Barry Manilow may be known as a crooner and a soft rocker, but the singer-songwriter has always had an edge about him. His fans certainly know this about the man who once opined that he may live in laid-back Los Angeles but he is an energetic New Yorker at heart. That fiery nature has not cooled since he took up residency selling Barry Manilow tickets at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.

Recently he began the media roundup for his latest album, 15 Minutes. The album is his first last year’s pair of compilation albums and his first new material in a decade. He departs from his piano bench and takes on guitar-based rock and roll, lamenting about the price of fame.

He and lyricist Enoch Anderson became pre-occupied with the troubles of Britney Spears and her complete lack of privacy.

"There was no Internet back then, and the paparazzi, there was kind of a line that they didn’t cross. . . . Now, the line is absolutely broken," Manilow said.

For 15 Minutes he tells the story of a young man with aspirations to become a guitar rock god. He also found inspiration after working as a mentor on American Idol, noting just how the performers went from struggling, sympathetic singers to stars decked out in the latest fashion and makeup in a matter of weeks.

Manilow has not lost all confidence in this next generation of pop stars. He has admitted to being a fan of Lady Gaga, telling Access Hollywood Live “she is the real deal”. Barry claims to have been a fan since she first emerged, impressed by her showmanship and her ability to brings things down, sit down at the piano, and truly sing.