Britney Spears turns 36: A look at five offbeat covers of the Pop Princess' greatest hits

Britney Spears has had quite the career. From her debut record …Baby One More Time back in 1999, to her latest album Glory released last year; Spears has left a long trail of pop hits. Credited with reviving and popularizing the teen pop genre, Spears is known worldwide for hits such as ‘…Baby One More Time’, ‘Oops I Did It Again’, ‘Toxic’, ‘Piece of Me’, and ‘Womanizer’ among others. The influence Britney Spears has had on pop music, especially in the careers of female pop artists, is undeniably huge. This has resulted in her songs being covered by artists across genres; some of which have been highly critically acclaimed. As Spears turns 36, we take a look at some of her biggest hits that have been covered by other artists. ’Womanizer’ cover by Lily Allen

The British singer-songwriter, known for hits such as ‘Smile’, covered ‘Womanizer’ back in 2009. The song — part of the Britney’s sixth studio album Circus released in 2008 — was an international chart topper and reached number one on the Billboard 200. It was Britney’s best performing single since ‘…Baby One More Time’ released in 1999. Allen’s cover of the song is quite different from the original. She employs her soft-spoken, clam vocals to change the immediacy of the original track into a more chilled-out version driven entirely by piano. ’Toxic’ cover by Mark Ronson

Released in 2004 and part of Britney’s fourth studio album In the Zone, ‘Toxic’ was a major international success. Reaching number one in 15 countries, ‘Toxic’ received widespread critical acclaim. It was awarded a Grammy for the Best Dance Recording, making it the only time Spears has won the award. Mark Ronson — the British musician who has produced albums like Back to Black by Amy Winehouse and 19 by Adele — covered ‘Toxic’ on his 2007 album Version. The cover, which features Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Tiggers, is a complete makeover of the original. ‘Toxic’ has been turned into a jazz tune full of signature Ronson sounds, like a vibrant horn section and a delightful funk guitar riff. It also features a rap verse which wasn’t a part of the original song. ’…Baby One More Time’ covered by Children of Bodom

‘…Baby One More Time’ is one of most recognized pop songs ever. It was an outrageous chart hit and was responsible for propelling Spears to worldwide stardom. The song has been covered by numerous artists, but the one that stands out the most is the cover by the Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom. Skeletons in the Closet — a Children of Bodom album released in 2009 — featured the cover of the Britney Spears track. The cover is a thrash metal rendition and features lightning fast guitar solos, blast-beat drumming and harsh metal vocals. Regularly counted among the best metal cover of a pop song, this Children of Bodom track is incredibly fun and worth listening to. ’Piece of Me’ cover by Tricky

Released in 2007 from her fifth studio album Blackout, ‘Piece of Me’ deals with the Princess of Pop’s lifestyle. Considered to be the best track on Blackout, ‘Piece of Me’ was a commercial success and reached the top spot on charts in eight countries. The song was covered by the trip-hop artist Tricky. The cover is nothing like the original. All the pop and dance elements have been stripped away and replaced with bluesy harmonicas, strings, and wandering, plodding beats. The cover has been sung by Franky Riley. ’Gimme More’ cover by Machinae Supremacy

From Blackout, ‘Gimme More’ is a widely known Britney Spears track. It was first performed by Spears at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. The performance was highly controversial and was panned by critics as the worst MTV Video Music Award performance ever. But the track was accepted positively upon its release and became another major hit in Britney’s catalog. ‘Gimme More’ was covered by the Swedish metal band Machinae Supremacy. The band covered the song on their third studio album Overworld in 2008. The track is a total departure from the original version. The song is full of heavy guitar riffs, powerful drumming and playful vocals with an undertone of electronic music. The music video is styled along the lines of an Anime and bears no resemblance to the original whatsoever.