Going to show that it’s all about what fans want and rarely – if ever – about what critics say, Britney Spears has managed, with the help of those fans who have stood by her through thick and thin, to set a new record in Australia. Tickets for Sydney’s Acer Arena show have sold so well that Britney is officially the most sought after artist, the VMA says.

The Venue Management Association points out that, until Britney Spears came along, the record for most tickets sold for the aforementioned venue belonged to British band Coldplay. This, in turn, only makes Britney’s success all the more impressive since she it stands as testimony to her star power, not to mention that this also makes her a very lucrative brand on the pop scene.

“Britney Spears has broken the record for concert ticket sales at Sydney’s Acer Arena with a total of 66,247 tickets sold across 4 nights. Britney Spears ticket sales exceed the previous record set by Coldplay in March 2009 when the record stood at 59,391. Ticket sales record for sales in excess of 40,000 tickets at Acer Arena now stand at: Britney Spears – Nov ’09, Coldplay – Mar ’09, Justin Timberlake – Oct ’07, Eagles – Nov ’04, Red Hot Chili Peppers – Apr ’07, Bette Midler – April ’05, Neil Diamond – Mar ’05,” the VMA informs.

Yet, as fans will remember, not everything has gone smoothly since Spears’ arrival in the land Down Under. Even before she opened her Circus tour there, critics and Australian officials rushed to say that tickets for her representations should come with a “disclaimer” of sorts, lest fans would be deceived into believing they were paying for a live performance. Some officials even went as far as to ask for a media ban on the tour, an idea a handful of fans seemed to support as they walked out of the shows after only a few minutes.

Britney’s response to the controversy was as direct as it was sweet: critics can say what they want, she was only doing this for the fans. “I hear there is a lot of controversy in the media about my show. Some reporters have said they love it and some don’t. I came to Australia for my fans!” Spears tweeted at the time. Fans agreed with every word above.