One more time
Britney Spears is coming to Mohegan Sun Sunday, and that’s pretty big news, at least for a millennial such as myself. She is the pop star who defined much of my, and my contemporaries’, childhoods and one who we’ve been keeping up with since. Through her rise to fame and her highly publicized 2007 downfall, we’ve really seen it all. That photo, for example, of Britney clutching an umbrella with a look of manic rage on her face, has left a permanent imprint on my mind, as have the many efforts to shed her good-girl persona (think: a sweaty “Slave For You” music video; kissing Madonna during the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards; strutting onstage with an albino python). But even through all that, many fans are fiercely loyal to the pop megastar as evidenced by her sold-out concert at Mohegan Sun this weekend.
The singer will be performing her “Britney: Piece of Me” show Sunday — the same performance featured as part of her residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas over the last couple years. I’m fully expecting lavish costumes (with lots of skin and sparkles), elaborate sets, special effects including pyrotechnics and confetti, and, of course, a corps of incredibly fit dancers.
The real question will be if Britney’s voice will hold up, or if she will actually sing rather than rely on a backtrack recording. But even if she doesn’t utter or sing a single word, I could also imagine that such details won’t really matter to fans who will be more than delighted just to see her live. Tracks to look forward to include “Womanizer,” “Give Me More” and “Boys,” as well as all the major hits (“I’m a Slave For You,” “...Baby One More Time,” and “Oops! ... I Did It Again”).