As I pointed out earlier, Britney’s performance on X-Factor was somewhat lacklustre. However this doesn’t seem to be the general trend. Have a look at her on France’s Star Academy. It’s amazing, she’s even got one of those balls they had on Gladiators and a top hat! The dancing’s better, the miming’s better, hell the whole performance is better. Star Academy really puts the X-Factor in the shade when it comes to production values.

What this video shows is the levels of promotion that Britney has done for her new album Circus: prime time performances in both the UK and France and probably in a 100 other countries. Understandably the album’s tipped for the number 1 spot this week in the UK and the US.

Britney’s been in the UK this weekend, performing Womanizer on X Factor on Saturday. The performance was pretty lacklustre as she mimed along and just went through the motions with the dance routine. It wasn’t as bad as her 2007 VMA performance where she was listlessly stomped round the stage, like a confused lion in a cage. Having someone of Britney’s calibre on ITV on a Saturday is astounding, so I can forgive the below-par performance.

If the songs on Circus are anywhere near the quality of Womanizer this album is sure to be of a high quality. The whole concept behind the album also seems to be highly polished with Britney playing the part of the circus ringleader with a top hat and hot pants. Hot pants aren’t the typical ringleader attire but it’s Britney so she’s allowed. Although Blackout, Britney’s last album was impressive all the drama that surrounded her at that time overshadowed it. Now she has cleaned up her act, all the focus is going to be on her as an arist not just as tabloid fodder.

Aptly titled Circus, is Britney’s sixth album after the much neglected Black Out which contained Piece of Me a complex post-modern pop song that unpicked the nature of modern celebrity in under 3 minutes. Interesting fact, Britney was offered the grossly successful Umbrella to sing before Rihanna. Rumour goes the production team rung her up and offered it to her but she was too drunk, high, whatever to return the call so they gave it to the tiny Barbadian. It probably wouldn’t have been such a hit with Britney’s slurred vocals and irregular dancing.

That rumour goes to show how far Britney has come in the last 2 years. She is once again releasing best-selling singles and pulling off amazingly choreographed dance routines. Remember the VMAs where she listlessly stomped around the stage to general dismay. Womanizer the standout track from Circus is like old Britney, the Britney from Toxic days. There is a similar synthy, dance-pop feeling to both songs, both videos even include naked Britneys. In Toxic her modesty covered (barely) by lots of diamantes, in Womanizer she is as bare as God intended rolling round a sauna.

1st of December is the day when Circus is released and teenage girls the world over can start practising their made-up dance routines and singing along to  the innapropriate adult-themed lyrics.