Have you needed a reminder that Britney Spears is and always will be supreme.
We kid — no one could forget.
But here"s one any way, in the form of a recently leaked recording of "Toxic" … of her raw, pre-autotuned voice.
Britney has produces so many phenomenal songs that they are intensely difficult to rank.
"Toxic" is absolutely legendary.
We don"t know how to rank it, musically, because comparing Britney"s greatest hits is a little like choosing a favorite child.
Except actually difficult instead of just being something that you"re not supposed to do.
Do you go with the thinly veiled autobiographical ballad of "Lucky," or the unstoppable powerhouse of "… One More Time."
"Crazy" spawned a whole movie of the same name. "If You Seek Amy" was a hit and also had Megyn Kelly up in arms.
"Womanizer" was a tremendous comeback hit after Britney bravely suffered for the world"s transgressions had a breakdown.
But then there"s "Toxic." You can"t talk about Britney without talking about that track.
Admittedly, a huge part of its cultural impact comes from its music video — arguably Britney"s best and perhaps even most iconic.
"Toxic" has inspired a dance in World of Warcraft and countless affectionate parodies.
Honestly, it would make a great inspiration for a film.
Autotune can be controversial, with some listeners decrying it and the stars who use it as "fake."
Others describe it as just another tool to tweak the music before a song is released.
We generally tend to side with the latter, because technology has made music even better in recent decades than it has ever been.
But there"s something to be said for powerful raw vocals.
Like, you can appreciate a finished product but also be floored by someone"s unfiltered, unedited singing voice.
Britney"s been accused of being "fake" for lipsyncing her performances — which is all kinds of dumb.
She"s one of the world"s greatest performers, pulling off grueling and iconic dance routines.
Whatever she needs to do to put on the greatest shows on the planet is worth it, and doesn"t make her any less of an artist.
And autotune is an expected part of the business. No singer should be begrudged for using it.
It"s no secret that Britney"s had some rough times in the past, but now she"s living her best life.
And we don"t just mean her dreamy boyfriend, though obviously he"s part of that.
She"s also being a fantastic mother to her two sons.
Britney also seems to be genuinely happy and content in her life, a welcome change from her years as a troubled younger star.
And it"s worth mentioning that she"s still, just, all kinds of hot.
Are you ready to listen to Britney"s unfiltered voice singing "Toxic?"
You probably aren"t.
We sure weren"t prepared.
Raw us, Britney.
