With her life seemingly on the up-and-up these days, Britney Spears is well on her way to reclaiming her throne as the queen of pop — and Tuesday night's Glee tribute to the star certainly helped boost her standing. Fox's sing-along hit devoted nearly an hour of airtime to Spears this week, covering some of her greatest hits and even featuring several cameos of the singer, who popped up in several nitrous oxide-induced visions. Here's a look back at Glee's Britney-inspired performances.
"I'm a Slave 4 U"
When cheerleader Brittany (Heather Morris) paid a visit to the dentist (guest star John Stamos), she was treated to a laughing gas-fueled fantasy that placed her front and center in "I'm a Slave 4 U." In her first solo performance on "Glee," Morris channeled the original Ms. Spears and donned some of the pop star's most memorable looks from the late '90s and early '00s, including a nude body stocking, a red leather catsuit, and a belly-bearing green bandeau — white python and all — for a truly memorable tribute.
"Me Against the Music"
Given how much fun she had in the dentist's chair the first time, Brittany returned with her BFF, fellow Cheerio cheerleader Santana (Naya Rivera). This time, they went under together and dreamed up a song and dance session inspired by the Spears-Madonna duet "Me Against the Music" (brunette Santana took Madonna's part). Best of all, the video showcased an all-too-brief cameo by the original Ms. Spears, fresh breath and all.
"Baby One More Time"
While Broadway wannabe Rachel (Lea Michele) isn't all that naive, she's probably the most innocent in show creator Ryan Murphy's glee club. And so she's a natural to perform Spears' first hit single, "Baby One More Time." In a frame-by-frame re-creation of the music video, Rachel channels her inner schoolgirl — flouncy plaid skirt and all — as she discovers that she can, indeed, be as sexy as the school's Cheerios.
"Stronger"
After brief cameos in "Me Against the Music" and "Baby One More Time," the real-life Spears popped up again later in the show, this time wearing a Cheerios uniform as the junk food junkie talked ranch dressing with the cheerleaders. It's a segue for wheelchair-bound Artie to launch into a footballer's version of the 2000 hit "Stronger."
"Toxic"
For this week's group number, the New Directions glee club came together at McKinley High's homecoming assembly, where they put on a frenzy-inducing performance of 2004's "Toxic." Horrified by the titillating performance, however, tracksuit-loving Cheerios coach put an end to things by pulling the fire drill. So much for bringing Britney to the classroom.
Pick your favorite: Which Britney number topped your chart this week?