Circus (Britney Spears song)

Background

"Circus" was written by Dr. Luke, Benny Blanco and Claude Kelly, while produced by Luke and Blanco. Luke and Kelly were initially commissioned to work on a new track for Spears, and entered the studio with no concept prepared, as Kelly explained, "just knowing her style and knowing what she does." After Luke came up with the music, they based the song on the public's perception of her life at the time. Spears explained that after listening to "Circus" for the first time, she felt inspired and imagined a story behind it. She also stated, "['Circus'] put the whole album together as far as what I wanted my show to be like. You can play with a circus in so many different ways". "Circus" was recorded at Conway Recording Studios and Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, and at Glenwood Place Studio in Burbank, California. Background vocals were provided by Cathy Dennis, Kelly and Myah Marie. Main instrumentation was done by Luke and Blanco. The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia.

Music and lyrics

"Circus" is an uptempo electropop and dance-pop song, with a stomp box beat and elements of pop rock. The song opens with the sound of a drum and builds until Spears starts singing, "There's only two types of people in the world/The ones that entertain and the ones that observe". Spears delivers confident and "half-rapped" vocals, with the verses having usage of synthesizers. Lyrically, the song talks about being an entertainer and putting on shows. Kelly commented that "Circus" was "a cool way to get people dancing and having fun", but also have a slight message.

Critical reception

Nick Levine of Digital Spy described it as "a rampaging monster of a song whose chorus kicks off with a Max Martin-style and Timbaland thump". Popjustice praised the production of the song, compared it to "Break the Ice" and added, "there's a lot of stopping and starting, including a built-in MTV-style dance breakdown segment." In the album review, Ann Donahue of Billboard criticized the lyrics for rehashing the theme of fame and compared it to "Lucky" (2000) and "Piece of Me" (2007). Dave De Sylvia of Sputnikmusic said that while "Womanizer" sounded like a Blackout track, "Circus" is more reflective of the album's general mood. Entertainment Weekly writer Chris Willman noted that, despite the album being titled Circus, the title track is "not about the madhouse her life has become but just a brag about her prowess as a whip-cracking sexual ringmaster."

BBC Music's Talia Kraines thought that the singer "loves the attention being shone directly on her as the 'ringleader' as she sings of adrenaline flowing through her veins when it's time to put on a show." Ben Norman of About.com considered the song a "true and triumphant Britney Spears pop song with a pensive underbelly (the first verse in particular) and a supremely executed hook." Jonny Mugwump of The Quietus said, "a paean to her performance adrenalin, ["Circus" is] a medium-paced, big power-popper topped with an orbit-esque guitar," John Murphy of musicOMH also praised its lyrics, describing them as "a confident, and encouraging, return to form." "Circus" was nominated at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards in the category of Choice Music: Single, but lost to Miley Cyrus's "The Climb".

Commercial performance

On December 20, 2008, "Circus" debuted at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 due to digital sales of over 212,000 units. On the week of March 7, 2009, the song reached number one on the Pop Songs chart and number three on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. As of July 2016, "Circus" has sold 3.2 million digital downloads in the United States according to Nielsen Soundscan. It is her second best-selling digital single in the country.

In Canada, the track debuted at number two based solely on digital downloads, being blocked from ascending to the top spot by Lady Gaga's "Poker Face". On December 8, 2008, "Circus" entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 15, becoming the "Highest Debut" of the week. On December 22, 2008, the song peaked at number six. It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales over 70,000 units. In New Zealand, "Circus" peaked at number four, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for selling over 7,500 copies. The song was also successful in Europe, peaking at number 12 on the European Hot 100 Singles on March 21, 2009. According to the Official Charts Company, the song has sold 227,400 copies in the United Kingdom and is her 13th best-selling single in the country. It became the 10th best-selling digital single of 2009, selling 5.5 million copies worldwide. As of May 2020, "Circus" has generated over 212 million streams in the US.

Music video

Development

The music video for "Circus" was filmed from October 28 to November 2, 2008, in Los Angeles, California. It was directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously worked with Spears on the music video for her 2001 single "I'm a Slave 4 U". Spears chose Lawrence, since he was the "only person who could capture it, make it really twisted, eccentric and different". The video was set to be released on December 5, 2008, on Entertainment Tonight, but it was moved at the last minute to December 4, 2008.

Synopsis

The music video opens with a frame of her hands picking up Curious, and also features a minimal but luxurious necklace and earrings by Bulgari. Spears takes time to admire the jewelry before proceeding with her performance. Lawrence, the director, uses spotlights in various angles to feature the artistry of Spears' dancing skills. The costume designer chose a ringmaster jacket and a top hat along with a baton to channel the circus theme. In order of appearance, animals recorded in the video are doves flying out of a top hat, lions flanking Spears, and elephants doing their own dance steps. As with his previous work with Spears, Lawrence employs a large cast of dancers who nail their routines.

Circus performers include ribbon dancers, contortionists, clowns and a mime on stilts. One group dance scene takes place in the middle of a circus ring with Spears in a ringmaster jacket, sequined hot pants and a feathered top hat. In the second verse, she dances with a chair and a whip wearing a black bra covered in leaves. Intercut scenes, such as Spears in slow motion in front of a shower of sparks, keep the pacing exciting. During the bridge, Spears and her dancers perform a routine backlit by a circle of flames. In the last chorus, Spears returns to the circus ring, surrounded by two elephants, many more circus performers, dancers and fire breathers. The video ends with Spears' signature laugh while putting on a top hat.

Reception

Davil Balls of Digital Spy described the music video as being "cheeky, seductive and more than a little bit ridiculous" and said that Spears "delivers some killer dance routines". Tim Stack of Entertainment Weekly compared the dance in the chair with the music video of "Stronger" and added that "best of all, she actually looks animated in this video and appears to be having fun". James Montgomery of MTV said that after watching the video "you are overcome with the sudden urge to go to the Big Apple Circus. Or pick up some Curious perfume. Or you know, possibly both". It was also nominated for four VMAs at the 2009 awards in the categories of Best Art Direction, Best Choreography, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. It was also nominated for Best Video in the MTV Europe Music Awards 2009, but lost to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies". The video won Best Video of 2009 in Fuse TV, making Spears the only artist to win two years in a row.

On December 9, 2008, animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a press release condemning Spears for using "cruelly trained lions and elephants" and demanding her to "stop using exotic animals in her videos and concerts once and for all". Spears had previously received criticism from the organization when she used an albino python and a caged tiger during a performance of "I'm a Slave 4 U" at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. Kari Johnson from Have Trunk Will Travel responded, saying, "[the company] has never issued a written endorsement, nor does it condone using electrical devices to discipline and control elephants except in situations where elephant or human safety is at risk. [...] The American Humane Association monitors animal action in film and television. A representative was on the set of the Britney Spears 'Circus' video with our elephants, Tai and Kitty, to ensure their safety and welfare [...] Britney, the director, producers and the entire crew were respectful of the elephants' needs and comfort and a pleasure to work with." The music video for "Circus" was certified on the digital platform Vevo after reaching 100 million views on YouTube. In 2021, "Circus" went viral on TikTok, and as of May 8, 2021, has been used 426,200 times.

Live performances

"Circus" was performed on December 2, 2008, at American morning talk show Good Morning America, along with "Womanizer". She wore a midriff-baring shirt, leather pants, a ringmaster jacket and a top hat. "Circus" was a major part on the Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009), as the opening number of the show. The costumes of the performance were selected to show a metamorphosis. The show began with a video introduction featuring Perez Hilton as Queen Elizabeth I, welcoming the audience to the circus. In the middle of the video, the cylinder screen surrounding the stage started to rise, while Spears appeared on the video and shot Hilton with a crossbow, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor. As the video ended, Spears started to descend from the ceiling on a suspended platform, wearing a cheetah headdress, a ringmaster jacket, black shorts, high-heeled boots and carrying a whip. The headdress represented an animal. When she reached the stage, she took it off to represent both a ringmaster and a lion tamer and "Circus" started. James Montgomery of MTV considered both "Circus" and "Radar" performances "great". Spears included the song on her residency show in Las Vegas, Britney: Piece of Me. For the performance, Spears appears from the back of the stage, in the center of a fiery ring, resembling a circus showgirl. Spears included the song on the set list for the Britney: Live in Concert (2017) and Piece of Me Tour (2018).

Track listings and formats

• CD single

1. "Circus" – 3:12
2. "Womanizer" (Mike Rizzo Funk Generation Radio) – 3:51

• Maxi single

1. "Circus" – 3:12
2. "Circus" (Tom Neville's Ringleader remix) – 7:52
3. "Circus" (Diplo Circus remix) – 4:25
4. "Circus" (Junior Vasquez Club Circus) – 9:02
5. "Circus" (video) – 4:13

• Digital download - remix EP

1. "Circus" (Diplo Circus remix) – 4:25
2. "Circus" (Tom Neville's Ringleader remix) – 7:50
3. "Circus" (Villains remix) – 5:17
4. "Circus" (Linus Loves remix) – 4:39
5. "Circus" (Junior Vasquez Electric Circus) – 9:02

• Digital 45

1. "Circus" – 3:12
2. "Circus" (Tom Neville's Ringleader remix) – 7:52

• Digital download - Twister Rave remix

1. "Circus" (Twister Rave remix) – 3:32

Credits and personnel

Credits and personnel are adapted from the Circus album liner notes.

• Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald – writer, producer, guitars, drums, keyboards, programming
• Claude Kelly – writer, background vocals
• Benny Blanco – writer, producer, drums, keyboards, programming
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• John Hanes – additional Pro Tools engineering
• Tim Roberts – additional Pro Tools engineering assistance
• Emily Wright – recording, vocal editing
• Matt Beckley – recording, vocal editing
• Matt Beckley – recording
• Eric Weaver – recording assistant
• Chad Carlisle – recording assistant
• Chris Kasych – recording assistant
• Tatiana Gottwald – recording assistant
• Cathy Dennis – background vocals
• Myah Marie – background vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Release history

References

References

1. (2008). "[[Circus (Britney Spears album)". [[Jive Records.
2. Trust, Gary. (July 17, 2016). "Ask Billboard: Britney Spears' Career Sales & How Big a Hit Will 'Make Me' Be?". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
3. (January 21, 2010). "Digital Music Sales Around The World". [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]].
4. ''Circus'' liner notes. Jive Records (2008)
5. Bouwman, Kimbel. (May 24, 2010). "A&R, Record Label / Company, Music Publishing, Artist Manager and Music Industry Directory". [[HitQuarters]].
6. (2008). "Circus". [[Jive Records]].
7. Reporter, Jennifer. (October 31, 2008). "Britney's Next Single: 'Circus'". Brandcasting Unlimited.
8. "Available for Airplay".
9. (2008). "Digital Sheet Music – Britney Spears – TCircus". Musicnotes.com. [[Kobalt (tools).
10. Reporter, Pop Justice. (November 11, 2008). "It's some Britney bits". [[Popjustice]].
11. MacBain, Hamish. (November 28, 2008). "Circus Review". [[NME]].
12. De Sylvia, Dave. (November 30, 2008). "Britney Spears Circus". Sputnikmusic. Jeremy Ferwerda.
13. She explains her emotions while performing in lines such as: "I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins / Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break". The [[Chorus effect. chorus]] begins with an [[electronic music. F♯ minor]] with 120 [[beats per minute]], however on the album the song is 115 [[beats per minute]]. Spears's vocal range spans from G{{music. #₂ to C{{music. #₅.Digital Sheet Music – Britney Spears Circus. Musicnotes.com. [[Alfred Publishing Company]].
14. Levine, Nick. (November 10, 2008). "Music — The Sound — Notes on the new Britney album". [[Digital Spy]]. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd.
15. Donahue, Ann. (December 6, 2008). "Circus Album Review". Nielsen Company.
16. Cairns, Dan. (November 30, 2009). "Britney Spears: Circus — the Sunday Times review". [[The Sunday Times]].
17. Willman, Chris. (November 29, 2008). "Circus Review".
18. Kraines, Talia. (November 28, 2008). "Britney Spears Circus Review". [[BBC Music]].
19. Norman, Ben. (December 2, 2008). "Britney Spears – 'Circus'".
20. Mugwump, Jonny. (December 2, 2008). "Reviews: Britney Spears — Circus".
21. Murphy, John. (December 1, 2008). "Britney Spears — Circus (RCA)". [[musicOMH]].
22. Lamb, Bill. (2009). "Teen Choice Awards 2009 Music — Your Guide to Music at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards".
23. Hasty, Katie. (December 10, 2008). "Britney's 'Circus' Debuts Atop Album Chart".
24. "Circus — Britney Spears". Nielsen Company.
25. (December 20, 2008). "Canada Singles Top 100". [[Canadian Hot 100]]. acharts.us.
26. (December 8, 2008). "Australia Singles Top 50 (December 8, 2008) – Music Charts". [[ARIA Charts.
27. (December 8, 2008). "Australia Singles Top 50 (December 22, 2008) – Music Charts". Australian Singles Chart. acharts.us.
28. "Britney Spears — Circus ARIA certification". [[Australian Recording Industry Association]].
29. "Chart: Circus gold certification". [[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand]].
30. (2009). "Circus on world charts". [[Ultratop 50]].
31. (February 1, 2009). "UK Singles Top 75". acharts.us.
32. (August 23, 2016). "Britney Spears: her biggest selling singles and albums revealed". [[Official Charts Company]].
33. (2010). "IFPI Digital Music Report 2010". [[International Federation of the Phonographic Industry]]. ifpi.org.
34. Trust, Gary. (May 15, 2020). "Britney Spears' Career Sales & Streams, In Honor of 20 Years of 'Oops!...I Did It Again': Ask Billboard Mailbag".
35. (November 21, 2008). "Britney Spears Doc Shows 'Where She Is And Where She Is Going,' Manager Larry Rudolph Says".
36. Staff Reporter. (November 17, 2008). "Get Excited For the New For the Record Promo". Brandcasting Unlimited.
37. Montgomery, James. (December 5, 2008). "Britney Spears' 'Circus' Video — Check It Out Here!".
38. Balls, David. (December 5, 2008). "Britney cracks her whip for 'Circus' video!". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd.
39. Stack, Tim. (December 5, 2008). "Britney's 'Circus' video: Sensation or sideshow?".
40. James, Sarah Louise. (March 27, 2009). "Best Bits and Winners: the Vodafone MTVAAs!". [[MTV Australia]].
41. (August 4, 2009). "Complete List Of MTV Video Music Award Nominees".
42. MTV News Staff. (September 21, 2009). "EMA Nominations Announced". MTV. MTV Networks.
43. Britannica. (December 14, 2009). "Britney Wins Fuse TV's "Best of 2009"". Britney.com. Brandcasting Unlimited.
44. Montgomery, James. (December 9, 2008). "Britney Spears' 'Circus' Video Taken To Task By PETA, But Trainers Insist Animals Were Treated Well". MTV.
45. (2009-10-25). "Britney Spears - Circus - YouTube". Vevo.
46. (April 29, 2021). "How Do You Do, Fellow Kids? Here Are the 20 Best Songs on TikTok Right Now". [[Cosmopolitan (magazine).
47. Vena, Jocelyn. (December 2, 2008). "Britney Spears Wows Fans, Family With 'Good Morning America' Birthday Performance". MTV.
48. Alexander, Hilary. (March 2, 2009). "Britney Spears kicks off Circus world tour in New Orleans". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
49. Shriver, Jerry. (March 4, 2009). "Britney in concert: The Circus is finally back in town". [[Gannett Company]], Inc..
50. Arnold, Chuck. (March 4, 2009). "CONCERT REVIEW: Britney Yet to Hit Stride". [[People (magazine).
51. Montgomery, James. (March 4, 2009). "Britney Spears Fits Just About Everything Into First Circus Tour Stop". [[MTV Networks]].
52. Caulfield, Keith. (December 28, 2013). "Britney Spears' Hits-Filled 'Piece of Me' Show Opens In Las Vegas: Live Review".
53. (June 9, 2017). "Britney Spears' set list in Japan will get you pumped for her Manila concert". GMA Holdings, Inc..
54. Medeiros, Kavad. (July 13, 2018). "Com novidades na setlist, Britney Spears estreia sua nova turnê com show nos Estados Unidos".
55. (2008). "Circus". Jive Records.
56. (2008). "Circus". Jive Records.
57. (February 20, 2009). "Circus (Remix) - EP by Britney Spears". [[Apple Music]] (US).
58. (August 30, 2013). "Circus (Twister Rave Remix) - Single by Britney Spears". Apple Music (US).
59. "NMC Airplay TOP 10 Week08 (16.02.2009 - 22.02.2009)". BAMP.
60. (May 8, 2009). "Éxitos discográficos americanos". Excelsior California.
61. (2009). "Airplay Radio Chart 2009 Year End Edition".
62. "Britney Spears — Circus (Czech Airplay Chart)". Czech Airplay Chart.
63. "Europe Official Top 100". top40-charts.
64. (March 14, 2009). "European Radio Top 50".
65. "Les charts français". lescharts.com.
66. "Britney Spears – Circus". [[Official German Charts]].
67. "Britney Spears – Global Dance Songs".
68. "2009/11. heti Editors' Choice Top 40 slágerlista". [[Association of Hungarian Record Companies.
69. (2009-03-23). "La Quinta Estación sigue en primer lugar de preferencias radiales". Vanguardia.
70. "Britney Spears - Circus". top40.nl.
71. "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Jan 22, 2009". [[TopHit]].
72. "SNS Ifpi".
73. "Billboard Türkiye Chart History".
74. "Top Radio Hits Ukraine Weekly Chart: Mar 12, 2009". [[TopHit]].
75. "Aria Top 100 Singles 2008". aria.com.au.
76. "Aria Top 100 Singles 2009". aria.com.au.
77. (April 3, 2018). "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2009". [[Crowley Broadcast Analysis]].
78. "Aria Top 100 Singles 2008". Nielsen Company.
79. "Airplay Detection Tophit 200 Yearly – 2009". [[TopHit]].
80. "Rapports annuels 2009". ultratop.be.
81. (2009). "NRJ TOP 100 of 2009". NRJ Lebanon.
82. "Dutch Top 40 Year End". [[MegaCharts]].
83. "Árslistor — Árslista Singlar — 2009". hitlistan.se.
84. "Charts Plus Year end 2009". Charts Plus.
85. (2009). "Billboard end of year charts". Nielsen Company.
86. (2009). "Best of 2009: Pop Songs". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
87. (2009). "Best of 2009: Digital Songs". [[Prometheus Global Media]].
88. "Les Singles les plus Vendus de la Décennie (2000–2009)". Infodisc.
89. "available for airplay".
90. "Circus: Britney Spears: Amazon.es: Tienda MP3".
91. "Circus". [[Amazon Music]].
92. "Circus - Remix EP".
93. (September 2016). "Circus". [[7digital]].
94. Britney Spears. "Circus - Remix EP".
95. Spears, Britney. "Circus - Remix EP by Britney Spears on Amazon Music".
96. "Circus/Basic - Britney Spears: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de.
97. "Circus/Premium - Britney Spears: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de.
98. (March 2025). "Circus (Digital 45)". [[iTunes Store]].
99. (May 2019). "Circus". [[7digital]].
100. Britney Spears. "Circus". [[Amazon Music]].
101. Britney Spears. "Circus". [[Amazon Music]].
102. Britney Spears. "Circus". [[Amazon Music]].