Without Britney Spears, there would be no Katy Perry. Lady Gaga would likely still be performing in seedy Lower East Side bars. Taylor Swift would solely be a country star.

It seems like any trip to Las Vegas requires one to contemplate, “Should I see Britney?” The answer is unequivocally yes. Detractors from the super star obviously point to her lackadaisical dancing and lip syncing. For the record, yes. Her dancing is not what it used to be and she lip syncs throughout the hour and 20 minute show, including an over the top rendition of “Perfume.” But, Spears’ Piece of Me show at Planet Hollywood is still worth the ticket price if only for the spectacle that is Britney Spears, in the least pejorative tone possible.

All celebrity is a performance. There is always the question of the authenticity of a celebrity, whether they are walking down Melrose or performing at Madison Square Garden. No one, save Taylor Swift, walks out of the gym looking like they are walking a runway. Britney is a special breed of celebrity. When you see her walking out of Starbucks, double fisting Frappachinos, we know that is her true self. She dines at the Cheesecake Factory, makes silly Instagram videos, she eats Cheetos.

Part of the push back on Britney’s ability is that we love to build people up, only to watch them fall. When a celebrity falls — al la Mel Gibson or Chris Brown — we revel in making them a joke or making them moral tales — oftentimes, rightfully so. But one, the fall of the starlet, makes audiences foam at the mouth. There is a particular satisfaction watching a young ingenue redeem herself, or try to redeem herself. How many times have we dubbed Lindsey Lohan’s second chance? Britney’s tragic fall from grace in 2007 was marked by a shaved head, erratic behavior, and hospitalization, leading to her conservatorship. Since then, she has had a number of “comebacks”: the Femme Fatale era, the “I am Britney Jean” era, and now her residency concert. Some criticize the move as a clear indication that Britney is on the way out. Perhaps true; she says she is more a home body than a jet setter. The reported $15 million pay check probably doesn’t hurt too much either.

The show, even in the audience herding area, is a look back on iconic Britney — the “Toxic” flight attendant outfit, clips from seminal music videos, and viewers singing and dancing along to their favorite songs (“I feel like I’m 19 again!” one nostalgic fan declared in the audience). But the production has a degree of novelty. Common tropes of the Britney era are redone and repurposed. The performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U” had more of a “Gimme More” vibe, with Britney dancing on a pole. When she stepped out in a shimmering diamond body suit, it seemed that she would perform “Toxic.” She surprised the audience by saving that song for the latter half of the show, with a jungle theme, more reminiscent of her MTV VMA performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U.”

The production kept you on your toes and showed that Britney still has it. That it may not be vocals, it may not be dancing a la 2004, but she has pizzazz, she has that je ne sais quoi that performers crave, and still brings in audiences.

Britney is not just a pillar of the pantheon of pop culture worship, she is an altar room. The loving moniker “Godney” has been bestowed on her by fans throughout the internet. The residency concert proves that while some gods may fall, Britney still reigns among fans.