A Timeline Of Britney's Comeback

There has been a meme floating around for some time now that reads, "If Britney Spears Made It Through 2007, We Can Make It Through This Day." Though today the meme might seem a little melodramatic, it is worth recalling a time when things looked grim for the pop star. In 2007, Spears suffered a breakdown in the midst of professional and personal struggles, coupled by the unrelenting aggression toward her from the paparazzi. People loudly wondered whether she would ever be healthy again, much less reclaim her crown as a reigning pop princess.

Thankfully, we all know now that the answer to both questions is a resounding "yes." The bleak images of the singer shaving her entire head and attacking a paparazzo's car with an umbrella have finally begun to fade into the past. Now, if you hear about Spears, it's more likely to be about launching a new perfume or releasing a new hit single. Honestly, I think the most negative news I've heard about her lately is that she took a nasty fall while performing onstage (and honestly, that happens to everyone).

Of course, this did not happen overnight. Coming back from 2007 was an ongoing process for Spears, and it definitely took a few years before she seemed like she was back to her old self. She's shown a lot of strength and tenacity over the years, so for fans who want to reminisce and see exactly how far she's come, here is a timeline to appreciate Britney Spears coming back — and then some.

March 2008, How I Met Your Mother Appearance

Spears' comeback arguably began with a guest acting appearance on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. Though her role as a ditzy receptionist was a relatively small one, her appearance gave the sitcom its highest rating for an episode at the time.

July 2008, Winning Visitation Rights

After much deliberation in court, the pop star and ex-husband Kevin Federline finally reached a settlement in custody. Spears had lost all visitation rights to her kids back in January 2008 after being forcibly hospitalized. But, after proving herself to be regaining her health, she regained more visitation rights.

September-November 2008, "Womanizer" Single

The first single from Spears' then-upcoming album Circus debuted as number one on the Billboard charts in mid-September 2008, according to Rolling Stone. That year in November, the video was the most-watched clip on YouTube, with more than 16 million views. It's pretty safe to say that this was her comeback single.

December 2008, Circus

If "Womanizer" was her comeback single, Circus was definitely her comeback album, making it her fifth number one album on the Billboard charts.

Summer 2009, Circus Tour

An epic tour to round out an epic track list, Spears' tour was among the highest grossing tours that year.

June 2010, Candie's line

Though she was no stranger to appearing in fashion ads, Candie's included, this was the first time that she took part in actually designing the line. Of course, that would be a sign of other lines to come!

September 2010, Glee episode

The episode Britney/Brittany drew in quite the audience —13.5 million viewers to be exact. The episode viewership did better than both the Madonna and Lady Gaga centered episodes, which had been released prior to this one.

2011, Femme Fatale

Femme Fatale was yet another commercial success for Spears, tallying three top 10 singles from the album on the Billboard charts. Rolling Stone said it might be her best album. But she was far from done working (obviously).

December 2013, Residency In Vegas

Spears kicked off her Las Vegas two-year residency show, joining other legends who have done the same like Elton John and Celine Dion. Clearly, they don't ask just anybody to take this on!

September 2014, Lingerie Line

Spears launched The Intimate Britney Spears lingerie and swimwear line in London, much to the delight of her many fans.

2015

Who would have guessed that these would be some of the most recent snaps on Spears' Instagram account back in 2007? Probably no one, especially those in the paparazzi and tabloid industry. But though the odds were stacked against her, this small Insta montage is just a glimpse of how great her personal and professional life is now. By the way, her latest single "Pretty Girls" is the frontrunner for this year's song of the summer. As she would say, "It's Britney, bitch!"

Images: Getty Images (3)