I THINK BRITNEY GETS IT..... SHE SPEAKS OUT!

THIS IS BRITNEY NOW!!

Britney Spears gets it.

A 300-word "Dear Fans" letter posted Friday on Spears' official Website, the fallen pop princess said she understands why her faithful are disappointed, and promised to pay them back with a new album and tour "sometime later this year."

"If I were you I'd be unhappy, too, if I had to read what I've been reading every day," Spears wrote. "But trust me, I get it."

Spears didn't specifically reference her recent misadventures: the missing underwear; the Paris Hilton confabs; the New Year's nodding off, the list goes on.

"The last couple of years have been quite a ride for me," a diplomatic Spears wrote.

A less-diplomatic Spears blamed the bumps in her ride on a familiar villain.

"The media has criticized my every move, and printed a skewed perception of who I really am as a human being," she argued. "I know I've been far from perfect, and the media has had a lot of fun exaggerating my every move."

Spears' missive comes days after the aforementioned New Year's incident in which the mother of two, while in the act of hosting a Las Vegas bash, "went into a dead faint," the media member known as the New York Post said, or merely grew "tired and 'fell' asleep," Spears' new-old manager said.

While it might follow that the nap blogged 'round the world inspired Spears to make her public declaration, it appears she was moved by another event: the impending death of World of Britney (worldofbritney.com).

"I noticed today that one of my biggest fansites is shutting down soon, and I want you all to know that I do understand all the reasons that went behind making that decision," Spears wrote, "and I am sad to see it closing."

"I am now more mature and feel like I am finally 'free,' " said Spears, who last month celebrated her 25th birthday by "shaking her booty," in the words of TMZ.com, for Beverly Hills paparazzi.

HOW CAN YOU LOSE A OSCAR IF YOU CAN'T WIN?

Beyonce Knowles won't be one of the nominees. That's because the Academy limits the number of credited songwriters to three per song. And in the credit roll on "Listen," Knowles is fourth, leaving her the odd composer out.

"It's no surprise," Knowles spokesman Alan Nierob said Thursday. "It's all good. The rules are the rules."

According to Academy spokeswoman Teni Melidonian, the limit on Original Song personnel was enforced starting with films released in 2005. The move was done, the rep said Thursday, to ensure that songwriters and composers who make the greatest contribution receive the greatest amount of Oscar credit.

And on "Listen," it was determined, Knowles' collaborators made greater contributions than Knowles. Which is not the same as saying Knowles didn't contribute. She did, Nierob said. And not only that, she sounds ready to contribute more.

"If the song's fortunate enough to be nominated, if they are kind enough to invite her to perform (at the show), no one else is going to perform it, I hope," Nierob said.

Arenas of the Washington Wizards party's w/ Diddy

Gilbert Arenas, left, of the Washington Wizards and host Sean "Diddy" Combs pose together at the party for Arenas' 25th birthday at Club Love on Jan. 5, 2007, in Washington, D.C. (Photo: GETTY IMAGES/Nancy Ostertag) for more photos click the Headline link above