If Britney Spears was looking to steer the talk away from her vocal talents, she chose the right dress.

The singer, who has been lambasted recently for miming, poured herself into the tight frock for her 27th birthday.

She managed to spill a little in the process, judging by this picture taken outside the Tenjune nightclub in New York on Tuesday night.

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Party princess: Britney Spears hitches up her dress  as she celebrates her 27th birthday with a trip to Club Tenjune in New York

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Falling out? Britney’s lacy bra was on show under her low-cut dress

Miss Spears was also celebrating the launch of her new album, Circus, in what was a rare appearance on the club scene.

After a very public breakdown earlier this year, Miss Spears was admitted into a Los Angeles psychiatric ward and her father Jamie was made a ‘ conservator’ to look after her life.

Since then, the singer has been recording new music and getting back in shape for the release of Circus on Monday. Her comeback has hit a few hiccups, however.

Expectations were high for her appearance on Saturday’s X Factor show, where she performed hit single Womanizer for the studio audience.

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Chance to shine: Britney switches on the lights of the New York Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Centre

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In the spotlight: Britney speaks on stage during the pretaping of 76th Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree lighting ceremony

But suspicions that she had failed to sing live, and that her microphone was just a prop, were confirmed when host Dermot O’Leary had to share his with her during an interview.

There was a sense of deja vu a few days later when Miss Spears performed songs from her new album in front of millions of viewers on U.S. TV show Good Morning America.

Wearing a ringmaster’s costume, and accompanied by clowns, jugglers and performers dressed as animals, she lip-synched her way through the title track from Circus.