As Britney Spears prepares to release her highly anticipated memoir The Woman In Me, Sarah McIntyre puts aside the headlines and takes a look at some of the highlights from the Princess of Pop's storied career.
Britney Spears has had well-publicised struggles since blazing to worldwide fame in the late '90s, and her fervent fanbase has only in recent years become aware of the controversial conservatorship she was placed under in 2008. Having been freed from the conservatorship in November 2021, Britney, who has sold more the 150 million albums worldwide, is ready to tell her side of the story. But before her personal life overtakes her professional - once again - we chart how she became the Princess of Pop.
September 1998
Britney's unforgettable debut single, ...Baby One More Time, catapulted her to fame upon its release and became an instant worldwide hit. The song is still one of the best-selling singles of all time with over 10 million copies sold. Her debut album followed in January 1999, which sold over 25 million copies and became one of the most influential pop records of all time.
May 2000
The popstar released her second album, Oops!... I Did it Again, featuring hits such as the catchy titular lead single, Lucky and Stronger. The album went on to sell more than 20 million copies worldwide.
September 2000
It's fair to say Britney is responsible for some of the MTV Video Music Awards' most memorable moments, including her incredible performance in 2000 when she covered the Rolling Stones' classic Satisfaction before launching into her single Oops!... I Did It Again.
When Britney revealed she was dating NSYNC frontman Justin Timberlake they immediately became pop's cutest and most obsessed over couple. Although the dream of this iconic pop couple wasn't to be, we'll always have their double denim moment to marvel over.
January 2001
The buzz around Britney and Justin's relationship went into overdrive after they shared a stage at the Super Bowl halftime show, which NSYNC were headlining with Aerosmith. She appeared for a performance of Walk This Way along with Nelly and Mary J. Blige.
September 2001
Britney performed Slave 4 U at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards with a large albino python - a truly iconic pop culture moment. She has only recently admitted just how terrified she was of that snake, which makes it all the more impressive.
February 2002
The singer made her film debut in the teen comedy-drama Crossroads. Written by Shonda Rhimes, the film starred Spears, Taryn Manning, and Zoe Saldana as three best friends embarking on a cross-country road trip to find themselves.
November 2003
Aged just 21, Britney received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame while thousands of fans cheered on. "I'm seriously speechless right now," she told the crowd. "This is something that I've dreamt about since I was a little girl. I can't believe I'm actually here with all of you amazing fans. Hello?"
September 2008
In 2008, a struggling Britney didn't perform at the MTV Video Music Awards, but won Best Female Video, Best Pop Video, and Video of the Year for Piece of Me.
September 2008
Womanizer, the lead single from her sixth studio album Circus, became Spears' first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 since ...Baby One More Time.
December 2008 Britney set a record in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest female artist to have five albums debut at number one after the release of Circus.
March 2009
The megastar embarked on the Circus Tour, which was described as a "pop extravaganza" and raked in $131.8 million.
2013
In 2013, Spears began a Las Vegas residency called Piece of Me. She was credited with changing the demographics of the Vegas Strip, bringing in younger audiences, as well as other young performers.
February 2021
The documentary Framing Britney Spears from The New York Times was aired, bringing wider attention to Britney's conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement.
November 2021
After 13 years of living under a conservatorship, Britney Spears was finally granted her freedom in 2021. It was a monumental moment in pop culture and entertainment history that won’t be soon forgotten.
October 2023
On 24 October Britney will release her memoir The Woman In Me. The book is already topping the pre-sale chart at Amazon US and is sure to captivate fans with unprecedented access to the highs and lows of her life thus far.
