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She's the last superstar of the 90's, at the same time this video was a cultural reset that marked a new era in music, choreography, fashion. She is an icon and we should be grateful she's still with us after all she's been through.

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Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time (Official Video)

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Britney Spears: Being a Mouseketeer with Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake Was a 'Kid's Dream' (Exclusive)

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Britney Spears: Being a Mouseketeer with Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake Was a 'Kid's Dream' (Exclusive)

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Getting cast on The Mickey Mouse Club changed Britney Spears' life at age 11.

In her upcoming memoir The Woman in Me, the pop superstar, now 41, looks back on her time working alongside fellow stars-to-be like Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake on the Disney Channel variety program.

"Being in the show was boot camp for the entertainment industry: extensive dance rehearsals, singing lessons, acting classes, time in the recording studio, and school in between," writes Spears of the experience in the book.

"The Mouseketeers quickly split into our own cliques, divided by the dressing rooms that we shared: Christina Aguilera and I were the younger kids, and we shared a dressing room. We looked up to the older kids - Keri Russell, Ryan Gosling, and Tony Lucca, who I thought was so handsome," she writes in the book. "And I quickly connected with a boy named Justin Timberlake."

Spears adds in the book that working on The Mickey Mouse Club "was honestly a kid's dream - unbelievably fun, particularly for a kid like me. But it was also exceptionally hard work: we would run choreography thirty times in a day, trying to get every step perfect."

She recalls the cast's time off-set, writing in the memoir, "[Once] at a sleepover, we played Truth or Dare, and someone dared Justin to kiss me. A Janet Jackson song was playing in the background as he leaned in and kissed me."

"When the show ended a year and a half later ... I decided to go back to Kentwood," writes Spears of her Louisiana hometown in the book. "Already within me was a push-pull: part of me wanted to keep building toward the dream; the other part wanted me to live a normal life in Louisiana. For a minute, I had to let normalcy win."

Spears starred on The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 through 1994. The series became a launchpad for young performers, as the "Toxic" singer and many of her castmates went on to become massive superstars.

The Woman in Me finds Spears detailing her journey from young starlet to mega pop star as well as her past relationships and "soul-crushing" experience under a conservatorship from 2008 through 2021.

"Over the past 15 years or even at the start of my career, I sat back while people spoke about me and told my story for me," she tells PEOPLE via email in a new cover story interview. "After getting out of my conservatorship, I was finally free to tell my story without consequences from the people in charge of my life."

Spears' much-anticipated memoir The Woman in Me is set for an Oct. 24 release through Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

For an exclusive excerpt and interview with Britney Spears, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.

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Britney Spears: Being a Mouseketeer with Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake Was a 'Kid's Dream' (Exclusive)

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In an excerpt from her memoir 'The Woman in Me,' Britney Spears opens up about her time being a Mouseketeer alongside Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling and Justin Timberlake.

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Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake: A Timeline of Their Ups and Downs

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Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake: A Timeline of Their Ups and Downs

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Bei/Shutterstock

Alexa, play "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake - and then, cue up "Everytime" by Britney Spears.

Timberlake and Spears called it quits two decades ago, but fans are still invested in their rocky romance. The former boy bander and pop princess met in the early '90s while filming The Mickey Mouse Club. In 1999, as their careers skyrocketed, Timberlake and Spears confirmed that they were dating.

"With him, it's still the same as I felt two years ago. But it is a deeper love now than when I was younger," Spears gushed to The Observer in 2001. "Like, we've gone through so much together and we've known each other since we were 12 years old. We know each other inside and out."

While the twosome often gushed about each other - and infamously rocked matching denim outfits at the 2001 American Music Awards - their relationship came to an end in early 2002. Their split quickly turned messy after Timberlake released his song, "Cry Me a River," and opened up about their relationship to Barbara Walters.

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"Sure," Timberlake sarcastically replied during the 20/20 interview when asked whether Spears, who previously said she planned to wait to have sex until marriage, still had "good morals."

Scroll through for a timeline of Spears and Timberlake's ups and downs:

Alexa, play "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake - and then, cue up "Everytime" by Britney Spears. Timberlake and Spears called it quits two decades ago, but fans are still invested in their rocky romance. The former boy bander and pop princess met in the early '90s while filming The Mickey Mouse Club. In 1999, as their careers skyrocketed, Timberlake and Spears confirmed that they were dating. "With him, it's still the same as I felt two years ago. But it is a deeper love now than when I was younger," Spears gushed to The Observer in 2001. "Like, we've gone through so much together and we've known each other since we were 12 years old. We know each other inside and out." While the twosome often gushed about each other - and infamously rocked matching denim outfits at the 2001 American Music Awards - their relationship came to an end in early 2002. Their split quickly turned messy after Timberlake released his song, "Cry Me a River," and opened up about their relationship to Barbara Walters. "Sure," Timberlake sarcastically replied during the 20/20 interview when asked whether Spears, who previously said she planned to wait to have sex until marriage, still had "good morals." Scroll through for a timeline of Spears and Timberlake's ups and downs:

Spears and Timberlake were joined by Ryan Gosling, Christina Aguilera, Keri Russell and his future 'NSync band member JC Chasez as cast members on T he All-New Mickey Mouse Club in the early '90s.

"I was in love with her from the start," he told GQ magazine in 2006. "I was infatuated with her from the moment I saw her."

The twosome went public with their romance in 1999.

Timberlake and Spears split in 2002 and reports subsequently surfaced that she was unfaithful to him.

When asked about cheating rumors by Walters at the time, Timberlake said, "We're not perfect. I don't judge anybody. It's just young love. It's just young love. It was a very intense relationship, that's for sure."

During the same interview, Timberlake performed a song called "Horrible Woman," which included the lyrics "So, you had your chance to be my lover / I guess you needed something more undercover / And you know that ain't cool / So let's skip the drama, call your momma."

Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" music video featured a Spears look-alike and recreated their split.

"I've been scorned. I've been pissed off. I wrote 'Cry Me a River' in two hours. I didn't plan on writing it," he recalled in his 2018 book, Hindsight: & All the Things I Can't See in Front of Me, about the breakup track. "The feelings I had were so strong that I had to write it, and I translated my feelings into a form where people could listen and, hopefully, relate to it. People heard me and they understood it because we've all been there."

It's been long speculated by fans that Spears wrote "Everytime" about Timberlake. "And every time I try to fly, I fall / Without my wings, I feel so small / I guess I need you, baby," she sings. "And every time / I see you in my dreams / I see your face, you're haunting me / I guess I need you, baby."

Spears got visibly emotional while being questioned by Diana Sawyer regarding the split from Timberlake in 2003.

"You did something that caused him so much pain ... so much suffering. What did you do?" Sawyer asked in the interview, which has come under fire after the release of 2021's "Framing Britney Spears."​​​

"I was upset for a while. We both are really young and it was kind of waiting to happen. I will always love him ... he is such a great person," she replied.

When asked if she "betrayed" the relationship, Spears, who admitted she was shocked by the "Cry Me a River" video, replied, "I'm not technically saying he's wrong, but I'm not technically saying he's right either."

"When we initially parted ways, I felt like she had a couple of opportunities to just sort of stick up for me, and she didn't, which is fine. But at that time, you know, I fought back," Timberlake told GQ in 2006.

Timberlake was often asked about Spears over the years, telling Vanity Fair in 2011 that they hadn't spoken in "nine or ten years."

"We were two birds of the feather - small-town kids, doing the same thing," he told the magazine. "But then you become adults and the way you were as kids doesn't make any sense. I won't speak on her, but at least for me, I was a totally different person. I just don't think we were normal; there was nothing normal about our existence."

Before performing "Cry Me a River" in 2013, Timberlake told the crowd, "Sometimes in life, you think you found The One. But then one day you find out that she is just some bitch."

He denied that he was speaking about Spears via Twitter at the time, tweeting, "OK. I see you. Wouldn't disrespect ANYONE personally. Ever. #Relax #ItsBritneyBitch I do love that saying though *with accent* #Respect."

Spears has been caught dancing to Timberlake's music more than once over the years. In April 2020, she got ahead of the social media frenzy when she addressed their public split while dancing to his track "Filthy."

"PS I know we had one of the world's biggest breakups 20 years ago ...... but hey the man is a genius," she captioned the video. "Great song JT ✨ !!!! Pssss if you KNOW WHAT'S GOOD 😜 !!!!!!"

Timberlake replied with a series of emojis, "😂 🙌 🙌 🙌."

The Tennessee native, who married Jessica Biel in 2012, apologized to Spears - and Janet Jackson for the infamous 2004 Super Bowl incident - via Instagram after "Framing Britney Spears"​​​ dropped.

"I've seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism," he wrote in February 2021. "I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed I also feel compelled to respond, in part, because everyone involved deserves better and most importantly, because this is a larger conversation that I wholeheartedly want to be part of and grow from."

After acknowledging that he was a man in a "privileged position" of power, Timberlake concluded, "I know this apology is a first step and doesn't absolve the past. I want to take accountability for my own missteps in all of this as well as be part of a world that uplifts and supports. I care deeply about the wellbeing of the people I love and have loved. I can do better and I will do better."

Timberlake showed his support for Spears after she spoke out about her conservatorship for the first time in a June court hearing. "After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time," he tweeted. "Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was ... what's happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body. No one should EVER be held against their will ... or ever have to ask permission to access everything they've worked so hard for."

The actor concluded, "Jess and I send our love, and our absolute support to Britney during this time. We hope the courts, and her family make this right and let her live however she wants to live."

The "Circus" singer took to social media to reminisce about playing basketball alongside her old flame during a charity event.

"When we used to shoot hoops TOGETHER ... that's when miracles happened ✨ !!!" Spears captioned an Instagram post that featured photos of herself and Timberlake at the Challenge for the Children event in 2001. "I came out of my mom's stomach just like we all did !!! Psss ... why always cast me out ??? I'm equal as all !!!"

In an early excerpt from Spears' memoir, The Woman in Me, the singer recalled having an abortion during her relationship with Timberlake.

"It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn't a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I'd anticipated," Spears wrote. "But Justin definitely wasn't happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren't ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young."

Spears shared she decided to ultimately terminate the pregnancy because Timberlake wasn't ready to be a father, but if it was solely up to her she "never would have done it."

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Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake: A Timeline of Their Ups and Downs

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Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake weren't on good terms after their 2002 breakup - a timeline of their ups and downs

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Britney Spears says Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me a River' video 'shattered' her: 'It wasn't like that'

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Britney Spears says Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me a River' video 'shattered' her: 'It wasn't like that'

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The bridges have been burned, and now it's Justin Timberlake's turn to cry a river.

In Britney Spears' new tell-all memoir, The Woman In Me (out now), the pop star is finally setting the record straight on how Timberlake's "Cry Me a River" music video veered from the truth of their infamous relationship. The 2002 hit song's music video features a woman who looks eerily similar to Spears cheating on Timberlake, while he walks around heartbroken in the rain singing about her infidelity. Timberlake confirmed about a decade later that his breakup with Spears inspired the track, but now Spears is telling her side of the story - specifically that it was Timberlake who cheated on her multiple times and broke up with her via text, which sent her into a depressive state from which she didn't heal for a long time.

"In the news media, I was described as a harlot who'd broken the heart of America's golden boy," Spears writes. "The truth: I was comatose in Louisiana, and he was happily running around Hollywood. May I just say that on his explosive album and in all the press that surrounded it, Justin neglected to mention the several times he'd cheated on me? There's always more leeway in Hollywood for men than for women. And I see how men are encouraged to talk trash about women in order to become famous and powerful. But I was shattered."

Spears shares that she understood how "the thought of my betraying him gave the album more angst, gave it a purpose: s----talking about an unfaithful woman ... The only problem with the narrative was that, in our case, it wasn't like that."

Watching the world celebrate and feel "very sorry for" Timberlake while shaming her made their breakup even more difficult for her. "I felt there was no way at the time to tell my side of the story," she says. "I couldn't explain, because I knew no one would take my side once Justin had convinced the world of his version. I don't think Justin realized the power he had in shaming me. I don't think he understands to this day."

After "Cry Me a River" came out, Spears remembers getting booed everywhere she went, including a Lakers game with her family where "the whole arena" booed her.

Earlier in the book, Spears claims that Timberlake had been unfaithful while they were together. "There were a couple times during our relationship when I knew Justin had cheated on me," she says. "Especially because I was so infatuated and so in love, I let it go, even though the tabloids seemed determined to rub my face in it. When NSYNC went to London in 2000, photographers caught him with one of the girls from All Saints in a car. But I never said anything. At the time we'd only been together for a year."

She also remembers how one of her dancers "who'd been hanging out with him" told her about Timberlake bragging about hooking up with another woman. "He'd gestured toward a girl and said, 'Yeah, man, I hit that last night,'" Spears says the dancer told her. "I don't want to say who he was talking about because she's actually very popular and she's married with kids now. I don't want her to feel bad."

Spears adds that her friend "was shocked and believed Justin was only saying it because he was high and felt like bragging. There were rumors about him with various dancers and groupies. I let it all go, but clearly, he'd slept around."

She says that's why she ultimately cheated on Timberlake one time as a result of his infidelity but told him the truth as soon as it happened. She admits that she made out "one time" with her choreographer Wade Robson during a night out when they went dancing together. "I was loyal to Justin for years, only had eyes for him with that once exception, which I admitted to him," Spears says. "That night was chalked up to something that will happen when you're as young as we were, and Justin and I moved past it and stayed together. I thought we were going to be together forever. I hoped we would be."

After Timberlake broke up with her via text, Spears says she heard he was sleeping around. "Justin ended up sleeping with six or seven girls in the weeks after we officially broke up - or so I heard," she says. "Hey, I get it, he was Justin Timberlake."

In an early excerpt from her book that PEOPLE debuted exclusively last week, Spears revealed that she became pregnant with Timberlake's baby but had an abortion because he wasn't ready to become a father. The pregnancy "was a surprise, but for me, it wasn't a tragedy," Spears says. "I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I'd anticipated ... Justin definitely wasn't happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren't ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young."

Spears and Timberlake were in their late teens and early 20s when they dated from 1999 until 2002. "If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it," Spears says of the procedure. "And yet Justin was so sure that he didn't want to be a father." She goes on to describe the at-home abortion experience as "one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life."

Spears would go on to welcome sons Sean, 18, and Jayden, 17, with her ex-husband Kevin Federline. Timberlake, who married actress Jessica Biel in 2012, is father to sons Silas, 8, and Phineas, 2.

Related content:

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Britney Spears says Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me a River' video 'shattered' her

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In her new tell-all memoir 'The Woman In Me,' Britney Spears says Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me a River' music video 'shattered' her, because the way she was depicted as cheating on him and breaking his heart wasn't true.

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...Baby One More Time Is The Debut Single No One Has Been Able To Top, Even After More Than 25 Years

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...Baby One More Time Is The Debut Single No One Has Been Able To Top, Even After More Than 25 Years

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By 1998, if you were going to make a splash with your debut single, you’d better have a music video to match it, and it’s almost impossible to separate ...Baby One More Time from its accompanying music video, which saw a pig-tailed Britney dancing around the school formerly known as Rydell High, dozing off in a lesson and leading a full dance routine in a basketball gym.

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There are certain songs that are so omnipresent, so ingrained in our memories, so synonymous with popular culture, that their technical brilliance is, sadly, often overlooked.

Within her back catalogue, Britney Spears has plenty of these. When was the last time you really appreciated those strings in Toxic? The many layers there are to Womanizer? Or just how ingenious that iconic "It's Britney, bitch" at the opening of Gimme More really is?

But the song that's most cemented in our collective consciousness, impressively, is also her debut ...Baby One More Time.

As a first single ...Baby One More Time is an absolute triumph, and I struggle to think of any other artist who's made such a huge impact with their first musical offering and, crucially, then been able to sustain a successful pop career afterwards.

The main reason for this is that it's a song you can't help but pay attention to, meaning the same was true for Britney from the moment she stepped into the public arena.

...Baby One More Time is arresting right from the off, and a huge part of that is its three-note piano intro, simultaneously indicative of the decade it was released in, and completely unlike anything released in the nine years that preceded it: half house music, half eerily reminiscent of the theme from Jaws.

These three new notes are repeated all the way through the sparse intro, leaving the listener so expectant of it coming up again that it's almost a relief that it does. And then... things really get going.

The lyrics to ...Baby One More Time are, it must be said, some of the strangest a teen star has ever launched themselves with. That aforementioned "baby, baby" crops up all the way through the verses, tunnelling deeper into your ear each time.

Purists who bang on about "real music" will probably tell you this is vapid, or it's pointless, or those "baby, baby" repetitions are only there to fill in space, but think of any huge pop song of the last 20 years (Umbrella, Bad Romance, Can't Get You Out Of My Head) and they're all reliant on repeated, and often nonsensical, sections, but they all work really effectively.

And besides, how can you write off the lyrics to ...Baby One More Time when they're so expressive and dramatic ? Again, we've been singing along without paying them much attention for two decades now, but if you really pick them apart, you realise quite how desperate and tortured the subject of the song really is.

"Oh baby, baby, the reason I breathe is you," Britney sings on the second verse. "Oh pretty baby, there's nothing that I wouldn't do."

Intense stuff, and that's without even taking into consideration that chorus, with its "my loneliness is killing me" (a line she later revisited on her hit Stronger, another Max Martin and Rami co-production), "when I'm not with you I lose my mind" and the song's pleading hook "give me a sign, hit me baby one more time", a line the still-teenage Britney was quick to dismiss as being an allusion to domestic violence, but rather a desperate plea to a lover she wanted to win back.

L. Busacca via Getty Images

By 1998, if you were going to make a splash with your debut single, you'd better have a music video to match it, and it's almost impossible to separate ...Baby One More Time from its accompanying music video, which saw a pig-tailed Britney dancing around the school formerly known as Rydell High, dozing off in a lesson and leading a full dance routine in a basketball gym.

Immediately, ...Baby One More Time sparked huge amounts of conversation, with commentators arguing over whether the clip was hyper-sexualised, a theme that would perpetually dog the early years of Britney's career, from the winked "I'm not that innocent" in Oops!... I Did It Again to the more mature cuts on her third and fourth albums, Britney and In The Zone.

Whether or not it was intentional, this controversy would work wonders for Britney's profile, and with her younger fans mostly unaware there was even a debate going on (most of them, don't forget, were of school uniform-wearing age themselves), the conversation pushed Britney right into the forefront of pop culture, where she's remained, for better and for worse, ever since.

All that over pigtails and a grey cardi, eh?

The ...Baby One More Time video closes in the same way as it opens, with a bored Britney still sitting in class, watching the clock, but before the screen fades to black, her mouth curls into a knowing smirk, a moment that lets her natural charisma shine through.

And this is exactly what it comes down to, because the true star of ...Baby One More Time is not producer and songwriter Max Martin, it's not the piano sample, it's not the "baby, baby" hooks or even the schoolgirl outfit, it's Britney herself.

It's become something of a pop music joke quite how many people passed on ...Baby One More Time before it ended up in Britney's hands because they didn't think it'd be a hit - but when they heard it, or recorded it, it was still missing its most vital ingredient, the presence of Britney Spears.

In the same way that only Kylie could make Can't Get You Out Of My Head work, and no one could sell Umbrella like Rihanna, ...Baby One More Time was meant for Britney, who delivers the song like no one else, even someone with a "technically" better vocal range or performance style.

...Baby One More Time is a song that was meant to be recorded by someone with true star power, something that can't be learned or bought, and on her best day, that's something Britney Spears has in spades. It was a perfect union, and that is why we're still talking about, singing along to and enjoying ...Baby One More Time more than 25 years after its release.

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...Baby One More Time Is The Debut Single No One Has Been Able To Top, Even After Over 25 Years

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The stone cold pop classic first debuted in 1998.

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Britney’s fourth album, In The Zone, finds the pop tart coming of age with a bold mix of hip-hop and dance music, wiping clean the last traces of her bubblegum-pop past.

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It's been fashionable to hate Britney Spears since the day she first tapped her pencil on the side of a desk in her slutty little school girl outfit and pigtails. Since then she's showed hints of potential here and there, but that's only served to aggravate critics even more. Add to that the often captivating evolution of her fellow Mouseketeers and Britney's reign as pop's princess seems to be anything but assured. Pink has a firm grip on the subversive energy that helped catapult Madonna into superstardom almost two decades ago, and we all know who inherited Mariah's pipes, so what's left for Ms. Spears? Well, for starters, she knows her limitations. Apart from two sappy ballads (the Matrix-produced "Shadow," a power ballad that sounds like it was imported from 1986, and the weepy "Everytime"), Britney's fourth album, In The Zone, finds the pop tart coming of age with a bold mix of hip-hop and dance music, wiping clean the last traces of her bubblegum-pop past.

For the most part, In The Zone is a big, fat, thumping love letter to the dancefloor, which makes Madonna's involvement (on lead single "Me Against The Music," arguably one of Britney's finest moments and one of her mentor's worst) even more appropriate. Britney's unabashed devotion to dance-pop is, perhaps, the one thing that truly links her to the big M, as she presses her body "up against the speaker" the way Madonna did back in the early '80s. Tracks like the Southern-fried, banjo-infused "(I Got That) Boom Boom," which features Atlanta party rap duo Ying Yang Twins, and the string-laden, Bollywood-style "Toxic" find Britney dabbling in hip-hop, but it's clear her heart lies in the clubs. Britney beckons to an anonymous dance partner on the ambient-techno number "Breathe On Me," exploring (perhaps for the first time in her career) the eroticism of restraint: "We don't need to touch/Just breathe on me." Curiously, the sexy thump of the song is briefly interrupted when Britney simultaneously channels George Michael ("Monogamy is the way to go," she whispers) and Lauren Bacall by way of Madonna ("Just put your lips together and blow!").

After a night at the club (and, interestingly, little actual physical contact), she passes out on a couch in the "Early Mornin'" (with hypnotic beats, bass loop and synth flute courtesy of Moby) and finds some self-gratification on the Middle Eastern-hued ode to masturbation "Touch Of My Hand." The only hint of pure pop is the retro Euro-dance/pop number "Brave New Girl" (yes, we're assuming Britney actually had the chutzpah to evoke the Aldous Huxley classic without having read the book). "Outrageous," a collaboration with R. Kelly, includes a telling parallel that reveals a lot about one of music's biggest-as Alanis Morissette would put it-treadmill capitalists: she sings "my sex drive" and "my shopping spree" with the same dripping gusto. For a girl who's always seemed too sexed-up for her age, In The Zone finds Britney finally filling her britches, so-to-speak. Her little girl coquettishness actually works now-maybe because, at 21, she's finally a woman. And she's a self-referential one, at that: "Am I too hot for you?/Did you check out my video?" she asks a prospective boy-toy on "Showdown." Yes, Britney, we all have. And that's the way you like it.

Label: Jive Release Date: November 12, 2003 Buy: Amazon
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Review: Britney Spears, In The Zone - Slant Magazine

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For the most part, In The Zone is a big, fat, thumping love letter to the dancefloor.

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Britney Spears - I'm a Slave 4 U ( Dream within a Dream Tour ) 

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Britney Spears - I'm a Slave 4 U ( Dream within a Dream Tour ) 

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This slave 4 u performance is DIAMOND!! Its my fav performance from DWAD tour, she killed the move, the remix is sick, her outfit, the lights, the way she end this performance... All of it was so much ICONIC and shes the QUEEN OF PERFORMANCE!! only and forever GODNESS of Dance is her!!

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Britney Spears - I'm a Slave 4 U ( Dream within a Dream Tour ) ( Live In Las Vegas )

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Britney Spears: The Risqué Image that Changed Pop

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Britney Spears: The Risqué Image that Changed Pop

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Britney’s revealing outfits and seductive dance moves marked a departure from her previous works. This image shift sparked controversy among some fans and critics, with concerns that her overtly sexualized image could negatively influence young fans.

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VMAs Madonna Kiss: Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera REACT (Flashback)

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VMAs Madonna Kiss: Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera REACT (Flashback)

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Britney's topless cover performance for the American Rolling Stone magazine

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Britney's topless cover performance for the American Rolling Stone magazine

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Britney's topless cover performance for the American Rolling Stone magazine on September 12 completed her transformation into a sex symbol.

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Britney Spears’ Shotgun Wedding Turns 10: Remember 55 Magical Hours

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Britney Spears’ Shotgun Wedding Turns 10: Remember 55 Magical Hours

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Ten years ago today, Britney Spears decamped to Las Vegas with her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander, and like so many love-drunk (and possibly other kinds of inebriated) young people, decided to get hitched. Perhaps realizing her poor judgment, Spears had the marriage annulled a mere 55 hours later, but the whirlwind romance remains one of the most thrillingly sudsy stories of the pop starlet's peak years. Now, as she's back in Las Vegas for her two-year Planet Hollywood Piece of Me residency, she's the topic of conversation in Sin City for other, less paparazzi-worthy reasons - but the sheer weirdness and starry-eyed lunacy of the wedding remains an indelible part of Spears lore.
Britney Spears in Las Vegas: 5 Best and 5 Saddest Moments
Here now, an authoritative and eyewitness account of the short-lived Spears-Alexander marriage:
Wednesday, December 31st
In town for New Year's Eve, Britney Spears parties hard at both Rain and Ghostbar at the Palms, at one point crossing paths with Kobe and Vanessa Bryant. Later, she returns to her room in the Palms' famed Real World Suite. She's registered at the hotel under the name Alotta Warmheart.
Thursday, January 1st
During prime party hours, Spears hits the dance floor at Rain, where she is seen grooving with a number of other guests - including her childhood friend, Kentwood, Louisiana, native Jason Alexander, who Spears had had flown in to Las Vegas via private jet earlier that day. She was also also seen at the club in the VIP section kissing one of her female backup dancers.
Friday, January 2nd
Spears and friends go see an evening screening of the Julia Roberts' flick Mona Lisa Smile, then head back to the Palms and Ghostbar.
Saturday, January 3rd
After midnight, Spears and Alexander retreat to her suite at the hotel, where they watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Somehow feeling romantically inspired, the pair decide to marry.

"It was just so crazy, man," Alexander later told Access Hollywood. "We were just looking at each other and said, 'Let's do something wild, crazy. Let's go get married, just for the hell of it.'"

Around 3:30 a.m. Spears and Alexander rent a lime-green stretch limo and a Palms bellman drives them to the city's A Little White Wedding Chapel, notorious for its quickie marriages.

"I guess the limousine driver got fired, because he had no business taking them out," says Charolette Richards, owner of the chapel. "Beautiful gal - all I could tell you. She was one very beautiful lady and she was not drunk."

(In a 2012 interview, Alexander said the two had been drinking and also indulged in "party favors.")

Upon arrival at the chapel, the two are told they need a wedding license. Undeterred, they continue on to the Clark County Courthouse.

There, sometime near 4:30 a.m., Spears provides proof of her age and her social security number in order to purchase a marriage license. (340 other couples are issued marriage licenses in Las Vegas on the same day.)

"People followed them from the marriage license bureau," recalls Richards. "Everyone was taking photographs of everyone."

At approximately 5 a.m., Spears and Alexander return to the chapel, where they shell out $70 for a seven-minute ceremony. Spears wedding outfit consists of a baseball cap and torn jeans. The wedding march is played from a boombox as the bellman walks the bride down the aisle.

"They weren't dressed in wedding attire, but it was very romantic and there was a feeling of love between them," remembers Richards. "They appeared to be extremely happy. They were laughing, but crying, too, during the ceremony. I thought it was a marriage that would last forever."
Look back at Britney Spears' tumultuous life in photos
The event is videotaped by a wall-mounted camera at the chapel. "I would never show anybody the video, even if they offered me millions of dollars," Richards says.

In the wake of the wedding, Alexander is also offered $1 million for the tape. He declines.

In the late morning of January 3rd, Alexander returns to Spears' room at the Palms. His new bride decides she wants to keep dancing.

After learning about the nuptials, Spears' manager, Larry Rudolph, visits Palms owner George J. Maloof, Jr. at his Las Vegas home. "He knocked on my door to tell me that Britney got married and wanted to know if I could help," Maloof recalls. "They didn't want to be married. They needed to get an annulment. My job was to find them an attorney, but it was a Saturday or Sunday, so nobody was working."

By the early afternoon, Maloof pays a visit to David Z. Chesnoff, a prominent Las Vegas lawyer. "I went and saw David and he got it done," Maloof says. Chesnoff prepares annulment papers for the couple.

"I realized something was going wrong when her brother and her attorney and quite a few people came dashing over the next day," says Richards. "They said, 'We've gotta get this annulled.'"

At 4:30 p.m., Spears and Alexander sign the annulment papers. "I met with Britney and Jason and they were tickled pink at that point," Maloof says. Rarely are annulments undertaken so gleefully.
Readers' Poll: The Best Britney Spears Songs of All Time
That evening, Spears, Alexander, and several friends (including Maloof and 'N Sync's Lance Bass) have dinner at N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms. "It wasn't like they were holding hands but it wasn't like they were in a big fight," Maloof says. "It was just something that they did. You'd have to ask them if they regretted it, but they seemed to be comfortable with the fact that they were getting divorced.

After dinner, Alexander leaves Las Vegas, and Spears goes dancing.
Sunday, January 4th
Britney Spears leaves Las Vegas. Her record label, Jive, releases a statement explaining that the couple "took a joke too far by getting married."
Monday, January 5th
At 10 a.m. that morning, Chesnoff files the annulment complaint with the Clark County Courthouse, paying a fee of $122. In the annulment papers, the reason cited for the dissolution of the marriage is that Spears "lacked understanding of her actions to the extent that she was incapable of agreeing to the marriage."

In 2012, Alexander calls this "bullshit."

"I was in love with her," he insisted. "I feel like she felt the same way."

At precisely 12:24 p.m. on January 5th, Lisa M. Brown, a Clark County Family Court judge, signs off on the annulment papers. The marriage is over.

"There is no marriage now," Chesnoff tells reporters outside the courthouse. "Jason agreed to this completely. They've made a wise decision. I know they care about each other. They are friends."

In an interview, Spears explained that she was "being silly, being rebellious, and not really taking the responsibility of what I was doing."

In July of 2004, Britney Spears announces her engagement to Kevin Federline. The couple divorced three years later. She has not since remarried.

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Britney Spears' Shotgun Wedding Turns 10

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A blow-by-blow remembrance of the insane ups and plummeting downs of a wild few days in Las Vegas

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Revisiting Rolling Stone's "The Tragedy of Britney Spears"

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Revisiting Rolling Stone's "The Tragedy of Britney Spears"

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On February 21, 2008, the first of two Rolling Stone covers starring Britney Spears that year hit newsstands. Using a portrait of Spears taken in 2004, it invited readers "inside an American tragedy," by way of a nine-page story by then-contributing editor Vanessa Grigoriadis. Unable to secure a sit-down with her troubled subject, the journalist's contact with Spears, "a perfectly-proportioned porcelain doll with a nasty weave," was limited to distant encounters as she tagged along with paparazzi from Hollywood.tv. (Grigoriadis would later cite the website's founder, Sheeraz Hasan, as her primary source.)
"The Tragedy of Britney Spears" seemed to confirm several longstanding rumors about Spears- that she'd had, and swiftly removed, breast implants in her late teens, and had consummated her relationship with Justin Timberlake long before publicly proclaiming abstinence-and suggested that she'd been abusing pills prior to her first hospitalization on January 3 of that year. It painted her, not as a young woman in the throes of a mental health crisis, but as a chain-smoking "inbred swamp thing," "arrogant, anxiety-ridden and paranoid."

Below, eight of the story's most illuminating and/or sensational passages.

"In person, Britney is shockingly beautiful-clear skin, ruby lips, a perfectly proportioned 26-year-old porcelain doll with a nasty weave."If Britney was really who we believed her to be-a puppet, a grinning blonde without a cool thought in her head, a teasing coquette clueless to her own sexual power-none of this would have happened. She is not book-smart, granted. "She has pushed away her family: her brother and father ('It is sad that all the men in my life do not know how to accept a real woman's love,' she explained); her sister Jamie Lynn, whom she speaks to on the phone and sees rarely; and, most important, her preening, difficult mother, Lynne, whom Britney considers poisonous... "Lynne retained a minor management role over the years, but she disappeared from Britney's side, enjoying her newfound wealth and laying the star-machine groundwork for Jamie Lynn. Jamie was not in the picture. 'It was upsetting for Britney to be around her dad,' says a friend. 'He came backstage one night, and he was wasted. She was devastated.' "The first big blow to Britney's golden-girl image was her breast implants. According to a source, she and Lynne had made the decision for her to get them, on the assumption that the culture demanded it, but the press leapt on her scornfully. "Kevin Federline (nicknamed 'Meat Pole') gave Britney license to fully embrace her white-trash side... But he liked the high life, buying a $250,000 silver Ferrari with monogrammed rims and getting stoned in their home recording studio while cutting his rap album. "[Britney] had to go to rehab: Eric Clapton's Crossroads, in Antigua, but she stormed out one day later, flying to Miami and then coach-class to Los Angeles to see her family. She arrived at Federline's house for her babies, but he had joined forces with Lynne and [Larry] Rudolph, and wouldn't talk to her until she registered at Malibu rehab center Promises. "'You must understand something about Britney,' Ghalib says, in arguing her side of the story. 'People turned on her. They were only there when the getting was good. "'Look at George Foreman: He's the oldest heavyweight champion ever,' says Ghalib. 'That's what Britney's going to be. 1. Mall Scene

"She rifles the racks as the Cure's 'Pictures of You' blasts into the airless [Betsey Johnson] boutique, grabbing a pink lace dress, a few tight black numbers and a frilly red crop top... Then she ducks into the dressing room with [then-boyfriend Adnan] Ghalib. He emerges with her black AmEx. 2. Crucible of Fame
But she is intelligent enough to understand what the world wanted of her: that she was created as a virgin to be deflowered before us, for our amusement and titillation. She is not ashamed of her new persona-she wants us to know what we did to her."
"The card won't go through, but they keep trying it. One of the shopgirls runs to Britney's dressing room, explaining the situation through a pink gauze curtain. 3. Family Ties
Ironically, it may be Britney's family who succeeds in retaining control of her now, in collaboration with doctors who are advising that she remain in a hospital setting as long as legally possible."
"A wail emerges from the cubby-guttural, vile, the kind of base animalistic shriek only heard at a family member's deathbed. 'Fuck these bitches,' screams Britney, each word ringing out between sobs. 'These idiots can't do anything right!'"

Britney would tell friends that her father was emotionally abusive."

4. Growing Pains
'When Britney saw the papers, she was crying in the bathtub uncontrollably, asking Why is everyone being so mean to me?' says a friend. Britney regretted the implants, particularly because her chest was still growing, and when her natural breasts became larger, she had the implants removed."

5. 'Meat Pole'
✼ He made her feel a lot of her old insecurities-loneliness, fear of abandonment-and she started partying and spiraling downward, attributing her crying jags to postpartum depression."

6. Just Like Anna Nicole
She circled his house three times, furious at having to concede to their demands, before pulling into a random hair salon in the Valley and taking her hair off in big clumps, less as a penance than a liberation. Then she stayed up for forty-eight hours straight, driving around, sucking down dozens of Red Bulls, afraid that she was being followed by demons, or that a cell-phone charger was taping her thoughts, and obsessively listening to the radio for news about Anna Nicole Smith's death earlier that month. That was her fate, she declared-she was next."
7. Escape
"For the past few years, Britney has begged friends to help her run away, to leave everything behind and become a stylist or schoolteacher, or move to an island where she can work as a bartender. Ghalib helps her achieve her goal, evading the paparazzi for weeks on violent, terrifying chases. The relationship is just starting to build when Britney is taken to the hospital for the first time, and as soon as she comes out, Ghalib absconds with her to criss-cross the West Coast, making stops in Palm Springs and Mexico with his buddy, a paparazzo who would shoot the two of them for exclusive sale by Ghalib's then-agency."

8. Columbo
She has become very Columbo-esque-she acts a certain way so that people don't think she's intelligent, and then people volunteer information, and she is able to put together what is going on... She knows that the people who had a responsibility to support her bailed out and is very hurt by their actions.'"

She said it best to me: She refuses to live her life anymore reflected in the eyes of others.' Then he gets very quiet. 'Be gentle to her,' he says. 'That's a personal request.'"

✼

Full story at the source.

Shout out to , whose "Notorious" series inspired this post!

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Revisiting Rolling Stone's "The Tragedy of Britney Spears"

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On February 21, 2008, the first of two Rolling Stone covers starring Britney Spears that year hit newsstands. Using a portrait of Spears taken in 2004, it invited readers "inside an American tragedy," by way of a nine-page story by then-contributing editor Vanessa Grigoriadis. Unable to secure a...

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Britney Spears - Lucky (Official HD Video)

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Why Did Britney Spears and Kevin Federline Break Up? Inside Their Divorce Amid Her Memoir Revelations

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Why Did Britney Spears and Kevin Federline Break Up? Inside Their Divorce Amid Her Memoir Revelations

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Image Credit: Peter Brooker/Shutterstock

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's short-lived marriage was unearthed after her conservatorship was terminated. The former rapper - also known as K-Fed - was interviewed in 2022 about the relationship between Britney and their sons Sean and Jayden. Now that Britney's memoir, The Woman in Me, is set to hit shelves soon, fans want to know why she and K-Fed broke up and divorced after less than two years of marriage.

Why Did Britney Spears and Kevin Federline Break Up in 2006?

Britney and Kevin got married three months into their relationship in 2004. Less than two years later, the Princess of Pop filed for divorce and cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason behind their split. Days before she filed, Kevin reportedly noted that marriage wasn't "easy" having "two kids and trying to do all the business and everything."

Britney didn't publicly comment on why she filed for divorce from Kevin, but the former DJ has addressed his ex-wife in multiple interviews over the years. In 2008, Kevin gushed to PEOPLE how much of an "awesome mom" Britney is. Though the former spouses didn't spend as much time together following their divorce, Kevin noted that it was "good for the kids to see that daddy does care about mommy, and mommy does care about daddy."

Who Has Full Custody Over Britney and Kevin's Kids?

Britney and Kevin negotiated child custody multiple times over the years. In 2018, the former pro wrestler requested additional child support from the "Womanizer" singer. Five years later, Kevin took his and Britney's sons to live with him full-time in Hawaii, a decision that the "Stronger" artist reportedly "consented" to.

During a 2023 interview with PEOPLE, Britney refrained from commenting about her and Kevin's co-parenting relationship. However, the Video Music Award winner noted that she is still in contact with her children, despite their tense past.

What Has Kevin Said About Britney's Conservatorship?

Since Britney's conservatorship began after she and Kevin divorced, he didn't address the situation until the pop star successfully argued for her freedom in 2021.

"[Kevin] certainly respects Britney and only hopes the best for her because when the best for her is achieved, it's the best for their kids," Kevin's lawyer said at the time. "The kids love their mother, and he wants there to be a healthy and strong relationship."

The following year, K-Fed took a different stance during an interview with Daily Mail. He told the outlet that watching the years-long tension between Britney and her family was "tough."

"This whole thing has been hard to watch, harder to live through, harder to watch my boys go through than anything else," he noted. 'It's been tough. It's the most challenging thing I've ever had to do in my life. ... I saw this man that really cared, and really cares about his family and wanting everything to be OK. When Jamie took over [the conservatorship], things got into order. He saved her life."

Following his controversial interview, Britney and Kevin's co-parenting relationship seemingly soured. However, it appears that they were able to reach a civil agreement for the sake of their sons.

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Why Did Britney Spears and Kevin Federline Break Up? Inside Their Divorce Amid Her Memoir Revelations

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Britney Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline had a short marriage and a messy child custody agreement later in life. Why did they break up and get a divorce?

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In 2007, her head-shaving incident in a Los Angeles salon became symbolic of her personal crisis. Following the incident, Britney's behavior became increasingly unpredictable

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After 16 years, Britney Spears has finally revealed why she infamously cut off all her hair ahead of her conservatorship.

"I'd been eyeballed so much growing up. I'd been looked up and down, had people telling me what they thought of my body, since I was a teenager. Shaving my head and acting out were my ways of pushing back," the pop star writes in her forthcoming memoir, "The Woman in Me," according to an excerpt published by People Tuesday.

However, Britney, 41, notes that once her father, Jamie Spears, took control of her personal, medical and financial affairs in 2008, she no longer had a say in her day-to-day life.

"I was made to understand that those days were now over," she shares. "I had to grow my hair out and get back into shape. I had to go to bed early and take whatever medication they told me to take."

In between a string of stints in rehab, the Grammy winner walked into Esther's Haircutting Studio in Tarzana, Calif., one night in 2007 and asked for her then-brunette hair to be shaved off.

The salon's owner, Esther Tognozzi, refused, so Britney took matters into her own hands by grabbing a clipper and giving herself a buzzcut while paparazzi snapped photos through the windows.
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Just days later, the "Toxic" singer was photographed attacking a photographer's car with an umbrella.

The back-to-back incidents, which occurred while she was going through a divorce and custody battle with Kevin Federline, instantly made Britney a tabloid fixture.

But the following year, after she was hospitalized on two involuntary psychiatric holds, Jamie went to court and made himself his daughter's legal guardian.

"The conservatorship stripped me of my womanhood, made me into a child," Britney writes in her book, which hits stores on Oct. 24. "I became more of an entity than a person onstage. I had always felt music in my bones and my blood; they stole that from me."

The "Crossroads" star says she "didn't deserve" what her family did to her.

"The woman in me was pushed down for a long time," she writes. "They wanted me to be wild onstage ... and to be a robot the rest of the time."

After Britney testified against her "abusive" conservatorship in open court in 2021, a Los Angeles judge suspended Jamie, now 71, before terminating the arrangement altogether.

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Britney Spears finally reveals why she shaved her head in 2007

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The pop star infamously buzzed off all her hair during her divorce and custody battle with Kevin Federline. Her conservatorship began the following year.

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Britney Spears 2007 — A Timeline of Her Chaotic Year!

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Britney Spears 2007 — A Timeline of Her Chaotic Year!

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Britney Spears 2007 — A Timeline of Her Infamous Breakdown!

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This week marks the 10 year anniversary of Britney Spears head-shaving incident in 2007 — kick-starting a very rough couple of years for the pop stars. Just a few months before Britney, then…

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Another Day, More Drama for Britney Spears

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Another Day, More Drama for Britney Spears

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Britney Spears breaks down on the sidewalk on Friday, just outside her gated community in Los Angeles, Calif.

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Just hours after Britney Spears's camp announced that she was seeking psychological treatment, the pop star appeared back in the midst of actions that seemed anything but therapeutic.

Around 9 p.m. Monday, Spears's father Jamie and her mother Lynne - who earlier visited Britney's kids Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1 at Kevin Federline 's house in Tarzana - arrived at their daughter's home.

Whatever occurred at the family reunion didn't last long, as Spears, clutching a bag, bolted from the mansion, hopped into a car with her paparazzi pal Adnan Ghalib and sped off, says a source.

Their getaway hit a speed bump, however, when their car got a flat tire and forced them into a Chevron station for air. They then returned to Britney's house and to mother Lynne, leaving Ghalib to depart soon after.

About 90 minutes later, around 1:30 a.m., mother and daughter left the house together themselves, headed to a Longs Drugstore in Studio City.

The Long Night Begins

The action-packed evening actually got underway much earlier Monday evening, when Spears and her confidante Sam Lutfi went for a short drive around Beverly Hills.

When they returned to her Summit home at around 6 p.m., the visibly distraught singer - who appeared to be arguing with Lutfi - jumped out of the white Mercedes near the gated community's guardhouse.

Spears - wearing brown high heels, cutoff shorts and a plaid fedora as she clutched her Yorkie puppy London - wandered around in tears and, at one point, sat down on the curb. "She looked completely lost," says an on-scene source.

Only Spears seemed to downplay the incident, saying, "I'm fine. I'm having a nice time with my dog."

The singer ended up hopping into a car with photographer Filipe Teixeira, who gave her a lift to a Ralph's supermarket in Studio City before he brought her home - and she invited him and another photographer inside. Ghalib, who'd been noticeably absent from Spears's side in recent days, showed up about half an hour later.

Police Summoned

Later on, police cars pulled up to the house in response to a call from security at Spears's gated community.

"Spears drove through the gates and paparazzi followed her car on foot," said LAPD Officer Mike Lopez. "By the time officers arrived, the paparazzi were off the property, but officers handed out citations for those who were illegally parked."

* Reporting by PERNILLA CEDENHEIM, JENNIFER GARCIA, KEN LEE and MARY MARGARET

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Another Day, More Drama for Britney Spears

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She begins the evening in tears - then runs off with Adnan Ghalib after a visit from her parents

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Paparazzo Auctioning Off Umbrella From Infamous Britney Spears Attack

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Paparazzo Auctioning Off Umbrella From Infamous Britney Spears Attack

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Paparazzo Auctioning Off Umbrella From Infamous Britney Spears Attack

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In an exclusive interview, videographer Daniel "Dano" Ramos tells us why he's decided to sell the umbrella on the ten-year anniversary of the incident that made headlines.

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Lawyers for Kevin Federline, ex-husband of pop star Britney Spears, went to court on Friday seeking to strip the troubled singer of visitation rights to their sons hours after she was hospitalized following a fit of hysterics.

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Britney Spears loses custody of her children

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Britney Spears loses custody of her children

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Britney Spears loses custody of her children

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Judge awards custody to ex-husband and suspend’s singer’s visitation rights

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HOW BRITNEY SPEARS’ ‘BLACKOUT’ DOCUMENTED HER HARROWING PRESENT WHILE PREDICTING POP’S FUTURE

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HOW BRITNEY SPEARS’ ‘BLACKOUT’ DOCUMENTED HER HARROWING PRESENT WHILE PREDICTING POP’S FUTURE

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Britney released the album "Blackout," which was artistically acclaimed but overshadowed by her personal troubles.

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We tend only to sense early rumblings of major seismic shifts in popular music when they happen; things that end up being the most influential often arrive to no applause, getting their flowers only in years to come. Other monuments hide in plain sight - under the cover of sound and fury, signifying nothing, comes what will be duplicated repeatedly during the years to follow. Britney Spears changed the pop landscape when her 1999 debut "...Baby One More Time" revitalized teen pop for the new century. If there were a second shift she'd set in motion, it started in a crowded club in Miami circa 2006, where producer Danja, fresh off of crafting hits for Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, decided he heard the sound of the mainstream's future on the dance floor.

"I didn't think about 'pop music' while creating ," he told The Fader for Spears' fifth album's tenth anniversary in 2017. "I was into dance music and EDM at the time, but it wasn't mainstream yet. [...] Everyone was bouncing around to Benny Benassi's 'Satisfaction' and Tiesto in a trance. I was like, 'That's it. If my music doesn't make you feel like that, what are we doing?' I didn't think about anything other than bringing that essence to popular culture."

Fifteen years ago, people weren't as concerned with the growing underground EDM scene as they were with Britney Spears - and not necessarily Britney Spears, the performer, but what they perceived as her inevitable, tabloid-aided collapse. In recent years, we've followed the uncovering of her confinement under a conservatorship, realizing the darkness she'd endured as one of the most famous women in the world. Back then, most critics focused on her increasingly public struggle with fame, her divorce, and a rehab stint, but Spears let the venom seep into her most consistent musical effort to date, sketching the blueprint for an entire decade of pop in the process.

If 2001's Britney and 2004's In the Zone were the sound of Spears attempting to mature, staging sexual liberation as former teen idols have done before and after her, Blackout was the first time she sounded truly dangerous. Looking back, the record opened the gates of dark, glitchy dance-pop heaven (or hell) for a new breed of artists immersing themselves in the world of futuristic, more experimental sound. By the next decade, you couldn't turn on a radio station without hearing chopped-up, pitch-shifted vocals over layers of jagged club beats. It's also no surprise that hyper-pop innovators like Charli XCX or experimental R&B artists like Tinashe have cited the album as a key influence, especially as each of their fringe genres has bled into more radio-friendly fare that they either wrote or influenced themselves.

Blackout's production and writing team - including Danja, Keri Hilson, Kara DioGuardi, T-Pain, the Neptunes, the Clutch, and Bloodshy & Avant - crafted something sinister to counteract the sickly-sweet teen pop of Spears' early career, sounding sultry and bloodless in equal measure. If the breathy, delirious lust of airtight hits like the Bloodshy & Avant-produced "Toxic" built the foundation for Spears to become the genre's heaviest hitter, Blackout is the same sensuality stuck in a deep freeze, icy in even its grimiest moments.

"We were given the specific direction that she did not want the music to mimic her personal life," Hilson remembered of her time working primarily with Danja, as well as producers Ms. Lago and Jim Beanz, on three of the album's tracks, "so we figured, 'OK, so let's create a fantasy world that she would be happy in.'" Hilson credits Beanz with writing the album's opening declaration of "It's Britney, bitch," manipulated to sound like echoing sonar sent down the line directly to the center of the listener's head. This battle cry kicks the innocence of "Oops!...I Did it Again" directly in the teeth.

An entire decade before other pop mavens claimed their "old" self was "dead", Spears threw an elaborate, alien club night as her wake with the opening track "Gimme More" serving as her entrance song. Allegedly, the song's original music video even featured Spears holding a funeral for the "old Britney", though only the audio of the "funeral intro" version still exists online. As wailing demands for "more!" guide you into the center ring, there's still a distinct feeling that the harsh neon light is constructed to block out flashbulbs bursting through the hedges outside the studio. When Spears whimpers, "They want more? / Then I'll give 'em more," it feels more like a taunt than a genuine come-on. Delivered in her signature husky pout, she plays menace as much as a temptress, winking to the media chaos that surrounds her against her will. Even with the rule that Spears' personal life was to stay out of the music, the reality can't help but bleed into the synthetic party's darkness.

Elsewhere, the single "Break the Ice" feels like a similarly calculated release of heat amidst the icy production, slamming on the breaks midway to submerge into a whooshing, Janet Jackson-inspired dance break. Choir vocal samples sprinkled throughout make the affair feel more like a heavenly second coming than a story of smooth seduction, interrupting the hook's insular loop with eerie flashes of divine intervention. Reaching comparable extremes, deeper cut "Toy Soldier" sees Spears and Danja fully immerse themselves in the sleaze as both rasp over the relative lightness of tip-toeing synths mimicking plucked strings. It feels more aggressive than Spears had ever gotten, with the refrain's party-girl whines grating beautifully against the harsh, structured beat. From the spooky, swampy groove of "Freakshow" to the wobbly backing vocals on "Hot as Ice" and pounding synths of "Perfect Lover", there's always a looming sense of unease beneath seemingly innocuous lyrics, never letting you completely settle into your booth in the club of Blackout's creation.

There are points where the personal creeps in beyond suggestion, but only when Spears loved the song enough. Such was the case with the Bloodshy & Avant-helmed "Piece of Me", with its warped, electroclash backing, kiss-off lyrics, and gasping hook that fittingly sounds like a voice being strangled. "I'm Miss American Dream since I was 17," she sings to a clipped staccato melody, purposely sounding robotic in her delivery. It's as if the real Britney knows an artificial stand-in could take her place and the public wouldn't notice, just shove their lens in its face in anticipation of the next scene it'll make. When the line is repeated later on, it's warped almost beyond recognition, posing as if "Mrs. Oh-my-God-that-Britney's-shameless" is real flesh-and-blood Frankenstein's monster at Spears' side.

At the album's literal and thematic center comes the clearest representation of heaven and hell colliding on the same dancefloor, splitting it down the middle with the Eurodisco euphoria of "Heaven on Earth" and the distorted meltdown of "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)". Where the former shimmers in the mirrorball lights as its overlapping vocal lines grow increasingly dizzy in their infatuation, the latter flips the listener to its underworld counterpart, letting Danja's down-pitched hook warp things enough that it sounds like the track itself is intoxicated. There are points where Spears sounds like an alien trying to mime human sexuality, repeating each refrain with such overt, druggy conviction that it almost sounds satirical - or unintentionally disconcerting, namely in light of how Spears was allegedly mistreated in the years that followed. Even in the chaotic swirl, each section or hook arrives in precise sections, purposely devoid of heart or sentiment in its hunt to create a different reality for Spears - one where her only concern is dancing under the lights rather than the world breathing down her neck.

If one track lets Spears get vulnerable in a way that defies the rest of the album, it's the closing track, the Pharell-written and Neptunes-produced "Why Should I Be Sad". Reflective lyrics and warm, swelling synths paint a regret-filled supercut of Spears' public relationship and breakup, finally letting color return to her cheeks after playing dead for the rest of the album's runtime. "It's time for me to move along / It's time for me to get it on / I'm tired of singing sad songs," she insists, finally finding a pulse over sustained strings before Pharrell's voice through with a sharp "Britney, let's go!" in each chorus. It feels like a cold slap of reality - or perhaps a reminder that this isn't the album and that it's time to immerse ourselves back in the fantasy world Blackout creates.

In hindsight, it almost sounds like a distinct slam of the door behind a pop star we'd never see in quite the same light again. Though subsequent albums reintroduced a more immediate, marketable sound to revitalize SpSpears'areer, they also marked the beginning of her isolation as a very real darkness manifested behind closed doors. The demented club of Spears and her collaborators' dreams drew from the darkness of her life at that point, but they couldn't have possibly known the parallels we've drawn retrospectively - both in terms of the space created for weirder music on the charts and the album's throughline of a woman barred from the real world, feigning performance until she has no autonomy at all.

In that sense, Blackout'segacy has worked twofold: where Spears, her achievements, and the injustice she faced have caused her most celebrated works to come up regularly in music media (and social media) conversation, it's also continuously referenced in the current frontier of pop. By pulling from the underground, Blackout infiltrated the next generation of writers and producers in a way that has reached the mainstream's surface again. If, at the time, it felt like a defiant statement from an artist who had played the system up to that point, it feels even more radical now (and only slightly less shocking, simply because everything we hear has borrowed from it, often with less exciting results). It might not be the definitive Britney Spears album, but it's contested as her strongest effort, unraveling the myth of the pop princess as it brands her a survivor of a harrowing past, still writing music's brighter future.

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Britney Spears' 'Blackout' Documented Her Present While Predicting Pop's Future

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Britney Spears' 'Blackout' feels fresher than ever 15 years on. It captured the darkness of her personal life and cemented new dance music in the pop lexicon.

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Dressed almost naked, showing sexy icon

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Britney Spears - Toxic (Official HD Video)

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Femme Fatale is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was released on March 25, 2011, by Jive Records. Spears wanted to make a “fresh-sounding” and “fierce dance album”, incorporating dance-pop, electropop, synth-pop and EDM styles with elements of dubstep, techno and trance.

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Recorded

July 2009 - February 2011

Released

March 25, 2011 (12 years ago)

Genre

Dance-pop * electropop * synth-pop * EDM

Producer(s)

Dr. Luke (exec.) * Max Martin (exec.) * Ammo * Billboard * Benny Blanco * Bloodshy * Cirkut * Kuk Harrell * Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins * JMike * Henrik Jonback * Magnus * Oligee * Fraser T Smith * Sandy Vee * Shellback * Stargate * will.i.am * Emily Wright

Femme Fatale is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was released on March 25, 2011, by Jive Records. Spears wanted to make a "fresh-sounding" and "fierce dance album", incorporating dance-pop, electropop, synth-pop and EDM styles with elements of dubstep, techno and trance.
Spears began working on the album during the second leg of The Circus Starring Britney Spears while also working on her second compilation album, The Singles Collection. Its early stages originally had a different direction before Dr. Luke and Max Martin became executive producers.

The contributions to its production came from a variety of producers and songwriters, including long-time collaborator Max Martin in addition to Dr. Luke, Fraser T Smith, Rodney Jerkins, Bloodshy & Avant. will.i.am and StarGate.

Upon its release, the album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its production and dance-pop style, but noted her supposed lack of involvement and heavily processed vocals.

The album debuted atop of the charts in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Russia, South Korea and the United States, and peaking inside the top ten in twenty-four countries.

In the United States, she earned her sixth number one album.

In June 2010, during an interview with Rap-Up, Danja commented that he was working with Britney in the pre-production of "Femme Fatale." Darkchild (who was also reportedly working with her) said during a Ustream session in August of 2010:

" Britney fans are gonna be so happy in a few weeks", hinting about the release of new music."

However, this was denied by Spears's manager Adam Leber, who stated:

" No new music news right now....Wish people wouldn't mislead you guys with BS info. Not cool! PS- The guys that ARE working on Brit's next album ARE NOT talking about it..."

The album's direction was then changed, and many of the producers Spears worked with weren't used on the album. Leber later spoke with Entertainment Weekly, calling the record " progressive" and " a departure from what you've heard." In November 2010, Dr. Luke announced that he would be the album's executive producer with Max Martin. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Britney explained that she had worked with Luke on an unreleased song for , stating that "he was incredible back then and he has only gotten better over the years." About Martin, she claimed, " he has been there since the beginning so there is such a huge level of trust. [...] There is nobody I feel more comfortable collaborating with in the studio."

On December 2, 2010, the day of her 29th birthday, Spears thanked her fans for the birthday wishes and announced:

" I'm almost done with my new album and it will be coming out this March. I AM IN L-O-V-E WITH IT!"

Following the announcement of the album's title and cover on February 2, 2011, Britney said:

" I've poured my heart and soul into this album over the last 2 years. I've put everything I have into it. This album is for you, my fans, who have always supported me and have stuck by me every step of the way! I love you all! Sexy and Strong. Dangerous yet mysterious. Cool yet confident! FEMME FATALE."

On February 2, 2011, Britney announced the album's title on her Twitter account, and also posted an image of the album cover. Following the announcement, the title became a trending topic on Twitter and went on to become the tenth longest-running trend on the site as well as the first music related trend to break the top ten.

She tweeted:

" Can't believe Femme Fatale has been trending 6 days. You guys are my motivation every single day. I love Y'all!"

The album was released on March 25, 2011, primarily in a standard (soft pack/wallet packaging) version and a deluxe version (expanded soft pack with additional booklet pages), which features four additional tracks. A premium fan edition was also released, including a limited edition 32-page hardcover photo book, the deluxe edition album with exclusive artwork, a 7" vinyl picture disc with "Hold It Against Me" and the full album digital download.

On June 15, 2011, the RCA/Jive Label Group announced that they would be splitting with Jive Records being fully moved under RCA Records. In August, Spears had officially joined the RCA roster. During the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV paid tribute to Spears with a group of young female dancers that memorialized her music videos, performances and style. Following this, she accepted the MTV Video Vanguard Award from Lady Gaga, who said that the " industry wouldn't be the same without [her]."

On September 9, 2011, Britney announced her second remix album B In The Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 which was released on October 7, 2011. On the same day, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, Spears (and all other artists signed to these labels) would release her future material on the RCA Records label.

In July 2009, Britney announced that she had begun recording new material with longtime collaborator Max Martin for The Singles Collection. The material formed what would become her seventh studio album, and would be completed two years later. She stated her desire to make the album " fresh-sounding [...] for the clubs or something that you play in your car when you're going out at night that gets you excited, but I wanted it to sound different from everything else out right now." Spears also stated that she wanted to make sure Femme Fatale was completely different from Circus and that the album felt " really connected from start to finish." After " Hold It Against Me" was written, Luke and Martin originally wanted to give the track to Katy Perry, but they later decided that " it definitely wasn't a Katy Perry record." They continued to work on the song with producer Billboard, and Luke commented, " I wanted to make sure it didn't sound like everything else I've done." Darkchild stated that while working with him, Britney was very " hands-on" and " had a lot of ideas for me."

In February 2011, Dr. Luke revealed that a final " cohesive" tracklisting had not yet been chosen. Later that month, Britney worked with will.i.am, who described their collaboration as " something that today needs." Spears also explained that she discovered rapper Sabi through a friend recommendation, and had always wanted to feature a new artist on an album, and they then recorded "(Drop Dead) Beautiful". British producer Fraser T Smith worked with Britney on three tracks and complimented her work ethic, saying: " She made coffee for us all in the studio, her voice was strong and she was totally focused on her music. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I just hope the tracks make the final cut for the album." Heather Bright revealed that " Trouble for Me" was one of the first songs recorded for the album. William Orbit had co-written a track at a writing camp, but it was not recorded. He commented: "[T]he Britney thing. Look, I went to a writing camp at Teresa's. Had lovely time. Word got out. Assumptions were made. Dr Luke is exec[utive] prod[ucer] and he locks in locks out whoever he likes. And (do [I] hear [you] ask) where B's at in all this? I surely don't know." Several other producers also commented on being shut out of the album by Dr. Luke.

Critics noted electropop and dance-pop styles on the album. Music journalist Jody Rosen wrote of the album: " Conceptually it's straightforward: a party record packed with sex and sadness." She described Femme Fatale on a Twitter chat as " moody, edgy pop with A LOT of energy" with " a few mid-tempos that could be considered ballads." The album was compared to that of Spears' previous albums , and Circus. " Till the World Ends" (co-written by Kesha) was described as an uptempo dance-pop and electropop song with elements of trance and Eurodance. The song opens with sirens and a " sizzling" bassline. Critics complimented the songs " anthemic nature" and " chant-like chorus."

Despite having favorable reviews, music critics noted Spears' apparent lack of input on Femme Fatale. Singer-songwriter Ryan Tedder defended her, stating that "[Frank] Sinatra didn't write a song, Garth Brooks barely wrote anything, George Strait has had I think 51 No. 1's and he has yet to write a song. Rascal Flatts are one of the biggest country acts in the world, and all of their hits are written by other people." Britney responded to further criticism of her performing abilities, saying: " I don't really have anything to prove at this point. I just do it for fun and see what happens." Executive producer Dr. Luke stated that "[I feel like] Britney kind of has her own genre: If you look at songs like "Toxic" and "Piece of Me" and "Oops!... I Did It Again", they all were sort of influential and led the way [...] She wanted to keep on with that and do stuff that was 'forward-thinking', So we put some dubstep stuff in there, in bridges; snuck it in different places."

An insider reported that Spears wanted more hip-hop and midtempos on the album, and was unhappy with the electropop and EDM direction brought when Dr. Luke and Max Martin became executive producers. The insider said, "I have to be really careful what I say and don't, but I get the feeling she will half-ass it. Honestly I don't think being at the top of the charts is a concern to her. I don't think she even cares about numbers anymore. She wanted to do the euro dance pop thing, but she had something else in mind too. I can't say until I get the greenlight. Sorry. But yeah, even tho she likes the euro thing this album is her labels doing and I definitely don't expect the "old" britney to come back because her original concept for this album was so different to this... I know what the new album will sound like, but I wish she had gotten to do her original idea... her TRUE fans would've loved it."

The album's lead single, "Hold It Against Me", was released on January 10, 2011.

The second single, "Till the World Ends", was released on March 4, 2011.

The third single, "I Wanna G o", was released on June 13, 2011.

The fourth and final single, "Criminal", was released on September 30, 2011.

Unreleased & Unused Songs

"Glow In The Dark" - Recorded in the same session as He About to Lose Me. Later released by Carishma.

"Licky (Under The Covers)" - Later released by Shontelle. She confirmed Britney recorded the song. Demo pitch by Shontelle and Sean Garrett leaked.

"Pleasure You" - In 2012, the song was stolen and leaked with unofficial vocals from Don Philip , This song is also rumored to be intended for her fourth studio album,

"Second Chances" - Confirmed by Scott Storch in 2010.

"Tonight (I'm Fucking You)" - Myah Marie confirmed Britney recorded the song. Later released by Enrique Iglesias. Demo pitch by Jacob Luttrell leaked.

"Unbroken" - Leaked in 2014. Demo pitch by Lindy Robbins also leaked.

Unconfirmed or rejected demos:

Antidote - Demo pitch by Lisa Greene has leaked.

Anonymus - Demo pitch by Lindy Robbins has leaked

Being Britney - Demo pitch by Jessie J

Black Widow - Demo performed by Myah Marie.

Blue Sky - Demo pitch by ML Perlman has leaked

Break The Circle - Song mentioned by Kasia Livingston

Connected - Demo pitch by Coco Morier leaked in 2010.

D-O-U-L-U-V-M-E - Demo pitch by ML Pearl has leaked.

Femme Fatale - Demo pitch by Bonnie McKee has leaked

FX - Demo pitch by Le'Che Martin has leaked online

Heads Up - Demo pitch by Frankie Storm has leaked.

I Dare You - Demo pitch by Bonnie Mckee and Ina Wroldsen leaked in 2011.

I Need A Change - Demo pitch by Ester Dean leaked in 2011.

Love Is War - Demo pitch by Shelly Peiken has leaked.

Louder - Demo pitch by Tenna Torres and rapper P-Dub.

Red Is The Color - Demo pitch by Heather Bright has leaked online.

Sorry Adam - Demo pitch by ELXXR has leaked online.

Timebomb - Demo pitch by Livvi Franc has leaked.

Vertigo - Demo pitch by Coco Morier and Kasia Livingston has leaked.

"Femme Fatale" won its first awards on Billboard's 2011 Mid-Year Music Awards, where she was nominated in five categories: "First-Half MVP," "Favorite Hot 100 No. 1 Song" (for "Hold It Against Me"), "Favorite Billboard 200 No. 1 Album" (for "Femme Fatale"), "Best Music Video: (for "I Wanna Go"), and Best Tour (for "Femme Fatale Tour") which she all won. There was also a list of Billboard's Mid-Year sales on which Spears was named twice. The album reached number 12 with 590,000 sold units, and her second single "Till the World Ends" number 18 with 1,989,000 million sold units. She was also awarded Best Pop Video for "Till The World Ends" as well the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award with a special tribute for her contributions to music videos and pop culture during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. Spears considered the tribute " an honor" and continued: " It was really crazy. I had no idea what to expect. The kids were amazing and so entertaining, and it was a really fun night. It was really cool. I was like, 'Wow, that's really sweet!'" Jocelyn Vena of MTV noted that " for the first time in a while, she seemed comfortable being the pop megastar that she is." Spin named "Femme Fatale" the 50th best album of 2011 and also placed it at number 3 in their "20 Best Pop Albums of 2011" list. Digital Spy ranked the album number 11 at their year end list. "Till the World Ends" was named the third best song of 2011 by Rolling Stone and the third best single of 2011 by Billboard, who described it as "Britney's most immediate single since 'Toxic'." Sam Lansky of PopCrush considered "Till the World Ends" the best pop song of 2011. Digital Spy also considered the track as the best song of 2011, naming it " Britney's best track since 'Toxic'" and "her most underrated hit."

Despite receiving mostly positive comments, Femme Fatale didn't receive any nominations at the 2012 Grammy Awards. John Mitchell of MTV criticized the award show and stated that "Till the World Ends" should have won a nomination on the "Best Dance Recording" category. Robbie Daw of Idolator also stated that Spears should have been nominated, commenting: " She had a #1 album that yielded a trio of hits. So what gives?" Ed Christman of Billboard noted that Femme Fatale was " overlooked" by the Grammy voters. James Montgomery also of MTV, however, noted that Spears has " never been considered a Grammy artist and has won just once during her entire career."

The first set of promotion included an interview with Ryan Seacrest. On March 25, 2011, Spears performed "Hold It Against Me", "Till the World Ends" and " Big Fat Bass" at Rain Nightclub inside the Palms Casino Resort for an MTV special titled "I Am the Femme Fatale", which aired on April 3, 2011. Spears' manager Larry Rudolph explained the choice of the location in an interview with MTV, saying: " We chose the Palms because the Palms is where Britney has so much history. We performed here with the Britney album, we did a similar thing. We're doing this eight years later now and we're doing it for the fans." Rudolph also explained that Spears' main goal was to entertain her fans and added: " I want them to know - when the fans watch this - I want them to know that Britney is back and better than ever, not that she's ever gone anywhere. But she's back and she's better than ever." The original airing of the special in the United States was viewed by 0.665 million viewers and received a Nielsen rating of 0.3/1 in the key adults 18-49 demographic.

On March 27, 2011, Britney performed the same set of songs in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium to a crowd of 5,000 people for a special episode of "Good Morning America" that aired on March 29, 2011. She also performed the same three-song set and participated in two skits on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on March 29, 2011, and also made a special appearance at the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards. She was also scheduled to make several appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on the week of the album's release.

In April 2011, Britney appeared in a remix of "S&M" by Rihanna, after Rihanna asked her fans via Twitter who they wanted her to collaborate with. She also served as a guest host at the 2011 Wango Tango concert series alongside Ryan Seacrest on May 14, 2011. Spears made a brief appearance at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, performing the "S&M" remix with Rihanna and a short version of the "Till The World Ends" remix alongside Nicki Minaj.

"Femme Fatale" debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 276,000 copies. This gave Spears her sixth debut at the top of the charts and leaves her in a three way tie for third most number one albums for a female artist (tied with Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson). However, the first-week sales are her second-lowest sales for a studio album. Only her 1999 debut effort ...Baby One More Time began with a smaller figure (121,000 copies). In its second week, the album fell to number two, with sales plummeting 73 percent to 75,000, giving it a two-week total of 351,000 sold in the United States. The album spent five consecutive weeks in the Billboard top ten. As of January 2013, it has been certified platinum and sold over 769,000 copies.

The album debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart, selling 31,650 copies in its first week, becoming her lowest-charting studio album in the United Kingdom since In the Zone which peaked at number thirteen, before being surpassed by Britney Jean in 2013. In Germany, the album debuted at number ten, making it her seventh top-ten studio album in a row, and eighth top-ten album with the inclusion of the compilation album Greatest Hits: My Prerogative which peaked at number four. On April 4, 2011, "Femme Fatale" debuted at number one in Australia, making it Britney's first number one album in the country. It was also certified gold in during its debut week for shipments over 35,000 copies.

At Metacritic, Femme Fatale holds an average score of 67 out of 100 (indicating "generally favorable reviews"). Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone commented that it " may be Britney's best album; certainly it's her strangest." Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine viewed Spears's presence on the album as overshadowed by its " high-class" production, calling the album " essentially a cleaner, classier remake of the gaudily dark Blackout [...] a producer's paradise." Robert Everett-Green of The Globe and Mail gave the album three-and-a-half out of four stars and complimented its " grainy, glistening electronic sound," calling it " one of the major guilty pleasures in pop this year." Kitty Empire of The Observer commented that Britney " has turned out the "fierce dance record" she promised. Ailbhe Malone of NME viewed it as her " best work" and wrote that it " brims with the laidback confidence of someone who knows she's back on top." MSN Music's Robert Christgau gave the album a B+ rating, indicating " remarkable one way or another, yet also flirts with the humdrum or the half-assed." Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani commented that Britney's lack of involvement makes " the success of a Britney song rest almost entirely on the quality of other people's songwriting and production and almost every track on Femme Fatale succeeds or fails on that basis." Los Angeles Times writer Carl Wilson felt that the album "finds unity of subject, style and sound by imagining scenarios in which vanishing into anonymity can be comfort and liberation."Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski of The Daily Telegraph felt that " despite her weak voice and empty lyrics, [Spears] has placed herself at the avant-garde of pop with this masterful mixture of über-cool dubstep and sugary pop." The A.V. Club's Genevieve Koski wrote that Britney " settles into [the production], game for whatever and confident in the hands of trusted professionals who know how to best utilize her."

Andy Gill of The Independent criticized its " single-minded dedication to dancefloor utility" and observed " only the tiniest of rhythmic variants or differences in electronic tones distinguishing one producer's work from another's." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented, " much of the music on this album feels flat and redundant, no more invigorating than the average European dance-pop album of five years ago." The Guardian's Alexis Petridis wrote that Spears' " voice is as anonymous as ever, a state of affairs amplified by the lavishing of Auto-Tune." Evan Sawdey of PopMatters wrote, " Spears' worldview is completely self-contained" and described Femme Fatale as " just a big dumb club album."

Tiffany Amber - composer

Ammo - instrumentation, producer, programming, background vocals

Beatriz Artola - engineer

Stacey Barnett - background vocals

Billboard - instrumentation, producer, programming, composer

Benny Blanco - instrumentation, producer, programming, background vocals

Sophia Black - background vocals

Christian Karlsson - instrumentation, producer, programming, vocal producer

Heather Bright - composer, background vocals

Jeremy Coleman - composer

Joshua Coleman - composer

Tom Coyne - mastering

Ester Dean - composer, background vocals

Megan Dennis - production coordination

DJ Ammo - drum programming, synthesizer

Dr. Luke - executive producer, instrumentation, producer, programming, background vocals

Dream Machine - instrumentation, producer, programming, composer

Dylan Dresdow - mixing

Eric Eylands - assistant engineer

Ashton Foster - background vocals

Livvi Franc - composer, background vocals

Fraser T Smith - composer, drum programming, keyboards, producer

Clint Gibbs - production coordination

Aniela Gottwald - assistant

Tatiana Gottwald - assistant

Venza Gottwald - assistant

John Hanes - engineer, mixing

Jeri Heiden - art direction

Jacob Kasher Hindlin - composer

Sam Holland - engineer, background vocals

J-MIKE - instrumentation, producer, programming, background vocals

Cri$tyle Johnson - background vocals

Henrik Jonback - composer, instrumentation, producer, programming, vocal producer

Claude Kelly - composer, background vocals

Padraic Kerin - engineer

Savan Kotecha - composer

Alexander Kronlund - composer, instrumentation, programming

Adam Leber - A&R

Benny Blanco - composer

Jeremy "J Boogs" Levin - assistant

Magnus Lidehäll - composer

Magnus - instrumentation, producer, programming, vocal producer

Myah Marie - background vocals

Max Martin - composer, engineer, executive producer, instrumentation, keyboards, producer, programming, background vocals

Bonnie McKee - composer, background vocals

Nicole Morier - composer, background vocals

Jackie Murphy - creative director

Rob Murray - assistant

Chris "Tek" O'Ryan - engineer

Chau Phan - background vocals

Irene Richter - production coordination

Tim Roberts - assistant engineer, mixing assistant

Patrizia Rogosch - background vocals

Larry Rudolph - A&R

Ke$ha - composer

Britney Spears - lead vocals, composer, background vocals

Shellback - bass, composer, engineer, guitar, keyboards, producer

Nick Steinhardt - art direction, design

Sophie Stern - composer

Ryan Supple - photo production

Peter Thea - A&R

Dave Thomas - stylist

will.i.am - composer, drum programming, engineer, piano, producer, synthesizer

Pontus Winnberg - composer

Emily Wright - composer, engineer, vocal producer

Randee St. Nicholas - photography

Serban Ghenea - mixing

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Album Photography Trivia Singles Femme Fatale is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was released on March 25, 2011, by Jive Records. Spears wanted to make a "fresh-sounding" and "fierce dance album", incorporating dance-pop, electropop, synth-pop and EDM styles with elements of dubstep, techno and trance.

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Weekend Debate: Did you watch Britney on the VMA’s?

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Weekend Debate: Did you watch Britney on the VMA’s?

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It seems she lose control on her weight.

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Sure, I am sick of hearing about Britney Spears. Her life has really plummeted on a downward spiral before our eyes. There has been rumors of her getting back into performing, and tonight, much of the world has watched. MTV was looking for huge numbers, and booked Miss Britney Spears for the 2007 VMA's. Britney came out looking out of it, like her mind was left elsewhere. It was beyond evident that she was lip syncing, being at least 2 seconds behind for the most part and many times not even opening her mouth when words should have been coming out. She looked as if she did not care to be there, she had no stage presence. The days of Britney with a python on her neck, kissing Madonna, and kicking ass are dated.
Did you watch Britney Spears perform tonight? How do you think she did?

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Weekend Debate: Did you watch Britney on the VMA's? - PurseBlog

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Sure, I am sick of hearing about Britney Spears. Her life has really plummeted on a downward spiral before our eyes. There has been rumors of her getting back into performing, and tonight...

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No matter what happened, her music is legendary forever!Still one of her best songs to date. The Circus era was so dope & one of the best musical comebacks of all time.

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Britney Spears - Circus (Official HD Video)

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Britney Spears Says She’s the ‘Happiest I’ve Ever Been in My Life’ in New Instagram Video

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Britney Spears Says She’s the ‘Happiest I’ve Ever Been in My Life’ in New Instagram Video

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"I just want to let you guys know that I am fine," Britney Spears says in the short clip

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Britney Spears Says She’s the ‘Happiest I’ve Ever Been in My Life’ in New Instagram Video

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“I just want to let you guys know that I am fine,” Britney Spears says in the short clip

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Why Longtime Britney Spears Fans Are Demanding to #FreeBritney

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Why Longtime Britney Spears Fans Are Demanding to #FreeBritney

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Britney Spears’s Conservatorship Is Officially Terminated

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The pop star is finally back in control of her life after nearly 14 years.

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A complete timeline of Britney Spears’ Conservatorship

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A complete timeline of Britney Spears’ Conservatorship

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Britney Spears didn’t legally control her life and fortune for 13 years between 2008 and 2021.

The conservatorship — a legal guardianship typically enacted for those incapable of making their own decisions — was approved in the Los Angeles Superior Court in 2008 after Spears had several public breakdowns.

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Britney Spears Reveals How She Feels About the #FreeBritney Movement in The Woman in Me

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Britney Spears Reveals How She Feels About the #FreeBritney Movement in The Woman in Me

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“the most amazing thing I’d ever seen in my life,” Britney Spears writes in highly-anticipated memoir, The Woman in Me.

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Watching people chant "Free Britney!" in the streets was "the most amazing thing I'd ever seen in my life," Britney Spears writes in highly-anticipated memoir, The Woman in Me.

"I don't think people knew how much the #FreeBritney movement meant to me," she writes in the book, a copy of which was reviewed by TIME ahead of its Oct. 24 release. "Especially in the beginning."

The Free Britney movement first arose over a decade ago, when a group of fans grew increasingly concerned about Spears' legal guardianship contract. From 2008 to 2021, Spears' finances and bodily autonomy were controlled by her father, Jamie Spears, and a lawyer.

#FreeBritney gained traction in 2020, when the movement snowballed on social media and drew global media attention. In 2021, the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears further highlighted issues with Spears' conservatorship.

More From TIME
Read More: What Britney Spears Reveals About Her Conservatorship in The Woman in Me
In The Woman in Me, Spears writes that she first became aware of the movement in 2018 while in a Beverly Hills rehabilitation center, to which her father had pressured her to go. If she didn't, he said, she would have to go to court. He threatened to make her look like an idiot.

"The doctors took me away from my kids and my dogs and my house," Spears writes. "I couldn't go outside. I couldn't drive a car. I had to give blood weekly. I couldn't take a bath in private. I couldn't shut the door to my room. I was watched, even when I was changing."

Then a nurse-"the only one who was real as hell"-showed her a video of women on a talk show discussing the conservatorship. One of them was wearing a #FreeBritney T-shirt. Then more clips: fans trying to figure out if Spears was being held against her will.

"I think my connection to my fans helped them subconsciously know that I was in danger," she writes. "Fans of mine-even though I hadn't said anything online or in the press about being confined-they just seemed to know."

Spears knew that some people didn't take the movement seriously, questioning the importance of a cause surrounding a celebrity. But she was being held against her will. To her, it was a matter of life or death.

"Everyone who spoke out for me helped me survive that hard year, and the work they did helped me win my freedom," she writes. "Toward the end, when the court hearings were going on, seeing people advocating for me meant a whole lot. But when it first happened, that got my heart, because I was not okay, not at all."

Three years later, Spears would make her first public statement about the conservatorship in court, condemning its abuse. Five months after that, a judge would formally terminate the conservatorship.

When her father was removed as her conservator, "I felt relief sweep over me," she writes. "The man who had scared me as a child and ruled over me as an adult, who had done more than anyone to undermine my self-confidence, was no longer in control of my life."

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How Britney Spears Feels About #FreeBritney

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Britney Spears writes about what the #FreeBritney movement has meant to her in her memoir, 'The Woman in Me.'

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Britney Spears has said the #FreeBritney movement saved her life, four days after her conservatorship finally came to an end.

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‘You guys saved my life,’ Britney Spears tells #FreeBritney movement

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‘You guys saved my life,’ Britney Spears tells #FreeBritney movement

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'You guys saved my life,' Britney Spears tells #FreeBritney movement | CNN

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Britney Spears has said the #FreeBritney movement saved her life, four days after her conservatorship finally came to an end.

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Michael Jackson, Britney Spears - The Way You Make Me Feel - Performance no MSG

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Michael Jackson, Britney Spears - The Way You Make Me Feel - Performance no MSG

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Remembering this perfomance after the book, one of the best britney perfomances and she seems so happy there. This show indicates the important position of Britney in the music industry then

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Michael Jackson, Britney Spears - The Way You Make Me Feel - Performance no MSG (07.10.2001) | 4K

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A History Of Britney Spears’ Three Marriages

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A History Of Britney Spears’ Three Marriages

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Britney Spears’s husband, Sam Asghari, has filed for divorce from the singer 14 months after they were married.

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As reports swirl about Britney Spears and Sam Asghari alleged divorce, we take a deep dive into the singers previous marriages

Yesterday, TMZ reported that pop-star Britney Spears and her husband Sam Asghar i are heading for divorce after 14 months of marriage. They are reportedly going their separate ways after a nuclear argument that involves allegations of cheating. The couple got married in a star-studded wedding in June 2022.

This isn't Spears' first marriage as the pop star has been married twice before. The year was 2004 and Spears walked down the aisle twice-once to wed her childhood friend Jason Alexander and the other to marry Kevin Federline, the latter of which she was married to for three years.

Britney is not one to adhere to tradition and her weddings have a history of being very spontaneous and out of the ordinary. So we've done a deep dive into the Grammy-winning singers marriage history; from her current husband to her two former husbands, children and more.
Jason Alexander, January 3, 2004
It was a whirlwind marriage for Spears and her childhood friend (and first husband) Jason Alexander. The two had known each other since they were kids living in Kentwood, Louisiana. At the time of their nuptials, both Britney and Jason were only 22 years old.

After a fun-filled New Year's Eve week in Sin City, where she partied at Rain and Ghostbar, Britney shocked the world by tying the knot. Like Ross and Rachelbefore them and Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker after, Spears and Alexander did the whole Vegas marriage in a green stretch limo. Alexander told Access Hollywood, 'It was just so crazy, man. We were just looking at each other and said, "Let's do something wild, crazy. Let's go get married, just for the hell of it."'

Dressed in a baseball hat and ripped jeans, the singer reportedly paid $70 to say her I dos in Vegas' A Little White Wedding Chapel at 5 a.m. on 3 January 2004. 'They weren't dressed in wedding attire, but it was very romantic and there was a feeling of love between them,' chapel owner Charlotte Richards told Rolling Stone. She added, 'They appeared to be extremely happy. They were laughing, but crying, too, during the ceremony. I thought it was a marriage that would last forever.'

However, it wasn't to be: 55 hours later the pop princess had their impromptu union annulled. Britney and Jason's annulment stated the former 'lacked understanding of her actions, to the extent that she was incapable of agreeing to the marriage.' Spears reportedly went out dancing after filing for divorce.

Regarding her brief marriage, Britney told E! Online she was 'being silly, being rebellious, and not really taking the responsibility for what I was doing.' She also the publication, 'It was one of those things that was really silly...and after partying, you know, you really don't think about what you're doing.' Adding, 'I think I was running away from something, I didn't quite know what.'

However, according to Jason's side of the story their marriage was annulled because of pressure from Britney's parents and her management team. He told Daily Mail, 'We didn't want to annul it. What they did to Britney and me should have rung warning bells. The men in black swooped in, along with her mum, and other family members, and they made us sign paperwork under duress to end our marriage.'

He continued, 'I was tricked by her mum, dad, and lawyers into signing the annulment. I was told our marriage could hurt Britney's career. I loved her and was a naive kid who had been raised to trust and respect my elders, just like she had.'
Jason Alexander crashes Britney Spears' wedding to Sam Asghari, 9 June 2022

On 9 June 2022, Jason was arrested for a number of charges s temming from an incident where he crashed Britney's wedding to Sam Asghari.

After he was taken into custody, he was charged with felony stalking, misdemeanour vandalism, aggravated trespass and aggravated battery. He pleaded no contest to the latter two charges and the first two charges were dismissed. For the incident, he was charged with trespassing and harassmentand was sentenced to 128 days in Ventura County Jail. The judge also ordered Jason not to be allowed to 'contact, annoy, harass,' Britney and Sam and he shouldn't come within 100 yards of the couple for three years.

While discussing his reason for crashing the wedding he told The Sun, 'It's all for show. A Hollywood script. That whole thing is not real. I don't think she looks happy. I spoke to her the Monday leading up to the wedding and she didn't mention anything about getting married.' He added, 'I wanted to see it for myself. I want to see her happy. I want her making her own decisions on who she can be friends with and who she can see.'
Kevin Federline, 2004 - 2007
The Grammy-winning singer met dancer and rapper Kevin Federline in 2004 - the same year she was briefly married to childhood friend Jason Alexander for 55 hours.

After meeting on the dance floor (where else?) at Hollywood club Joseph's, the pair quickly got together. 'I met her at a club in Hollywood, Joseph's. Our eyes met and that was it. We just hit it off right away,' Kevin recalled in 2008. 'I was madly in love with her. Everything just seemed so right. I didn't see it as too fast or too slow.'

Spears and Kevin announced their engagement in July of 2004. The singer ditched tradition (again) and popped the question to Federline on her private plane. Britney told People, 'Then all of a sudden I said, "What if you want to get married?" And I kind of went from there to asking him if he would marry me.' She continued, 'I asked him... He said no because he thought it wasn't the right way to do it.' A week later Federline reportedly slipped a diamond engagement ring on her finger.

The pair set off planning a wedding for October 16, 2004, even sending out 100 invitations to the event. However, after a swarm of paparazzi, attention and stress, the couple surprised the world with a top-secret wedding in September. Britney told the publication, 'It became this huge thing and I was like, "What are we waiting for? We know this is the real thing, why not just do it now?" That's why I wanted to sneak and do it our little way.'

Kevin and Britney get married, 16 September 2004

On September 16, 2004, the couple surprised 30 of their closest friends and family with a wedding at their Studio City home-guests thought they were attending an engagement party. After the reception, (which famously featured a menu of chicken fingers, crab cakes, ribs, and mashed potatoes) the newlyweds and their wedding party went to club XES in Los Angeles for a late night of dancing. Their union officially became legal on 6 October 2004, when they obtained their marriage license.

Spears also documented her romance with Federline via a handheld camera and later sold the footage to UPN. The five-episode especial, Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, aired in 2005 and included their surprise September 2004 nuptials.
Britney and Kevin have kids, September 2005-2006
Spears also told People shortly after the wedding that she was excited to be a mother. 'I can see myself as a mom. Next year, at 23, I am so there,' she said. At the time, Federline already had two children with his ex-partner, Shar Jackson.

In September 2005, Spears gave birth to the couple's eldest son, Sean Preston. A year later, she gave birth to their second child, Jayden James.

Britney and Kevin divorce, July 2007

However, their love story wasn't to be either - just weeks after Spears gave birth to Jayden, she filed for divorce from the dancer after three years together. Spears cited 'irreconcilable differences' at the time, according to People. They reached an initial divorce settlement in March 2007, agreeing to share custody of their children. However, Federline resisted signing the papers over concerns about Spears' behaviour - at the time she was in rehab. They eventually finalised the divorce in July.

In 2007, Spears started to have a very public breakdown. By October 2007, Spears' actions led to the court in LA awarding temporary custody of their children to Federline. By July, there was another agreement that she would be allowed two visits and one overnight stay per week. It was during this time, that the singers father, J amie Spears, would put her under what would be a 13 years-long conservatorship. For a while the former couple reached a stage where they were co-parenting the boys. Today Sean, 17 and Preston, 16 live with their dad and his new wife.

Although their relationship with their mum seems to have changed in recent years, neither son attended Spears and Asghari's wedding. Federline's attorney told the publication that both sons were 'happy for their mum' and 'hopeful that Sam and Britney are starting a great future together.'

However, during an interview with The Daily Mail in August 2022, Federline claimed that Preston and Jayden were choosing not to see their mother at the moment. 'The boys have decided they are not seeing her right now. It's been a few months since they've seen her. They made the decision not to go to her wedding,' he said.
Sam Asghari, 2017-2023
In 2016, Spears told late night talk show host James Cordenshe would never get married again. During an episode of The Late Late Show Britney said, 'I think [I won't] ever do the whole men thing anymore, or get married. I'm just done with men-I may French kiss someone, but I won't ever get married.' Six years later she married Sam Asghari.

Sam works as a personal trainer and runs his own business Asghari Fitness. He moved to the States from Iran when he was twelve, joined his high school football team and his love for sport started from there. Sam's sister actually encouraged him to get into modelling, and he successfully booked gigs at the Super Bowl, on Fifth Harmony's Work From Home music video and, of course, Britney's Slumber Party vid... where it all began.

Britney and Sam met in 2016 on the set of her Slumber Party music video with Tinashe. Sam played Britney's love interest and soon sparks began to fly. Later, Sam revealed to Men's Health that he was so nervous to be meeting Britney that he had butterflies in his stomach. Cute.

The pair became Instagram official in January 2017 when she posted a snap with his arm around her captioned 'Happy New Year'. By November, they were spotted again on a family outing to watch basketball with her sons Jayden and Sean.

The couple announced their engagement in September 2021, during the battle to remove her conservatorship. In an iconic act of defiance, they made their announcement by Britney thrusting up her diamond-wrapped middle finger at the camera on Instagram.

In May 2022, Spears announced that she and Asghari had sadly lost a baby early in a pregnancy, about a month before they got married. She shared the sad news on Instagram with a statement: 'It is with deepest sadness we have to announce that we have lost our miracle baby early in the pregnancy. This is a devastating time for any parent.' Britney then continued: 'Perhaps we should have waited to announce until we were further along however we were overly excited to share the good news.'
Sam and Britney get married, 9 June 2022
Despite calling Sam her 'husband' on social media months prior, Sam and Britney officially tied the knot on 9 June 2022. It was a small private ceremony at their Thousand Oaks home, not without drama, courtesy of Spears' ex husband Jason Alexander who crashed the wedding.

Although it was a small wedding, it was also star-studded; guests included Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton and Madonna. The wedding was seen as a milestone in Britney's newly reclaimed life after the dissolution just six months earlier of the court conservatorship that controlled her life for more than 13 years.
Britney and Sam are rumoured to be divorcing, 16 August 2023
However, one year and two months after tying the knot - the pair are reported to be divorcing. Yesterday, TMZ reported that the pair are going their separate ways after an alleged cheating scandal. A person familiar with the filing, who is close to Asghari but not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed the filing happened on Wednesday, hours after several media outlets reported the couple had separated.

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A History Of Britney Spears' Three Marriages

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Grazia's deep dive into Britney Spears' three marriages to Sam Asghari, Jason Alexander and Kevin Federline. Read more on Grazia.

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Britney Spears Reveals How She Really Felt Dancing With a Snake During Her Iconic 2001 VMAs Performance

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Britney Spears Reveals How She Really Felt Dancing With a Snake During Her Iconic 2001 VMAs Performance

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Britney ney dancing with a living python in the 2001 performance at the MTV Video Music Awards became an iconic moment in her career.

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Rage Against the Machine, 2000

Who could forget when Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford expressed his displeasure at the band losing an award to Limp Bizkit by storming the stage and scaling a display tower? Although his moment was short-lived on television-since the network cut to a commercial-in reality, Tim's night was not since he was arrested and sentenced to a night in jail.

Lil Mama, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, 2009

Believe or not, the Kanye West-Taylor Swift incident was not the only impromptu onstage moment to happen during the 2009 show. After the now-infamous interruption, Lil Mama decided to unexpectedly join fellow New Yorkers Jay-Z and Alicia Keys during their duet of " Empire State of Mind."​

Kurt Cobain vs. Axl Rose, 1992

The two were involved in one of the most famous rock feuds. At the 1992 VMAs, tensions ran high backstage, where Cobain's wife Courtney Love, who also brought along then-newborn daughter Frances Bean, taunted Rose, prompting the Guns N' Roses frontman to threaten to beat up Cobain if he didn't shut his "bitch" up. Kurt then told Love, sarcastically, "Shut up, bitch!"

After he performed with his band Nirvana, the group's drummer Dave Grohl kept saying "Hi, Axl!" into his mic.

Michael Jackson & Lisa Marie Presley, 1994

Shortly after their wedding, the couple walked on stage holding hands as the audience cheered. After Jackson declared, "I'm very happy to be here and just think, nobody thought this would last," the King of Pop and Elvis Presley's daughter shared a kiss and walked off.

Diana Ross and Lil' Kim, 1999

While presenting Best Hip-Hop Video, the legendary singer unexpectedly tapped Lil' Kim's exposed left breast.

Amid an ongoing feud between Eminem and Moby, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog poked fun at their beef while roasting the latter artist to his face in the VMAs audience. Triumph then attempted to do the same to Eminem, who was not in the mood.

Eminem later took to the stage to accept the award for Best Male Video and said mid-speech, "That little Moby girl threw me out of my zone for a minute."

Britney Spears & Madonna, 2003

To open the show, Britney, Madonna and Christina Aguilera joined together for a rendition of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood," sealed with a headline-making kiss between the women.

The rapper crashed the stage when Taylor Swift won Best Female Video because he thought Beyoncé "had one of the best videos of all time." When Bey later won for Video of the Year, she asked T.Swift to join her on stage to have her moment.

The pop star announced she and Jay-Z were expecting their first child together when she cradled her baby bump on the red carpet and literally dropped her mic and rubbed her baby bump at the end of her performance of "Love On Top."

Hannah Montana who? The former Disney star twerked her way into MTV history with her performance of "We Can't Stop" and a duet of "Blurred Lines" with Robin Thicke.

Nicki Minaj vs. Miley Cyrus, 2015

While accepting the award for Best Hip-Hop Video for "Anaconda," Nicki confronted Miley, who was hosting, over negative comments she had made about the rapper in a New York Times interview. She called the pop star a "bitch" and asked her, "What's good?"

At the end of his lengthy Video Vanguard acceptance speech, the rapper unforgettably announced his plan to run for president in 2020.

The rapper sparked headlines when he declared his love for the songstress while presenting her with the 2016 Video Vanguard Award, telling the audience, "She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22-years-old."

On the heels of Camila Cabello's exit, the girl group shocked the world when they opened their performance with the image of a fifth member falling off the stage.

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App

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Britney Spears Reveals How She Really Felt Dancing With a Snake During Her Iconic 2001 VMAs Performance - E! Online

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Britney Spears reflected on her 2001 MTV VMAs performance with a python on the 22nd anniversary of iconic moment.

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Britney Spears begins long-term Las Vegas gig

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Britney Spears begins long-term Las Vegas gig

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Britney's long-term resident show in Las Vegas marked a revival in her career

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Britney Spears begins long-term Las Vegas gig

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Britney Spears begins long-term Las Vegas gig

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How Britney Spears Was Humiliated After Her Tragic Break Up With Justin Timberlake

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How Britney Spears Was Humiliated After Her Tragic Break Up With Justin Timberlake

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That was thought of the blasting fuse of sexy image transformation

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How Britney Spears Was Humiliated After Her Tragic Break Up With Justin Timberlake | Life Stories

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Shocked peers and tears backstage: What actually happened at Britney Spears’ infamous VMAs performance

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Shocked peers and tears backstage: What actually happened at Britney Spears’ infamous VMAs performance

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Spears' performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards was considered a career low. Her performance was criticized for lacking energy and inadequate preparation, a period when she was experiencing multiple stresses in her personal life.

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wellness

Blonde shoulder length hair.

She turns around.

Blue eyes, made so by coloured contacts.

She doesn't smile. Her lips twist slightly, acknowledging the room of hundreds of her peers. Rihanna. Kanye. Her ex-boyfriend is in the room somewhere, Justin Timberlake.

And then there are the millions watching at home.

It's impossible to know exactly what is going on behind 26-year-old Britney Spears' eyes as she stares out into the sea of round, white tables.

Perhaps she is terrified.

Perhaps, as people will later speculate, she's under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Or both.

Perhaps she doesn't want to be there at all. And despite her health battles, a messy separation, being harassed and stalked by paparazzi since before she was a teenager, there she is on stage anyway.

A spectacle.

And the people making money off her do so whether she sinks or swims.

That night, Britney will sink.

The performance.

The performance itself doesn't even last four minutes.

She looks dizzy and unsteady on her feet.

At some points, she badly lip syncs. At others, she stops lip syncing altogether.

As she performs a series of movements, she looks like a hostage. No one is enjoying this performance less than Britney Spears herself.

She wears a bra and underpants, black and sequined, with high boots coming halfway up her calf.

Her youngest son isn't even one. Her eldest son is a few days off turning two.

That of course won't stop the commentary about what her stomach looks like in lingerie.

No one in the room appears to be moving. Cuts to P. Diddy, Rihanna and 50 Cent's straight faces will be used as evidence that the performance was universally shocking. Celebrities in the room couldn't even pretend to like it.

A clip of Rihanna laughing with a friend towards the end will go viral. Rihanna has always denied she was laughing at Spears.

At one point Spears covers her face, seemingly uncomfortable with the light.

The one time she smiles is at the very end, when the music stops and the room politely applauds. She mouths "thank you" before exiting the stage.

Multiple sources will say that she cried "uncontrollably" backstage.

"Britney was crying backstage," one source told tabloids. "She was devastated. She was really nervous beforehand and immediately knew she had blown it."

"I looked like a fat pig!" What we didn't see on screen.

According to a source at MTV, Spears was in a state of "absolute blind panic" before the performance.

"She knew she hadn't rehearsed enough and was going to mess up the whole show and possibly her career - then she saw her hairdo and it was the final straw.

"She went into a wild rage and started lashing out at everyone - including her stylist."

Of course, we cannot verify whether this version of events is true. There were countless rumours surfacing at the time.

One rumour referred to comedian Sarah Silverman, who performed a stand up set at the VMAs. One of her punchlines was referring to Spears' two children as "the cutest mistakes you've ever seen".

Watch the trailer for the new documentary, Framing Britney Spears. Post continues below.
An insider alleged that Spears had heard Silverman rehearsing for her set, and became extremely upset at the reference to her children. A representative for Silverman, however, said no one heard the jokes before they were delivered.

What we do know, is that Spears was spotted at a Las Vegas nightclub the night before the VMAs, arriving home just 12 hours before her performance at the awards show.

It was reported that Spears missed a number of rehearsals in the lead up, and when she appeared on stage, she had only rehearsed "two or three times".

When she appeared on stage, a source speaking to Us magazine said: "She was able to see video of herself throughout the auditorium.

"She flipped out. She came running off the stage, yelling 'Oh my God, I look like a fat pig! I looked like a fat pig!' She was inconsolable."

Multiple insiders said they witnessed Spears crying backstage, with reports that she "broke down" and repeated "I'm so embarrassed".

What did Britney Spears' life look like in 2007?

Spears' performance was meant to be a comeback.

In the year prior, Spears had become a cultural punchline.

Pictures went viral of her shaved head alongside the headline "Britney Shears". Next were the images of her attacking a car with an umbrella, after she was ceaselessly provoked by paparazzi.

In 2005, Spears married her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander in Las Vegas, before having the marriage annulled 55 hours later. A court document said Spears "lacked understanding of her actions".

A few months later, Spears became engaged to Kevin Federline, a dancer, and their relationship was closely followed on their reality television show Britney and Kevin: Chaotic. She would later refer to the show as "probably the worst thing I've done in my career".

In February 2006, Spears was photographed driving with her infant son on her lap rather than in his car seat. Child advocates were furious. By mid 2006, she had separated from Federline.

In late 2006, she was photographed exiting a vehicle, the camera angled up her dress. It captured her bare crotch.

At 25, Spears' vulva was all over the internet.
Listen to The Spill, where hosts Laura and Kee discuss the new Britney Spears documentary. Post continues after podcast.

In early 2007, Spears' aunty with whom she had been extremely close, died of ovarian cancer. By February, she had been admitted to a drug rehabilitation facility, which she checked out of within 24 hours. In that same week, she shaved her head. She was photographed crying, trapped in a car surrounded by paparazzi.

"I'm scared," she can be heard saying.

"I don't want everybody touching me," she plead. "I'm tired of everyone touching me."

In the documentary Framing Britney Spears, Times critic-at-large Wesley Morris says: "She's saying essentially with no hair, I quit. Whatever you guys are looking for in terms of me coming back and being that person again, that person is gone, and you have destroyed her.

"The idea that you could look at [those images] and only see a 'crazy person' that just tells me what a vulturous society she was working with."

Through what is retrospectively seen as a clear mental health crisis, Spears still performed. She still produced an album. It topped the charts all over the world.

It was upon that backdrop that Spears appeared on stage at the VMAs.

And it's worth looking at how the world responded.

How people responded to the performance.

Early reports likened Spears to a "half asleep... zombie" with many calling her "unprepared" and "lazy".

Singer and songwriter Akon commented after her performance: "It definitely could have been a lot better. She seemed nervous ... you could tell by the expression on her face. Instead of just blocking everybody out and doing her thing, you could tell she was thinking about it."

Silverman said: "Britney Spears. Wow. She is amazing. She is 25 years old, and she's already accomplished everything she's going to accomplish in her life. It's mind blowing."

The media was so disgusting.
WE ARE SORRY BRITNEY pic.twitter.com/2ZD6UG4ddq
- Britney Fan 🌹 (@BritneyHiatus) February 7, 2021

And then there were the tabloids.

The New York Post published: "Totally lame, pathetically lip-synched... the song about lusting for too much wasn't enough to launch a dinghy, let alone re-launch the career of this ditzy disaster."

The New York Times said: "She didn't disappoint; she was awful. Visibly nervous, she tottered around the stage, dancing tentatively and doing nothing that sounded or looked like real live singing."

ABC News mocked her body, with the words: "Her sequined bra/panty costume confirmed that like her former pop-star magnetism, those abs of yore are now just a memory."

E Online were among dozens of publications that criticised Spears' body, adding: "Her once rock-hard abs have subsided to a somewhat less firm state - which is entirely understandable, given that she's carried two children. Not so understandable was her decision to flaunt her semi-gelatinous middle in a black sequined bra-and-panty number."

Celebrity publicist Michael Levine implied that someone should have told Spears "you're too heavy", the New York Post said she "jiggled like jello" and Joy Behar on daytime talk show The View said: "She's a good role model in that she comes out and shows she's not skinny anymore."

What happened to Spears after the VMAs was a pile-on before we even had the word 'pile-on'.

Whoopi Goldberg described Spears as "like a bad stripper", with television psychologist Dr. Phil adding that he thought he'd "bought tickets to a train wreck".

That was how the world responded to a 26-year-old performing on stage, amid very public mental health crises, multiple stints in rehab and relationship breakdowns.

Despite Spears' performance, she would return the next year and take home three awards.

Her album, which she had recorded and toured at one of the lowest points in her life, sold millions of copies. She would soon become the youngest female artist to have five albums debut at number one. She would earn herself a Guinness World Record.

The question today is: At what cost?

History will not look favourably on what happened that night in 2007, or in the weeks and years afterwards.

Spears was exploited by management, and by an industry, who needed her on stage, regardless of whether she was well enough.

Much of the audience laughed, and likely so did we.

Then, a few years later, singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse died.

She had been a tabloid plaything much the same as Spears, exploited and mocked and carted out by networks of people who made an enormous amount of money off her.

Perhaps that's when the narrative shifted for Spears. We were reminded of her humanity.

But by then, it's worth acknowledging how much damage had already been done.
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Shock and tears backstage: What actually happened at Britney Spears' infamous VMAs performance.

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Britney Spears VMAs performance. Everything we didn't see, from the night where everything went wrong for Britney Spears in 2007.

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‘Framing Britney Spears’ and The Feminisation of Madness

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‘Framing Britney Spears’ and The Feminisation of Madness

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In 2021, several documentaries about Britney's life and custody struggle were released, such as "Framing Britney Spears", which sparked wider public discussion about her personal life and the way celebrities are treated by the media.

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The documentary Framing Britney Spears (Samantha Stark, 2021) covers how pop star Britney Spears's mental health struggles were exploited, both by the media and by her father, Jamie Spears. The media's treatment of Britney feeds into the angel/whore dichotomy, a patriarchal idea that women fit into two categories; innocent, or a slut. The media and the music industry sexualised Britney from a very young age; she's a teenager in the ...Baby One More Time video ( Max Martin, 1998), and lashed out when she, as an adult, attempted to control her image.

Britney prepares for the 1998 '...Baby One More Time' video, image via Pintrest.

The sexualisation and exploitation of Britney is a clear example of the oppression that all women face, in this supposedly modern society. Women who don't conform to the traditional notions of womanhood need fixing, and this 'fixing' is done by classing them as unwell, in need of corrective measures.

Whilst many think pieces about the documentary, such as The Guardian's Why The 00s Were So Toxic For Women (Sirin Kale, 2021), note that the 00s kickback against feminism caused the media to treat female celebrities with gendered cruelty, it is key to recognise that the feminisation of madness has a long history. This medical maltreatment is thousands of years old.

"As a general rule, all women are hysterical. And every woman carries with her the seeds of hysteria," Auguste Fabre, 19th century physician, (qtd. in Esach, 2017).

To even exist as a woman has long been associated with weakness, vulnerability. Alongside this softness, women are also inherently sinful, a judgement you'd think would be contrapuntal. The woman is defined by everything man is not, and thus she has been historically seen as the 'other'.

The woman is both unknowable, and yet entirely defined by her womb.

Madness itself doesn't change, but the way it is perceived does, depending on the society in which it exists. Society constructs how we view madness. Historically, treatment is varied; in Renaissance times madness was seen as being integrated into the rest of the world "a human catastrophe" ( Panepinto, 2007), but by the 19th century it was seen as a mental and moral disease ( Foucault, 1961). Madness as a concept is located in a certain cultural space of society. The form of this space and the effects on the 'madman' are dependent on the society itself. Therefore, it is vital to evaluate how the idea of 'madness' is used to implement the ideologies of prevalent societal structures, i.e. the patriarchy.

The public's view of Britney Spears as mad was gradual yet devastating. The shift in opinion came, notably, after Britney was rumoured to have cheated on her boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, aided by his sensationalised version of events in the Cry Me a River music video ( Francis Lawrence, 2002). This pushed gossip magazines to change the way Britney was reported, and therefore damaged the American sweetheart image she'd carefully constructed.

Justin Timberlake and the Britney look-alike in the 2002 video for 'Cry Me A River', image via BuzzFeed News.

As years went by Britney, now going through an all-too-public divorce with ex-husband Kevin Federline, was continuously stalked by paparazzi; Framing Britney Spears interviews Daniel Ramos, one of many paparazzi who followed her movements.
"Working on her for so many years, she never gave a clue or information to the fact that she didn't appreciate us. 'Leave me the F alone'. There were times where she'd be like 'can you leave me alone for the day', but it wasn't like 'leave me alone forever',". Daniel Ramos, Framing Britney Spears (Samantha Stark, 2021)
Ramos continued to follow Britney after the famous head-shaving "I don't want anyone to touch me," incident. It was his truck that Britney damaged in a following meltdown. Ramos's photograph of her wielding an umbrella against his vehicle made him $400,000, and he attempted to sell the truck itself for $30,000 ( Musto, 2008). Reporting the profits, gossip column The Village Voice wrote "Oooh! Come get me, you bald bitch!" (Musto, 2008).

Ramo's $400,000 image of Britney attacking his truck, image via The Village Voice.

Britney's image had long been out of her control. Disturbing footage is played of a ten-year-old Britney at a talent competition "Do you have a boyfriend? Could I be your boyfriend?" a sixty-year-old presenter asks. "It depends," Britney answers, visibly uncomfortable. Following ....Baby One More Time, Britney is photographed by David LaChapelle for Rolling Stone. She's in a child's room, in lingerie. Interviewers ask her if she's got a boob job, if she plans to lose her virginity before she's married.

This 'nice' treatment of Britney was bound to be short-lived; she would grow older and date, no longer be the child they could manipulate as they wished.

Yes, Britney came up with the costumes for ....Baby One More Time, but she was a child. This, alongside her "I like to be seen as sexy, don't you?" comments to interviewers, were arguably influenced by the fact been groomed for and by the industry from an early age.

Britney Spears 'World She Once Knew', by David LaChapelle, 1999, image via Artsy.net.

One of the questions Framing Britney Spears ponders is if the reaction to Britney's breakdowns would have been the same if she was a man. "Bimbo Summit," reads a tabloid caption of Paris Hilton, Linsey Lohan, and Britney driving together. "She is not one who can live by the most basic social rules," decried Rolling Stone ( Grigogorias, 2008) "She is an inbred swamp thing who chain-smokes, doesn't do her nails, tells reporters to 'eat it'...". Her struggles, oddly, were reported as reclamation, Britney fighting back, something she enjoyed "Her reaction is often one of pure excitement," (Grigogorias, 2008). Gossip magazines treated Britney as a provocateur. The media decided that she consented to the situation, sensationalising her actions. Britney's 'madness' was caused by reporters, so by means of exorcising guilt, they imagined she happy; happy shaving her head, happy with the loss of her reputation, happy the loss of her rights. The controls of her entire estate were passed over to her father, and she lost custody of her children. Britney had lost motivation to please the public, but her actions were of someone who was suffering, not somebody who had found freedom in a hedonistic lifestyle.

Lindsay, Britney and Paris; 'Bimbo Summit', as reported by the New York Post, 2006. Image via Culled Culture.

Would the media reaction have been the same if Britney was a man? Men have suffered due to the intrusive aspects of celebrity, yes. However, it would be disingenuous to pretend that there wasn't an entire infrastructure ready to support the gendered cruelty that Britney publicly underwent. "What's Britney lost this year?" a 2008 Family Fortunes episode asked, giving participants points for her hair, her career, her mind, her children.

The panel mocking Britney Spears in the US game show 'Family Fortunes', 2008

'Hysteria' was the first medical disordered attributed to women, the word itself stems from the Ancient Greek idea that the uterus was 'the origin of all disease', that it would move up and down the body, upsetting a woman's delicate constitution (King, qtd in Espach 2017). Mental disorders in women are historically misunderstood due to a moral bias; pseudo-scientific prejudice (Angermeyer, MC et.al, qtd in Tasca, 2012). "Live a domestic life as possible [...] and never touch a pen, brush or pencil as long as you live," was 19th-century physician Dr. Mitchell's advice to women who wanted to stay sane (Gillman qtd in Espach, 2017).

Britney has been unable to break out of her conservatorship for twelve long years. Her father Jamie's actions have been viewed by the law as common sense, rationality. Conservatorships are normally used for when a patient is elderly, unable to judge their actions. "His love for his daughter and dedication to protecting her is clearly apparent to the court," stated Jamie's lawyer (qtd in Van Hoose, 2021).

Interviewed for the documentary, Britney's marketing director said that the only thing Jamie had ever said to her was in the early days. "My daughter's gonna be so rich she's going to buy me a boat," (qtd in Mangan, 2021). Jamie is a dedicated father, but one has to wonder where his investment truly lies. Britney's infantilisation; the belief in the 'rational' father over the daughter; feeds into the medical history of hysteria, the women's disease. Britney has repeatedly appealed for the conservatorship to end, refusing to perform.

Her treatment, both by the media and by the court, exemplifies how we, as a society, treat women. Hysteria was a major form of neurotic illness from the 19th right up to World War Two ( Tasca, 2012), and echoes of it remain. Madness is defined by the culture it exists in, and in our modern world, the classification of 'hysterical' women is subtle, yet vicious. It's a Ship of Theseus issue; it is different in its construction, yet arguably the same old thing.
Framing Britney Spears (Samantha Stark, 2021) is available in the UK on NowTV
The featured image this article uses is via YouTuber Adam McIntyre, from his video ' The Breakdown of Britney Spears ', 2018.

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'Framing Britney Spears' and The Feminisation of Madness

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The documentary Framing Britney Spears (Samantha Stark, 2021) covers how pop star Britney Spears's mental health struggles were exploited, both by the media and by her father, Jamie Spears. The media's treatment of Britney feeds into the angel/whore dichotomy, a patriarchal idea that women fit into two categories; innocent, or a slut.