ETHAN LAUG
BRITNEY SPEARS
Named princess of pop, Britney Jean Spears has been relevant for 17 years being known as a international super star and loved artist. Britney has become one the most successful female artists to ever live and has remained iconic.
Born in the true south of McComb, Louisiana, just a few miles south Britney Spears was raised in Kentwood, Louisiana. Being a happy child, britney enjoyed performing in front of people at a very young age, she entered pageants and talent. Once she turned 8 years old, she ventured into acting and singing. A new children's television show called, The Mickey Mouse Club. Britney would star with other soon to be celebrities like Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Ryan Gosling. For a few episodes, the show was successful but the show soon ended and Spears went back to Louisiana. She moved to New York City for the backup role of a broadway show yet returned home after a few months. The following years as she became a teenager, she discovered her singing talent. In 1998, the first song, Baby One More Time, launched Britney for being a teenage pop sensation. The idea of the innocent school girl portrayed in the music video, Baby One More Time, many men were attracted to that look. With the popularity of her hit single, Her song went straight to the Billboard 100 Charts for months. On January 19, 1999, Britney’s first studio album was produced debuting in the top spot. . . . Baby One More Time delivered further hits in "Sometimes" (Number 21, 1999), "(You Drive Me) Crazy" (Number 10, 1999) and "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" (Number 14, 2000). (Rolling Stone. ND) She later signing with JIVE Records to work on her next project. Summertime came and Spears kicked off her first tour, Baby One More Time Tour ending in September. Starting off the new century, Britney released another hit, Oops!...I Did It Again, along with her second studio album of May 2000, Oops!...I Did It Again. Another successful hit being on the Billboard 100 Charts for weeks, following her second nationwide tour, Oops!...I Did It Again Tour of June 2000. With the success of her last two albums, Spears began working on her 3rd studio album, “Britney”, released in 2001. Throwing away her innocent personality, “Britney”, promoted a different side of Spears, “Britney belabors the obvious: Spears is one month away from entering her twenties and clearly needs to grow up if she's going to bring her fans along.” (Walters. 2001.) It showed how Spears was growing up and wanted to let the public know this is the new provocative personality. From “I’m A Slave 4 U” to “Boys” Britney’s new side prompted a sexual and, naughty behavior. People viewed as inappropriate but others view it as a way of expression. The famous 2001 MTV VMA’s Performance, Spears performed I’m A Slave 4 U, dancing with the yellow snake and promoting dangerous acts. Making it iconic. 2002, Spears worked her up to the Forbes’ Celebrity 100, beginning her first movie “Crossroads”, Later breaking off the relationship with Justin Timberlake. 2003 was the year of performing and also working, Spears made headlines about the 2003 MTV VMA’s performance with madonna. The famous live kiss that shocked the whole crowd yet got everyone excited. That next year Spears began working on her fourth studio album, “In The Zone”. Britney would be the first female artist to have her first four studio albums debut at number one. Another successful album, another scandal. In 2003 New year's, Spears married a childhood friend Jason Alexander eloping to Las Vegas. This marriage lasted for 55 hours making it one the quickest celebrity divorces. This triggered the starting point of the meltdown. Beginning of 2004, getting back lash from the press of her stunt marriage. Spears continued to perform her “The Onyx Hotel Tour” around the country, yet soon to be canceled from injuring herself in a music video for “Overprotected”. With new love in her life, Kevin Federline; a backup dancer, were first seen in a Los Angeles club and announced that they were dating. For the next few weeks they document their lives through home video style on a reality TV show premiered on MTV called “Britney & Kevin: Chaotic.” Through the wild adventures of the show, a few months later the couple announced their engagement. The couple were married that fall of 2004 and Spears announced that she would be taking a break from her career to start a family. Living the married life, 2005 was mainly about the birth of Britney and Kevin’s first child, Sean Preston Federline. After 2005, the year of 2006 came around and it was the beginning of a disaster. Home troubles were growing between the couple, and the tabloids made the situation worse. At this time we were entering the phase of “Britney is a Bad Mom” where numerous photos were shot of her being a bad example to her kids. One of the photographs that made her look the worse, Spears was photograph driving in Malibu with her son Sean in her lap. Critics and tabloids blasted her with horrible cover stories and titles, Spears replied saying the paparazzi was at fault, getting in her way. Still pushing through by ignoring the tabloids, some positive events in 2006 including, a guest star appearance on the NBC show “Will & Grace”. Spears did a nude risque pregnant photo shoot for Harper's Bazaar and Later that year she gave birth to her second child Jayden James Federline. The real low of 2006 was filing the divorce of kevin Federline of November 7, 2006. The year of 2007 was the most interesting and quite depressing for Britney Spears. Dealing with in the death family resulted her entering a rehab center in Antigua. She stayed in treatment overnight and the next night, the infamous shaving of the head and attacking of paparazzi with an umbrella in Tarzana. That morning pictures everywhere showed what bald Spears had become. Fighting a messy divorce with Kevin, Spears let loose by going out She had a party crew, She was seen clubbing with other celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Magazine covers surfaced for a few weeks of allegations of doing drugs and alcohol abuse, critics worried about the safety of her kids. For weeks Spears visited rehabilitations centers and seeked medical attention. In October, Spears hit a low point when months of fighting for custody for her two children, trying to fix herself and dealing with the public eye hit a final blow. The same month Spears released her fifth studio album, “Blackout”, a dance themed album tied to a dreadful performance of “Gimme More” at 2007 MTV VMAs. The performance was supposed to a come back to the industry but the performance slumped and she looked weak and confused. Starting weak in 2008, A final event in January that crippled Spears was getting her visitation rights towards her children were suspended. Later was admitted in UCLA Hospital for psychiatric care and was released February 2. Spears featured as a guest star in “How I Met Your Mother”, having high ratings for that episode. Spears attended the 2008 MTV VMA’s she won awards for “At that 2008’s VMAs she won Best Female Video, Best Pop Video, and Video Of The Year for “Piece of Me” (Carolina Stanley. 2010). In the those few months from releasing “Blackout”, Spears brought more music in December, Spears released “Circus”. Spears finally had a come back and it was better than ever. From being vulnerable to back on her feet, 2009 saw the four hit singles from the album “Circus”, most popular “Womanizer”, “Circus” and “If You Seek Amy”. In March of 2009 Britney made almost 132 million on the Circus Tour and put on the Guinness World Record for the first female artist to have five albums on the Billboard charts. With growth of sales from her last two albums, 2010, Spears was see dating Jason Trawick a previous co manager for her. Spears appeared on shows such as Glee and started working on her seventh studio album to be released in 2011. March of 2011, Spears released her seventh studio album, “Femme Fatale”. The lead singles to the album were, “Hold it Against Me”, “I Wanna Go”, “Till The World Ends” and “Criminal” all making their way up the Billboard charts. Later in June, Britney started the Femme Fatale Tour hitting 79 cities around the world making more than $130 million in sales. In August, Spears received the 2011 MTV Video Vanguard Award at the 2011 MTV VMAs, In December Spears was engaged to boyfriend Jason Trawick yet to canceled after a few months. In December 2012, Spears began working on her eighth studio album, the album, “Britney Jean”, touch bases of her most personal album with hits such as, “Work BItch, “Perfume” and “Alien”. The album released in December 2013, received slumped sales and poor promoting, yet critics favored the album. As for other areas, While working on her eighth album, Spears made a song “Ooh La La” collabed with the film The Smurfs 2 set to come out June 2013. A few months later in September, Spears announced on Good Morning America, she would host a two year residency tour at The AXIS Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, named Britney: Piece Of Me, the tour would begin in begin December 2013. For 2015, Spears announced she would be working on her ninth album while continuing to stay her residency in Vegas. 2016, Spears has released her ninth studio album, “Glory”, with hits such as, “Make Me”, “Private Show”, Slumber Party” and “Do You Want To Come Over?” Critics gave Glory exceptional praise say one of her best since In The Zone (2004). Spears returned to the 2016 MTV VMAs stage to perform her new single “Make Me” with G Eazy to get positive comments for her work. As far for 2017, Britney Spears announced her last year of her residency in Las Vegas and would end her tour. Britney Spears has been a icon for almost two and half decades, her music and personality define who she is as a person. Speaking from others, she has been an inspiration for teens and adults and a role model for her fans. Britney continues to impress the world with her actions and motives to better herself. |
BACKLASH
Britney Spears was the tabloid queen of 2006 and 2007, so many scandals associated with her from losing custody from her shaving her head. Before that, she sent a message to the paparazzi through song. “Piece Of Me”, a punch to the tabloids to show not to mess with her. For example it says. “ I'm Mrs. 'You want a piece of me?' Tryin' and pissin' me off Well get in line with the paparazzi Who's flippin' me off Hopin' I'll resort to some havoc” This shows how the public eye and tabloids like to see Britney at her worse yet she's pushing back and making a comeback.
A TALK WITH BRITNEY
Question #1: How was childhood like for you?
Answer: My childhood was very happy, my parents always pushed me to follow my talents. Question #2: When you’re not performing, what are you doing? Answer: I’m at home, drinking tea, and working in my art room. Question #3: When you are performing, what are you thinking at the moment? Answer: To not mess up, it sounds silly but i don’t like messing up on a performance. Question #4: What is your favorite dance routine when performing? Answer: I really like performing toxic, It usually gets everybody on their feet dancing. Question #5: What is your favorite vacation spot? Answer: Definitely the beach! Question #6: How long do you usually rehearse before performing? Answer: At least 2 hours Question #7: What is your favorite food to eat? Answer: Cheese Grits, it sounds nasty but it’s very delicious! Question #8: What has been your favorite album? Answer: I would have to say The Femme Fatale album, i loved working with Will.I.AM. Question #9: Are you happy? Answer: I am so happy with my life right now, i love my kids and the people in my life are awesome. Question #10: What is your aspiration in life? Answer: To be happy living with my kids on a private island. |
Sources
"Britney Spears." Rolling Stone. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2017.
"Britney Spears." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017. Web. 31 May 2017.
"Britney Spears: A Visual Timeline." Flavorwire. N.p., 24 Sept. 2010. Web. 31 May 2017.
"Britney Spears." Rolling Stone. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2017.
"Britney Spears." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017. Web. 31 May 2017.
"Britney Spears: A Visual Timeline." Flavorwire. N.p., 24 Sept. 2010. Web. 31 May 2017.