs that show the group's range, from the melancholic ``A Dustland Fairytale'' to the catchy rock anthem ``Spaceman" to the Caribbean-inspired ``I Can't Stay.''
Lead singer Brandon Flowers said the songs were inspired by Elton John, David Bowie and Lou Reed. The first single ``Human" had a New Wave sound, while U2's influence shows in ``Neon Tiger.'' Fans have embraced The Killers' new album, which snagged the number one spot on the U.K. albums charts, beating Britney Spears' new album.