best sequences in the show's history. Futterman was also impressed by the "Me Against the Music" recreation, highlighting the way it played on the ambiguous Brittany/Santana relationship, complimenting Morris' dancing and Rivera's vocals. Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal criticized Michele's rendition of "...Baby One More Time", writing, "Her earnestness, her adoring look and her intelligent voice bumps up against the breathless sound of breathy pop. It's like a YouTube spoof, an opera singer trying to make a barmaid's ditty on Oktoberfest more appealing—by shedding her clothes." Futterman was left wanting by the number, feeling that "the tune lost all of its scandalous sexuality with Rachel's octaves-higher singing". Stack deemed "Stronger" his favorite performance of the episode, as well as the best incorporation of Spears' music, as the song served Artie's storyline. He praised the increased use of McHale as a vocalist in the second season, enjoying his soulful voice. Flandez also enjoyed "Stronger", appreciating the twist of having males sing a feminist empowerment song. Semigran wrote that it was "Toxic" which provided the best Spears cover of the episode, commenting that it "took on its own fresh sound all while honoring the original". She disapproved of "The Only Exception" as the closing song, feeling that the use of another Spears song such as "Everytime" would have been more appropriate. However, Flandez called Michele's Paramore rendition "suitably earnest", Futterman described it as "gorgeous and tender", and Stack felt it served as a "nice, emotional capper" to the episode. Ratings During its original broadcast, "Britney/Brittany" was watched by 13.51 million American viewers. It drew Glee second largest audience to date behind "Hell-O", which was watched by 13.66 million viewers in April 2010, following a four-month hiatus. Viewership was up 1.06 million over the previous episode, "Audition", 0.5 million over the Madonna tribute episode "The Power of Madonna", and 2.1 million over the Lady Gaga-themed episode "Theatricality". The episode attained Glee series high rating to date in the 18–49 demographic, with a 5.9/17 Nielsen rating/share—it was subsequently beaten by "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle", which aired on February 6, 2011, immediately following the Super Bowl, and was watched by 26.8 million viewers and garnered an 11.1/29 rating/share—also making it the highest-rated show on the night of broadcast. "Britney/Brittany" was Fox's highest-rated live-action comedy episode of the fall in eight years among adults 18–49, and nine years among total viewers. It was the