Britney Cracks Whip in Circus

And at least one writer is overjoyed

(NEWSER) - Just admit it: You’re thrilled the King of Pop is touring again—if not, Dan Abramson thinks you should be, and cops to his own unbridled excitement in the Huffington Post. So Michael Jackson is a weirdo—who cares? The man regularly causes people to pass out: “MJ could just walk backwards and people would go down.” More»

Crazy costumes, not-so-crazy backstage behavior, and more

(NEWSER) - Britney Spears’ new show may be a circus, but it isn’t exactly family-friendly—Kevin Federline wouldn’t allow the couple’s kids to watch, deeming it too raunchy. More behind-the-scenes tidbits from the Mirror:

• The pop star is remarkably un-diva-like, making no special backstage demands and sticking to the normal catered menu. Before the big show, she just slept in and ate a big breakfast.

The pop starlet needs to wise up and offer some introspection

(NEWSER) - Britney Spears, and of course her handlers, seem to think she’s ready for a full-on comeback—and judging by the success of new single "Hold It Against Me," she's giving it a good go. But is a Britney comeback possible in the new world of pop, where Ke$ha (who can certainly “offer a few dance hooks in a girl-gone-wild package”) and Lady Gaga (who “has almost single-handedly reinvented the blonde dance beast aesthetic”) have swept in and taken over the spot once held by Brit, wonders Mary Elizabeth Williams on Salon . More»

The former diva really needs some help

(NEWSER) - Whitney Houston’s comeback tour is a disaster. Her voice is giving out (she blames a bad air conditioning unit), and critics say she’s not even close to regaining her former glory. How can she step it up? Ami Angelowicz offers a 10-step plan, on The Frisky :

• Hire Justin Bieber as the opening act: This one is just plain self-explanatory.
• Utilize costumes, props, and stunts: Perhaps she should try “dropping down from the ceiling in a hot air balloon. Anything to distract from her piss poor vocals.”

Heart attack likely fells singer of Box Tops, Big Star

(NEWSER) - Alex Chilton, the singer and guitarist known for his vocals on the Box Tops’ 1967 hit The Letter and a cult favorite to many of the past two decades' musicians, died today at 59. A heart attack is believed to the culprit, the Commercial Appeal of Chilton’s native Memphis reports; he had complained earlier today of heart issues in New Orleans, where he’d moved. More»