In the past, Britney Spears didn't really have an easy life - a divorce, a complicated custory battle, a nervous breakdown in a hairdressing slon in front of a camera, the muffed comeback during the MTV VMAs, and the list goes on. Still, she found the time to record a new album - the first one since 2003. The song "Piece of Me" actually deals with the media's interest in the popstar's messed up life. It was released as the album's second single and the lable produced a $500.000 music video for it. However, the American version is very different from the international version. Early reports from the video shoot also said that Britney was supposed to die in the final scene of the video. However, it's likely that this is simply an untrue rumor.

This report will deal with the differences between the two versions.

NOTE: On the left side you will find the images from the US version, on the right side you see the international version's images.

00:03 - 00:05

In both versions, the intro is entirely different. The international version shows the performer in front of a pretty colorful wall, while the US version shows Britney (startled by the flurry of camera flashes) wearing a jacket and a wig. In the international version we see one long uninterrupted scene, while in the US version there are a few cuts to the "Britney army".

00:10 - 00:17

In the American version we see Britney cropped, wearing a fur-vest. Her performance looks slightly uptight and intimidated.

In the international version Britney now wears the wig and a patterned jacket. She takes the latter off and exposes a short but pretty glamorous outfit (the same one which she later wears during the club sequence). Her performance looks a little more confident. She appears more charismatic and less camera-shy.

00:19 - 00:20

Britney continues performing the song - this is shown with alternative footage in both versions.

00:27 - 00:30

In the international version you see a short shot of Britney's; then we see her continuing to perform the song. The US version's footage again is a little different.

00:33 - 00:35

Alternative footage in both versions during this performance.

00:36 - 00:37

Britney sings the line: "and with a Kid on my Arm"

Corresponding to this line she in the American version makes a gesture and a proud facial expression. In the international version she just slightly raises her arm which more looks like a dance move than a gesture that fits to the lyrics.

00:39 - 00:42

Britney continues to perform the song; one of her curs fall into her face. (NOTE: In the US version this results in a continuity error when Britney - wearing a wig - pushes the curl out of her face, even though you didn't even see the hair in her face in the first place.)
After that scene, both versions are identical.

Interestingly enough, both versions censored Britney's middle finger when Britney indignantly flips the "reporters" the bird. It's unclear to why they did this, after all, this only in the USA is a no-go gesture on TV.