1998–2000: Early commercial success
See also: ...Baby One More Time and Oops!... I Did It Again
Spears' debut single "...Baby One More Time," released in the fourth quarter of 1998, became an instant international success, earning nine million sales worldwide. The provocative music video accompanying the song featured Spears dressed suggestively in a Catholic schoolgirl uniform..[20] The album of the same title was released in January 1999 and reached number one on the Billboard 200[21], although it received mixed reviews. All Music Guide gave it 4 out of 5 stars, while Rolling Stone gave it 2 out of 5, noting that, "While several Cherion-crafted kiddie-funk jams serve up beefy hooks, shameless schlock slowies, like 'E-Mail My Heart,' are pure spam."[22][23] Rolling Stone later featured Spears on their April 1999 cover in a photo shoot that triggered speculation the seventeen-year-old had breast implants.[24] The success of Spears' music coupled with her controversial image made her one of the year's biggest stars. In December 1999, she won four Billboard Music Awards, including Female Artist of the Year. A month later, she took home the Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist award at the American Music Awards.[25] At the 2000 Grammy Awards, Spears received two nominations in the categories of Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for ...Baby One More Time, but lost to Christina Aguilera and Sarah McLachlan respectively.[26]
Following the success of her debut album, Spears released Oops!... I Did It Again, which debuted at number one in the U.S., selling 1,319,193 units during its first week of sales, the record for any female artist..[27] Concerning both musical content and sales, the album was very similar to Spears’ debut, although it fared better with critics.[28] The album’s lead single, "Oops!... I Did It Again," broke the record for most radio station additions in a single day and quickly became a top ten hit in the U.S. and other countries.[29] 2000 also saw Spears launch her first world tour, the Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour. During the tour, she made a stop in New York for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. As part of her performance, she ripped off a black suit to reveal a provocative nude-colored and crystal-adorned outfit that generated much controversy.[30] She finished the year with two more Billboard Music Awards[31] and two Grammy nominations for Oops!... I Did It Again in the categories of Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.[32]
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Childhood and discovery
Britney Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi,[10][11] and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana as a Southern Baptist. Her parents are James Parnell Spears, a building contractor, and Lynne Irene Bridges, a former grade school teacher. Spears' brother Bryan works as a manager for the Spears family interests[12] and her sister Jamie Lynn is an actress and singer. Her maternal grandmother Lillian Woolmore was an English war-bride[13] who met Spears' grandfather Barnett O'Field Bridges in England during World War II. Her paternal grandparents were June Austin Spears and Emma Jean Forbes.[14][13]
Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age nine and competing in state-level competitions.[15] She performed in local dance revues and her local Baptist church choir. At age eight she auditioned for the Disney Channel series The New Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer on the show introduced her to a New York City agent.[15] Spears subsequently spent three summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions, including 1991's Ruthless!. In 1992, she landed a spot on the popular television show Star Search. Though she won her first round in the competition, she ultimately lost. At age eleven, Spears returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on the New Mickey Mouse Club in Lakeland, Florida, and was accepted.[15]
Spears was featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, until she was thirteen. Other future celebrities on the show included fellow pop singer Christina Aguilera, 'N Sync members Justin Timberlake and Joshua Chasez, Felicity actress Keri Russell, and The Notebook star Ryan Gosling.[16] After the show ended, Spears returned to Kentwood and entered high school for a year.[17]
In 1997, Spears briefly joined the all-female pop group Innosense.[18] Later that same year, she decided to go solo. After recording a demo, she was signed by Jive Records.[15] She began touring American venues for a series of concerts sponsored by American teen magazines, and eventually became an opening act for 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.[19]
Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age nine and competing in state-level competitions.[15] She performed in local dance revues and her local Baptist church choir. At age eight she auditioned for the Disney Channel series The New Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer on the show introduced her to a New York City agent.[15] Spears subsequently spent three summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions, including 1991's Ruthless!. In 1992, she landed a spot on the popular television show Star Search. Though she won her first round in the competition, she ultimately lost. At age eleven, Spears returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on the New Mickey Mouse Club in Lakeland, Florida, and was accepted.[15]
Spears was featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, until she was thirteen. Other future celebrities on the show included fellow pop singer Christina Aguilera, 'N Sync members Justin Timberlake and Joshua Chasez, Felicity actress Keri Russell, and The Notebook star Ryan Gosling.[16] After the show ended, Spears returned to Kentwood and entered high school for a year.[17]
In 1997, Spears briefly joined the all-female pop group Innosense.[18] Later that same year, she decided to go solo. After recording a demo, she was signed by Jive Records.[15] She began touring American venues for a series of concerts sponsored by American teen magazines, and eventually became an opening act for 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.[19]
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981, McComb, Mississippi) is an American pop music singer, songwriter, and dancer. Spears has sold over seventy-six million albums worldwide according to Time magazine.[1] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ranks her as the eighth best-selling female artist in American music history, having sold thirty-one million albums in the U.S.[2]
Spears is best known for her studio albums, music videos, and songs such as "...Baby One More Time", "Oops!...I Did It Again", "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Toxic", for which she won a Grammy Award.[3] In January 1999, Britney released her first studio album ...Baby One More Time, followed closely by the 2000 studio album Oops!... I Did It Again. Her third album Britney was released in November 2001, followed by a fourth album In The Zone in November 2003. The collection Greatest Hits: My Prerogative was released in November 2004.
Spears' fame in the music industry has led her to experiment with other forms of media, including film and reality television. She is most noted for her starring role in the 2002 movie Crossroads.[4] Spears has also made guest appearances in various other movies and television programs. Her success as a singer led her to several high-profile advertising deals and endorsements.
Spears' marriage to back-up dancer Kevin Federline and the birth of her two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, put her music career on hold.[5][6] The couple's divorce in late 2006 was highly publicized and followed by a legal battle for custody of Sean and Jayden.[7][8][9]
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