Billboard Cover: Britney Spears on Why Her Vegas Residency ‘Clicked,’ Being Inspired by Celine Dion and a New Album Not Being a ‘Full Priority’

Andrew Hampp
·2 min read
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“The show is something everyone has embraced and considers one of the great milestones in Las Vegas,” says Jason Gastwirth, senior vp marketing and entertainment for Caesars. “She’s going to be associated with creating this next-generation type of show.”

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Indeed, Mariah Carey has announced plans for her own residency, Mariah Carey #1’s, to start May 6 at The Colosseum, and Jennifer Lopez is rumored to be next. “I’ve probably gotten calls from 10 major managers asking me advice on their artists,” says Rudolph. “People you wouldn’t believe, who right now are at the top of the charts, are poking around Las Vegas. But unless you have a deep catalog, where that 65-year-old couple can enjoy it as well as the millennial nightclub-goer, you can’t make it work. You’re playing to those people and super-fans at the same time. There are very few artists who have that ability to please both.”

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Meanwhile, Vegas has enabled another kind of comeback for Spears in her personal life. Having weathered public struggles and a string of breakups since her divorce from ex-husband Kevin Federline in 2006, Spears has regained primary custody of sons Jayden James, 8, and Sean Preston, 9, and recently found new romance with boyfriend Charlie Ebersol, 32, son of Olympics producer Dick Ebersol. “Our passion for life is on the same page,” says Spears of Ebersol.

It has been 16 years since “…Baby One More Time” hit No. 1 on the Hot 100. (Spears’ advice for her 17-year-old self? “Stay strong.”) The Vegas routine seems to suit her well. On show nights, she’ll spend an hour getting her hair and makeup done while rocking out to Taylor Swift‘s 1989 (“It’s so much fun — ‘Out of the Woods’ is a good one”) before heading downstairs for a prayer with her team. Afterward, she’ll do a meet-and-greet for 30 to 40 fans and any celebrities who might be in town; Lady Gaga dropped in last March, and Arnold Schwarzenegger visited during New Year’s. “That was kind of weird,” says Spears with a giggle.

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During the weeks she’s performing, Spears splits her time between Los Angeles and Vegas. Jayden and Sean come every other weekend, and Ebersol flies in regularly. Beyond Vegas, Spears is still working: on a lingerie line and “slowly but surely” recording her ninth album. But “there’s a lot going on with my kids and schools and adding new sports,” she says. “I’m going to try to do my best to do an amazing album. But it’s not my full priority right now.” With the residency powering her career, Spears can more easily afford to realign those priorities.

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