There really is no one else like Britney Spears (aka Britney, Bitch aka The Legendary Miss Britney Spears). She’s been it all: a teenage sensation, a pop princess, a paparazzi-bashing pariah and eventually a highly entertaining person who we all seem to love no matter what. That’s why every time she’s about to release something fresh, we cross our fingers that it will actually sound fresh and remind us why this woman is such a vital part of pop culture. Her newest album Glory drops on August 26, but for now let’s take a look of some glorious moments from her past.

“…Baby One More Time”

In a pop world you have to start with a bang, and Britney owned her debut like a pro. The 17-year-old played a bored high school student who couldn’t wait to get out of class and dance in the high school hall to get the attention of her “baby.” It was both provocative (that tiny uniform skirt she rocked got parents understandably concerned) and entertaining — nothings beats a group dance in the gymnasium under strobe lights. 

VMA 2001

Yes, the one with the snake. By 2001 everyone knew Britney took her VMA performances very seriously, whether she was ripping off tuxedos or wearing exotic snakes as accessories. Stomping to the stage in a revealing jungle-inspired outfit; riding dancers dressed as animals and strutting with a show-stealing boa on her neck, Britney was ready to make the audience her slaves to the sounds of the steamy and creatively spelled “I’m a Slave 4 U.”

“Everytime”

Sure, we all love Britney for her bangers, but let’s not forget the moment she turned off the fog machine, let her dancing squad take five and bared her aching soul in her most remarkable ballad “Everytime,” which everyone to this date assumes is about her failed romance with Justin Timberlake.

Surprisingly touching, introspective and mature, the song ranks among Spears’ best songwriting material while the music video was her darkest yet. Gone are the days of carefree synchronized dance moves — fame and heartbreak were literally killing her. How did the world fail to see this as a prophecy of dark times to come?

Triple Kiss

As we mentioned above, Britney knows how to turn her VMA stunt into a proper scandal. Her triple kiss with Madonna and Christina Aguilera took media by storm although we still consider the whole ordeal to be pretty tame given Madonna’s raunchy past and Aguilera’s dirrrty attitude back in those days. Also the cutaway to Justin's stoic face? Brilliant editing!

The Onyx Tour

By 2004 it was official: Britney The Virgin was gone and Sexney was in. The Onyx Hotel Tour may have been cut shorter than expected due to Britney’s on-set trauma and surgery, but we still got a Showtime special of Miami’s concert, which showed singer in top shape. Standout part? The “Touch of My Hand”/“Breath On Me” boiling hot combo, which basically saw Britney adapting Kama Sutra on stage.

“Womanizer”

Can you believe that it’s been almost a decade since Britney’s notorious breakdown, head-shaving and criminal underperforming of her rather brilliant Blackout record?! It took Britney a while to get back in shape, but when she finally did, the world was more than ready. “Womanizer” served as the first taste of her sixth album Circus and reminded us why we still cared about the pop diva. She was dancing; she was playful, and most importantly, it looked like she was genuinely having fun.

'Off The Record' Documentary

The unspoken rule of celebrity culture is you can’t have a dark period and not talk about it. Britney eventually decided to answer the world's burning questions to a film crew in 2008’s MTV-produced Off The Record documentary. Some moments of it are still hard to watch as Britney does really bare her fame-tortured soul and shows that there’s not much joy behind being constantly followed by the paparazzi and having zero control of your own life. “It's better not to feel anything at all and have hope than to feel the other way” may be the eeriest thing we’ve ever heard any popstar say. And judging by her later public appearances, Britney fully adopted this emotionless robotic attitude.

Billboard Music Awards 2016

Britney’s live performances in the last several years were a far cry from her glory days. It all seemed too half-hearted and monotonic. That’s why everyone was surprised by how good Brit actually was during her epic medley at 2016’s Billboard Music Awards. The winks, the hairflips, the moves, the energy — it was all back and made us extra excited for things to come from Britney’s camp this year. Do not let us down, Brit — we're all rooting for you!