When you think of Las Vegas nightlife for twentysomethings, you tend to think of Calvin Harris, Steve Aoki, and the other big-name EDM DJs that have taken over Sin City in recent years. Britney Spears has helped Las Vegas regain its old school approach in luring a major pop star to a long-term residency, and it has paid off massively for Planet Hollywood. Now it has other pop icons like Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez contemplating a similar move.
In an extensive story on Billboard, numbers from Spears' Planet Hollywood residency were revealed. The show has earned more than $42 million in total ticket sales, and four near-sellout nights around New Year's earned Spears nearly twice what she made for a sold out show at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on her 2011 Femme Fatale tour ($2.8 million in Vegas as opposed to $1.5 million in L.A.). These numbers have Caesars Entertainment (which owns Planet Hollywood) interested in renewing Spears' deal through 2017, with the pop star likely to earn a major raise.
Before the EDM craze, pop stars were taking to Las Vegas in the prime of their careers with regularity. Celine Dion opened the floodgates when she pulled in nearly $500 million in her first 10 years at Caesars Palace's Colosseum.
According to the Billboard story, Spears was inspired by Celine Dion's success in Las Vegas when she visited the show in 2003.
"I remember how beautiful it was — really cool, low-key — and her dressing room was great," Spears, said. "I was actually jealous, like, 'Oh, my gosh, she gets to be in one place all the time.' Everything clicked: To have your children and your family and that way of life, it just makes sense to have everything in one place."
Now it looks as though Spears could be the trail blazer for the return of pop stars to Sin City. Mariah Carey recently finalized a deal for her own residency at The Colosseum, set to begin May 6 (titled Mariah Carey #1's).
Spears has regained control of her personal life in recent years and now has primary custody of her two sons, who are eight and nine years old. She is also dating Charlie Ebersol, the son of Olympics producer Dick Ebersol. She is also slowly working on the follow-up album to 2013's Britney Jean.
"Slowly but surely," the pop star said when asked about an upcoming album. "There's a lot going on with my kids and schools and adding new sports," Spears said. "I'm going to try to do my best to do an amazing album. But it's not my full priority right now."
Jennifer Lopez is another pop singer rumored to be jumping into the Las Vegas residency mix. Though EDM has established a foothold in the region's nightlife, rumors of pop music's death in Sin City have been greatly exaggerated.
Check out the video below taken from Spears' Vegas Piece of Me residency.
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