Britney Spears' Piece Of Me show at London's O2 Arena: A dazzling nostalgia-fest

‘WHO IS IT?’ 18,000 people screamed in unison at London’s O2 Arena. After a wide-eyed giggle and a dramatic drop of the stage lights, the announcement came: “It’s Britney, bitch.”

The trend for fans to cue up Britney for one of her biggest hits Gimme More began last month on the US leg of her Piece Of Me tour – an extension of her hugely successful Las Vegas show. For those unable to get to Sin City, it's the first chance many have had to see her live in over seven years. 

Britney’s four-year residency in Vegas – which ended in 2017 – was a gamble that paid off dividends. Once a career option for golden years-acts only, Britney led the charge of performers transforming the Vegas into a youth friendly zone; Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, and soon Lady Gaga are some of the latest acts to take up residency on the strip.

Britney Spears' Top 20 biggest singles on the Official UK Chart

So successful was Britney’s stint (it was voted Vegas’ favourite show at the time) that she’s taking it on a victory lap around the world, making some unexpected stops including Skanderborg in Denmark, Brighton Pride, Scarborough and Blackpool later this month. London’s O2 Arena is slightly more familiar territory; her last appearance here was 2011’s largely panned Femme Fatale tour. Prior to that, it was in 2009 for the slightly better received Circus show.  

Her live reputation may not be the strongest, but where Britney helped Vegas, so did Vegas help Britney. Her run there has been credited with helping her regain her confidence on stage, and it shows. Opener Work Bitch, now a cult favourite with fans for its ferociously camp delivery and motivational lyrics, embodies everything Britney is about: choreography, hair, body, and all the other kinds of bells and whistles that inspire you to be your authentically fierce self. The crowd go wild.

Audience banter is kept to a minimum. In fact, it’s a wonder when Britney finds a moment to pause for breath; the whistle-stop run through of her greatest hits packs in 26 songs - mostly the high energy ones including You Drive Me Crazy, Baby One More Time and Stronger – meaning her costume changes are timed to the millisecond. It’s thrilling to watch, but a brief pause for her 2004 chart-topper Everytime or singalong Lucky wouldn’t go amiss.

See where all of Britney Spears' singles and albums have charted in the UK

Newer songs Do You Wanna Come Over and Clumsy from her 2016 Glory album don’t command quite the same rapturous response, but there’s little to complain about here. Britney’s catalogue is robust, and there are hits to spare - nine Top 10 singles, two of which were Number 1s, don’t make an appearance. These are songs her audience - mostly the older end of the Millennial spectrum - lived with through their teenage years and know down to every last adlib. Nostalgia is powerful drug, and Britney’s fans are hooked.

Look back through all of Britney's single and album covers below: 

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Article image: Rex