Former Pop Princess Britney Spears had a shot at regaining her tiara Sunday when she opened this year’s MTV Video Music Awards at the Las Vegas Palms Resort ‘ Casino.

Late last week, MTV confirmed that the bald-no-more Spears would open the show with her new single, “Gimme More.”

Spears’s surprisingly catchy single, produced by Timbaland protégé Nate “Danja” Hills, charted at #55 on Billboard’s Pop 100 after only three days of radio play. Britney’s future was looking familiarly bright-until her she went onstage.

Then tragedy struck: Cameras panned away from Britney to reveal an outfit comprised of a bra/panty combination adorned with jewels that appeared to have been applied with cell phone “Bling-On” from the local Vegas Walgreens by the tabloid superstar herself.

The less-than-flattering ensemble only became more unbearable as Britney began to sing and dance. And by sing and dance, I mean barely lip sync and walk around the stage awkwardly, looking none too pleased to even be back involved with the award show that helped skyrocket her to superstardom.

After a below-lackluster finale compliments of an editing mishap (seriously, did one of the groupies tack on the ending with Window’s Sound Recorder?) and Britney’s fumble as she walked offstage, I was left bewildered.

Where was my python-dancing, Madonna-kissing, black tie-stripping Britney that I grew to know and love as a prepubescent boy watching VMAs past? Did it really have to come to this, Britney?

After admiring far superior performances from the likes of Alicia Keys, Best New Artist winners Gym Class Heroes and a choreography-heavy collaboration by Rihanna and Chris Brown, I couldn’t deny the underlying truth of VMA host Sarah Silverman’s introduction.

“She is amazing,” Silverman said of Spears in her already widely quoted opening monologue. “She is 25 years old and she’s already accomplished everything she’s going to accomplish in her life.”