Circus
by Britney Spears
  • Record Label: Jive
  • Release Date: Dec 2, 2008
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 638 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 528 out of 638
  2. Mixed: 42 out of 638
  3. Negative: 68 out of 638

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  1. BillW.
    Dec 9, 2008
    2
    The most awful album in a long time!
  2. PhilM.
    Dec 4, 2008
    1
    Just awful.
  3. None
    Dec 6, 2008
    0
    Utter Crap.
  4. Clubsocial
    May 4, 2015
    1
    Katy Perry bursts back onto the scene with her amazing second album that is full to the grim of the tongue-in-cheek atmosphere that got herkhkkjhjghjbnnnnn
  5. sixinch
    Aug 30, 2016
    1
    One of the worst albums of the year thus far. It shows absolutely no artistic growth, the lyrics are elementary, and the vocals are non-existent. All in all, a terrible album. Collapse
  6. HayroC
    Mar 19, 2009
    0
    Are you kidding? this album is so horrible!
  7. NoahH
    Jun 17, 2010
    0
    Most likely her worst album yet, very uninspiring. Lacks a great amount of creativity and vision.
  8. MarliseG
    Mar 19, 2009
    0
    Awful and terrible album. No more words to described it.
  9. ChrisS
    Mar 19, 2009
    0
    Terrible and horrible album.
  10. prayyoucatchme
    Aug 30, 2016
    1
    Spears' sophomore album, which was critically one of her best, and featured the self-titled single that everyone and their mothers know. The album is headlined by such songs as Oops...I did it again, Stronger, and Lucky, with each one reaching the top 15 in the US Billboard 100 charts. Though those songs were popular, and I think they are catchy, the album does have its flaws. (I can't getSpears' sophomore album, which was critically one of her best, and featured the self-titled single that everyone and their mothers know. The album is headlined by such songs as Oops...I did it again, Stronger, and Lucky, with each one reaching the top 15 in the US Billboard 100 charts. Though those songs were popular, and I think they are catchy, the album does have its flaws. (I can't get no) Satisfaction is a word-for-word cover of the original Rolling Stones song, and it just comes off as awful personally. Also, the last track on the album, Dear Diary, is very, very stupid, in my opinion. Buy it to relive some nostalgia, but be aware this is the early 2000's, and bubblegum pop is just as cheesy as you thought it was. Collapse… Expand
  11. lordemusic
    Dec 1, 2016
    2
    "Blackout" seemed like it signaled a more club-orientated path for Spears, like Madonna or Kylie Minogue, but Circus is a hodgepodge of pop themes that never really finds a face."Blackout" seemed like it signaled a more club-orientated path for Spears, like Madonna or Kylie Minogue, but Circus is a hodgepodge of pop themes that never really finds a face.

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Most Discussed Album of 2008
19
#19 Most Shared Album of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 22
  3. Negative: 1 out of 22
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    Halfway through, Circus shifts from defiant booty calls to subtler material; suddenly, it's a first-rate electro-pop album.
    Read full review
  2. musicOMH.com
    60
    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.
    Read full review
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    50
    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.
    Read full review
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