Britney Spears' record label, SonyBMG's Jive, has announced that it will stand by the singer despite her recent troubles, a decision presumably taken because they're all such damn nice people and not because comeback single 'Gimme More' seems to be performing well, despite all the bad press and that notorious VMA performance. Or maybe both.
Label spokesman Allen Mayer, speaking to MTV.com, insinuated that the media might be partly to blame for her current problems, saying: "We're not pointing fingers - because the media and the paparazzi wouldn't exist if there weren't an appetite for it. But there's no question that when you have someone at this level of celebrity, they become like cartoons or soap-opera characters, and we forget that they're human beings. People say that's the trade you make, that you have to give up your privacy or the ability to lead a normal life, but sometimes you make that bargain before you realise what it entails and it's too late. Britney's a grown woman, and she makes her own choices, and we respect that. But she's been at a disadvantage [without a consistent team], and obviously that makes it harder to cope".
Despite the help Spears is now reportedly receiving in her personal life, she doesn't seem to need much assistance in the charts, having hit the Billboard digital number one this week with the aforementioned 'Gimme More', her first single for three years. This also led to her reaching number three in the overall chart, a position she might better with the physical release next week.