Britney: The Beginning

Bursting onto the pop scene in 1999 with her debut album, …baby one more time, the sweet, Southern Britney Spears was just what the music industry needed on the heels of boy band mania.  Seemingly innocent and hard working, Spears quickly made a name for herself amongst the sea of blond-haired songstress divas vying for the coveted position of number one.  Charming and adorable, Spears began her career in age-appropriate clothing and stage costumes and began her tumultuous relationship with the paparazzi.

It’s been such a long journey for the fallen star in only a few short years.  I wonder, if given a chance to play it all over again, would she do it differently?

A Little Older, A Little…?

Fast forward a few years and we’ve got a slightly older, sexier and more established Britney.  With the release of her second album, Oops!...I Did it Again, Britney began to shift gears from cute and virginal, to hotter and spicier, which was reflected in both her tighter and more risqué clothing choices, like this cut-down-to-there shirt, and in her music, with songs sending the message that she was, perhaps, "Not that innocent."

Spears was on top of the pop charts, but as far as her talents as a singer, it seemed the world had split into two camps; those who loved and supported the young star and those who disapproved of her reported lip synching during performances.  Regardless, her star was continuing to rise.

Justin + Britney = L.O.V…

A match made in pop music heaven.  After months of speculation and denials by both camps, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake finally came out as an official couple…and the world collectively swooned.  Both Spears and Timberlake were at the top of their respective games, not to mention the fact that they had youth, looks and down home images serving to propel their careers into infamy.  The endearing Spears and her main squeeze were known for dressing similarly for the red carpet and kept it cute and casual in daily photo ops.

However, all was not as it appeared.  After reported infidelity on Spears’ side, the two split, leaving the world in complete shock…how could this happen?!  I think I speak for every female in the world when I say, “WHO CHEATS ON JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE?!”

She’s a Slave…to the World

That should have been the first sign to us all that something was slightly off with Spears…and this performance, perhaps, should have been the second.

Her third album, Britney, was hot, hot, hot!  She gave this incredibly sexy, almost bare, writhing, sweaty, snake-holding performance of her hit, I’m a Slave for You, at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2002.  With this Britney all but announced to the world that she was an independent, strong, sexual woman, which was in stark contrast to the chaste image she had worked so hard to cultivate from the beginning.  With her hard body and fearless approach to fashion, Spears single-handedly ushered in the belly top era that spread through her millions of young fans like wild fire, sending moms everywhere into a tailspin.

The Kiss

Over the years, the MTV Video Music Awards, has become a place for Britney to unleash whatever new, increasingly shocking antic she felt she needed to share.  From almost naked with snakes to the now-infamous kiss with Madonna, the world has pretty much been there for it all.

This, on the heels of her break up with Justin, had the world asking if there was something just a little ‘off’ with America's sweetheart?  Mothers were beginning to question whether the girl they had allowed their daughters to look up to for so long, was in fact a good role model, or just another attention-hungry celeb looking for her next big publicity stunt?  Whatever the case, this was the official beginning of the end of Brit’s career.

Mommy, Daddy and the Kids

That MTV performance would be her last for the next four years.  Shortly after, while in Vegas for the weekend, Britney shocked absolutely everyone, including those closest to her, by getting hitched to a childhood friend, Jason Alexander, in a quickie, alcohol infused ceremony, which was annulled only 55 hours later.  This was Britney’s first foray into ‘troubled young starlet’ territory, but she seemed to bounce back – until she met her future baby daddy, Kevin Federline.

It began and ended, however, with her firing her team of 'people', falling into an unkempt, sometimes unsanitary haze of bad hair, bad clothes and bad choices, with two babies in almost as many years, a drawn out divorce and a custody battle still raging on as we speak.

Out of Control

Finally, Britney’s complete undoing.  By now I’m sure you’ve all seen and had nightmares about this picture.  That’s a whole lot of crazy in those eyes.  We all blamed K-Fed, as he became known on the gossip circuit, for Britney and all her actions during their marriage…but what was her excuse now that they were no longer together?  What could make a once beautiful, successful, much-loved entertainer, who seemed to actually have it all, finally snap, and do something this insane?

The Comeback…From Hell

After shaving her head, Spears began enlisting the help of wigs and extensions for her daily public appearances at drug stores, gas stations, various hotels and hot paparazzi hang outs.  Her latest album, Blackout, was set to hit stores soon, and with song leaks hitting the internet, the anticipation of what would happen next with everyone’s favourite train wreck was mounting.

Then came the announcement…she would open the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards...hallelujah!!!  "Britney’s back!!!" is what we all wanted to say, but it didn’t quite go as we had all hoped it would – it went better!  Black jewelled bra and panties, cheap fishnets, bad hair extensions, chipped nails, broken heels, bad lip synching and stumbling around the stage = the worst attempt at a comeback EVER.  For that, we both thanked her and hid our eyes in embarrassment for Britney.  What will be next?

Unfortunately 2008 doesn’t seem to be off to a very good start, which means it could be a very long year for the girl who had everything and is slowly giving it all away.