Pop hails 'the resurrection of Britney Spears' as she stages MTV comeback

Published on Monday 8 September 2008 22:17

AFTER a tumultuous year in which she was admitted to a psychiatric unit and lost custody of her children, Britney Spears has staged her greatest performance yet – appearing before the world looking healthy and composed.

The troubled pop singer dominated the 25th MTV Video Music Awards in Hollywood, winning awards for all three categories in which she was nominated.

The ceremony's host, comedian Russell Brand, declared the evening "the resurrection of Britney". The 26-year-old took home awards for best video, best pop video, and best female, all for her single, Piece Of Me.

Her haul of statuettes was not the defining moment of the evening – that was reserved for her ability to endure the ceremony without incident or embarrassment.

Only a year ago at the same awards, a dishevelled Spears delivered a universally mocked performance, lip-synching out of time and forgetting her dance steps to her single, Gimme More.

That precipitated a tough time for the singer, which saw her shave her head for the paparazzi, find herself admitted to a hospital psychiatric award, and lose custody of her two sons.

Spears received a standing ovation from the crowd as her best-known song, Baby One More Time, blasted through the auditorium's PA.

Her understated role at the ceremony, much hyped by MTV president, Van Toffler, as "fun and unexpected", was little more than a personal appearance.

Delivering a 20-second long introduction to the evening's opening song, her only performance of sorts came in a pre-recorded segment with actor, Jonah Hill.

When receiving her Moonman awards – the first MTV video music awards of her decade-long career, despite the fact she and the channel enjoying a mutually beneficial relationship – the star gave concise and humble speeches.

She thanked God "first and foremost for just blessing me like this," before paying tribute to "my beautiful family, my two beautiful boys, for just inspiring me every day and my fans, this is for you. Thank you so much."

Brand, hosting the event, said afterwards the show witnessed the "launch of a very new Britney Spears era."

He added: "Consider this the resurrection of Britney Spears. If there was a female Christ, it's Britney."

Since her high-profile meltdown, a court in the United States awarded the singer's father, Jamie, control of his daughter's life.

In recent months, Spears has avoided the glare of the media, instead spending time with her parents, working with exercise and nutrition coaches, and planning a comeback album.