Britney Responds to Australia Lip-Synch Controversy, Declares Tour For Fans Not Critics

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After a bout of negative reviews, Britney Spears has spoken out over the lip-synch controversy that ignited in Australia following her first two Circus tour concerts Down Under, the BBC reports. "I hear there is a lot of controversy in the media about my show," Spears said yesterday in a statement. "Some reporters have said they love it and some don't. I came to Australia for my fans."

Check out photos from Britney's Circus Tour here.

As Rolling Stone previously reported, the Aussie press claimed that concertgoers at Spears' first two Circus shows in Perth began vacating the venue only a few songs into Spears' set when it became apparent the singer was, in fact, miming her songs. Spears was also criticized for what reviewers deemed as a lack of engagement with the crowd, only once talking to the audience to tell them how beautiful Australia was. The controversy was amplified when the fair trade minister of New South Wales proposed marking Circus tour tickets with a disclaimer saying the show is mimed and pre-recorded.

Considering Spears' lip-synching has been widely reported since the Circus tour kicked off in New Orleans on March 3rd, it's surprising that Aussie fans expected the pop diva to sing. (Rolling Stone's review of her New York show also makes note of the lip-synching.) "It's been all over the Internet for nine months," said Spear's tour promotor, Paul Dainty. "This show is about an incredible spectacle, which it is."

After a four-day break that included a fun day of shopping — "Got a lot of my Christmas presents. Melbourne is beautiful," Spears tweeted Monday — this controversial Circus tour will resume tonight with the first of three concerts in Melbourne.

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