How To Understand Britney Spears

I know if you were to hear Britney say "oops, I did it again", you'd likely think she had another run in with the paparazzo or perhaps another "wardrobe malfunction" as they would call it these days. Yes, she has made the news quite a bit lately, and most of it has not been for good reason. But it is equally important that we consider her accomplishments. To fully understand Britney Spears it is important you take all of the following aspects of her career and life into consideration.

1. Early Life.
   • Britney Jean Spears was born in Mccomb, Mississippi on December 1, 1981.
   • She was raised in the small town of Kentwood, Louisiana as a Southern Baptist.
   • As a child, Britney was involved in gymnastics, and by the age of nine she was already competing in state level competitions.
   • At age 8, the young Britney Spears auditioned for the "New Mickey Mouse Club" and was rejected. The judges felt she was too young.
   • After three summers studying at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School, with a few off Broadway appearances (including "Ruthless!") under her belt, Spears decided she was ready to showcase her vocal talent.
   • Just before her 11th birthday, Britney Spears landed a spot on the legendary American television show "Star Search". She impressed the judges and viewers alike, and won the first round of the competition. But her talent was not fully developed, and again the young Britney was sent home shy of her goal.
   • In 1992 at age 11. Spears returned to the Disney Channel for another audition for a role in "The New Mickey Mouse Club". Her hard work and persistence paid off. She was awarded a role, and starred on the hit show until she was 13. She began to showcase her talent, and it became clear she was ready for bigger things.
   • In 1997 Spears joined the all-female group Innosense. It did not take long until she proved her talents as a vocalist. A few short months later Miss Spears recorded a demo solo, and shortly after signed a lucrative contract with "Jive Records". As a starlet on the rise, Britney gained recognition when she landed an opening act for 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.
2. A Superstar Emerges.
   • In 1998 Britney Spears launched her debut single "...Baby One More Time", and it was an instant success. She was an idol to young girls not only in the states, but internationally as well. The song topped Billboard's Hot 100. With nine million copies sold, the song climbed to 25th on Rolling Stone and MTV 100 Greatest Songs of All Time.
   • In January 1999 Spears released her first full album which included the hit single. It was appropriately named the same. It was certified as a diamond album in the U.S. and sold 25 million copies.
   • In December 1999, at just 18 years old, Britney Spears won four Billboard Music Awards, including the very impressive title of Female Artist Of The Year. Just a few weeks later she captured the title for Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist at the coveted American Music Awards.
   • Still only 18 years old, Britney Spears has achieved recognition and awards that some of the worlds best musicians have only dreamt about. She left little time for critics or fans to speculate. On May 16, 2000 she released her second album which was righteously titled "Oops... I Did It Again". In the first week of sales over 1.3 million copies were sold.
3. Britney Spears, Songwriter.
   • In November 2001, Britney Spears released her third album, which was titled "Britney". Spears co-wrote five of the album's tracks. It had a successful debut in the U.S. by selling nearly 750,000 units in the first week. Overall, the album would not achieve the same success as her previous two. However, she remained optimistic that her songwriting skills would ultimately become an asset to her success.
   • In November, 2003, she released her fourth studio album "Toxic". This time Spears co-wrote 8 of the albums 13 songs. And as if being the albums lead singer, dancer, and co-writer weren't enough, Spears also decided to co-produce scenes in the albums videos. Once again the album reached number 1 in the U.S., making her the first female artist in history to reach #1 with each of her first four albums. Still, the over-all success of the album, and long-term sales declined greatly from her previous records. The album did, however, spawn the hit song "Toxic", which won Spears her first ever Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
4. Britney Spears, Actress.
   • In November 1999, Britney made a guest appearance on the ABC sitcom "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch". Britney Spears played herself, and performed the song "You Drive Me Crazy".
   • She appeared on "Saturday Night Live" several times between 2000 and 2003. She not only hosted the show, but also appeared in some comedic scenes, and musical performances.
   • In 2003 Britney Spears agreed to do an interview with CNN's Tucker Carlson. The subject of the interview was the Iraq War. When asked "What are your thoughts on the War?" she replied: "Honestly I think we should just trust our president in every decision he makes and should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens." She did not plan to land a role in a blockbuster film, but that's what she did. Michael Moore used the footage of the interview in his controversial documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11".
   • Britney got her big break in the Hollywood acting scene when she landed a star role in the 2002 film "Crossroads". The movie received poor reviews from critics. Britney's performance in the film was also a disaster according to critics. She was awarded a "Razzie" award for worst actress. For honorable mention, however -- most critics agree that Britney's performance was better than the other female stars, who included Mariah Carey and Mandy Moore.
   • In 2006, Britney Spears guest starred on the NBC sitcom "Will And Grace". She played the role of a lesbian who had not yet revealed her sexual orientation. The role was played alongside Jack McFarland. The network (NBC) received criticism from conservative groups and Christian denominations.
5. The Married Life.
   • Britney Spears was introduced to Kevin Federline in April, 2004. Federline was in the process of ending his relationship with actress Shar Jackson. Three months after meeting him, in July 2004, Britney Spears announced her engagement to Kevin Federline. At the time of the announcement Shar Jackson was eight months pregnant with Kevin Federline's second child.
   • Catching most by surprise, Britney and Kevin tied the knot on September 18, 2005. The wedding took place inside a residence located in Studio City, California.
   • Shortly after the marriage, Spears announced she would be taking a career break in order to start a family.
6. Motherhood.
   • In April of 2006 Britney announced her first pregnancy. She released the following statement: "The time has finally come to share our wonderful news that we are expecting our first child together." On September 14, 2005 Britney gave birth to the couple's first son. Sean Preston Federline, Britney and Kevin's first born son, was delivered through a scheduled cesarean section.
   • In May 2006, Britney Spears made a guest appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman. During the show she announced to the national audience that she was pregnant with her and Kevin's second child. Spears and Federline's second son, Jayden James Federline, was born on September 12, 2006.
7. Divorce And Custody Issues.
   • On November 7, 2006; just seven weeks after the birth of Jayden, Britney filed divorce papers. She claimed "irreconcilable differences" with Kevin. Spears requested the court award her full legal custody of both Jayden James and Sean Preston, with visitation rights for Kevin.
   • On November 8, 2006 Federline quickly responded. He too petitioned the court for full custody of the couple's two young children.
   • In March 2007 it was reported that the couple reached an undisclosed settlement agreement. As a result of the agreement, the divorce was finalized on July 30, 2007.
   • In September 2007, a family court judge ruled for joint custody. He ordered Spears to attend parenting counseling, and undergo random drug and alcohol tests in order to maintain her rights within his ruling.
8. Erratic Behavior.
   • January 21, 2007 marked the death of Spears's aunt, Sandra Bridges Covington. Britney had a close relationship with her Aunt Sandra, and the news that Sandra had lost her battle with ovarian cancer hit Britney hard.
   • Shortly after the death of her Aunt, Britney underwent drug rehabilitation in an off-shore facility located in Antigua.
   • The evening following her release from the Antigen rehab center, Spears visited a salon in Tarzana, California. At the salon Spears shaved her head bald with clippers.
   • On February 20, Spears admitted herself to a substance abuse treatment facility in Malibu, California. Britney underwent treatment for nearly a month, and went home on March 20th. Her manager released a statement that Britney had "successfully completed the program".