I spent WAY too long reading this epic Britney Spears article yesterday afternoon. Seriously, once I finished reading it (and I skimmed some parts of it!) it felt like an hour had passed and I was thirsty and disoriented. So, if you have some time set aside and you want to read a really intensive article about Britney’s Las Vegas residency (an article that barely quotes Britney herself), go here. The biggest headline out of this piece is that even Britney’s handlers admit that she’s not singing live. Durr. But there are a few other gems too. Some highlights:
Journalists always bring Britney food: That’s what the interviewers do. They come and they give her food. Yesterday had been her 32nd birthday. Mario Lopez had brought cupcakes. (The month before, a foreign journalist had asked her what her birthday plans were. “Probably working,” she’d said. His response: “You’re so American.”)
The X-Factor debacle: She was terrible at the banter and bitchy sound bites that are so much the matter of those talent shows. Britney came up in a time of CDs, one of her managers, Adam Leber, reminded me, before interaction with fans was so unpredictable and needy and could come at you through your phone. But it wasn’t just that, really. She told her publicist, Jeff Raymond, that watching other people perform made her wistful. She wasn’t ready to hang it up in her early 30s and assume the bizarre position of grande dame judge, trotted out for her wisdom rather than her talent, like Liza Minnelli or an errant Pussycat Doll. Britney quit before Simon Cowell could fire her so she could quit before he could fire her.
Putting together Piece of Me: Britney’s contract for this show, which pays a reported $15 million (about $300,000 per show), demands that she create a spectacle that’s bigger than anything she’d done before, so that people who had seen her live before would still be tempted to come. (Celine’s first residency featured 53 dancers and a bunch of clowns, impractical to take on the road, to say the least.) Fine by Britney. She told Baz Halpin, the show’s creative director, that she wanted elements: fire, water, snow. She wanted a jungle theme, which is something she always wants. Halpin loved the idea and gave her a tree to jump off of in the middle of the third act; it’s 56,000 pounds and 32 feet high and takes six people to move.
Whether she sings live: Our expectations of a woman in her 30s who has built two people in her body might be a little bit of a reach. “To put on the show that she puts on, it’s virtually impossible to sing the entire time and do what she does,” Adam Leber told me. “She’s singing on every song, basically, when she has the ability to sing. There’s no way you can dance for 90 minutes straight and sing the entire time.”
Her conservatorship: Sources close to Caesars, which means that they work at Caesars, tell me: that the company had insisted on the conservatorship just in case, and that it must remain throughout her contract.
It’s actually a really interesting, well-researched piece, but it’s verbose. And then some. I found out some new stuff, including the fact that Britney still pays Kevin Federline $25,000 a month in child support. I learned that Britney hates crowds and that she has an excessive amount of managers and “staff.” I also learned that she really likes her backup dancers and she enjoys being on stage with them. As far as the “Britney doesn’t sing live” thing… well, that’s nothing new. It is interesting that Britney’s team is admitting it now. So, why are people going to Britney’s show again? To see her dance around (badly) and lip-sync?
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
I just always feel sorry for Britney these days. She just looks like a puppet to make other people money.
Totally and completely agree. My heart breaks everytime I se her. She is essentially a slave to her family who should be shielding her. Her not singing live is the least of this girl’s problems. Let her be.
I agree with T.Fanty and Greata. I just feel badly for her. I wish she could take her money and go live happily somewhere out of the spotlight.
She never looks happy.
Agreed. First time I saw her in concert she had so much spunk. 2nd time is was the most lack-luster performance ever. Her eyes seem so sad like she’s being held against her will sad. Like a cult member who escaped sad. She should pack it in an do something fun like create dance studio for kids and teach ya know?
I am giving serious side-eye to the dancing/singing for 90 mins comment. Pink and lady gaga do it. It’s not like Brit is Janet Jackson level dancing. She doesn’t look like a powerhouse and hasn’t for a long time. She looks like she’s going through the mentions and counting steps. Also, shade on the back-up dancers comment —- is that because one of them is pressing charges against her/taking her to court for a physical altercation?
@Chicagogurl-you are so right on this. Honestly, I hope when she is done in Vegas, they just let her go do whatever. I know she is richer than any of us will ever be, but for some reason, I still feel bad for her. She seems so..slow. Like she is always moving through water or something. Maybe it’s the meds she takes?
@Chicagogurl, who wrote: “Pink and lady gaga do it. It’s not like Brit is Janet Jackson level dancing.”
So does Beyonce, J-Lo, Christina Aguliera, Tina Turner had done it until very recently (at 75-year-old), and even Cher (at 68-years-old), who is about to start a lavish concert tour with Pat Benatar as her opening act. They really need to stop using the ‘oh but she dances so hard!’ excuse. Doesn’t everyone know by now that Britney’s voice is studio manufactured?
Because she wants to perform. She doesn’t like any of the other parts of being a celebrity anymore, but she still loves to perform. She may not be good at it, but she still wants to do it.
I completely agree. I feel like if it were up to Britney, she would be married, living in Louisiana and popping out a bunch of babies.
But isn’t that the way it’s always been?
This is what I don’t get – why all the pity for Britney? I know all the stories say she has documented mental problems and the whole thing with the conservatorship, but when it comes to whether or not she really wants to be out there performing, you really don’t think this was about her? I mean, I guess maybe her “caretakers” could talk her into doing it even if she didn’t feel too excited about it, but she’s been quoted many times talking about wanting to do this (or missing it).
If she cannot dance and sing at the same time, then stop dancing and just sing. Plenty of singers don’t dance. The idea that she can’t sing live because she had two kids years ago is rather novel. Plenty of great singers manage to continue great music careers after having kids.
I took that bit to mean that because of her two pregnancies her physical shape is such that she can’t sing AND dance simultaneously. I am not sure though that giving birth to children has anything to do with this ability. Even a young man will have difficulty jumping and dancing and simultaneously singing for 1.5 hours. I also sincerely doubt anyone will come and watch a Britney show if she completely abandoned the dancing parts and only sang because she has never really been about pure singing talent 😉
“Even a young man will have difficulty jumping and dancing and simultaneously singing for 1.5 hours.”
and yet Mick Jagger, who is 70, can do it.
Oh, I don’t mean the kind of show Mick delivers, he’s not exactly doing dance routines the way she does. But yeah, I ultimately of course agree that in the end it all comes down to one’s singing talent – and comparing Mick’s and Britney’s singing chops really just doesn’t make sense 😉
Did you ever see Michael Jackson/pink live? Throw in Beyonce/JLO & Madonna (terrible voice, but fabulous dancer)/Gwen Stefani to name a few mothers who in some cases are older than Britney.
This excuse of babies, that she had ten yrs ago, is to elicit sympathy such that you overlook the sub par performance and show.
And I say that whilst remaining sympathetic to her situation and wishing she’d be allowed to retire.
Michael Jackson, Beyonce, J.Lo, and Madonna have all mimed performances. Many, many times.
Pink has had a child, sings live, and dances full out. Beyonce as well.
Britney, even in her hayday, was very lazy with her dancing. I understood that she didn’t sing live because of the focus on dancing, but I never understood why she didn’t go full out like her backup dancers if they removed the singing requirement. Like JLo, she is good at “posing”, but she was never really a “great” dancer. Beyonce, Shakira, Ciara are all much better dancers than Britney ever was (and JLo).
@Everyone: I agree with you, I am no fan of either Britney or Madonna/Pink/Beyonce etc (although I have seen both MJ and Madonna lip-synching lots of lives) but I still think that singing and dancing simultaneously is not something everyone can pull off. I also agree that having given birth to 2 children probably doesn’t have a direct effect on this ability. However, it is first and foremost related to a performer’s breath control. Which, in turn, requires a lot of work on breathing and singing techniques. If a vocalist’s physical form is not perfect, it’ll be even harder for him/her to control their breathing. Add dancing to the mix – and it becomes impossible for some performers. So Britney – who, as far as I understand, has never been a particularly skilled live performer – just goes the easiest way.
@Intro Outro …
J-Lo had twins and still manages to cut a rug and sing at the same time.
I don’t see her as a singer, let alone a great singer. She’s an entertainer.
Agreed.
But she doesn’t dance. Have you watched videos from the last several years of her work on stage she stands there and moves her arms now and then. I mean they have videos from Vegas where she is siting in a chair and still not singing. She doesn’t even sing her slow songs.
Exactly. She walks casually around the stage like she is walking around the mall.
@MsMercury: you know, I actually went and did my first ever YouTube Britney search (not kidding, I swear!) and you’re right! I remember her earlier performances which I happened to see on TV and I was judging based on those – but she really is just going through motions in her Las Vegas performances, and basically is not dancing o_O Any skilled vocalist could do the same and still sing live. So… Yup.
http://youtu.be/kCGGCSbT7G4
she IS singing live while doing THIS. I can’t and i am waaaaaay much younger
“Our expectations of a woman in her 30s who has built two people in her body might be a little bit of a reach.”
Let’s just call a spade a spade-Britney is moderately talented and I’m not buying that being pregnant has played a part in what talent she does or does not have. I got a list as long as my arm of mothers that can sing very well. And wow-talk about age shame. When did 30 become 60?
This! I really can’t get over that sentence. This is the most ass-sounding excuse for the fact that she can’t sing. I’m pitiful of her if this is the way her team can come up with an excuse. 30 with two children?? Really??
It is not so uncommon for singers to have difficulties getting back to where they were before a pregnancy because something changes in their bodies that can make it hard to sing properly. A frind of mine is a singer/dancer and she told me that – she has 2 kids.
@Carolina-that may be your friend’s experience and may be the experience of *some* women but like I said, I can think of many, many performers that do just fine after giving birth. Someone mentioned Pink already as just one example. Also, we’re talking about Britney. Britney could have 0 kids and she’s never going to be some superstar at the actual singing.
Curious too-what is this “something” that changes in a body?
I completely agree with both of you! When did 32 with 2 kids become over the hill?? I’m almost 35, have 3 kids, and am a musician/singer. I apparently should have retired years ago!! I spent 15 years in a military band singing, marching (while playing an instrument), performing concerts in oftentimes 100 degree weather, and having to stay in good physical shape. All while I was having kids. It can be tough to perform while pregnant, or to bounce back in a few months. BUT Britney had her kids years ago. Let’s be honest–she was never a real ‘singer’ to begin with, and her heart just really isn’t in it.
@marigold
During pregnancy your organs have to move to make room for the fetus. Your rib cage expands to make room for them. Your body never quite goes back to the way it was before you had children.
Your body *might* suffer some changes from pregnancy that are not reversible, but to say that this kind of changes would affect your ability to sing is more than a stretch. Also, this is her work. If she can’t dance like she used to (they say) it’s because she’s not working for it and not because she’s 30 and had two children. Nothing against Britney. I think she was never talented but she seems like a nice person and a victim of what others tried to make of her. I stick to it. This sentence is not only ignorant but offensive.
And props to you @Scarlet Vixen! You’ve said it all 🙂
I hate to bring Jlo into this (since I’m not a fan of her music) but she had twins nearly in her 40s and she does really hard choreography during her shows. Madonna had two kids as well…..
I agree, Marigold. In their attempt to make an excuse for her, they were insulting and just plain wrong.
Did anyone stop to think that her heavy cigarette smoking has something to do with this?Besides the bad knee and being medicated I am sure the smoking does not help.
The rumour is that Britney doesn’t even sing on her own records
True. Ever since “Slave 4 You” she’s just breathing in her songs.
No, but seriously. Rumor is that it’s not even Britney breathing like that–that they get a session singer to come in and sing the songs…
Yeah there is this girl named Mya I think and she sounds just like Britney. She sings on toxic. And she “allegedly” sings a lot on the new album in place of Britney.
A producer friend of mine told me that Brit didn’t even sing the hook on Toxic (“I’m addicted to you but I know that your toxic”). I dont’ know if he really KNEW that though, or was just guessing.
Britney has never sung live so I don’t know why people think she would start now.
This! Let’s be honest- Britney didn’t sing live even before she was pregnant. Truthfully, she’s never been able to sing. She just had better produced pop songs than her other more talented peers (Christina, Jessica) who CAN sing. Her dancing, while quite energetic, was never really that complex either-throwing out her arms and shaking her hips. But her songs were catchy as hell.
So I’m not really sure why her management is just now bringing up her lack of live singing. That’s like 10+ years old & pretty much expected.
I’m not sure that I would say that her dancing wasn’t complex. She’s had plenty of iconic choreography that’s involved more than just flailing her arms.
That being said, I agree with you about Christina and Jessica. Britney had to rely on the performance aspect of who she was as an entertainer because that was the only area where she could edge the other two out.
I agree, Chappy. I find that non-dancers tend to think that Britney was a great dancer, but people who have studied dance see that she was never that good. She just looked great while posing on stage. I always perfered to watch her backup dancers because they were always amazing.
I don’t think Britney has ever been known for her singing skills. I think people go to her shows out of curiosity and for remembering old times with songs they found fun. Britney could sing and dance at the same time, PInk does it and Pink is older than Britney.
And don’t forget-Pink has also “built” a person in her body.
Seriously, who says that?
Lol, thanks for the laugh. So true.
I like her and wish her well, and if people pay to see her even to lip sync, so what?! Everything in entertainment is all smoke and mirrors. I would rather watch her robot around and lip sync than see people like Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber performing (not thst there would be a chance in heck I would do so). I don’t begrudge Brittney success.
No, not everything. This is very untrue and a huge discredit to entertainers who do have vocal talent, who play instruments, who write and perform their own songs. Not everything has to be a huge flashy show with tons of choreography to serve as the main spectacle (or, in Britney’s case, a distraction from the fact that she’s not singing live, but even if she were, she still can’t carry a tune to save her life). There’s a lot to be said for entertainers who give people their money’s worth by putting on an actual live show that showcases the talents they do have. Britney, sadly, has zero talents in any aspect of the musical area, which is why she needs to rely on gimmicks. Why pay to watch a robot lipsync? Just put on her CD and stare at a poster. Seems like it’d be the same effect for much cheaper.
At least her shows aren’t boring. People are paying to be entertained and Britney’s shows are quite entertaining. Personally, a great voice doesn’t impress me for longer than 10 minutes. I’m not still oohing and aahing after that, I’m looking at my watch and waiting for the concert to end. I’d rather see the spectacle of a Britney show than watch a person who can sing well stand there for 90 minutes.
Just watched her Femme Fatale tour from a few years ago on Epix and it was sad. I can’t imagine the lethargy of his show. Sure she can’t do as much as she did ten years ago because of the knee injury, etc. but it was more than that. She can’t even snap her fingers with the same fire she had before.
In that way she’s similar to Rita Hayworth. There’s a performer who worked her whole life giving it her all, realized at some point she was nothing but a product to everyone, and just gave up. You watch the progression of her films and around 1949 or so the flame just extinguishes, but she had to keep working, just like Britney.
Yeah yeah yeah, I know, different leagues, just saying there’s a parallel. Don’t make me go all old movie on you, because I know my shit!
I love old timey stuff. I don’t know Hayworth’s history, but maybe later I’ll go down the internet rabbit hole. Rita Hayworth was gorgeous.
I feel sorry for Brit. It seems like they are sending her out to shake her money-maker without much concern for her actual wishes or well being. They have turned her into the Brit-bot.
She’s never been known for being a great singer or singing live, this is not surprising at all. And the idea that her having children has somehow prevented her from being a true performer? WTF? Go look at what Pink has done.
People pay for worse shows. This is Britney, people love her. She is a good girl with issues, but lots of people have a soft spot for her.
Ehhhh, I am one of those people with a soft spot for Britney, but… there are actually not a lot of worse shows out there. Especially among high-profile, expensive-ticket, stadium/amphitheater shows. I have seen hundreds of shows, from big deal pop acts to festivals to tiny club gigs, and I have to say, Britney is probably the second worst show I’ve ever seen. Definitely the worst major recording artist I’ve ever seen, by a pretty wide margin. Rihanna was much much better. Kanye was miles better. Just about every country show I’ve ever seen was much better.
She doesn’t sing live at all, ever (though sometimes watching video’s I get the feeling she actually thinks she’s singing live but her mic’s turned off). But Britney could never sing live, she only managed a handful of not awful live performances in her entire career, so it’s no surprise she hasn’t suddenly gotten better.
I kind of hope the Caesars thing works out for her though and she can just do something like that from now on, no more cd’s, no more tours, very little press. I think she needs something to do, and performing is all she really knows. Residency’s are a great way to basically keep her busy and stop her going off the rails without demanding too much from her.
Madonna with her mediocre voice sings live most of times and dance. And has given birth 3 times, seriously what kind of statement that is??
I don’t know if it’s because she is on medication, or because her multiples knee-surgeries that Britney is not Britney anymore, but it would be preferable not to have statements like this, it’s embarassing.
And I think it would be better for her to stay away from the spotlight.
Shit, who can sing and dance and put on a huge, physically demanding show simultaneously? I guess maybe some people can. But I’m not judging her for not being able. Hell, I don’t even like Britney Spears, but I do feel very, very sorry for her. She has my empathy.
“who can sing and dance and put on a huge, physically demanding show simultaneously”
To start, the hundreds of people that work on Broadway.
Yes, And all the great rock soul and Motown bands of the 60s-70s all live;
This is a stunning apology for mediocrity and fakery.
Name a great rock band of the 70s that lip synched Unheard of.
The apologies for this mediocre corporate made pop star are astonishing,
the real answer to ur last question: they want to see her fail…thats all
THIS!!!
So what if she’s not singing live? She’s not harming anybody. People should know better by now.
That excuse about her pregnancies is ridiculous (see:Pink and Madonna as already mentioned). I get it though, we are all supposed to keep pretending. Just keep pretending she’s still a legitimate performer and not a glorified aerobics instructor. Fine, carry on.
I don’t think this surprises anyone. I wish she could escape show business, live in obscurity in rural Louisiana and raise her kids. I suspect that would make her personally the happiest, but all the people riding on her meal ticket would have a hissy fit.
You’re assuming she really can raise her kids. I don’t believe she can. She loves them and likes to have them around, but I doubt she is up to real parenting due to her mental health problems. K-Fed and her dad are most likely doing the heavy lifting, parentally speaking. They are normal and capable, she is not. She’s lucky to have both of them. K-Fed gets a lot of undeserved flack – he has made it a priority to keep her in those boys’ lives when any judge would be happy to make him the full custodial parent because of her instability.
I would go too, after all it’s a good show with I guess super cool props and somewhat good songs/dancing. And even if she lip-sync, she’s Britney and well, (most) people love her.
What a specious argument, and so insulting to women – implying a fundamental frailty and lack of ability tied to gender. Blaming childbirth for her lack of talent is an argument guaranteed to fail for two reasons: first, plenty of talented women have managed to be successful after childbirth (Pink is the first who comes to mind); second, Britney was never talented to begin with.
Britney’s issues are more of the mental health variety, and not related to her gender. Her sadness, rather than the fact of her motherhood, emphasizes her artistic shortcomings.
Pregnancy is very different for different women. Some women find their bodies stronger and more resilient after pregnancy. Some women are never able to regain their pre-pregnancy physical abilities. I agree that the way that was worded wasn’t great, though.
Don’t forget she blew out her knee in the mid 2k’s. That effects dancing more than child birth.
What’s really wrong with Britney? The paragraph about Caesar’s insisting she remain in a conservatorship through her 2 year residency almost sounds like she’s being held hostage in the conservatorship which is still in existence to mainly insure that she will show up to perform. There’re rumors that the residency will be extended for another year due to it’s success thus far.
It was also reported that on the previous two world tours and X Factor that she had to remain in the conservatorship so she could be insured as well as for the deal to go through. Most mental problems don’t fully go away yet people are still able to thrive with meds, a physicians care, and a strong support system. Is Britney improving or not?
Nothing there mentions the current state of her mental health. Yes she has lost her spark. The rumored illness reported in the media are treatable illnesses but not curable. I assume she’s still on medications. Her dancing skills are better now than three years ago during the tour. My point is, if she’s medicated now and improving mentally then why is she still in a conservatorship after 6 years? Does her family not trust that she’ll keep taking meds if the conservatorship is lifted? Is it because of the custody visitation arrangement: that she stay in a conservatorship as long as her sons are minors for their safety while in their mothers care? What’s really going on with her?
It’s difficult to figure out since we do not know what is the problem with Britney’s mental condition as it stands today. She appears to be more lively performing at planet hollywood. Her interviews have improved too. If it’s not all about her mental state then it must be for the children’s benefit and, of course, to continue having her work to earn millions for herself not to mention the countless number of people on payroll.
Maybe her mental health and medication are her private business? It’s easy to say “she should be in control of her life” from the outside, because she’s not having daily breakdowns anymore. Maybe it’s a little harder to actually be her. Maybe she needs that help to keep her life from spinning out of control. Maybe it’s not as simple as “she’s improved, so she can run her own life.”
Britney’s mental health is indeed her private business but that doesn’t mean people won’t be curious about it. It doesn’t stop the media or anyone else from discussing it. She’s a public figure. People will discuss a celebrity’s private issues whether it’s our business or not. Half the time most discussions about public figures are about things that really isn’t nor should be the publics business. Most Conservatorships aren’t intended to last forever or even for as long as this one has been going on, especially for someone who was 26 years old when it began. Why can’t she ever run her own life again? If she can do so now or in a few years then why not? Why can’t there be modifications through the court if there’s has been a positive significant progress? Your maybe’s can be my maybe. Maybe Britney has improved. Maybe she has not. Maybe she is capable of living an independent life again. We are all outsiders looking in. When there is millions being made like in this case you can’t help but raise the question of maybe it’s not just her mental health that is now the most crucial reason why Britney’s still in the conservatorship. Not that that should no longer be a reason just that maybe it’s not the top reason anymore.
* I’m not saying it’s all about money. I don’t believe it’s just because of that. As I mentioned before maybe her children’s well being is apart of it too. There are a number of reasons, I think.
I found the bit about her conservatorship to be odd as well. I had thought before that the conservatorship was the result of a judge’s decision…not something that could be extended simply because a family member or employer “wanted” it. I thought that there had to be legitimate medical proof presented in court that showed it was in a person’s best interest to have major restrictions placed on them and their rights taken from them in order be safe.
I am disturbed by the idea that an employer could make a conservatorship a part of an employment agreement.
I think she wants to perform but doesn’t have the ability to do it all. I also think she has a lot of psychotropic drugs flowing through her veins and head. I watched her Vegas show on the web and she looks like a zombie flailing her arms around. Very slow on the moves, almost like her dancers kept the energy up for her. I think she wants to perform and I want her to be happy regardless of what she does. At least she’s not traveling constantly and may find some sense of stability where she is.
Yes, that’s my take almost exactly. I think that she needs daily help to keep functioning, and Jamie is much better at doing that without exploiting her than her mother was, for sure. He keeps all of her shit on lockdown and doesn’t publish memoirs about how hard it is to be her parent. He makes a decent salary, sure, but he’s doing real work and making a lot less than her agents and managers are. She wants to keep performing and making big money – she’s just not that good at it anymore.
Duh. If people want to waste their money on her “show” that’s their problem.
I get sad when I see her too. I think she’s over it. Sometimes when I see her, she looks a little like she might be on pills in my opinion :/ it’s just sad all around. Seems like she lacks confidence and doesn’t realize she has a say.
Snow isn’t an element.
I just came here to say that. Good god, Britney.
People buy tickets as an equivalent to a pity screw. Or for nostalgic reasons. Maybe even to see if she might whip out an umbrella and beat someone with it whilst simultaneously shaving her head!
Britney does 50 ninety-minute shows out of 365 days, and people on here are boo-hooing poor Bitney, she’s made to work LOL What a joke. Britney sitting in her house seven days a week would be bad for her. When is it wrong to work? She set it up just the way she wanted to. She still gets to perform, not be on the road, and gets to be home in bed at night with her kids after the show, tons of time off. She has stated she’s not ready to stop performing yet, but she didn’t want the stress of touring on the road and more nights a week performing. Smart girl.
Comparing her album to Beyonce’s latest drop was ludicrous. The hype of that alone the way it dropped out of the blue, with no warning, created this hype for Beyonce and a video for every song immediately. They should compare it to Beyonce’s 4, the album before, which people said flopped for a Beyonce album and was different than her usual album, like Britney’s album was. Britney’s album was slower and it was okay. But Britney still sold a lot more than Christina, whose last two albums bombed. And Christina had The Voice and her great voice as a platform. Britney for the number of albums she’s put out and for how long she’s been around still did okay, but not a huge success. If it had been another Circus it would have sold more because it was more dancey.
So stop crying for Britney. She’s got a cushy life, her mental health better, a cushy part-time job, and then most of the year off after that, and has her children and a boyfriend she really seems happy with. Britney is not a robot being used.
And Britney lip-syncs most of the concert. We all know that. Her dancing is better than the last tour and she does sing live a couple of times it seems.
But take Gaga. She say she never lip-syncs ever and how she’s a singer. She doesn’t count letting the backing track do a lot of the work technically lip-syncing or just not bothering to sing half the song and letting the backing track do it the same since she doesn’t hide it. Tell a rock singer that’s the same thing as singing the whole concert. Gaga sings a lot, but Gaga also in equal measure doesn’t sing predominantly, just under the backing track or not at all. I expected more from her. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great tour from the reviews, but people act like she is above other pop stars and sings most of the time. Not as much as you think full throttle, no assist.
Gaga last tour used a lot of backing tracks and used a backing track to do choruses instead of her. But she danced more last tour. This tour she does not dance much at all, a lot of hand gestures ala Britney Spears, and I have been stunned by how much she lets backing vocals do the heavy lifting by singing along but her voice is not the main voice, the tape is, and a lot of time she isn’t even singing at all and doesn’t try to hide it. It’s accepted. The backing track is and she yells out stuff. Watch her on Alejandro. She starts out singing, and from then on not really at all. Lazy. What’s her excuse? Certainly not dancing. Madonna, for all her faults, in the early days sang live save a couple of songs, and sang from the beginning of the song to the end except Vogue. You could see how different her voice was from show to show because of fatigue or vocal issues or if the background singers helped during heavy dance numbers, but Madonna danced.
Up close video of Alejandro 2014 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5eyK_hXuSw
I doubt it’s because anybody is money hungry. Conservatorships are closely monitored by the court and her dad’s salary is small compared to his other options. She wants to perform, she has always been that way. But she’s fragile and very likely the meds and/or the illness mean she isn’t the “old Britney”. This is occupational therapy for her. I’m sure the kids’ welfare is a big part of it also. K-Fed went for full custody before when he had to do so, although he kept the grandparents in the loop and allowed visitation (the judge didn’t) if one of them were present. Without her dad making sure she eats properly and takes her meds, my guess is that the judge (and her ex) will have to move to keep the kids safe. They did it before and they’ll do it again. Once the kids are 18, she’ll have other options but really the conservatorship is the best thing for her. It actually gives her freedom that she wouldn’t have otherwise. Her mental health issues are obviously extensive and not the kind of thing easily fixed with a prescription , so comparing her to a properly treated person with bipolar, for instance, is not relevant.
I have a very soft spot for Britney as well, but I resent her management putting her out there half-assing a performance, and not even that. If they’re going to charge people good money to see her then they need to bring her up to par. At this point it’s greed not need that has them keeping this farce going. They’re relying on people’s sympathy and nostalgia. Britney is not cut out for this large scale performances anymore.
I understand everyone’s issue with her lip syncing because she really should be fully singing at least the slow songs (Lucky, Perfume, Everytime) but if you watch videos from her show she is dancing much better than her last tour and she really seems to be having a genuinely great time on the stage. Being a Britney fan definitely comes with a fair share of haters to ward off, but she is a pro and 15 years later she is still one of the top selling artists in pop music. She may not have a Celine dion voice but she definitely has a voice. If you don’t like her than I suggest that you not spend your time talking about her
LOL I’m stunned, shocked, I say! Listen, did anybody ever pay attention to her early “work”? That was all studio-generated. She couldn’t reproduce most of what she sang live to save her life without an engineer and mixing studio implant.