Britney Spears' comeback performance at a Las Vegas awards show
was pummeled by critics on Monday, with US media lambasting her
lip-synced display as "lackluster, bumbling and underwhelming."
Troubled pop princess Spears had been hoping to use the MTV
Video Music Awards as a prime-time platform to showcase her new
single "Gimme More" from her first album in four years.
But Spears, who appeared on stage in high heels and a skimpy
outfit, singularly failed to wow critics with her much-hyped
performance.
Under a headline "Britney's Comeback Bust," People Magazine in
its online edition said Spears looked in need of more practice.
"Britney Spears kicked off Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards at
the Palms in Las Vegas with a bad costume and a lackluster
performance of her latest song "Gimme More," that could have used a
lot more rehearsal," People commented.
Hip-hop star Akon told People that Spears' had appeared
nervous.
"That could have been better," he said. "She needed to focus
more. She looked nervous and I think the pressure got to her."
Other reviews were less restrained.
In a withering put-down, the Los Angeles Times reviewer said
Spears "looked more like Edie Sedgwick in the post-lobotomy scenes
of the underground movie 'Ciao, Manhattan.'"
Under the headline "Britney's Bumbling Comeback," the paper's
online edition asked: "When will we be sick of watching this
spectacle?"
"Never more than a passable singer, Spears was once a shockingly
charismatic physical presence: she was youthful freedom
personified, her gorgeous form and defiant beauty absolutely
Nabokovian," the review said.
"But the fire has apparently gone out of her loins."
The Washington Post reviewer said simply: "Britney was
not ready for prime time," describing Spears as
"underwhelming."
"An out-of-shape Spears moved tentatively around the stage,
getting totally outgrooved by her backup dancers and badly
lip-syncing her way through the song whose main lyric was "Gimme,
gimme, gimme, gimme," the Post said.
Several critics took aim at Spears' raunchy attire. The
Boston Globe commented: "Clad in a black and silver glitter
bikini, Spears trudged through her paces as if she were at a dress
rehearsal as opposed to the actual show, teetering around on heels
that seemed to make her nervous."
Many reports gleefully reported the comments of comedian Sarah
Silverman, who savaged Spears on stage immediately after the
performance.
"She is amazing," Silverman said. "She is 25 years old and has
already accomplished everything she is going to accomplish in her
life."
(Agencies via CRI.cn?September 11, 2007)
