I have a serious, serious newsflash for you. This is definitely breaking news, and I, JayBird, have the scoop. That’s right, the credit is all mine. Have you braced yourself? Excellent. Here it is: Britney Spears. May. Lip-synch. I hope that information resulted in a dramatic tumbling from your chair. Who’s my source? The Minister for Fair Trading for New South Wales in Australia. She made the announcement today that Britney Spears may (will) lip-synch parts of her concert there. And she wants to warn fellow Australians, lest they be deceived.

Britney Spears just arrived in Australia on Thursday, but already she’s the subject of government scrutiny – over whether concertgoers realize she’ll be lip-synching portions of her concerts.

Virginia Judge, the Minister for Fair Trading for New South Wales (the Australian state that includes Sydney), said she is considering options to make sure fans aren’t misled when buying tickets to Britney’s Circus tour concerts. Some seats are going for more than $1,300.

“It is Britney’s ‘prerogative’ to lip-sync, and it is my job to make sure consumers know what they are paying for up front,” Judge said in a statement released by the government.

One idea is to require disclaimers on promotional materials and tickets indicating that portions of a show will be pre-recorded.

It’s no secret that many artists, including Spears, lip-sync at times during their elaborate stage shows. And this Australian initiative may not have much effect on interest in Spears tickets, given that many of the shows Down Under are already sold out.
“Personally I would rather see a live set from a local artist,” Judge said, “but I am sure Britney’s fans will be treated to a spectacular show.”

[From People]

Yeah I would definitely feel deceived if I went to a Britney Spears concert where she’s dangling off wires from the rafters while dancing and she were NOT singing live – and perfectly on pitch. I think most people understand that pop stars that put on an athletic performance aren’t singing most of the time. Or at least they have very powerful backtracks. Really, if you’re into Britney Spears, it’s not because of her incredible vocal ability. Unless you think a synthesizer and Auto-Tune are her natural voice. You’re going to her concert because she’s famous and controversial, and because she’s a good performer. I don’t think anyone ever accused her of being a great singer.

But thank you, Virginia Judge. You’ve ruined the façade for me. And to think, you’re not even a Britney fan.

Here’s Britney in Perth, Australia today. Images thanks to INF Photo.