Monday, November 26, 2007

Britney's story..


Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American pop music singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and author. Her debut album ..Baby One More Time, released in January 1999, propelled her to international stardom. It spawned its five singles, including "...Baby One More Time", which topped the Billboard Hot 100.

She released her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again in May of 2000 with similar success. Her third album Britney was released in November 2001, followed by the release of her fourth album In The Zone in November 2003. The album's breakout single "Toxic" was an international success and has won Spears her first ever Grammy Award.

The collection Greatest Hits: My Prerogative was released in November 2004 followed by a remix album B in the Mix: The RemixesB in the Mix: The Remixes a year later and a brief career break. Her fifth album Blackout was released worldwide in October 2007, with the lead single "Gimme More" earning success at worldwide charts.

Spears has sold over 83 million records worldwide according to Zomba Label Group. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ranks her as the eighth best-selling female artist in American music history, having sold 31 million albums in the U.S. Spears's fame in the music industry has led her to experiment with other forms of media, including film and television. As an actress, she is most noted for her starring role in the 2002 movie Crossroads. Spears has also made guest appearances in various other movies and television programs, for that Spears is a two time Emmy Award winning actress. Her success as a singer led her to several high-profile advertising deals and endorsements including her own perfume line.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Child years of Britney

Britney Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi. She was raised in Kentwood, Louisiana as a Southern Baptist by parents James Parnell Spears, a building contractor, and Lynne Irene Bridges, a former grade school teacher. Spears's brother Bryan works as a manager for the Spears family interests and her sister Jamie Lynn is an actress and singer. Her maternal grandmother Lillian Woolmore was an English war-bride, born in Tottenham, London who met Spears's grandfather Barnett O'Field Bridges in England during World War II. Her paternal grandparents were June Austin Spears and Emma Jean Forbes.

Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age nine and competing in state-level competitions. She performed in local dance revues and her local Baptist church choir. At age eight she auditioned for the Disney Channel series The New Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer on the show introduced her to a New York City agent. Spears subsequently spent three summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions, including 1991's Ruthless!. In 1992, she landed a spot on the popular television show Star Search. Though she won her first round in the competition, she ultimately lost. At age 11, Spears returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on the New Mickey Mouse Club in Lakeland, Florida. She was featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, until she was 13. Other future celebrities on the show included fellow pop singer Christina Aguilera, 'N Sync members Justin Timberlake and Joshua Chasez, Felicity actress Keri Russell, and The Notebook star Ryan Gosling. After the show ended, Spears returned to Kentwood and entered high school for a year.

In 1997, Spears briefly joined the all-female pop group Innosense. Later that same year, she decided to go solo. After recording a demo, she was signed by Jive Records. She began touring American venues for a series of concerts sponsored by American teen magazines, and eventually became an opening act for 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Music career of 1998-2000 - success comes!!


Spears's debut single "...Baby One More Time", released in the end of 1998 became an instant international success. It peaked at number one on the Billboard's Hot 100 and has earned nine million sales worldwide and was ranked 25th on Rolling Stone and MTV's "100 Greatest Pop Songs of all time". The music video accompanying the song featured Spears dressed in a schoolgirl uniform. The album of the same title was released in January 1999, reaching number one on the Billboard 200. ...Baby One More Time was certified Diamond, with 25 million copies sold worldwide.

The album received mixed reviews. All Music Guide gave it 4 out of 5 stars, stating that the album "has the same blend of infectious, rap-inflected dance-pop and smooth balladry that propelled the New Kids and Debbie Gibson." While Rolling Stone gave it 2 out of 5, noting that, "While several Cherion-crafted kiddie-funk jams serve up beefy hooks, shameless schlock slowies, like 'E-Mail My Heart', are pure spam."

The success of Spears's music coupled with her controversial image made her one of the year's biggest stars. In December 1999, she won four Billboard Music Awards, including Female Artist of the Year. A month later, she took home the Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist award at the American Music Awards. At the 2000 Grammy Awards, Spears received two nominations in the categories of Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for ...Baby One More Time, but lost to Christina Aguilera and Sarah McLachlan respectively.


Following the success of her previous album, Spears released the album Oops!... I Did It Again, which debuted at number one in the U.S., selling 1,319,193 units during its first week of sales, breaking the SoundScan record for the highest sales in its debut week by any solo artist. The RIAA awarded the album with a Diamond certification with 10 million copies sold in the U.S. and 20 million copies sold worldwide. Concerning both musical content and sales, the album was very similar to Spears's debut, although it fared better with critics. All Music Guide once again gave it 4 out of 5 stars, saying that the album "has the same combination of sweetly sentimental ballads and endearingly gaudy dance-pop that made One More Time." Rolling Stone gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5 by noting the album as "fantastic pop cheese" and "Britney's demand for satisfaction is complex, fierce and downright scary." The album’s lead single, "Oops!... I Did It Again", broke the record for most radio station additions in a single day and quickly became a top ten hit in the U.S. and other countries.

The same year, Spears launched her first world tour, the "Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour". During the tour, she made a stop in New York for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. As part of her performance, she ripped off a black suit to reveal a provocative nude-colored and crystal-adorned outfit that generated much controversy. She finished the year with two more Billboard Music Awards, and two Grammy nominations for Oops!... I Did It Again in the categories of Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Friday, November 23, 2007

2001-2003 - career developing fast..


Spears released her third studio album Britney in November 2001. Although not as successful as her previous albums, she assumed some creative control by co-writing five of the album's tracks. It surpassed Michael Jackson's album Invincible when it had a successful debut at number one in the U.S. by selling 745,744 units during its first week. To date, Britney has sold thirteen million copies worldwide. The album's success made her one of the few female artists to have their first three albums debut at number one.
The album fared well with critics such as All Music Guide who gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing the album's title tracks as being "pivotal moments on Britney Spears's third album, the record where she strives to deepen her persona, making it more adult while still recognizably Britney." In contrast, Rolling Stone said of the album "Britney belabors the obvious: Spears is one month away from entering her twenties and clearly needs to grow up if she's going to bring her fans along." The singles did not perform as well; Britney's lead single "I'm a Slave 4 U" peaked at 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 making it the album's biggest hit.

To help promote the album, Spears embarked on the "Dream Within a Dream Tour" in November 2001. The tour was forced to cut short in Mexico City due to bad weather. With the end to her tour, Spears announced she would take a six month break from her career. Her career success was highlighted by Forbes Magazine in 2002 as Spears was ranked the world's most powerful celebrity.[ At a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, she appeared with Christina Aguilera performing the song "Like a Virgin", and was later joined by Madonna. Spears locked lips with Madonna in a highly-publicized kiss.


In November 2003, Spears released her fourth studio album, In the Zone, jettisoning the Max Martin-produced synthpop of her earlier releases. The album took in lesser-known producers such as RedZone and big names including Moby and R. Kelly. Spears co-wrote eight of the album's thirteen songs and co-produced several pieces of her material for the first time. In the Zone topped the U.S. charts in its debut week, selling over 609,000 copies. This made Spears the only female in music history to have her first four studio albums debut at number one.
The album had a mild reception from critics. Stylus Magazine gave the album a D and even blamed Spears's career choices by stating, "Ultimately, In the Zone suffers greatly from Britney's uneasy transition from teen tart to sexually powerful woman. Had Britney been in charge of her career direction instead of mercilessly prostituted by her management, she might have been able to produce something with some semblance of musical vision." The Guardian praised the album's melodies and her effort, giving it 4 out of 5 stars and writing, "Unlike previous Britney albums, In the Zone has no filler and no shoddy cover versions, just 57 varieties of blue-chip hit-factory pop. There is southern hip-hop, deep house, Neptunes-style R&B, the ubiquitous Diwali beat and, most importantly, oodles of Madonna."


The album spawned the international number one and U.S. top ten hit single "Toxic", winning Spears her first ever Grammy in the category of Best Dance Recording. "The Onyx Hotel Tour" began in March 2004 to promote the album. The tour's choreography generated much controversy and heavy criticisms, with the presence of young children amongst the audience.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Remixes and Hits in 2004-2005


After her marriage to Kevin Federline, Spears announced via her website she would be taking another career break in order to start a family. 2004 saw the release of her first greatest hits collection, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative. The album debuted at number four on the U.S. charts selling over 255,000 copies and featured three new songs, including her version of Bobby Brown's 1988 hit "My Prerogative" which became a modest hit. The compilation included all of her singles except for "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart", which is not included in any edition.


In November 2005, Spears released a remix album, B In The Mix: The Remixes. The album contained remixes of Spears's biggest hits, ranging from "...Baby One More Time" to "Toxic". It also included a remix of her newest single "Someday (I Will Understand)", originally a piano ballad that was an ode to the then-unborn Sean. A new song, "And Then We Kiss", was only released in Asia, where it charted well in several countries. The song appeared on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart and peaked at number 15, despite the fact it was only for digital download and not officially released in the U.S. The album struggled without marketing support from Spears only peaking at number 134 on the Billboard 200.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

2007 - the return!!


Spears recorded her latest album with producers such as Sean Garrett, J. R. Rotem and Nate "Danja" Hills throughout 2006 and 2007. In May 2007, she also produced a mini-tour for the House of Blues under the name "The M+M's", including live performances across San Diego, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Miami. Those in attendance reported that Spears did not perform the songs live in the 15-minute show, but danced and lip synced to recorded accompaniment of five previous hit songs.

Spears's fifth album entitled Blackout, was scheduled to be released on November 13, 2007. However, due to online leaks, the album was pushed up for release on October 30. Blackout opened at #2 on the US Billboard 200 charts, selling 290,000 copies. The album fell to #7 in its second week. The track "Gimme More", her first single produced by Danja, debuted worldwide on August 30. It peaked at number three on Billboard's Hot 100 on October 3, becoming Spears's most successful single in the United States since her debut, "...Baby One More Time".