Britney Spears – photo credit artists Facebook page
Britney Spears is a pop superstar and cultural icon who has had a rollercoaster ride of a career, so Getintothis’ Steph Niciu takes a look at her top ten career- defining moments.
This writer has been a fan of Britney Spears since the beginning. She remembers clutching her …Baby One More Time cassette with such joy and pride, dancing to Toxic in her kitchen, and as for seeing her live for the first time, it was incredible and a moment she will remember forever.
Britney‘s songs have become classics, and her public image and influence on popular culture continues to fascinate us. Born in McComb, Mississippi, on December 2 1981 and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, she shot to fame as a member of The Mickey Mouse Club alongside Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. She released her first album in 1999 and, unlike many pop artists, is still here today.
Revisit our previous Top 10’s featuring The Cure, Joy Division and more here
Britney‘s had an eventful career to say the least and from her rise to fame, relationship dramas and her public breakdown in 2007, but she has managed to stay resilient.
So without further a do, let’s check out some of her most career defining moments.
10: Piece Of Me
After her Femme Fatale tour, Britney released her eighth studio album, and she made one of her most boldest moves yet. In 2013 she announced her Las Vegas residency aptly named Britney: Piece of Me. It features all of her most popular hits and has been extended until 2017. The show has been credited for shaking up the Las Vegas strip, and attracting younger audiences. Since Piece of Me, stars such as JLo and Mariah Carey have followed suit with their residencies.
9: Hold It Against Me
When she released Femme Fatale, Britney decided to add another string to her bow and she became a judge on The X Factor USA. She helped crush the dreams of many Americans, but also mentored her group (the girls) to some degree of success in the competition. But it was her judging style and reactions that got everyone’s attention, helping her to become one of the most memorable judges in the show’s history.
8: Circus
After her very public breakdown in 2007, Britney came back, a year later, in a big way. It was her second single, Circus, that sent out a clear message to everyone, she was back and here to stay. She told us: ‘I’m like a ringleader, I call the shots/ I’m like a firecracker, I make it hot.‘ The lyrics and video were full confidence. The sparkle in her eyes was there again. She embarked on a world tour, The Circus Starring Britney Spears, and it was ranked as the fifth highest grossing tour, worldwide, of 2009.
7: Gimme More
Gimme More became one of Britney’s stand-outs on her sixth album Blackout. The video was directed by Jake Safarty at a warehouse in downtown LA, and the song gave us a new catchphrase, ‘It’s Britney, bitch’, which she uses to this day.
6: My Prerogative
Britney put out a greatest hits album at the ripe old age of 23. It featured a cover of Bobbi Brown‘s My Prerogative. The video caused a stir because we see Britney getting ‘married’ to Kevin Federline, her former backing dancer. In real life they wed soon after the song’s release. Their relationship didn’t end well, but something good did manage to come out of it. What are we talking about? The documentary Britney & Kevin: Chaotic, obvs.
5: Everytime
When Britney wasn’t making headlines with her music and controversial on-stage performances, she was doing it with her relationships. Britney and Justin Timberlake were the ultimate pop power couple of 1990s. People just couldn’t get enough of them. They were sooo cute together. Remember when they dressed up in matching double denim? True love, guys. True love. But it wasn’t to last. After three years of dating, they spilt up. Timberlake released Cry Me a River, in which he accused her of cheating. And Spears responded with Everytime, which critics claimed was a response to him, mainly because of such lyrics as ‘I may have made it rain/ Please forgive me/ My weakness caused you pain/ And this song’s my sorry.’
4: Me Against The Music ft. Madonna
Britney has forged a strong friendship with Madonna over the years. They’ve collaborated, performed on stage together, and Madge even got her into Kabbalah. One of their most memorable performances was when Britney joined Madonna and Christina Aguilera to sing Like a Virgin at the 2003 VMAs. Britney and Christina were both dressed as brides as Madonna gave them a snog. The crowd went wild, and the moment went down in music history.
3: Overprotected
Britney made her acting debut in the film Crossroads in 2002. She played the character of Lucy. The plot wasn’t great, in all honesty. Three friends go on a road trip to open a ‘wish box’ that they buried as young kids. It wasn’t received well by critics and got Spears nominated for Worst Actress at the Golden Raspberry Awards. But all was not lost because the soundtrack featured Overprotected. It’s still a great example of the way Spears uses her music to comment on her public life.
2: I’m A Slave 4 U
When Spears released her third album, Britney, she wanted a more mature sound. She wanted to break away from the bubblegum pop feel of her early releases. So what did she do? Collaborate with The Neptunes, obvs. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo wrote and produced this hit and suddenly we saw Spears in a whole new light. The video had her dancing in a sauna with her thong over her pants. She was covered in sweat. But it was her 2001 MTV VMA performance that really got people hot under the collar. The barely there outfit. The python. Suddenly, everyone was like, ‘I NEED TO TAKE A COLD SHOWER. NOW.’ PETA got dead angry. But we bet Britney was all like, ‘Sorry, not sorry.‘
1: Baby One More Time
Britney‘s debut was perfection. Written and produced by Max Martin, it launched Spears into the pop stratosphere and helped to establish her as the icon that we know and love. The song won her a Grammy nomination and since its release has become an important part of pop culture. Of course, the video helped with that enormously. It was voted the best video of 1990s by Billboard. Britney in school uniform. Nuff said.
So, there we have it. Britney is quite simply an icon and all round entertainer whose songs and performances have made a valuable contribution to pop culture, the school uniform, the I’m a Slave 4U performance and Las Vegas residency are just some of the things we can thank her for.Ta, Brit.
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