Media A2 coursework.

1. Britney Spears

2. Britney Spears was born on December 2 in 1981 in Kentwood, Louisiana.. At the age of three she started to attend a dance lessons. As a child, she also went to gymnastics and voice lessons, winning lots of state level competitions and talent shows. She first performed at the age of five at her kindergarten graduation; singing “What child is this?”. As a child she spoke about her ambition, saying “I was in my own world. I found out what I'm supposed to do at an early age”At the age of eight, her mother, Lynne, went to Atlanta for an audition in the 1990s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club. The casting director, Matt Cassella, rejected her for being to young to join the series at the time, however introduced her to a New York City talent agent Nancy Carson, who was impressed by Britney’s vocals and suggested enrolling her at the Professional Performing Arts School. Her and her family moved to New York.The first professional role Britney was hired for was as the understudy for the lead role in the Off-Broadway musical Ruthless. She was also a contestant on a popular TV show Star Search, as well as being in a number of commercials. In December 1992, she was finally cast in The Mickey Mouse Club, but returned to Kentwood after the show was cancelled.

3. Britney released her first debut album Hit Me Baby One More Time in January 1999 through Jive Records. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America after a month. Worldwide, the album topped the charts in fifteen countries and sold over ten million copies in a year. It became the biggest selling album ever by a teenage artist. The single starts with the phrase “oh baby baby”. which is later used in some of her other songs; such as, “Oops I did it again” (2000) and “If you seek Amy” (2008). It portrays Britney as a student from a Catholic high school, who starts to daydream that she is singing and dancing around the school, while watching her love interest from afar. The music video was later reference in the music video of "If U Seek Amy", were Spears' fictional daughter is dressed with a similar schoolgirl outfit while wearing pink ribbons in her hair. Later, in 2010, the music video for "...Baby One More Time" was voted the third most influential video in the history of pop music. Today, the song is considered a classic of the pop music genre and it continues to be highly influential within the world of popular music

4. You drive me crazy was released on August 23, 1999 as the third single from the album. The song is about a woman who is crazy by her love interest, claiming that his “love keeps her up all night”. The video portrays Britney as a waitress of a club, who changes her clothes and starts to sing and dance to a guy who stares at her and drives her crazy.Britney revealed the concept was her idea, and hoped that the video would "take her to the next level”. "The second single from Britney's debut album is nearly as catchy as the first above. By the end of the first time you hear it, or possibly the second, you are bound to be singing along to the "cra-a-a-azy" chorus. It might follow a simple formula, but it sure is fun". – Bill Lamb, About.com The track also proved to be another international hit, reaching the top five in numerous European nations, including France, the German-speaking region and the Scandinavian countries. In the official UK Singles Charts, "Crazy" peaked at number five and sold a total of 257,000 copies, becoming eligible for a silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry. However, the single only managed to reach the top 20 this time around in Canada and Australia; Nonetheless, the Australian Recording Industry Association certified the single platinum for shipping 70,000 copies.

5. The song was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami for Britney’s second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000). It was released on March 27, 2000 by Jive Records, as the first single from the album. "Oops!... I Did It Again" is a teen pop song, that speaks about a girl who thinks love is a game and plays with her lover's emotions, claiming that she's "not that innocent". The song's bridge features a dialogue that makes reference to the James Cameron movie Titanic (1997). The same year, Spears embarked on the Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour, which grossed $40.5 million; she also released her first book, Britney Spears' Heart-to-Heart, co-written with her mother. On September 7, 2000, Spears performed at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Halfway through the performance, she ripped off her black suit to reveal a sequined flesh-coloured bodysuit, followed by heavy dance routine. It is noted by critics as the moment that Britney showed signs of becoming a more provocative performer. Amidst media speculation, Britney confirmed she was dating 'N Sync member Justin Timberlake "that brutal growl is all Britney, articulating a violently ambivalent sexual confusion her audience can relate to, kicking and screaming for the right to figure out her desires before the world decides for her“. – Rob Sheffield, Rolling stone.

6. In February 2001, Britney signed a $7-8 million promotional deal with Pepsi, and released another book co-written with her mother, called A Mother’s Gift. Whilst on tour, Britney was inspired by artists such as Jay Z and The Neptunes and wanted to create a record with a funkier sound. Her third studio album, Britney, was released in November 2001, which debuted at number one in the Billboard 200 and reached top five positions in Australia, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe and sold over 12 million copies world wide. “The record where she strives to deepen her persona, making it more adult while still recognizably Britney. It does sound like the work of a star who has now found and refined her voice, resulting in her best record yet.“ – Stephen Thomas Erlewine The album was honoured with two Grammy nominations—Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Overprotected"— and was listed in 2008 as one of Entertainment Weekly's "100 Best Albums from the Past 25 Years".The album's first single, "I'm a Slave 4 U", became a top-ten hit worldwide.

7. A caged tiger was featured in Britney s performance of the single “ I’m a slave 4 u”, at the 2001 MTV Video Awards, as well as having a large albino python draped over her shoulders. It was harshly received by PETA; animal rights organisation, who claimed the animals were mistreated. They then scrapped plans for an anti-fur billboard which Britney was going to be featured in. To support the album, Britney got on board with the Dream Within a Dream Tour. The show was critically praised for its technical innovations. The tour grossed $43.7 million, becoming the second highest grossing tour of 2002 by a female artist, behind Cher's Farewell Tour.Her career success was highlighted by Forbes in 2002, as Britney was ranked the world's most powerful celebrity.

8. Britney landed her first starring role in Crossroads which was released in February 2002. the film was largely criticised, however most critics actually praised Britney’s acting. The film had a $11 million budget and went on to gross over $57 million worldwide.

9. In July 2002, Britney announced she was taking a six month break from her career, however was back in the studio in October to record her new album. After three years, Britney’s relationship with Justin Timberlake ended over rumours that she had been unfaithful to him. In December 2002, Justin released the song “Cry me a river” featuring a woman who shared similar features with Britney, in the video, which fuelled the rumours about Britney’s unfaithfulness to him. Britney’s ballad “Everytime” was a response to Justin’s “Cry me a River” .

10. Britney opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards with Christina Aguilera, performing “Like a Virgin”. They were joined half way through by Madonna, with whom they both kissed. The incident was highly publicized.

11. The music video for “me against the world” was directed by Paul Hunter. The concept of it was setting Britney and Madonna apart, hence why Britney wore a black outfit and Madonna a white suit. Hunter spoke about the video on MTV news saying “Madonna is an icon of an earlier generation, and then Britney of the newer generation. She was at her peak at that point. So it was a challenge to kind of bring both of the worlds together. I wanted it to be a bit of a cat-and-mouse sort of game and a little bit of a foreplay between Britney and Madonna and just sort of tease the audience." “Me Against the Music" received mixed reviews from critics. Some felt it was a strong dance track of In the Zone, while others referred to it as lacklustre and disappointing. The song was a commercial success, peaking top of the charts in countries such as Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland and Spain, as well as the European Hot 100 Singles. It also peaked at number two in Canada, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom, and inside the top five in many other nations. The song won the "Hot Dance Single of the Year" accolade at the 2004 Billboard Music Awards. The video received positive reviews from critics, who noted it as symbolic of the sexual roles between the women. "The video is more sensual than I’m used to. It was my first time doing a collaboration and I got Madonna. It’s really interesting to see the two different styles together.“ – Britney Spears

12. In November 2003, Britney released her forth studio album, In the Zone. Vibe called it “A supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter”. In the Zone sold over 609,000 copies in the united states and debuted at the top of the charts, making Britney the first female artist in the SoundScan era to have her first four studio albums to debut at number one. It also debuted at the top of the charts in France and the top ten in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. In the Zone sold over 10 million copies worldwide. The album produced the hit singles: "Me Against the Music", a collaboration with Madonna; "Toxic"—which won a Grammy for Best Dance Recording; "Everytime" and "Outrageous".

13. “Toxic” was released on January 12, 2004, from her fourth album, In the Zone. Its lyrics refer to being addicted to a lover. Critics deemed it as the strongest track in the album, while praising its hook and chorus."Toxic" attained worldwide success, reaching the top-five in fifteen countries, while topping the charts in Australia, Canada, Hungary, Norway and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it became her first single to peak inside the top ten in almost four years. Jennifer Vineyard of MTV compared the video to Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River", saying that "Where her real-life ex just stalked his cheating lover in his clip, Spears takes a more lethal approach." The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Joseph Kahn and features references to Blade Runner, The Seven Year Itch and the films of John Woo. It portrays Spears as a secret agent in the search of a vial of green liquid. After she steals it, she enters an apartment and poisons her unfaithful boyfriend. The video also includes interspersed scenes of Spears naked with diamonds over her body. After Janet Jackson's Superbowl incident, the video was considered too racy for MTV and was moved to late-night programming. "Toxic" is known for showing Spears for the first time as a confident adult woman, comfortable with her own sexuality.

14. On January 3rd 2004, Britney married child hood friend Jason Allen Alexander at The Little White Wedding Chapel In Las Vegas, Nevada. The marriage was annulled 55 hours later stating that Britney “lacked understanding of her actions”. Britney Spears and Jason Alexander, of Kentwood, Louisiana, "took a joke too far by getting married," her record label, Jive Records, said in a statement released to Entertainment tonight.

15. Britney began The Onyx Hotel Tour in support of in the Zone in March 2004. On June 8, 2004, Britney fell and injured her left knee, whilst shooting the music video for “Outrageous”. She was taken to a local hospital, where doctors performed an MRI scan and found a floating cartilage.. The next day Britney underwent arthroscopic surgery. She was forced to remain six weeks with a thigh brace, followed by eight to twelve weeks of rehabilitation, which caused The Onyx Hotel Tour to be cancelled.

16. In July 2004, Britney announced her engagement to American dancer Kevin Federline, who she had met three months before. The romance attracted intense attention from the media, as Kevin had only just split with former girlfriend Shar Jackson, who was still pregnant with their second child at the time. The first stages of their relationship were recorded in Britney’s first reality show “Britney & Kevin: Chaotic” Their wedding ceremony was held on September 18, 2004, however, they were not legally married until three weeks later on October 6 due to a delay finalising the couple’s prenuptial agreement. Shortly after her wedding, she released her first fragrance, “Curious” , which broke the company’s first- week gross for a perfume. In October 2004, Britney decided she would take another career break to start a family.

17. In November 2004, “ Greatest Hits: My Prerogative”, her first hits compilation album, was released. Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” was released as the lead single from the album, which reached the top of the charts in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway. The second album “ Do somethin’”, was a top ten hit in Australia, the United Kingdom and other countries of mainland Europe. Greatest Hits: My Prerogative” sold over 5 million copies. In late 2004, Britney went on KIIS-FM radio in Los Angeles, CA to play a new demo titled “Mona Lisa.” The demo was going to be the first single from an upcoming album called “Original Doll”. However Britney’s label later cancelled the album for unknown reasons. Britney later gave birth to her first child, Sean Preston Federline, on September 14, 2005.

18. In February 2006, pictures of Britney holding her son, Sean, in her lap whilst driving, instead of in a car seat emerged. Child advocates were horrified by the pictures of Britney holing the wheel with one hand and her son with the other. Britney claimed that the situation happened because of a frightening encounter with paparazzi and admitted it was a mistake on her part. On September 12, 2006, she gave birth to her second child, Jayden James Federline. Britney filed for divorce from Kevin on November 7 in 2006 because or contradictory differences. The divorce was finalised in July 2007, when the couple reached a global settlement and agreed to share joint custody of their children. Sandra Bridges Covington, Britney’s aunt, who she was very close with, died of ovarian cancer in January. On February 16, 2007, Britney had to stay in a drug rehabilitation facility in Antigua for less than a day. The next night, she shaved her head with a electric clippers at a hair salon. After completing a month long program at “Promises”, she wrote on her website, “I truly hit rock bottom. Till this day I don't think alcohol or depression. I was like a bad kid running around with ADD.” Britney lost physical custody of her children to Kevin on October 1, 2007. the reasons of the courts ruling were not revealed to the public.

19. Her fifth studio album, “Blackout” was released in October, 2007. It debuted at the top of charts in Canada and Ireland, number two in the U.S. Billboard 200,—held off from the top spot by Eagles' Long Road out of Eden— France, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom and the top ten in Australia, Korea, New Zealand and many European nations. Britney became the only female artist to have her first five albums to debut at the top two slots of the charts, in the United States. “Blackout” sold over 3.1 million copies worldwide. Britney performed the lead single “Gimme More” at the 2007 MTV Video Music awards. The performance was highly criticized by critics. David Willis of BBC said her performance would "go down in the history books as being one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards". "Britney has delivered the best album of her career, raising the bar for modern pop music with an incendiary mix of Timbaland's Shock Value and her own back catalogue.” –Peter Robinson, The Observer In December 2007, Britney began a relationship with paparazzo AdnanGhalib.

20. Despite the backlash of Britney’s performance of “Gimme More” at the 2007 MTV awards, the single rocketed to worldwide success, peaking at number on in Canada and the top ten in almost every country it charted. The accompanying music video premiered on October 5, 2007. It displayed Britney as a stripper and featured a break from Britney's highly choreographed music videos. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics, who panned Britney's pole dancing as well as the lack of storyline The second single "Piece of Me" reached the top of the charts in Ireland and reached the top five in Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The third single "Break the Ice" was released the following year and had moderate success due to Spears not being able to promote it properly.

21. On january 3, 2008. Britney refused to give up custody of her sons to Kevin’s representatives. She was hospitalised at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, after police that arrived at her house noted she appeared to be under the influence of an illicit substance. The next day, Britney’s visitations rights were suspended at an emergency court hearing, and Kevin was given sole physical and legal custody of the children. She was committed to the psychiatric ward of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre and put on 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold. She was released on February 6, 2008. She then guest starred on the How I Met Your Mother episode “Ten Session” as receptionist Abby. She received positive reviews for her performance as well as bringing the series its highest ratings ever. Britney regained some visitation rights after coming to an agreement with Kevin and his counsel, in July, 2008.

22. Her sixth studio album Circus, was released in December 2008. It received positive reviews from critics; according to the music review aggregation of Metacritic, it garnered an average score of 64/100. Circus debuted at number one in Canada, Czech Republic and the United States, and inside the top in many European nations.In the United States, Spears became the youngest female artist to have five albums debut at number one, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. She also became the only act in the Soundscan era to have four albums debut with 500,000 or more copies sold. Circusbecame one of the fastest-selling albums of the year, and has sold 4 million copies worldwide. In January 2009, Spears and her father James obtained a restraining order against her former manager Sam Lufti, ex-boyfriend AdnanGhalib and attorney Jon Eardley—all of whom, court documents claim, had been conspiring to gain control of Spears's affairs. The restraining order forbids Lutfi and Ghalib from contacting Spears or coming within 250 yards of her, her property or family members. Britney’s representatives confirmed she was dating her agent, Jason Trawick. They decided to end their professional relationship to concentrate on their personal relationship. She designed limited edition clothing line for Candies, which was released in stores in July 2010. On September, 2010, she made an appearance in Glee episode “Brittney/Brittany”. Her appearances received mixed reviews from critics. The episode drew Glees second largest audience, as well as the shows highest ratings ever.

23. In March 2011, Britney released her seventh studio album “Femme Fatale”. The single debuted at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. This gave Spears her fourth number-one single on the chart, and made her only the second artist in history to have two consecutive singles debut at number-one, after Mariah Carey. The album peaked at number one in the United States(selling 276,000 copies), Canada, and Australia, and peaked inside the top ten on nearly every other chart. The album's peak in the United States ties Britney with Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson for the third-most number ones among women. “Femme Fatale” has sold over 590,000 copies in the United States and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The album received positive critical reviews after its release, receiving a score of 67 on Metacritic, her highest critical score since Oops!... I Did It Again, with many critics naming the album one of Britney's best.

24. In early May, Britney’s second single from “Femme Fatale”, "Till The World Ends", reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and had ninety-eight million audience impressions on the Billboard chart, granting Britney the highest weekly audience of her 13-year chart career.“Femme Fatale's” third single "I Wanna Go" reached the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2011. Among females in the last thirteen years, Britney now has the third-most top forty hits, with twenty-one. In August, the single managed to reach the top-ten on the Billboard Hot 100, which is the first time for Britney to have three songs from one album in the top-ten. On the week ending September 24, 2011, "I Wanna Go" moved 2-1 on the mainstream top 40, becoming her sixth number-one on that chart (making her tied for third all-time) and her first number-one and third top-ten pop song for “Femme Fatale”.Spears now has the longest span of number ones on the mainstream top 40, with a length of twelve years, seven months, and four days.