• Record Label: Jive
  • Release Date: Dec 2, 2008
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 638 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 68 out of 638

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  1. JohnC.
    Dec 14, 2008
    10
    I love this album full of hits like Unusual you, Out from under, If u seek Amy, Circus, Womanizer, Kill the lights, Shattered Glass and Mannequin. Even the timeless Radar and other bonus songs like Phonography and Rock me in has hit written all over them.
  2. reineirm
    Dec 11, 2008
    9
    This is a pop gem!!! very modern, she knows what she is doing, both american and european flavors.
  3. TT
    Dec 10, 2008
    10
    Fresh, catchy, crisp.
  4. AdamJ.
    Dec 10, 2008
    10
    Circus is an addicting and adventurous tale of pop perfection. Welcome back Britney!
  5. BillW.
    Dec 9, 2008
    2
    The most awful album in a long time!
  6. LittleMr.Obsessive
    Dec 7, 2008
    10
    "Circus" is the perfect album comeback album for Britney! It has great ballads like "Out From Under" and dirty-dancing songs like "Phonography". Other great songs like "If U Seek Amy" and "Kill the Lights" get stuvk on you head and you won't stop dancing, other songs like "Mmm..Papi" are Hawaiian Filled tunes! Grae job, Brit!
  7. gerrys.
    Dec 7, 2008
    10
    The best pop electro album of 2008.
  8. None
    Dec 6, 2008
    0
    Utter Crap.
  9. SteffenS.
    Dec 6, 2008
    9
    As far as pop-albums go, this is an insanely pleasant album to listen to. Will it last long? No, but is pure pleasure and fun. Why not a full 10 point score? Because "Blackout" was even just a notch more complex.
  10. AjayD
    Dec 5, 2008
    8
    it's a Great Pop Album! She really knows how to put some decent pop music together. Its more pop sounding then blackout with number of songs that can become hit singles. There are some cool ballads as well, that really show her singing ability! I recommend it to all pop fans!
  11. Lucia
    Dec 5, 2008
    7
    Great Job! the best song: Blur!
  12. alfonsoz
    Dec 5, 2008
    10
    Wtf this is her best album ever. blackout wasn't as good as this one. I don't know what's up with the critics but they sure don't know anything about pop music for giving it a bad score. thisis truly amazing.
  13. GlendaT.
    Dec 5, 2008
    9
    I love it!!!!
  14. MandiC
    Dec 5, 2008
    10
    Great album-listen to it non stop! Go Britney!
  15. ChrisV
    Dec 4, 2008
    9
    I think this cd is really good.. i used to be a hard fan of britney a long time ago.. and i think shes taking the good way again.. pop music to the max... and great rythm.. excellent job!!!
  16. bobbob
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    Her best album yet by far!
  17. PhilM.
    Dec 4, 2008
    1
    Just awful.
  18. GabrielJ.
    Dec 4, 2008
    6
    the song are repetitive and there isnt any really new, but there are some songs that really are an improvement, in conclusion circus is a better album that I expected to be but still she has a long journey to remember us why she was called de Pop Princess
  19. toma.
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    Excellent Album, fantastic tunes and suprisingly addictive!!
  20. CarrieC
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    I find that her new album is just as good, if not better than 'Blackout'. I feel like all of these so-called music critics who have given this album poor ratings merely do not care for Britney, Pop music, or both and therefore they have a bias opinion. Any fan of Britney will absolutely love this album. So just ignore all of the haters, because what they think really I find that her new album is just as good, if not better than 'Blackout'. I feel like all of these so-called music critics who have given this album poor ratings merely do not care for Britney, Pop music, or both and therefore they have a bias opinion. Any fan of Britney will absolutely love this album. So just ignore all of the haters, because what they think really doesn't matter anyways. Expand
  21. MattK.
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    Excellent production and the normal catchy songs you would expect from any Britney album. 10/10 Superb.
  22. feliciaw.
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    I've never liked Britney Spears...But I see that she is trying and is working on a better life for herself and her children...I just picked her cd up to get a taste....YUMMMM....the cd CIRCUS is steller!!!!
  23. aaronhardy
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    Go out and buy this cd or you will regret it the pop queen is back on top!!!!!
  24. chrisw.
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    Best cd ever...im a mother of 7...plus 3 foster children....Britney has been thru a lot and I give credit to anyone who is trying to rebuild their lives!!! PLUS...the cd is just fierce...go out and get a copy of your own!!!!
  25. elined.
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    BEST ALBUM EVER, great comeback!!!!
  26. MeredithS
    Dec 3, 2008
    6
    Although Britney allegedly was not very engaged in the project, "Blackout" was so much better than "Circus". With all of her previous albums, there was at least one or two really, really catchy tunes. I was so dissapointed that there was not one tune on here that I liked. I won't be listening to it over and over again like I did with Blackout.
  27. Michael
    Dec 3, 2008
    10
    Wonderful comeback album. Her last three albums have been pop perfection!
  28. EdwardM.
    Dec 3, 2008
    10
    This Album rocksss. she's finaly back with her best album yet to date. i love her
  29. Greta
    Dec 3, 2008
    5
    Mediocre, no standout tracks. Disappointing follow-up to Blackout, which I consider to be her best album by far.
  30. madic.
    Dec 3, 2008
    9
    I love britney. love love love her.
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 22
  2. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. Halfway through, Circus shifts from defiant booty calls to subtler material; suddenly, it's a first-rate electro-pop album.
  2. Obviously all is still not perfect in Britney's world, but Circus still does more than enough to remind us of why she's one of the world's most iconic pop stars.
  3. Her voice--treated and autotuned to within an inch of its life throughout--still sounds like that of the Mouseketeer who brought us '...Baby One More Time’, with every breathy “Mmmm… yeah!” and all the oh-so-naughty lyrics, such as the ones above, sounding forced and unconvincing. Of course, on a large number of the tracks here she has the solidly cool-sounding (no doubt expensive) backdrop of futur’n’b pop.