Britney celebrates 27th birthday with circus (+pics)

Reuters

CIRCUS ACT: Singer Britney Spears performs on ABC's Good Morning America in New York.

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CLOSE CONTACT: Singer Britney Spears performs on ABC's 'Good Morning America' in New York.

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WANTS MUMMY: Jayden James Federline cries before his mother, Britney Spears, performs on ABC's Good Morning America in New York.

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BIRTHDAY GIRL: Singer Britney Spears receives a birthday cake after performing on ABC's Good Morning America in New York.

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HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS: Singer Britney Spears performs on ABC's Good Morning America in New York.

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Britney Spears starred in her own Circus as she performed songs from her new album, unveiled plans for a 2009 tour and celebrated her 27th birthday on breakfast TV.

Spears performed new songs under the Big Apple Circus tent in Manhattan for ABC breakfast show Good Morning America and announced plans for a 26-city North American tour, starting in New Orleans on March 3, and two concerts in London in June.

The pop star is attempting a comeback from a high-profile meltdown, which included stints in rehab and psychiatric hospital units, an ugly divorce, losing custody of her two sons and shaving her head.

"Old Britney I think is back," said Jamal Alexander, 24, from Brooklyn, who couldn't get inside the circus tent and stood outside to hear Spears perform.

"This seems more real, more put together. She has the right people behind her now."

Since early this year, Spears' father, Jamie, has taken over management of her affairs and helped get her life back on track.

She has made guest appearances on the US television series How I Met Your Mother and regained custody of her sons Sean Preston, 3, and Jayden, 2, for three days a week.

"I have never stopped loving her," said Kate Trunkwalter, 23, a bartender who traveled from Atlantic City, New Jersey, even though she didn't have a ticket for the show.

"I always stood up for her when she was going through her rough times."

Womanizer, the first single from Circus, hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart in October.

The album - from Jive Records which is part of by Sony Music Entertainment Inc, a unit of Sony Corp - marks the followup to 2007's Blackout.

That was also billed as a comeback but failed to return Spears to the commercial heyday she enjoyed at the turn of the century.

"I know she's back, I'm really excited for her," said Giovanna Arredondo, 25, who lives in the Dominican Republic.

- Reuters