I have never been a prouder stan for Britney Spears. I have never used the term stan until now. This tour has officially made me a Britney stan. She has ALWAYS been my favorite artist but I never liked the term stan because I like a lot of music. But this tour officially makes me a stan. I love this woman so much you cannot describe. Her skills, her perseverance, and how she had dealt with life inspires me to go on everyday whenever anything is hard.
Live review: Britney Spears at Staples Center June 21, 2011 | 1:51 pm
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In the video interludes between songs on Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale tour, which landed at Staples Center on Monday night, she’s under surveillance by a creepy Bond-villain type with a curious habit. He’s constantly sucking on bright red lollipops.
The candy quirk was a weird and funny flashback to a more innocent time in Spears’ career, back when she wore pigtails and cardigans and dominated the teen-pop spectrum of the late ‘90s and early 2000s.
There was something Freudian to it as well: Pop culture had made a safari sport of Britney-hunting, and spent most of 2007 watching a beloved young female pop star’s life and family (and, as some speculated, her health) unravel in spectacularly public fashion.
In another twist to the video, she eventually slinks in, binds and gags the villain in a way that he might not have been wholly displeased with.
Monday night’s show, the third of the tour, suggested that Britney Is neither an avenging angel nor undergoing a personal redemption. It implied that she’s too slippery a character to ever really get to know, always one step ahead of dark forces pursuing her essential, ephemeral sweetness. And, strangely, it’s making for some of the best music of her career.
Her most recent album, “Femme Fatale,” has been widely regarded as one of the strongest of her career, and for good reason. The record’s ambitious producers took advantage of her mega-stardom to send seriously weird sonics up the charts. The album’s ostensible star is treated less as a singer than as source material for vocal-manipulation tricks, and as a way to pH-balance the record’s hard techno with a kittenish coo.
On her mid-breakdown 2007 album “Blackout,” this phoned-in quality felt more intriguingly accidental. With “Femme Fatale,” though, she may have invented a new kind of postmodern pop star –- the charismatic absentee.
But how do you make a live show out of that? Spears has access to all the choreography and costume changes and building-sized sets that a decade of going platinum can buy you. But how can she stay compelling in person when her best trick of late is to practically disappear?
Well over a decade into her career, Spears has a deep catalog of durable hits that hold up for their songwriting and not just Clinton-era nostalgia. But fittingly, the Femme Fatale tour gets its drama by largely erasing –- or at least tweaking -- the past.
The show drew heavily from her progressive newer material, singles like the dubstep-driven “Hold It Against Me” and the sonic-frequency-as-phallic-metaphor “Big Fat Bass” found her flitting over and under the stage, re-emerging in different corners surrounded by dancers that she alternately handcuffed in cages and then beckoned to join her in a pink convertible.
Her takes on “I’m a Slave 4 U” and her Rihanna collaboration “S&M” were PG-13 explorations of seedier sex-and-power terrain (the bondage community must be a little bummed that leather face masks are now fair game for teen-pop imagery).
But Spears always made sure to put herself in the “S” half of that equation.
Spears manipulates pop’s virgin-***** complex better than just about anyone, and her seamless sweep from lasciviously grinding on an awestruck dude from the audience to the earnest balladry of “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know” (accompanied by a very adept dancer on an aerial swing) felt true to the sweep of her career –- she learned that she can control the narrative by vanishing into a club’s heat or into literal thin air.
The set’s only weak spots were sonic revisions of catalog staples –- the Bollywood spy-flick vamp of “Toxic” remains utterly groundbreaking and didn’t need an Ibiza-inspired revision. But when her encore closed with the excellent, Ke$ha co-penned house anthem “Till the World Ends,” Spears slipped away during the crowd’s ecstatic chants in a hail of confetti. The mood was powerfully sweet, and yet once again she’d vanished.
Britney Spears Proves She Still Has It At the Honda Center
Written by Brittany Woolsey
Saturday, 25 June 2011 18:35
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Sex was the craze on Friday night as pop princess Britney Spears and hip hop sensation Nicki Minaj took over the Honda Center.
As Minaj approached the stage, she seemed to be a poor man’s Lady Gaga. Dressed in a black jumpsuit with silver spikes and a blonde wig, the rapper was not up to par to who she appeared to be imitating. Unlike Gaga’s bizarre and stellar performances, Minaj fell flat, seemingly unprepared and unoriginal throughout the night.
Most of the time, Minaj poorly lip-synchched or danced to someone else’s pop hit, such as Young Money’s “Bedrock,” Sean Paul’s “Like Glue” and songs by Enya. When Minaj did perform her own songs ― usually filled with samples from other pop hits, such as The Buggle’s “Video Killed the Radio Star” ― she was difficult to understand. However, as a rapper, Minaj does possess some talent by spitting rhymes quickly; it’s just a shame that her lyrics are hard to comprehend.
During the length of her set, Minaj acted as an alien or robot-like creature that was determined to defeat Nemesis. (One could point out the similarity to this and Gaga’s “Born This Way” music video.) Although this storyline was somewhat amusing, Minaj continued her unoriginality as Nemesis revealed himself to be Jigsaw from the “Saw” movie series.
However, the crowd still seemed to enjoy her, despite her unoriginality and seeming lack of effort.
A countdown appeared on the screen as fans adorned in Britney Spears shirts and costumes awaited her arrival. When the pop star appeared, the crowd roared as she performed “Hold It Against Me.”
Throughout the night, Spears proved that despite previous backlashes, she’s still extremely talented and more sexual than ever. Grasping her womanhood, Spears appeared to be the ultimate dominatrix, controlling her dancers and the audience with her every move.
Spears played with the idea of bondage throughout the set as she appeared behind bars during “Three,” seduced by scantily clad policemen and gave a fan named Steve a lap dance and striptease during “Lace and Leather.” Spears also performed provocative lyrics such as, “You can be my **** tonight” in “How I Roll” and her Rihanna remix duet, “S&M.”
The set was also filled with Cirque du Soleil-like stunts. During “Piece of Me,” Spears soared in the air on a white platform. Dancers climbed ladders and performed break dance moves, such as headstands, during “He About to Lose Me.” However, the true spectacle was during the ballad “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know” as Spears ascended in the air with a male dancer ― attached to her escalated platform ― performing aerial silk rope trapeze acts beneath her.
Spears also took her audience on a journey around the world. She visited time periods, such as the Roaring ’20s, with dancers dressed in colorful zoot suits in “If U Seek Amy.” Spears also showed an Egyptian theme in “Gimme More,” complete with a giant bird boat and pyro, including on-stage fireworks. “Boys” traveled the crowd to a jungle-like atmosphere, with a flute-playing and exotic-looking dancer, and “Toxic” exhibited a Japanese theme with samurai dancers and Spears in a kimono.
As well, Spears provided excellent visual effects and props. She straddled a giant white and gold guitar during “Burning Up.” A red convertible also transported Spears and her dancers to the front of the stage during “How I Roll.” Throughout her set, a radio announcer appeared on screen, chronicling Spears’ history and suggested that she was the ultimate answer to pop; she had the looks and the sound.
Despite her massive amount of fame and success, Spears proved that she was still the same humble Louisiana girl as she continually interacted with her audience and brought fans on stage to dance with her during “I Wanna Go.”
Spears ended her set with “Til the World Ends,” which features Minaj, who was only shown pre-recorded on screen and not on the actual stage. When the song ended, confetti sprinkled into the audience to celebrate. And the celebration was justified. Spears is back, obviously talented, and like her dominatrix-esque performance suggested, she is on top and in control.
Live Review: Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Jessie and the Toy Boys "The Femme Fatale Tour" — Anaheim, CA
Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:28:24
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There's a reason why the world fell in love with Britney Spears.
It's because she can do it all. She can sing. She can dance. She can entertain any crowd. She's a timeless performer in the most classic sense of the word.
Somehow, she's gotten even better at everything she does over the years, and her transcendent showing during The Femme Fatale tour's stop at the Honda Center in Anaheim illustrated that tenfold. After a mini-movie that could rival any summer blockbuster this year, Britney emerged from an opening inside of the giant video wall center stage. Her outfit certainly sparkled, but not as much as her voice and dance moves did.
During a hypnotic "Hold It Against Me" from her latest pop masterpiece Femme Fatale, she sauntered down the steps from the wall cool, calm, and collected before breaking into flawless dancing and singing simultaneously. Smoke rose from the stage as the song's dubstep drop sharpened the edge that always separated Britney from the pack. Dancers dressed as police surrounded her as she dropped into the center of the stage, and Britney quickly came back for a slick, smooth "Up 'N' Down".
She lithely wrapped herself around jail bars flanked by her dancers as she belted out the song's infectious refrain to overwhelming audience screams. For the undeniable "3", Britney donned a white fedora and trench coat speaking right to the noir-ish connotations of the Femme Fatale tour. However, she built a one-of-a-kind space where Kim Basinger's elegant L.A. Confidential beauty becomes enveloped by edgy modern dance attitude. "3" gave way to a massive sing-a-long, perfectly prefacing Britney emerging from a giant speaker during "Big Fat Bass". Bright red lights flashed as Britney shook through the song's impenetrable groove in a vibrant pink ensemble. During "How I Roll", she cruised out in a pink car, never failing to continually impress. "If U Seek Amy" saw Britney don a long flowing skirt fanned up by grates below the stage as more '40s crime flick-inspired black-and-white footage flashed behind her. Marrying old school detective fare and stadium-size anthems is something no other pop star has done, and once again Britney's the first.
Britney quickly transported the fun to Egypt during a seductive "Gimme More", which led to fireworks blazing through the arena. She also managed to flex her talents during too incendiary covers—Madonna's "Burning Up", where she rode a giant fire-shooting guitar and Rihanna's "S&M". Her own pop classics, "Toxic" and "Womanizer", sounded simply scorching with all of the larger-than-life live production, and they solidified her place alongside Madonna and Michael Jackson as one of the most important singers and entertainers ever.
The show's finale of "Till The World Ends" closed everything out with final earth shattering explosion as Britney flew across the arena above everyone. It was breathtaking, and it was simply Britney.
She didn't have to say much either, she let the music and moves do all the talking. The same could be said for Nicki Minaj and Jessie and the Toy Boys. With a simple setup—two dancers and a DJ—Jessie kicked off the evening brilliantly. Jessie's voice sailed to incredible heights on the raucous and rocking "We Own the Night" from her debut EP, Show Me Your Tan Lines. Meanwhile, "Money Makes the Girl Round" was a clever, catchy anthem that brought Orange County to its feet. During the enthralling new cut, "Naughty", Jessie cracked her whip right on cue with the sample, effectively making everyone get a little naughty with her over '80s-style synths. Everything culminated on her propulsive single "Push It", and she left a lasting impression. She's bound for greatness…
Nicki Minaj rounded out the bill with her spacey urban swagger, sparking bumping and grinding from the floor to the stands. "Super Bass" stunned as her rapid fire flow on "My Chick Bad" and "Monster" was dirty fun in all the right ways.
These Femme Fatales are not to be missed together…You'll love it, and it's a landmark for modern pop.
Britney Spears electrifies with Femme Fatale stop at MGM Grand By Don Chareunsy (contact)
Monday, June 27, 2011 | 7:40 a.m
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Who needs the Electric Daisy Carnival when you have Britney Spears?
The pop princess made a stop on her Femme Fatale Tour at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night, with Nicki Minaj (Nicki -- she’s so hot right now -- Nicki) as her opening act, and from start to finish, Spears electrified the audience and the arena with a nonstop up-tempo and full-throttle 90-minute spectacular laden with pyrotechnics, crystal-clear video images, bump-and-grind choreography and some of the fittest male dancers on the planet.
Spears has fully embraced house, techno and electronic dance music on her new album Femme Fatale, as evidenced by its first two hits, “Hold It Against Me” and “Till the World Ends.” There were no ballads during the evening -- if there were one or two, they were quickly lost on the dance floor stage -- and the pounding bass and dance beats, lights and green lasers made for an EDC that includes the 17 and younger crowd, and there were plenty of them in the audience.
The nearly two-dozen-song set list kicked off with her latest No. 1 hit, “Hold It Against Me,” and ended with the euphoric and celebratory “Till the World Ends,” and, in between, die-hard fans sang and danced along to “Three,” “Gimme More,” “Boys,” “I’m a Slave 4 U,” “Womanizer” and “Toxic.” Oh, and an S&M -- a prevalent theme during the performance (police officers in leather pants and harnesses) -- version of “Baby One More Time.”
Other songs, some of them noticeably shortened: “Up & Down,” “Piece of Me,” “Big Fat Bass,” “How I Roll,” “Lace & Leather” (in which an audience member was pulled onstage for Spears to lap dance all over -- the pint-sized, smiley male fan new all the words to the song), “If U Seek Amy” (for which she appeared in a black, lace bustier and long, flowing, white Marilyn Monroe-esque skirt), “Gimme More,” “Drop Dead (Beautiful),” “He About to Lose Me,” “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know,” “Trouble for Me,” Madonna’s “Burning Up” (sadly, everyone younger than 25 in the audience had no idea that it was rockin’ Madonna cover) and “I Wanna Go” (in which members of the audience were pulled onstage and T-shirts were thrown into the audience). “Toxic” and “Till the World Ends” were the encore.
Spears’ first words to the audience? “What’s up, bitches?! It’s Britney!” in a nod to “Gimme More” (It’s Britney, Bitch and I Love Britney T-shirt were popular items with fans.) Did Spears lip sync? Of course she did. Did fans care? No. With all the dancing and staging synonymous with a Spears concert, fans have come to expect the audio help. Does it take away from the overall performance? Not at all.
Spears had multiple costume changes, most of which were flattering, especially the Cleopatra-inspired gold bikini debuted during “Gimme More,” and the short, sparkling black dress for the encore. Critics will rip that she’s not quite back in fighting shape yet. Hmmm … she has two kids, and her arms, stomach and legs are muscular and toned. Not everyone needs to be waif-like like, say, Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez, for crissakes. Spears looks great.
Among the evening’s highlights: Spears floated over the audience a few times during the show in a swing outfitted with angel wings -- the teen angel turned fallen angel has risen from the ashes, ahem, stronger than yesterday. A male fan in the front row on the floor looked like he was going to faint every time Spears was within 20 feet of him on the catwalk that extended from the main stage into the floor. Her male dancers were ripped, sweaty and scantily clad.
Thanks to Las Vegas Sun photographer Justin M. Bowen and Tom Donoghue for their photo galleries of Spears and Minaj (Bowen’s photo gallery will be added later today). Full disclosure: I unfortunately missed Minaj’s opening performance due to another commitment, but she returned onstage for the finale of “Till the World Ends,” blond wig and all.
Woah oh oh oh oh oh, woah oh oh oh oh oh …
Don Chareunsy is editor of VegasDeLuxe.com and arts and entertainment editor of LasVegasSun.com.
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.
Has Britney Spears Really Pulled Off Her Comeback?
Despite rave reviews about her latest world tour, we must admit we were a bit skeptical of the legendary Ms. Britney Spears when we purchased our über-pricey tickets for her show last night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
So was it worth it? In a word: yes!
Brit-Brit is back and better than ever—well, at least better than she's been in a long time. So what was our first clue that the pop princess is back on top?
Her mic was actually turned on—like, throughout the whole show!
Sure, she still was still singing with some pre-recorded background tracks, but give the gal a break. If you're a Britney fan, you know that some lip-syncing comes with the territory. But whereas she sang practically zilch on the Circus Tour, this time, Brits was belting out her ballads and croonin' along to her latest hits.
And she got all interactive with her fans again!
Britney stopped a couple time throughout the show to pump up the audience in her usual, adorable way, and one lucky fan even got a bump-and-grind lap dance from the lady, complete with her jumping on a stripper pole and wrapping her legs around him.
We're way jealous.
And she didn't seem terrified of the crazy peeps anymore!
Whereas when she was under the Circus Big Top, a way-too-enthusiastic fan rushing the stage caused full on pandemonium, but Brit-Brit and her dancers actually invited some lucky attendees to boogie with her during her most recent hit "I Wanna Go."
When one fan got a little too excited last night and ran back, snatching a huge, unexpected hug from Britster, she just laughed it off saying, "It's OK! It's totally fine!" before continuing on with her set.
And oh, the set list—enough music to make any Brit fan go really crazy.
B.S. did all her latest hits, some oldies and some totally unexpected songs from various albums, all while donning a handful of shiny (and damn sexy) costumes. Most importantly though: She danced. A lot. Gone are the days of strutting around the stage for the majority of the show; B knew her choreography and hit it hard.
If you haven't gotten tickets yet, buy ‘em. Sure, they may be a bit expensive, but Britney puts on a damn good show. And when Britney and Nicki Minaj take the stage together?
Her Hold It Against Me performances still slay me. Seriously, her dancing is impeccable. We haven't seen her this energetic since 2004, I am very proud of her.
The Anaheim show has been the best concert so far I think, btw, has anyone found a video where she messed up the HIAM lyrics saying "wanna question" instead of "little question" ?, someone said it was the san jose show but i looked it up and it wasnt, I wanna see it
Britney Spears' New Concert Tour: Should You Go? (Answer: Hell Yeah!)
Britney Spears is looking super hot.
How do I know this? Because last night I was among just a handful of people invited to watch the pop princess' first—and very private—dress rehearsal of her upcoming Femme Fatale tour.
Before I give ya some of the highlights, just let me say that if you don't have tickets yet, run and get them now.
Why? Read on for scoop…
READ: Britney Spears' special homecoming for the troops
The show opens with a video of Spears in a sparkly leotard (one of many skimpy outfits that shows off her back-in-shape bod) being chased by cops through an industrial landscape. And yes, Britney's brandishing a gun. Think Salt meets Charlie's Angels.
The song list includes more than—ready for this?—20 songs. She starts with "Hold It Against Me," followed by, well, everything, including "…Baby One More Time," "I'm a Slave 4 U," "Toxic," "Gimme More," "(Drop Dead) Beautiful," "Big Fat Bass" and "Till The World Ends."
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Spears covers Madonna's "Burning Up" while straddling a gigantic electric guitar. She sings Rihanna's "S&M" in a flamboyant motorcycle gear (denim, leather, studs, etc.).
Footage of a slightly older, grizzly faced fellow in what appears to be some sort of Cold War radio transmission bunker is shown throughout the show. He says things like, "Bring your best game because tonight you and I are dancing a vicious dance," and asks, "What man are you bringing to his knees?"
Other video highlights include shots of completely naked men (just butts—no full-frontal, people!) and her male dancers in what can only be described as S&M leather gear and toys, including facemasks and nipple clamps.
All of her dancers—male and female—help keep the energy (a lot of it sexual!) going with gyrations, contortions, the aforementioned nakedness and lots of sweating. Special shout-out to Marco Da Silva—holy ridiculousness of tattooed muscles!
During "I Wanna Go," a bunch of us were brought on stage to dance with Britney. Yes, I can say I danced on a stage with Britney Spears! And so can my pals from Pink is the New Blog, BreatheHeavy.com, Just Jared and Ellen K. from Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM morning show, among others. Who else was there? Spears' hottie boyfriend Jason Trawick (he even got on stage during "How I Roll" to be tied up and straddled by his girlfriend), dad Jamie and Brit's two adorable sons, Sean and Jaden.
The finale is insane. I won't tell you exactly what happens, but it includes big, white angel wings.
There's so much more to see and hear. Spears sings, dances and gives you some of her best work ever. Like I said, get your tickets now!
Britney Spears's Femme Fatale tour has been wowing critics, fans — and us! Several of our PopSugar editors were in the audience for Britney's Saturday night performance in San Jose, and we're giving you our firsthand account of all the skin-baring costumes and sexy dance numbers. From one Britney fan to another, here's our take on her show!
Review – Britney Spears Femme Fatale Tour at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, July 1 2011
- by Shawn Conner/photos by Ryan West
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Snobbery will only get you so far when it comes to pop music. At some point, you have to just shrug and say, “If it’s catchy, shiny and completely artificial, count me in.”
At this point, with seven albums to her credit, Spears is both a survivor and an old pro at this. You expect nothing less than a big, full-on show with one elaborately choreographed pop hit after another, and Spears and her dancers did not disappoint.
Whether straddling a giant electric guitar or riding around in a pink convertible, Spears was a non-stop dynamo onstage, never pausing for breath (or to actually sing, for that matter – okay, requisite lip-syncing joke: check).
Costume changes, including a gold outfit that might have been designed by Conan the Barbarian, fabulously toned dancers who looked like friends from Mouseketeer days and ever-changing sets (loved the cartoon-y backdrop for “How I Roll” off Femme Fatale) meant there was never any lack of spectacle.
As for the music, well – no surprises there, except maybe how strong the set was (and how ridiculously catchy and fun “How I Roll”, off the new album, is). With over a half-dozen albums and numerous hit singles to draw from, Spears put together a set that was a reminder of just how many professionally crafted and effective pop songs she’s unleashed on the charts.
You didn’t need to be a fan to enjoy the silly yet slick double entendre of “Hold It Against Me” or the ridiculous but fun “Till the World Ends”, both Femme Fatale songs, and which opened and closed the night respectively.
And those weren’t even the hits everyone wanted to hear: “Toxic”, “Womanizer”, and “… Baby One More Time” (which segued into Rihanna’s “S&M”, as though to remind us of who’s still the boss) were all performed, two weeks into the tour, with the pep and precision of numbers in a Broadway musical. Which is exactly what the show most reminded me of – though without the plot.
But who needs a storyline onstage when you’ve got Brit with her stripper-mom bod, some of the coolest sets in pop music and all those hits? She even covered “Burning Up” while straddling that aforementioned giant electric guitar, thus saluting both Madonna and Cher (from her canon-straddling days) in one horny package.
Come to think of it, there was a through-line of sorts, in the form of some footage of some Eurotrash dude in some kind of surveillance camera room. The footage was interspersed between songs, probably to loosely connect our heroine’s “journey”, but his words were mostly unintelligible and I just figured it wasn’t anything that would reward close attention. I’m not sure what I expected going in, but I came away from the Femme Fatale show thoroughly satisfied and entertained – there wasn’t a dull moment in the whole 90 minutes, and that’s saying something. Look elsewhere if you want musical substance; if you want a bunch of hits, flashy eye-candy and a good time, call Brit. The pop princess is back.
As for the openers, I only managed to catch one song by blonde Jessie. But the Nicki Minaj set was great fun as the singer cavorted with six dancers and did battle with some imaginary foe named Nemesis. I didn’t quite know what was going on, sort of like how I felt watching Green Lantern. But the set was enjoyably nonsensical nonetheless, and I do like Minaj quite a bit – not enough performers like to make goofy faces, and then put those images on T-shirts.
amazing review!! 
Seriously, her dancing is impeccable. We haven't seen her this energetic since 2004, I am very proud of her.
I think, btw, has anyone found a video where she messed up the HIAM lyrics saying "wanna question" instead of "little question" ?, someone said it was the san jose show but i looked it up and it wasnt, I wanna see it 