With the official announcement of her new album, Britney Spears [ tickets ] is on the comeback trail once again.

The pop star's sixth studio effort, "Circus," is due Dec. 2 (her 27th birthday) and the lead single, "Womanizer," is slated to hit radio next week. The set features collaborations with Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Danja, Bloodshy & Avant and others, according to a press release.

The news comes a week after Spears swept the MTV Video Music Awards with three honors: Video of the Year, Best Pop Video and Best Female Video for "Piece of Me." She appeared fit and together, quite a turnaround from 2007's widely panned appearance at the VMAs.

"Circus" will roll out about a year after the singer's most recent release, "Blackout," which garnered some critical acclaim but was barely promoted, according to the Associated Press. The album surfaced during Spears' infamous year of erratic behavior, rehab, custody battles and at least one hospitalization.

The troubled star's life seems to have rebounded since her father took control of her personal and professional life as her conservator, and she resolved her custody battle with former husband Kevin Federline, according to published reports.

And in case there's any doubt as to her continued popularity, Guinness World Records just announced that Spears replaced Paris Hilton as the Most Searched Person on the Internet in 2007.