After all the hype and lip-syncing controversy, Britney Spears finally performed her first show in Sydney last night. And although she was welcomed by a huge crowd with thunderous applause and cheers, it seemed the pop star didn’t exactly blow them away.
Yes, she looked amazing. Yes, there were all the elements a theatrical stage show should have. And yes, it was clear the crowd did love certain parts of the show, but it felt as though fans were left wanting something they didn’t get.
Apart from the very obvious fact that Britney was lip-syncing, she didn’t dance a great deal. In fact, she seemed to be out-danced by her back-up dancers.
The high-energy show included Britney (who looked stunning in an array of circus-themed outfits) dancing to a certain degree, but she mainly strutted in super-high heels from one end of the stage to the other.
The hard rap Britney’s receiving since hitting the stage in Australia is due to the fact she is following two big acts, Pink and Beyoncé, who did not disappoint with their long-running performances and tear-jerking moments.
It’s hard not to compare Britney’s performance to previous divas and pop stars who have performed here, especially when they seemed to have so much to offer and her performance was, in parts, a little lacking.
And the main element that was missing was a connection with the audience.
The pop princess greeted the crowd once after she had performed four songs, asking, “What’s up Sydney, how are you all feeling tonight?” and later thanked the crowd just before she ran off the side of the stage surrounded by security guards.
Fans stayed seated after she disappeared in the hope of an encore performance, but were left disappointed when the lights came on about five minutes later.
But it seems that no matter what is said about Britney’s show, her fans are willing to see it for themselves. It was hard to spot an empty seat at last night’s show and it seems this will be the case for her other Sydney performances as she is set to perform in front of more than 67,000 fans.
At the end of the day, if you’re a Britney fan you will like the show, because it’s Britney Spears, the pop princess, who is so fun to watch but not so fun to see perform.