Britney Spears' new album tops singles chart

Britney Spears' new album tops singles chart

Pop diva Britney Spears has done it again by cementing her comeback with a new single, "3," climbing to No. 1 position in its debut week.

Proving her popularity has not waned despite a personal and career meltdown in 2007 and 2008, "3" entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at the top. I n this way Spears became the first artist with a debut No. 1 in over 3 years. The Billboard said so on Wednesday.

The single, from her new album, "The Singles Collection," scheduled to be released on November 10, is the first No. 1 debut since Taylor Hicks' 2006 hit "Do I Make You Proud" and the first non-"American Idol" song to enter the chart at No. 1 in almost 11 years.

In a statement twenty seven year old Britney Spears said, “I want to thank my fans for making '3' the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100."

She continued, "I am truly blessed with the greatest fans in the world and I am so happy y'all love it because I do this all for you."

Spears has sold over 63 million albums worldwide since her debut as a teen pop phenomenon with the single "... Baby One More Time" in 1998.

However in recent years she has made more headlines for her erratic behavior and struggles, including losing the custody of her two children.

She has staged a comeback, however, with her last two albums. "Womanizer," released in late 2008, was her first No. 1 album in almost a decade. Her current tour to promote her most recent studio album, "Circus," is her first U.S. tour since 2004.