Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is a very commercially successful and globally famous American dance-pop singer and actress.
Born in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears first came to fame as a member of the Disney Channel's New Mickey Mouse Club in the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
In the New Mickey Mouse Club, castmates included Justin Timberlake, and Joshua Chasez, who later became members of the pop band NSYNC, Keri Russell (star of the TV show Felicity) and Christina Aguilera, also a pop singer. Spears dated Timberlake for about five years.
Her first album on Jive Records, Baby One More Time, debuted in the number 1 spot on the Billboard Charts in early 1999, and also topped the charts in the UK. The single of the same title was also a number 1 hit in many countries, and featured a music video with Spears wearing a school-girl outfit and dancing through a high-school corridor. Her followup album, Oops I Did It Again, also debuting at number 1, was a similarly huge success.
Spears's success has rested on a mixed fan base. Millions of prepubescent girls became enthusiasts for her work, adopting her as an idol. It also appears that many young adult males are also fans. Writers on popular music for the mainstream press, however, have generally treated Spears's music rather harshly, considering it commercial and shallow.
Following the first two successful albums, Spears's career skyrocketed into a multimillion-dollar music, advertisement, concert and TV-special mania. Spears' most memorable advertisements were with Pepsi commercials, singing and dancing. Tabloids and the media in 2003 claimed that Spears was replaced by Destiny's Child frontwoman, Beyoncé Knowles to sponsor Pepsi's products; however, that was not completely true. Spears had not renewed her contract with Pepsi, and the company's spokespeople were looking forward in working with her again. Now, she is back with Pepsi to show off the new soda, Pepsi Vanilla.
Her next album, Britney, was released on November 6, 2001. The album debuted at number 1 on the charts. The first single "I'm A Slave 4 U" is an R&B-influenced, more mature-sounding tune indicating Spears's attempts to grow with her audience, young or old. Britney sold over 4 million records in the United States alone, yet selling 12-14 million worldwide. The figures are not bad, yet they are low in comparison to the sales of her other albums. Music industry critics are waiting to see if her career is in decline. In September 2002, she took a break from the spotlight. Britney Spears, in total of the three albums, has sold 54 million copies approximately.
Like a number of popular female figures in show business, Britney Spears has attracted much media attention concerning her private life. The usual conflict in this kind of situation is present here: a certain amount of attention increases the performer's prominence in the media, and perhaps even increases the sales of her artistic products (recordings, films, etc.). Indeed, some people feel that Ms. Spears has to some extent brought on this kind of public attention through her remarks in interviews. However, Ms. Spears has also expressed (quite understandable) regret and resentment at intrusive media coverage.
Her fourth and newest album, In the Zone, has been released on November 18. The album has gotten rid of Max Martin while taking in lesser-known producers such as RedZone. Other producers include Moby, R. Kelly, and more. Spears has co-written eight songs on the album. Her latest single, Me Against the Music featuring Madonna, has been doing very well on MTV's Total Request Live. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, however, the song is reflecting a mediocre impact. On the contrary, it has been doing very well on other charts.
Spears has branched out as a restaurateur with New York City eatery NYLA, but the results of this venture have been disappointing. The restaurant project is now over. Her appearance in the movie Crossroads, which landed on the number two spot in the box office, netted her a Golden Raspberry Award ('Razzie') for worst performance of 2002.
Her sister, Jamie Lynn or simply Jamie Spears, is currently starting a career as an entertainer, too, in the Nickelodeon show, All That. Her brother, Bryan Spears, is now co-managing her. Britney's parents, Lynne and Jamie, have divorced. One of her best friends, Jenny, was in the unsuccessful girl-group Innosence. Britney was a former member of the group, but she left and debuted as a solo-artist before the band ever debuted. One of her many friends is Felicia, her assistant.
Some parents of young daughters have ambivalent or even negative feelings about Britney Spears. Probably the basis of these feelings concerns the fact that Ms. Spears has combined a very "sexy" public image with a major effort to appeal to young girls, often of an age as low as seven or eight. The sexualization of pre-pubescent girls is a trend in modern society that is visible elsewhere, for example in the apparel and modeling industries.
A view taken by some parents is that their daughters deserve a chance to participate fully and happily in the pleasures of childhood before being led into an early emotional adolescence. There is also an open question of whether children of age 7-8 are ready for the often complicated feelings that come with sexual maturity. Lastly, parents may worry that Britney Spears provides an unrealistic role model for their daughters' life and career plans.
The question of sexuality may be relavent due to Spears 2003 semi-nude photo spread for the men's magazine, Esquire. Prompted by this, Playboy has reportedly offered the pop star over a million dollars to pose nude for their magazine. As of yet, Spears has not accepted nor rejected their offer.
Young girls seldom adopt views like the above explicitly, yet they tend to be are divided in whether they consider Britney Spears appealing, especially in light of more recent developments in her career.
Britney Spears responds to this by saying she is "not their babysitter. It's the parents' responsibility. If you don't like it, turn the T.V. off. The only person I want to be a role model is to my sister, Jamie Lynn." (From ABC's Primetime interview with Diane Sawyer).
The criticisms levied against Spears are similar to the ones Madonna received during her early career. Madonna's fans were of a similar demographic as Spears'.
History of Britney Spears's career
Media reporting of Britney Spears's personal life
Current activities
Controversies surrounding Britney Spears
Lists
Albums
Music Videos
Acting
External links
Official sites
Fan Web Sites
Message Boards
Picture
Sexy Britney Spears
