NEXT year will mark 25 years since Britney Spears’ debut album and she is planning on celebrating by returning with her first record in eight years.

We can reveal she has enlisted Brit pop star Charli XCX to write for the eagerly-anticipated project, with the hope that she can return to the charts once again.

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Britney Spears has teamed up with Charli XCX for her next albumCredit: Instagram

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Charli has already penned music for several other starsCredit: Getty
We’ve been told that while the two are yet to meet, Britney gave pointers on what she wants the music to be about.

A music insider said: “The Britney album is being kept top secret.

“Work has been going on behind the scenes for quite a while to gather a series of killer songs to bring Britney back with a bang.

“She is known as one of the biggest pop stars of the 21st century so there is pressure for the music to be great.

“Charli has a great track record when it comes to writing clever pop songs.

“She went into the studio earlier in the year to make some songs using Britney’s guidance of what she is after.

“She came up with a really strong track that is expected to make it on to the album, which Britney’s team hope will be out in 2024.”

As well as six Top Ten hits of her own, Charli has become known as a prolific songwriter in pop.

She has penned music for Selena Gomez, Raye, Blondie, Gwen Stefani and, most notably, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s 2019 hit Senorita, which spent six weeks at No1.

Britney took a step back from music while fighting to free herself from her conservatorship, which gave her father Jamie power over her life.

She returned in 2022 featuring on Elton John’s song Hold Me Closer, which peaked at No3, then on Will.i.am’s track Mind Your Business earlier this year.

It has been a long time coming but we’re hoping for big things when Britney is ready to step out on her own again.

LIL Nas X is set to return with new music next month and has directed a single’s video.

The Old Town Road rapper said on X: “Wrote and directed my own music video for the first time. Excited for y’all to see. It’s the best one yet!”

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Lil Nas X has directed his own music video, which will release next monthCredit: The Mega Agency
It will be his first drop in more than a year, having spent much of 2023 touring.

Looking forward to what’s next!

Sugababes back onboard in 2024

SUGABABES have promised they are going “back to basics” with their new album, which they have promised will be “eclectic.”

In an exclusive chat, Siobhan Donaghy said: “We still have quite a lot of work to do on the record but we do have a direction and we know what we want from this record.

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The Sugababes – who recently teamed up with travel app Trainline – are hoping to take things back to basicsCredit: PA
“We’re taking it back to the basics. We’ve reached out to people we really love and respect in the industry.

“I think every Sugababes album has been eclectic, so everything we have done which we really love is very different from one song to the other.”

On whether it will be out in 2024, she continued: “There will definitely be some new music.

“I don’t know if it will be a full album. We can’t guarantee it until we’ve got it finished and in front of us.”

The group, which includes Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan, recently teamed up with travel app Trainline for TrainLive – a free one-day music festival at London’s Paddington station.

And Siobhan insisted that being a chart-topping pop star doesn’t mean she’s above rail travel.

She added: “I travel on Trainline every day. We’re all Londoners and we know the station really well so it was really fun to do something in our hometown.”

SINGLES

Last Christmas – Wham!
You’re Christmas To Me – Sam Ryder
 All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
 Merry Christmas – Ed Sheeran & Elton John
 Rockin’ Around The  Christmas Tree  – Brenda Lee
  Fairytale Of New York – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – Michael Buble
Santa Tell Me – Ariana Grande
It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – Andy Williams
  Stick Season – Noah Kahan

WHAM! have held firm at No1 for a fourth consecutive week, once again denying Sam Ryder the chance of topping the charts.

ALBUMS

    1. Christmas – Michael Buble
2. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
3. The Highlights – The Weeknd
4. Diamonds – Elton John
5. Gold: Greatest Hits – ABBA
6. Hackney Diamonds    – Rolling Stones
7. Guts – Olivia Rodrigo
8. Stick Season – Noah Kahan
9. Curtain Call: The Hits – Eminem
10. Midnights – Taylor Swift

MICHAEL Buble has returned to No1 with his 2011 festive album, making it six weeks at the top since it was first released.

Meanwhile, greatest hits records from The Weeknd, Elton John, ABBA and Eminem have all risen up the charts.

JOHN’S MISSUS IS NET ASSET

IT wasn’t hard to see why John Legend had a smile on his face as he celebrated his 45th birthday.

He had his model wife Chrissy Teigen on his arm as they headed out in New York – and she clearly dressed up for the occasion, pairing tiny black shorts with fishnets to show off her legs.

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Chrissy Teigen was clearly dressed up for hubby John Legend’s birthdayCredit: Getty
The Ordinary People singer enjoyed a slap-up dinner with Chrissy, who he has been married to for ten years.

Earlier on, the couple had been with their two eldest kids for a day out.

They were spotted braving the cold and rain to chuck an American football around and play with miniature toy drones in Washington Square Park.

The glitz and glamour of being dressed up for a night out looks more like Chrissy’s idea of a good time.

PERRIE FASHIONS A RESCUE PLAN

FORMER Little Mix star Perrie Edwards has stepped in to help her struggling fashion business after it plunged almost £180,000 into the red.

The company made a loss for the third year in a row, prompting the Sweet Melody singer to join the board of the company and take on a more hands-on role.

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Perrie Edwards has stepped in to help her struggling fashion businessCredit: Instagram
Figures for Indigo Aura Limited, the company behind her Disora brand, show that losses hit £53,381 in 2022, which added to losses of £83,991 the year before and £41,634 in its first year of trading.

Perrie owns 50 per cent of the shares with her footballer fiancé Alex Oxlade–Chamberlain.

But it wasn’t until recently that Perrie took the decision to step up and become a director.

Disora was initially a massive success with its first collection, DS001, selling out within 48 hours.

But the brand also faced criticism in some quarters for not stocking larger size options for bigger women.

A report filed at Companies House said: “The director has a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.”

Earlier this year Perrie said: “Starting a business, I wasn’t expecting it to be anything like this. I thought it would be easy!

“It’s difficult, but we’re kind of getting in the groove now. Mistakes happen, and you just deal with it.”

Thankfully, she has amassed an £18million fortune from her time in Little Mix to tide her over.

NICOLE Scherzinger will be ­seeing in New Year with a massive pay cheque, by ­performing at one of London’s most pricey parties.

The Pussycat Dolls star will sing her way into 2024 with a performance at a black-tie bash at The Ned members club.

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Nicole Scherzinger will perform at one of London’s priciest New Year partiesCredit: Instagram
The event also promises aerialist acrobats, a DJ and free-flowing food and cocktails.

At £350 per ticket, punters will wake up with a hole in their pocket and a sore head.

EAGER RONALDO COULDN’T WEIGHT

CRISTIANO Ronaldo is giving us plenty of motivation to put down the Quality Streets.

The football superstar shared this snap of himself in the gym, proving he doesn’t let himself go even over the festive period.

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Seems like Ronaldo doesn’t need a resolution to hit the gymCredit: Instagram
Maybe he’s getting in there before gyms become jam-packed next week with people eagerly committing to their New Year fitness resolutions.

But as for the rest of 2023, the only six-pack we’ll be touching is one made of beer cans.