She was once the most powerful force in Pop music; the heir apparent to the Pop dynasty. It seemed that at the turn of the century, there was no bigger star than Britney Spears. From show-stopping performances to worldwide #1 successes, she exploded onto the charts, toppling the long held reign of more established artists. However, the ‘fire’ that once made Spears the most sought after entertainer of her time appears to have been lost.

After a string of well-publicised personal turmoils, the world was made privy to Spears’ now notorious meltdown. Yet, the singer managed to rebound from those upsets and regain public favour with multiple chart-topping hits and platinum albums. Nonetheless, Spears seems different; the ‘spark’ in her eye is gone; and her live performances depict an entertainer who is but a shell of her former self.

Her energetic choreography has been replaced with awkward stage presence, and lip-syncing has become the norm of her entire productions (although many would argue that she rarely sang live in her earlier career as well). Regardless of the position that her music is now arguably at its best, the energy that Spears exudes in the studio no longer translates on stage. In fact, some critics assert that it is this decline in potency that allowed Beyonce to rise to the helm of the Pop charts.

This begs the question: has Spears permanently lost the ‘glint’ in her eye? Or does she stand a chance of returning to fine form? In any case, with mounting competition from her younger contemporaries including Lady GaGa and Rihanna, many contend that unless she is able to recapture that ‘magic’, her days as the Princess of Pop are surely numbered.

Do you think that Spears has permanently lost her

edge?