Britney Spears burst onto the music scene in 1998 and made an immediate impact on the rival of teen pop in the late 1990s. Spears was born Dec. 2, 1981, in McCombs, LA., and raised in Kentwood, LA. Spears knew she would become an eye-catching star. At a young age, she was known to entertain her parents’ visitors with dance routines. Instead of playing on swings and slides, Spears made “Star Search,” the popular 1980s entertainer competition, her favorite game to play.
Spears’ first attempt at gaining a world-wide audience occurred when she landed an audition on the Disney show, “The Mickey Mouse Club.” The then 8-year-old singer did not make the cut for the show, but she didn’t give up. Her dream did come true in 1992, when Spears competed on the show she imitated on playground parks, “Star Search.” She won the first week of competition, but her campaign for the title ended the following week.
While attending the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City, Spears again earned an audition on “The Mickey Mouse Club.” But, this time she aced the audition. During the 1993 and 1994 seasons, she appeared on the show with other up-and-coming stars, including future beau Justin Timberlake, actress Keri Russell, and Christina Aguilera.
‘ … Baby One More Time’
After she completed her stint on the “The Mickey Mouse Club,” Spears decided to continue her concentration on music. She eventually landed a contract with Jive Records and, in 1998, the 17-year-old’s first single, “… Baby One More Time” was released. The song eventually became a smash – thanks in part to the video. Spears was dressed in a Catholic schoolgirl uniform that pushed the buttons of suggestiveness. Despite the controversy over her skimpy uniform and the image portrayed, Spears maintained that she was a sweet as pie. The album was released in January 1999 and was greeted with mixed reviews. Despite the critics, the CD spent six nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold more than 22 million copies worldwide. Additional hits from the CD include “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” “Sometimes,” and “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart.”
Riding success, counting failures
Following “…Baby One More Time,” Spears recorded “Oops I Did It Again” in 2000. By this time, Spears’ girl-next-door image was a thing of the past. In the video for “Oops I Did It Again,” she wore a skin-tight, red body suit that left nothing to the imagination. The video for the follow-up, “I’m a Slave 4 U,” included sexual overtones and her performance of the song on the MTV Video Music Awards found Spears parading an albino python around her neck while wearing a skimpy outfit. With her quick jump into stardom, next came the public’s interest in Spears’ personal life. Rumors began to swirl about her possible involvement with ‘Nsync front man Justin Timberlake. The two dated but eventually broke up in 2002, not before it was revealed that Spears lost her virginity to Timberlake. In addition, Spears appeared in the coming-of-age drama “Crossroads.” The movie earned $37 million at the box office, but critics drummed the movie. Coming off a disappointing 2002, Spears returned to music in 2003 when she released her third studio CD, “In the Zone.” She again used the MTV Video Music Awards to showcase her raunchier image. During her performance of Madonna’s song “Hollywood” with Christina Aguilera, Spears and Madonna shared a French kiss on stage. The CD’s only hit, “Toxic” earned Spears a Grammy for Best Dance Recording.
Troubled times and failed marriages
By 2004, Spears began to catch less attention for her music and more for her personal life. In January, she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas, but the union was annulled two days later. Soon after the annulment, she developed a relationship with Kevin Federline, one of her backup dancers. Federline was not an available man, as his girlfriend, Shar Jackson, was pregnant with their second child when he hooked up with Spears. Word of this news opened the paparazzi floodgates. Despite the controversy over the Spears/Federline relationship, the two were married in September 2004. Spears and Federline immediately started a family. In 2005, the Federlines created their own reality show, “Britney and Kevin: Chaotic.” The show was not a hit at all. In September 2005, the couple welcomed their first son, Sean Preston.
Spears found herself in a heap of trouble immediately after the birth of her son when photos surfaced of her driving down a street with her infant son in her lap. Spears eventually apologized for the incident; she claimed she was in a rush to elude the paparazzi. In September 2006, Spears and Federline welcome their second child, a son, Jayden James. Oddly, two months after Jayden’s birth, Spears filed for divorce. After the separation, Spears was photographed partying with Paris Hilton, and she reportedly checked in and out of rehab. Things got bizarre for Spears in February 2007 when she shaved her head in a California beauty salon and was seen getting a tattoo on her neck. After that episode, Spears spent time in a treatment center.
In the summer of 2007, Federline and Spears were involved in an ongoing custody battle for the boys. During this time, Spears returned to music when she released “Gimme More,” the first release from her fifth solo outing, “Blackout.” She performed the song on the MTV Video Music Awards in 2007, but the performance – billed as Spears’ comeback – was lackluster. According to media critics, Spears’ lip synching was off and it seemed as if she could not remember her dance moves. Despite the disorganization surrounding the performance, it became one of Spears’ top sellers.
Just when it seemed Spears was on her way back, she suffered another collapse. In 2008, the singer was taken to the hospital for psychiatric treatment when she refused to return her sons to Federline for his court-mandate custody visit. Media clips showed Spears babbling on the stretcher, as if she was drunk, high, or just mentally out of it. Because of Spears’ troubles, Federline eventually gained full custody of Sean and Jayden.
Present progress
As Spears inches toward her 30th birthday, the attention is on Spears’ music and not so much on her private life.
In 2008, one year after her public bout with psychological problems, Spears made a musical comeback. She released “Circus,” and her sixth CD was praised by critics and fans alike. Her most recent controversial event happened with the song “If U Seek Amy.” The song includes a hidden use of the word “f***.” In 2009, the Parents Television Council threatened to file an indecency complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about the song. The PTC contended that it is inappropriate for derogatory for comments to appear of airwaves. The matter led to Jive Records recording an edited version of the song. Spears also made a memorable appearance on the popular show “How I Met Your Mother.”
In March 2011, the star released “Femme Fatale” and embarked on an American tour to promote the album. “Femme Fatale” marked Spears’ last release with Jive Records. The company closed its doors in October 2011.
Spears’ influence on the music industry earned her the MTV Video Vanguard Award in August 2011. Lady Gaga presented the singer with the award. In its presentation, Gaga said the industry would not be the same without Spears.
