Okay, I know that Britney has been a mess ever since her divorce. I remember the collective sound of hope when she went on David Letterman with her cute bob and announced the split. And then she started hanging out with Paris Hilton, went to rehab, shaved her head, was called a habitual drug user, lost custody of her kids, and keeps hitting things with her car. Her extensions are a mess, she has no stylist or management, and even her mom quit talking to her for awhile.

But I’m still holding out hope for Britney. I think she’s probably a good person who got famous too young and doesn’t know how to handle it. Plus, her music makes me happy. Whenever I need motivation to work out, I can count her tunes to pump me up. So I’ve been waiting for a new album for ages. And now it’s here.

And you know what? It’s good. Her VMA performance was so lackluster that it totally overshadowed the catchy lead single “Gimme More.” But with the exception of the boring “Why Should I Be Sad” the whole album is upbeat and catchy. For me, the standout tracks are “Toy Soldier,” “Ooh Ooh Baby,” “Radar,” and “Hot as Ice.”

Also her hair looked pretty on Halloween (above), and she was wearing makeup, so maybe we’re on the way back to this Britney. Yay.