Mystified by Britney Spears performance?
Full disclosure: I’ve have never really had an opinion of Britney Spears one way or the other as a performer, so I may not be the best person to judge her “comeback”.
Last night, one of my friends came to my apartment with a video from a Britney Spears concert that she had gone to a couple weeks ago. She had been building up to it all day, about how incredible the performance was, especially Britney’s part in it etc., etc. I finally agreed to watch it, thinking that I’d just sit tight until it was over. As it turned out, when she played it I was surprised, but for all the wrong reasons. Unlike what I had heard in passing, this looked nothing like a “comeback”. I actually felt sick in my heart for Britney the entire time I watching it. While the set and the pyrotechnics were impressive, at the center of it all seemed to be a grown woman with the mind of a child (and again, not in a good way). Other than feeling sick, images from little girl beauty pageants kept coming into my head. The whole part of the concert that I watched looked to me like a shell-shocked five year old who had been dressed up like a hooker, walking across the stage (walking, not dancing) like there was a firing squad in the wings waiting to take her down if she made one wrong move. It made me profoundly uncomfortable, and not only was I surprised by my friend’s continued exclamations of how great Britney was dancing, etc., but that- when I actually googled later to see if anyone else had the same reaction- there seemed to be very little in the way of concert criticism or commentary that made the rather obvious observation that Britney is very much still sick, and has probably just been regimented out of her destructive behaviors, rather than having actually come to terms with them. Lots of comments on the pyrotechnics, some criticism of her lack of energy while dancing, but no concern for a woman who is obviously still falling apart, and being held together with very little glue.
I’m pretty sure I’m not making this up. Any one else have thoughts?
I guess they’re trying to make as much money from her at the moment before she turns 30, while they still can. I hope that she goes into retirement or semi-retirement after that, or changes career, and focuses on looking after herself and her two sons. If she makes enough now, she doesn’t have to work again, her future’s set up. But yes it is pretty bad because it’s pretty obvious that her heart’s not in it and she’s just going through the motions like a puppet. She doesn’t sing live and her dancing isn’t animated anymore.
I can tell you from personal experience that recovering from a breakdown and illness like Britney had takes a very long time and a lot of work.
I can see parallels with MJ. Britney’s just as pestered by tabloids. We all knew there was something wrong with MJ and wondered why he didn’t get help. And it’s all money and profits.
I’m a huge fan of Britney Spears, but I get what you’re saying. I think she still has a long way to go in terms of her recovery. When she had her breakdown, this is going to sound weird probably, but you could tell by her eyes that something was wrong with her. However, she really looks happier and quite a bit healthier now. I think her going back to “work” and performing again is actually good for her, because it is keeping her focused and reconnecting her with something that she really loves. She definitely shouldn’t be overworked or pushed too hard, but it’s better that she is actually doing something rather than just running around being crazy!
I went to her concert, and was actually impressed with how well she did. Granted she doesn’t perform like she used to, but she is putting a lot of effort and work into it. Plus, she is doing a lot better than she did during her VMA performance.
I think getting her focused on what is important to her: her kids and her career, is very much a part of her recovery process. Obviously, none of us know her so we have no idea how she is coping with everything, but I think she is doing a lot better than some may think; she has been through a lot, and she is a very strong woman.