Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an iconic American pop music singer, songwriter and dancer. Her career encompasses chart-topping records, high-profile advertising, and forays into acting and reality television. She remains very popular throughout the world despite some controversy surrounding the perceived sexual nature of her music and image.

Biography

Born to Lynne and Jamie Spears in McComb, Mississippi, USA and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears first came to fame as a member of the Disney Channel's New Mickey Mouse Club during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.

Related Topics:
McComb - Mississippi - USA - Kentwood - Louisiana - Disney Channel - New Mickey Mouse Club - 1993 - 1994

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Her castmates on the show included Justin Timberlake and Joshua Chasez (who later became members of the pop group *NSYNC), Keri Russell (star of the TV show Felicity), Christina Aguilera, also a pop singer, and actor Ryan Gosling. Spears dated Timberlake for about five years.

Related Topics:
Justin Timberlake - Joshua Chasez - *NSYNC - Keri Russell - Felicity - Christina Aguilera - Ryan Gosling

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On January 3, 2004, Spears married her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander in Las Vegas, Nevada. The couple promptly arranged for an annulment, which was granted on January 5, ending their 55-hour marriage.

Related Topics:
January 3 - 2004 - Jason Allen Alexander - Las Vegas, Nevada - January 5

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Later in 2004, Spears, 22, announced her engagement to dancer Kevin Federline, 26. Federline was formerly in a relationship with the actress Shar Jackson, with whom he has two children.

Related Topics:
Kevin Federline - Shar Jackson

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On the night of September 18, 2004, Spears married Federline before 20-30 guests in a private, non-denominational ceremony at a residence in Studio City, California. Spears wore an off-white dress and Federline wore an off-white dinner jacket. The wedding party famously donned white (guys) and pink (girls) sweatsuits after the ceremony and ventured out to an L.A. nightclub. The legitimacy of the marriage was initially questioned, but on November 18, 2004 a representative of the Los Angeles County registrar's office confirmed Spears and Federline had successfully filed their marriage license with the county within ten days of their ceremony and were therefore legally married.

Related Topics:
September 18 - Studio City, California - L.A. - November 18

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On September 14, 2005, Britney gave birth to a baby boy in the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California by a caesarean section. The baby has been named Sean Preston Spears Federline.

Related Topics:
September 14 - 2005 - Santa Monica, California - Caesarean section

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...Baby One More Time

Her first album on Jive Records, ...Baby One More Time, debuted at #1 on the Canadian chart as well as the U.S. Billboard 200 on January 12, 1999, where it spent six non-consecutive weeks at the top. The lead single of the same name was also a #1 hit in many countries, including the U.S. and U.K., and was accompanied by a music video in which Spears wore a schoolgirl outfit and danced down a high school corridor. Follow-up singles included the top thirty "Sometimes", top ten "(You Drive Me) Crazy" and top twenty "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart". Another single, "Born to Make You Happy", was released outside the U.S. and went to #1 in the U.K.

Related Topics:
Jive Records - ...Baby One More Time - Billboard 200 - January 12 - 1999 - Music video - Sometimes - (You Drive Me) Crazy - From the Bottom of My Broken Heart - Born to Make You Happy

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Spears broke the record for the youngest artist, at age 17, to have their first single reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with "...Baby One More Time". Spears also broke the record for the youngest artist, at age 17, to have their first single and album simultaneously reach #1 on the Billboard charts. Spears still holds this record. ...Baby One More Time is to-date the best-selling album by a teenager, with certification for shipment of over 14 million copies {{ref|AlbumsCertifications}} and SoundScan sales of over 10.5 million copies {{ref|AlbumsSales1}} in the U.S. alone.

Related Topics:
Billboard Hot 100 - ...Baby One More Time

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In 2000, Spears was nominated for two Grammy awards; Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single "...Baby One More Time", and Best New Artist. She did not receive either award..

Related Topics:
2000 - Grammy - Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - Best New Artist

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Oops!... I Did It Again

Her follow-up album, Oops!... I Did It Again, released on May 16, 2000, also debuted at #1 in the U.S. and Canada, and was a similarly huge hit. It sold over 1.3 million units its first week in the U.S., making it the fastest-selling album by a female artist. The album has shipped over 10 million copies {{ref|AlbumsCertifications}} and reached SoundScan sales of over 9 million copies {{ref|AlbumsSales1}} in the U.S. alone. Singles off the album include the title track, which was a top ten hit in the U.S. and a #1 in several countries around the world, the top thirty "Lucky" and the top twenty "Stronger". Another single, "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was also released, but failed to achieve much success.

Related Topics:
Oops!... I Did It Again - May 16 - 2000 - Title track - Lucky - Stronger - Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know

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Following the success of her first two albums, Spears' career skyrocketed, and a multi-million-dollar music, film, advertising, concert and TV-special 'industry' sprang up around her. Her most popular ads were for Pepsi, for which she earned a reported $7-$8 million. In 2003, there was media speculation that the soft drink behemoth was planning to replace Spears with Destiny's Child frontwoman Beyoncé Knowles. This speculation turned out to be false, and Spears has since gone on to promote other Pepsi products. Spears has also participated in ads for McDonald's and Skechers, among other companies. During this time, the singer also branched out as an author by co-writing a book with her mother Lynne called Britney Spears' Heart-to-Heart.

Related Topics:
Pepsi - 2003 - Destiny's Child - Beyoncé Knowles - McDonald's - Skechers - Britney Spears' Heart-to-Heart

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In 2001, Spears was again nominated for two Grammy awards; Best Pop Vocal Album for Oops!... I Did It Again, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single of the same name. She did not receive either award.

Related Topics:
2001 - Grammy - Best Pop Vocal Album - Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

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Britney

Her next album, Britney, was released on November 6, 2001, and again debuted at #1 on both the U.S. and Canadian charts, selling over 740,000 units its first week in the U.S. This made her the only female artist in SoundScan history to have her first three albums debut at #1. The first single, the top thirty hit "I'm a Slave 4 U", was produced by The Neptunes, and its R&B stylings heralded the starlet's attempt to grow with her audience, young and old. Other singles included "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman", "Overprotected", "Anticipating", "Boys" and "I Love Rock 'N Roll". Though these tracks did well internationally, they all failed to make much of a stir on the U.S. charts. Over 4 million copies of Britney have been sold in the U.S. alone {{ref|AlbumsSales}}, and while the album was very much a hit by many other artists' standards, these figures are low in comparison to the sales of her previous two albums.

Related Topics:
Britney - November 6 - 2001 - I'm a Slave 4 U - The Neptunes - R&B - I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman - Overprotected - Anticipating - Boys - I Love Rock 'N Roll

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Following the release of Britney, Spears embarked on the "Dream Within a Dream Tour". It included a moving stage, Britney doing acrobatics and a giant indoor waterfall projecting a Britney hologram during its encore. While the tour was sold-out around the world, it ended poorly when Britney had to cut a performance short due to dangerous weather, and was subsequently booed by fans at the Mexico City venue.

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In 2002, Spears starred in a movie, Crossroads, which reached #2 in its first week at the box-office charts, but quickly dropped from sight. Songs from the album Britney appeared in the film. Spears' performance was poorly-received by critics, and she netted herself a Razzie Award for Worst Actress, tied with Madonna. One of the tracks from Britney, "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman", also won the Worst Original Song award, and in 2005 Spears was again 'honored' by the Golden Raspberry judges when she was proclaimed Worst Supporting Actress for her cameo role in the documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, which showed her response to a CNN interview question by Tucker Carlson, regarding her political views during the then-impending 2003 invasion of Iraq:

Related Topics:
2002 - Crossroads - Razzie Award - Madonna - 2005 - Fahrenheit 9/11 - CNN - Tucker Carlson - 2003 invasion of Iraq

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Carlson: "A lot of entertainers have come out against the war in Iraq. Have you?

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Spears: "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. {{ref|Iraq}}

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In June 2002, Spears branched out as a restaurateur with the opening of a New York City eatery, NYLA; but the venture was not a success, and the restaurant closed in 2003. In addition, she also released the follow-up novel to Britney Spears' Heart-to-Heart; this one was entitled A Mother's Gift.

Related Topics:
June 2002 - 2003 - Britney Spears' Heart-to-Heart - A Mother's Gift

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In September 2002, she took a break from the spotlight, and in 2003 many music industry critics speculated her career was in decline. That same year Spears was nominated for two Grammy awards yet again: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Overprotected", and Best Pop Vocal Album for Britney. She did not receive either award.

Related Topics:
September 2002 - Grammy - Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - Best Pop Vocal Album

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In the Zone

Her fourth album, In the Zone, was released on November 18, 2003. Jettisoning the Max Martin-produced synth-pop of her earlier releases, the album took in lesser-known producers such as RedZone, as well as such big names as Moby and R. Kelly. Spears co-wrote eight of the album's thirteen songs. Zone rose straight to the top of the U.S charts in its debut week, making Spears the only female in music history to have her first four albums debut at #1. After an opening performance in which she kissed Madonna at the August 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, the pop legend was also featured on the album's first single, "Me Against the Music". The single went top forty in the U.S., but was a top five hit in many other countries around the world. Zone, however, has sold close to 3 million copies in the U.S. {{ref|AlbumsSales3}}

Related Topics:
In the Zone - November 18 - 2003 - Max Martin - RedZone - Moby - R. Kelly - Kissed Madonna - August 2003 - MTV Video Music Awards - Me Against the Music

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The day before the release of Zone, Spears received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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On January 3, 2004, Spears married her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander at The Little White Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. The couple promptly arranged for an annulment, which was granted on January 5, ending their 55-hour marriage. Following the wedding, Spears released the second single from Zone, "Toxic", which became a worldwide and #1 hit in several countries. The single also marked Spears' first top ten hit on the Hot 100 since "Oops!... I Did It Again".

Related Topics:
January 3 - 2004 - Married - Jason Allen Alexander - The Little White Wedding Chapel - Las Vegas, Nevada - Annulment - January 5 - Toxic - Hot 100 - Oops!... I Did It Again

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In March, Spears embarked on her fourth world tour, the "Onyx Hotel Tour", which grossed over $34 million dollars and was seen by over 600,000 fans in North America and Europe. Meanwhile, the album's third single, "Everytime", was starting to receive radio play. While the song was a top twenty hit in the U.S., it was a #1 hit overseas in such countries as the U.K. and Australia. In June, she cancelled the remaining dates of her tour after injuring her knee during the filming of a video for the fourth single from Zone, "Outrageous", which was released only in the U.S. and Japan; however, it did not perform well on the charts (besides becoming a moderate dance hit), perhaps due to the fact that the video was never released.

Related Topics:
Everytime - Outrageous

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In 2005, Spears received her first Grammy award for "Toxic" in the category of Best Dance Recording.

Related Topics:
2005 - Grammy - Best Dance Recording

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Post-Zone events

During the latter half of 2004, Spears announced she would be taking another career break in order to start a family. Though she stopped making many public appearances, the 'Britney Spears industry' seemed to continue running itself.

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In September 2004, Spears released her first fragrance, "Curious" (a floral scent with vanilla and musk), for which she earned a reported $12 million. The fragrance had the biggest debut in sales in history from Elizabeth Arden, breaking the record for first-week gross for a perfume; after one year of sales, the product has netted more than $100 million. {{ref|Curious}} In addition, the perfume ended up as the #1 fragrance of 2004 in department stores, and in 2005, "Curious" was honored by the Fragrance Foundation, naming it Best Women's Fragrance.

Related Topics:
September 2004 - Elizabeth Arden - 2005

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Following the success of "Curious", Spears released her next Elizabeth Arden fragrance "Fantasy" in September 2005.

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On November 9, 2004, Spears released her first hits collection: '. The album debuted at #4 on the U.S. charts, selling over 255,000 copies in its first week of release; since hitting shelves, the set has sold over a million copies in the States. Spears also notched up the biggest-selling first week for a greatest hits compilation by a female artist in U.K. chart history (115,341 copies).

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The collection includes all of her biggest hits, such as "...Baby One More Time", "Oops!... I Did It Again" and "Toxic", as well as two new songs and a cover of Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative", which was featured as the lead single. A second single, one of the two new tracks entitled "Do Somethin'", was released in early 2005.

Related Topics:
...Baby One More Time - Oops!... I Did It Again - Toxic - Bobby Brown - My Prerogative - Do Somethin'

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On December 29, 2004, Spears did a live interview on the KIIS FM radio station in the U.S., stating her next album was already half done and that it would be named The Original Doll, appropriately enough for her changing image. Additionally, after the interview, the supposed first single "Mona Lisa" was played. She announced the album would probably be out in the late spring or early summer of 2005. Jive later released a statement saying that her next album would not be released until at least 2006.

Related Topics:
December 29 - The Original Doll - Jive - 2006

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Chaotic and Remixed

On May 17, 2005 Spears' reality show with husband Kevin Federline, entitled ', premiered on UPN. In total, the series included five episodes that debuted weekly every Tuesday at 9PM ET/PT up until the hour-long finale on June 14, 2005. Both Federline and Spears are credited as executive producers.

Related Topics:
May 17 - 2005 - Reality show - Kevin Federline - UPN - June 14

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The series consists mainly of home videos created by Federline and Spears, along with some added commentary, beginning with their courtship during the European leg of Spears' "Onyx Hotel Tour" in spring 2004, and ending with their marriage that September. The series averaged about 3 million viewers per episode in the U.S.; despite this being higher than a usual UPN show, the media marked the series as a flop. However, the show fared quite well in other areas of the world, including the U.K.

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The video for Spears' next single, "Someday (I Will Understand)", premiered on the season finale of Chaotic.

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It has recently been confirmed that a new remix album from Britney, appropriately titled Remixed, is due for release on November 8, 2005. According to Billboard.com, "And Then We Kiss" is set to be released as the first single. {{ref|Remixed}}

Related Topics:
Remix - Remixed - November 8 - Billboard.com - And Then We Kiss

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