The director behind the video for Britney Spears new single 'Womanizer' has defended allegations that it copies ideas from one of the singer's previous videos.

Fans have claimed that Spears' new video closes resembles her video for 'Toxic', which was released in 2003.

However, director Joseph Khan said the video was the “2008 answer” to 'Toxic', which he also directed, rather than being a “direct sequel”.

"There are elements and moments of 'Toxic' that I felt could be improved," Khan told MTV.

"This one is a bit more fashion-forward. The only big difference is that she's been through a lot, and the big curiosity for me was how much she can give me on set."

The video, which sees Spears naked in a sauna, has drawn widespread attention across the Internet.

Khan praised the star's input on set: "When I see her on set, she's extremely professional, and it's a job. There's really literally no messing around. ... Whatever accolades she gets, she deserves."

You can see stills from the video to 'Womanizer' on Gigwise below.