(CBS) In a new message on her Web site, Britney Spears addresses her future, her new album and the closing of one of her biggest fan sites.

The pop star, who has taken heat for her recent late-night escapades, said in the message, "The media has criticized my every move and printed a skewed perception of who I really am as a human being. Behind every decision I have made in my public life, there always seems to be an apparent contradiction. I have come to terms with that — which is why I usually don't pay much attention to it."

Spears went on to call the last few years "very enlightening" and discussed her new album, which is in the works.

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Photos: Britney Spears

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"Now that I've had the time to be 'me,' I've been able to sit down and think about where I want to go with myself as an entertainer with absolutely no strings attached. I am now more mature and feel like I am finally 'free.' I've been working so hard on this new album, and I can't wait for you all to hear it and to go on tour again! I would like to exclusively tell you that I am working hard to release the new album sometime later this year, but the date is, of course, not certain yet," she wrote.

Spears says she is planning a comeback that will be "bigger and better than ever" and plans on reaching out to her fans even more.

"I noticed today that one of my biggest fan sites is shutting down soon, and I want you all to know that I do understand all the reasons that went behind making that decision and I am sad to see it closing," she wrote. "If I were you, I'd be unhappy too if I had to read what I've been reading every day. But trust me, I get it. I know I've been far from perfect and the media has had a lot of fun exaggerating my every move, but I want you all to know that I love my fans so much and I appreciate everything you have done for me, so Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!"

The message comes on the heels of a USA Today story in which her manager, Larry Rudolph, said she is calling the recent spate of bad media coverage her "rocky moment." Spears has been criticized not only for exposing herself while in the company of Paris Hilton, but also for staying out late without her sons, 1-year-old Sean Preston and 3-month-old Jayden James.

"Britney knows exactly what she needs to do," he told the paper. Spears' bad behavior following her November announcement that she would divorce her husband of two years, Kevin Federline, prompted the closure of one of the largest Spears fan sites, Worldofbritney.com.

"I've not been happy with the way she's portraying herself," site founder Ruben Garay told the paper.

Last month, Garay posted an official announcement on the site: "As Britney keeps losing her identity and credibility within fans and industry people, so is WoB. We're moving on to greater, bigger things. I would therefore like to announce the permanent shut down of World of Britney.com beginning January 31st, 2007."

Rudolph said Spears may not be behaving perfectly, but many of the reports are either fabricated or exaggerated, especially the New Year's Eve report of a collapse.

"We were sitting there drinking orange juice," he said. "She got tired in a club, and we took her back to her room. Suddenly, I'm hearing words like 'collapsed' and 'passed out.'"

Rudolph said that Spears' album is half-finished, and she sees this as her moment to win dispirited fans back.

"Britney is increasingly motivated to get out there," he said. "She sees this as a challenge, that some fans may be questioning her. She is respectful. She sees this as her challenge to win them back."

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