Has Britney Gone Off The Rails?

Britney’s comeback started oh-so-promisingly. And it was all the more sweeter because it was unexpected. The mother of two looked back to her best during a surprise appearance on The Letterman Show late last year, sporting a cute short bob and understated black dress. Just when we were wondering if it was too much to hope for a Britney comeback, she exceeded our expectations by filing for divorce the next day and finally relegating K-Fed to his rightful position as Fed-Ex. We don’t think we're over-stating the fact to say that pop fans the world over rejoiced – Britney was back!

But, alas, in just over a week, the Britney we love to hate had returned – the seriously dodgy hair extensions, skimpy outfits and smeared make-up, thanks largely to a strange new friendship with the trashiest girl in town, Paris Hilton. The only thing missing was that other trashy party girl, Lindsay Lohan. Oh, check – Lindsay and Paris may be feuding, but they didn’t let that get in the way of a perfect paparazzi opportunity, as Li-Lo joined the girls for a night out in West Hollywood.

But all is not lost. We hope and pray that this is just a temporary glitch (albeit quite a long, knicker-flashing glitch) in Britney's plans to reclaim her pop throne. After all, the girl deserves to let loose after carrying the dead weight of K-Fed for so long. As long as you stop hanging out with heir-heads and keep your knickers on, we’ll forgive you, Britney! Check out the gallery below for evidence of the singer's descent from It Girl to Shop Girl...