There can be no dispute as to who is the queen of pop. Who cares if she’s not cool, pioneering or edgy: she’s Britney, radiant and psychotic. So to build on 2004’s Greatest Hits: My Prerogative, the addition of sexually confident new release ‘3’ would suffice. But the difference between these two offerings is the addition of some of the newer songs, released in the midst of failed marriages, wanton car vandalism and shaven heads. What sets Britney apart from other pop princesses like Kylie is her songwriters’ willingness to incorporate genuine aspects of her life into her material to reflect her variable states of mind, here clearly showing Spears’ journey from clean cut pop princess, to sexual liberation, temporary insanity and finally the strong and empowered woman we know today. The tracklisting reveals just how many successful hits Spears has had, and this singles collection serves to remind us why Britney, for the time being, will not lose her crown.

Izzy Finbow