SPEARS ALBUM TAKING BACKSEAT TO ACTING?

LATEST: BRITNEY SPEARS' comeback album is facing yet another setback - amid alleged concern from her record bosses the star is too busy with her acting career. Spears' manager Larry Rudolph confirmed the pop star has been hard at work recording a new album just earlier this week (16Jul08). In a statement accompanied by a set of photos of him and Spears leaving a recording studio, Rudolph claimed the pair were "very excited about what she's accomplished so far," adding "No album release date has been confirmed yet."

But according to reports, the Toxic hitmaker was set-up for the snaps that accompanied Rudolph's words, after her bosses at JIVE feared Spears wasn't taking her music comeback seriously. A source tells the New York Post, "Britney wants to focus on her TV and movie career right now. Jive and Larry are having trouble getting her to record, so they forced her hand with the statement and photo releases." Spears' last album, Blackout, was released in October (07).