Circus review by Entertainment Editor Nicole M.

Whoever says that Britney's sixth studio album, Circus, is her comeback CD seriously needs to get out of their cave. Britney Spears — who turned 27 the day the Circus came to town — never went anywhere. BritBrit never hid, she never ran, and to this day, she never disappoints. Even when things got out-of-control, Britney pulled a killer album out from the darkness around her. And as any true artist would, she turned drama into a work of art with 2007's Blackout. Just don't expect the badass beast who reared her brunette head around a strip joint while spouting, "It's Britney, bitch." Circus is no freak show.

In no uncertain terms, Britney wants everyone to know she’s in control — cracking her whip and calling the shots in the album's title track, "Circus," where she says it loud and clear: “There are two kinds of people in this world — the ones who entertain, and the ones who observe.” But if you’re observing, you must also obey. Britney demands you dance, and from the opening electro-mod-beat line in "Womanizer," it turns out that it’s you who’s lost control.

It may be her come-hither intonation, or it may be the irresistible rhythms she delivers throughout Circus, but it seems like Britney has something she wants to teach us... if not about moving your body, then at least about being a superstar. In disco banger, "Kill The Lights," Brit’s love-hate relationship with the paparazzi comes to light: "Is that money in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” Along with the sarcasm, Britney smacks us around with a bit of cool electric bass and edgy keyboard hooks. In "Mmm Papi," an upbeat tribute to go-go and salsa, the album earns props for its production values, and it doesn’t compromise her integral style to adapt to different sounds.

Lastly, Brit proves that the hardest thing about being a ringleader in the limelight isn’t about the flashbulbs. The album's emotional backbone hits a strong point during "Unusual You." In a heartbreaking admission, Britney confides about how she’s grown to expect people to disappoint her — and how unusual someone would be were they to keep her heart in tact. Without a trace of the aggression that defined Blackout’s "Piece of Me," this soft ballad speaks volumes about Britney’s pain and humanity, making this album more than just a dance mix. "Unusual You," and Circus as a whole, is a very legit and up-to-date portrait of this pop artist we've adored throughout the last decade. Unlike Britney's pop predecessor Madonna, who carefully crafts her incarnations, Britney’s image is as sincere as it is original, and her music is as truthful as it is unstoppable.

Nicole M. is an editor at a popular entertainment weekly. She's made massive sacrifices to get closer to Britney's private world, such as driving to Kentwood and eating nothing but Sonic drive-thru for a week straight.

Note from BRITannica: WHAT? No Nyla's?! And I'd totally love to live off of Sonic, the nearest one in NYC is 65 miles away. Mmm Cherry Limeade... Nice review, though!