I feel like a lot of people aren’t understanding what your trying to say but I completely get it the way Britney is celebrated is very unique. It’s hard to compare it to anyone else because there’s never really been another singer who has been through the strange and mysterious circumstances she has. I don’t think she is Madonna, but at the same time I don’t think she is above or below her. She is just on her own type of level.
Also, this might be a hot take, but I don’t think longevity matters. I don’t know why everyone keeps bringing that up. Some artists have been around for literal decades upon decades but none of their new music is as good as their prime. It feels like they are beating a dead horse. Tbh I think the most powerful music I’ve ever heard came from singers who burned out as soon as they got here—Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain/Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, etc etc. They only had a few albums but those albums had quality. Sometimes quality is much better than quantity. Britney, to me, is the same way. She doesn’t need to be around forever to be solidified as an icon. Her few albums speak for themselves.