text: On this day today, 37 years ago, pop music was invented—okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but it was the day Britney Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi. Since then, the Queen of Pop has graced the world with music gold: She’s brought us iconic music videos, stellar live performances, and record-breaking albums that have shaped and changed the pop scene today, not to mention influenced all of the artists who have followed in her shoes. These days, she’s also prepping a new residency, opening in Vegas come 2019.
  
  In honor of her birthday, why not allow yourself to get lost in some of her most magic moments? Below, a deep dive into six of her stellar performances.
  
  6. “Work Bitch” — 2018
  
  Let’s be real: 2018 was just not a fabulous year. With Trump’s escapades, a global environmental crisis looming, and the loss of icons such as Aretha Franklin, I imagine many of us are ready to “Thank U, Next” this whole year. But it did start out on the right note: Spears performed her hit “Work Bitch” on the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special, where she ushered us into 2018 on a more uplifting, upbeat note. Her hair and makeup? Snatched. The choreo? Even more snatched. Perhaps she was even warning us about the year ahead: She was telling us, through song, that we’d really have to put the effort in to stay emotionally afloat in these trying times. We love a considerate pop star.
  
  5. “Gimme More” — 2007
  
  Okay, hear me out. What is now Spears’s most controversial performance ever—her “Gimme More” performance at the 2007 VMAs—is undeniably iconic. (Remember: The critical consensus was largely that it would end her career.) Yet, consider this: What other pop star can give 10 percent on stage, only to return the following year to collect three major awards? Yeah, not many. And furthermore, do you even remember anyone else who performed at the show that year? Exactly. She created a memorable moment—what good pop stars should do, good or bad. (Bonus points: Please watch her rehearsing for this performance, in which she refuses to remove her sunglasses and large-brimmed panama hat.) Also: This single is from Blackout, which is her best album ever.