Miley Cyrus had us pleading for more with her glamorous cover of Britney Spears' "Gimme More" during her Miley Cyrus Backyard Sessions special edition of MTV Unplugged on Friday (Oct. 16).
But Cyrus is hardly the first star to take on a classic by the princess of pop. Musicians from every genre and generation have put their spins on Spears' biggest hits, paying tribute to the timeless icon.
While there are truly countless covers to sort through, we at Billboard have compiled 11 of our favorites. See them below.
Miley Cyrus, "Gimme More"
Cyrus looked like 1980s superstar in a flowy zebra-print dress, matching gloves, big black-and-white sunglasses, gold accessories and, of course, her blonde mullet and a red lip. She performed a rocked-out rendition of Spears' 2007 hit "Gimme More" with her characteristic rasp and Southern twang.
Madonna, "Toxic"
While performing at the 2016 Art Basel in Miami Beach, the Material Girl honored her former "Me Against the Music" collaborator by performing a haunting rendition of "Toxic." Images of a "toxic" Donald Trump appeared on a large screen behind her during the song.
.@Madonna covering @britneyspears's Toxic during #ArtBasel @wmag #Madonna pic.twitter.com/ygan8hUqJS — Erik Maza (@erikmaza) December 3, 2016
Hozier, "Toxic"
As the coronavirus began to spread at a rapid rate, Hozier joined the lineup of superstars to participate in the Together, At Home: WHO-Global Citizen Solidarity Sessions in March 2020. Amid performances of his own songs, the Irish crooner snuck in his own, sultry version of "Toxic."
hozier cantando toxic. é isso, esse é o tweet. pic.twitter.com/LLmeffpuW0 — julia. (@artdemie) September 28, 2020
Selena Gomez, tour medley
Back in 2011, when Selena Gomez officially kicked off her We Own The Night tour in Boca Raton, Florida, the star weaved in a medley of Spears' biggest hits. She sang an assortment of her Disney idol's tracks, "Baby One More Time," "(You Drive Me) Crazy," I'm A Slave 4 U," "Oops! . . . I Did It Again," "Toxic" and "Hold It Against Me."
Meghan Trainor, "Lucky"
During Meghan Trainor's Billboard Live At-Home concert in April 2o2o, raising money for Feeding America, the singer performed "one of my favorite songs ever," Spears' 2000 track, "Lucky," with a calming, ukulele twist on the pop tune.
Kelly Clarkson, "Toxic"
For her popular talk show "Kellyoke" segment, Clarkson delivered a seductive rendition of "Toxic" in February 2020, complete with flashing green lights and the Idol alum's flawless vocal range.
Ed Sheeran, "...Baby One More Time"
As part of Spotify's Singles program in 2017, Sheeran performed a stripped-down cover of Spears' debut hit "...Baby One More Time." The "Shape Of You" singer gave the track a raw, emotive rework with only acoustic guitar strums as his backing.
Radio Disney Icon Awards Tribute
Spears received the first-ever Icon Award at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards, and to celebrate the pop star, recording artists Kelsea Ballerini, Hailee Steinfeld and Sofia Carson performed a medley of some of Spears’ biggest hits, including “Oops!...I Did It Again,” “Circus,” and “…Baby One More Time.”
Jamie Lynn Spears then joined the trio, surprising her sister and bringing tears to her eyes, with a rendition of “Till The World Ends.”
Taylor Swift, "Lucky"
A young, curly-haired Swift performed "Lucky" while on tour. The ode to young starlets was met with an arena full of fans singing the song in unison.
Melanie Martinez, "Toxic"
When Martinez auditioned for season three of The Voice, she chose a breathy, acoustic cover of "Toxic" as her audition song. Judges Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green all turned their chairs, and Martinez ended up choosing the Maroon 5 frontman as her coach.
