Britney Spears used to be the reigning pop princess. And after a few years of personal tabloid hell, she's now working on getting her music career back on track.
Was last night's 15-minute, five-song set in San Diego the way to jump-start this comeback queen's return? I decided to talk to some experts to get their take.
"A surprise club gig can be a great way to reintroduce an artist, a great tease leaving them wanting more," says Chuck Arnold, People magazine's music critic. "It's a low-pressure environment to work the rust out."
It wasn't the gig last night that was the surprise, many industry folks observe; the surprise was how short the show was, how she didn't perform any new material and how it appeared to feature more lip-synching than actual singing.
"It's no secret that Britney has always lip-synched, to some degree," Arnold says. "But on the comeback trail, now's the time to prove herself as a real artist who doesn't need to do that."
Spears' rep did not comment on the lip-synching speculation.
Ivan Kane, owner of Forty Deuce nightclub in Hollywood, was surprised to hear that Spears may have lip-synched. As I was the first to report on Friday, Spears had intended to kick off her return with a performance last Thursday at Forty Deuce.
After rehearsing her set twice, Spears pulled out just hours before she was to hit the stage because, according to Kane, she said she didn't feel prepared.
Kane says she sang live when she rehearsed. "I actually thought she was prepared," Kane says. "I was pleasantly surprised. She was all business. She looked good. Her sweats were riding low and she tied her T-shirt really tight under her chest."
Los Angeles Times pop critic Ann Powers says she's "rooting" for Spears' triumphant return but is skeptical if singing should be the way to go. "I think she's a talented entertainer in a style that doesn't emphasize singing," Powers says.
Powers also notes that Spears has tougher competition these days compared to when she first became a superstar. "I would be very surprised if suddenly she emerged as the next Kelly Clarkson," she says. "She is never going to have that kind of voice...I would invest in a vocal coach if I were her."
Robin Antin, creator of the Pussycat Dolls burlesque dance troupe empire, was blown away by Spears' striptease-like dancing in San Diego. "I got chills watching it," Antin says. "She's ready. She's worked so hard. Her body looked gorgeous. I literally got chills."
Mickey Rapkin, a senior editor at GQ who writes often on pop culture and celebrities (including a piece about Kevin Federline when he was still Mr. Britney Spears), thinks Spears can be on top again.
"Charlie Sheen is the top-paid sitcom star," Rapkin says. "America loves a comeback."
