After months of speculation, Britney Spears has officially announced a Las Vegas residency, as well as the release date of her eighth studio album. The still-untitled follow-up to 2011's "Femme Fatale" will be released on Dec. 3.
Meanwhile, the two-year residency -- titled "Britney Spears: Piece of Me" -- will take place at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Spears announced during a "Good Morning America" appearance on Tuesday morning (Sept. 17). The pop superstar is slated to perform 50 shows a years starting on Dec. 27, and the first tickets will go on sale this Friday (Sept. 20) at 10:00 am PT. Ticket prices range from $59 to $179.
"I love Vegas," the 31-year-old singer declared on Tuesday morning after arriving in the Nevada desert via helicopter. "The energy here is really, really good."
According to TMZ, Spears will be paid a whopping $310,000 per show -- or $15 million per year -- for the residency. 
The official website for the "Piece of Me" residency says the the much-anticipated show "is not limited to die-hard Britney fans, but designed to delight all who enjoy the best pop theater. The fully-reconstructed theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Las Vegas will house the world's largest indoor immersive projection theater and will create the most cutting-edge concert experience ever. In keeping with Britney's style and innovation, this epic Las Vegas show is a marriage of high-end fashion, state of the art technology and slick nightclub panache."
Spears' eighth album has been preceded by the single "Work Bitch," which was released on Monday after leaking online last weekend. "Femme Fatale," featuring the singles "Hold It Against Me" and "Til The World Ends," has sold 778,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Last May, Spears all but confirmed a Vegas residency to Shape magazine, when she revealed that she had been increasing her yoga and cardio sessions in anticipation of the upcoming gig. Spears, who sidestepped a second season of judging "The X Factor" to set up the residency and new album, also confirmed on Twitter that she would be appearing at the 2013 iHeartradio Music Festival, taking place this weekend at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.