2007 MTV Video Music Awards - Britney Spears' Performance

Britney Spears' Performance

Britney Spears opened the 2007 VMAs with a performance of her new single, "Gimme More". The performance had been highly hyped and anticipated by MTV, various other media outlets, by music critics and many millions of fans and the World in general as Spears' comeback performance, as this was Spears' first performance since The Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004 in support of her fourth album In the Zone. Spears' growing media frenzy, obsession, scrutiny, attention and speculation caused wild antics in the past four years, it put the 2007 VMA performance a comeback performance.

Spears mimed to her song while wearing a revealing sequined outfit. Her male dancers were dressed in black suits with white dress shirts and the female dancers all wore black latex leggings. The performance was met with derision and disappointment by fans and critics alike. A media critic noted that Spears seemed confused and disoriented on stage and appeared to have forgotten the lyrics and dance moves to her performance. Despite the performance, the song became one of the biggest hits of Spears' career along with "...Baby One More Time" (1999), "Oops!...I Did It Again" (2000) and Toxic (2004). The performance increased the media frenzy surrounding Spears. In the months following the performance, Spears would go through a very public meltdown.

Although previously reported, illusionist Criss Angel did not play any part in the performance. Britney Spears fan Chris Crocker released a video entitled "Leave Britney Alone!" on YouTube shortly after the event criticizing those who disregarded her performance and asking viewers to treat Spears with some respect. The video would become a hit on the internet.