Britney To Open, But Not Perform, At VMAs

It's Britney, baby, one more time. Despite her train-wreck performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last year, the network confirms Spears will kick off the show once again.But it won't be a performance. Instead, MTV Networks Music Group President Van Toffler said it'll be something "fun and unexpected" on Sunday night's show.Unexpected is probably the kindest way to describe Spears' performance at last year's VMAs. In what was heavily promoted as the troubled singer's comeback, she instead gave an unfocused, almost unwatchable performance of "Gimme More," one of the many lowpoints in her year of debacles.So what made Spears and MTV reunite one more time?"MTV has long played an important role in my career. How can I not be there to kick off their 25th VMAs? I'm excited to open the entire show, to say hi to my fans and to be nominated," Spears said in a statement.

"I think for Britney, people are rooting for her, and she's really on the road to recovery," Toffler said, noting that MTV had nominated her for three VMAs, including video of the year, for her clip "Piece of Me.""It feels like it's her year," he added. "It's our 25th anniversary of the VMAs, and she's been such a critical piece of MTV's history."Spears also equals ratings gold: Last year's VMAs were up 23 percent over the 2006 show.So far, the confirmed performers for Sunday's show include the Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, T.I. and Kid Rock. Toffler also raised the possibility of another troubled pop icon appearing: Michael Jackson."We've been talking to him as well, I don't know if that's going to happen," he said. "People fall in and fall out up until the day of the show."