Spears: Actually, I had a love before him, but he's my first deep love, yeah. I had a young love, a puppy love, before him. He is definitely my first true love. I'm very much in love.

MTV: What are you talking about in the first single, "I'm a Slave 4 U"?

Spears: The Neptunes did the song, and it's really just about being a slave to music. Wanting to go out with girlfriends and just forgetting about everyone around and having a good time. It's very different, and really funky.

MTV: You also cover Joan Jett's hit, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." Can we say that this album is going to have a little more of a rock feeling?

Spears: I think so, yeah. It definitely [has] more of a rock flair.

MTV: Does that mean you're moving out of the pop area?

Spears: Pop music is popular music. I'm just bringing pop music to a different level. It's always going to be pop music. That's what I love to do. I love to dance, and pop music incorporates that. I'm just bringing it to the next level. Trying. [Laughs]

MTV: How do you feel when the press and the critics use you as a touchstone in talking about some of the younger singers who've come out in the last few years?

Spears: I think 'cause we're all real young and we all have blond hair or whatever, they're going to say we're all like each other. But if they really look at our music and our talent, we're so different in so many ways. I think it's kind of flattering that they compare me to them. They all work very, very hard and are all very gifted and very talented.

MTV: Do you find it flattering to be referred to as the new Madonna?

Spears: Yeah!

MTV: What are the things you feel like you have in common with her?

Spears: I think that we have the same drive. When we want something, we get it. As far as our music and our talent goes, we're very different. Onstage we have the same drive, too. I just saw her show and she's just amazing. She was flawless. It was very inspirational for me, 'cause my show is about to come up. I have so many things I want to do after watching her. She's amazing, but I think we're very different in a lot of ways. It is flattering that they say we're alike.

MTV: And what things do you think are different?

Spears: Her whole personality is totally different than mine. We look different. We both sing pop music, but it's a different kind of pop music.

MTV: Your relationship with your mother is amazing, but you never talk about your father. Why?

Spears: Me and my father, we're just as close as me and my mom, but I think it's just something about women. [Mothers and daughters] have more of a connection or something. I'm really close to him, but I'm just a girly girl. I'll always be a daddy's girl, but he treats me like a baby sometimes. I feel more open with my mom. I think I can talk to her more. He's very overprotective of me.

MTV: Michael Jackson asked you to perform with him at his tribute concert. Did Michael contact you directly?

Spears: He did call me. He was like, "Hello, can I speak to Britney, please?" And I was like, "Who is this?" And he goes, "This is Michael Jackson." And I was like, "No, this is not. Who is this?" Michael Jackson calling your phone in the middle of the day?