Britney Spears begins the countdown for ‘All Eyes on Me’

“Smurfs 2” was only the beginning. More new songs from Britney Spears are etching closer to becoming a reality, as on Tuesday the artist took some hype-building lessons from former beau Justin Timberlake and placed a countdown clock on her website to tease new music.

At the time of posting, we’re just less than 28 days from the release of what Spears is calling “All Eyes on Me,” presumably the new single off her upcoming eighth album. Spears has thus far offered no details on “All Eyes on Me” but has remade her site over to showcase nothing but the countdown to the morning of Sept. 17.

Earlier this year Timberlake used a similar countdown clock when he was releasing new tunes, but Timberlake had fans waiting a weekend rather than almost a full month. A new Spears album would make this a rather pop-heavy fall, with new efforts from Katy Perry and Lady Gaga also on the horizon.

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Spears has been teasing new music this summer on Twitter, pleading patience on Aug. 13. That same day, Black Eyed Pea-turned-producer-for-hire will.i.am took to social networks himself to say that he has been busy working with Spears.

Spears, who has long been reported to be prepping a Las Vegas for later this year, posted on Facebook on Aug. 3 what she dubbed an album “recipe” -- largely just a run-down of some of her biggest hits. Will.i.am for his part later revealed that dance producer William Orbit, a regular Madonna collaborator, would be doing behind-the-boards work on the Spears effort.

Spears teamed up with will.i.am. for his late 2012 single “Scream & Shout.” While the song was part of his clunker of an album “ #willpower,” the digital single itself has sold well, having been legally downloaded more than 3.2 million times in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Spears’ “Smurfs 2” cut, “Ooh La La,” has performed more modestly. Since the song’s release earlier this summer it has sold 153,000 copies.

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