Get Ready To Ring In The New Year With Britney Spears

For the first time in about 15 years, pop legend and impromptu Instagram fashion show star Britney Spears will be on Dick Clark’s New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest. ABC announced on Thursday that part of the “Oops! …I Did It Again” chanteuse’s Las Vegas show will be televised during the stalwart New Year’s Eve special. Who else is so excited and in too deep?

Hey, speaking of things that happened 15 years ago, remember when Spears co-hosted a NYE party with Natalie Portman? Whatever your answer may be, don’t worry, we’ll get to that very special NYE TBT in just a second. But first, let's see what the upcoming NYE extravaganza is all about. The ABC press release reads,

“Britney Spears will perform from The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas as part of ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018'. Marking the end to her record-breaking residency, Spears is set to perform her infectious dance hits ‘Toxic’ and ‘Work B*tch,’ making it the first television performance of 2018.”

“Toxic” and “Work B*tch”? Wow. What terrific picks. Granted, you could go with just about any song from Godney’s unstoppable discography and it’d be a terrific pick, but this selection feels so right. The press release continues,

“Spears last performed on ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest’ in 2002, treating fans to her Billboard Top 40 single ‘I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman.’”

She hasn’t graced this NYE show since the Crossroads era. The years sure roll by like a convertible zipping down a highway to the tune of "Bye, Bye, Bye."

Are you ready for a very special, aughts-tastic NYE TBT? What a silly question, of course you are. Here it is: Once upon a time, Miss American Dream Since She Was 17 and Padmé Amidala threw an NYE soirée together. Yes, this is a real thing that really happened in real life. On Dec. 31, 2002, Spears and Portman co-hosted a party at the Hudson Hotel in New York City. According to MTV News, 40 people attended this get-together. Here's a photo that proves this whole shindig wasn't just a dream.

Oh, and what a photo it is. That ruffled satin blouse, that flouncy dress with the embellished neckline, those pants that were bedazzled at the waistband and the cuffs, the lip gloss, the delighted looks on their faces — everything going on here is nothing short of perfect. How could it not be? It was taken at a party hosted by Britney Spears and Natalie Portman. To be a fly invited to hang out on the wall of that event.

If you feel compelled to scour the internet for any and all details about this party, you'll inevitably end up reading about how Portman and Spears met. And what a story it is: As the Huffington Post points out, the two were Laura Bell Bundy's understudies in the off-Broadway production of Ruthless! back in 1992. This is another real thing that really happened in real life. Never let that piece of fantastic trivia leave your noggin.

Speaking of fantastic, this NYE broadcast is quite the sendoff for Spears's award-winning residency. As the former X Factor judge performs her wildly successful Vegas show runs one final time at the AXIS Theatre on NYE, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest will air an excerpt of this iconic concert for all to enjoy. Now, that's how you bid a storied residency adieu.

So, whether you are one of the lucky ducks who will be attending her last show at Planet Hollywood or not, you will still get a chance to ring in the new year with the Holy Spearit.