Backstage Pass

Britney Spears and David Cook staked their claim on increasingly scarce fourth-quarter release dates yesterday, with Spears picking out her birthday, Dec. 2, for her album "Circus." The first single "Womanizer" hits radio Monday.

Cook, the current "American Idol," will release his major-label debut Nov. 18 on 19/RCA, with hit-maker Rob Cavallo as the producer. Cook's single, "Time of My Life," has proven surprisingly durable, climbing to No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart this week, after being linked to the Olympics and showing up on "Oprah" last week.

However, Cook will have to battle Beyonce on Nov. 18, when she releases her still-untitled album, which includes a collaboration with Justin Timberlake and features only songs that she co-wrote and co-produced. The first singles, "Single Ladies" and "If I Were a Boy," hit radio Oct. 7.

And will there be another Kanye West vs. 50 Cent battle? Well, at the moment, 50 Cent's new album "Before I Self Destruct" is due Dec. 9 and West's "808s & Heartbreak" arrives Dec. 16, but you never know.

PHOTO: Victorious Britney Spears at the VMAs. MTV Photo.