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10 Ways Britney Spears Has Silenced Her Haters Since the 2007 VMAs

Like fine wine, Britney only got better with time.

Britney Jean Spears, lover of all things "really cool," the OG Princess of Pop, snake whisperer extraordinaire, Instagram's greatest religious scholar, inventor of dance, queen of the comeback, performed at the 2007 VMAs ten (TEN!!!) years ago today. In case you've been living under a rock for the past ten years (or maybe you weren't born? That's the only valid excuse here) 2007 wasn't the best year for Britney. She suffered a very public melt down as the public devoured article after article about the demise of the pop princess. I don't want to go into it here, but the VMAs were a big deal for Brit. She was trying to prove to everyone that she could make a comeback after a divorce and stint in rehab.

When she hit the stage at the 2007 VMAs, she wasn't the Britney that everyone knew and loved. Her performance was eclipsed by her breakdown, and her fans were worried about her. But now, ten years later, she's better than ever. If you had asked high school me if I thought Britney Spears would be headlining a residency in Vegas, touring, and generally kicking some serious ass, it would've been a big "No." But Brit Brit proved me, and all of her haters wrong. And she's been silencing the haters ever since.

This is me, crying at my desk because I am so proud of her:

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All I've got to say is:

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Check out this vintage video where Britney talks about how she didn't know she'd become such a legend.