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Britney Spears

Teen pop Britney Spears goes Hawaiian for her new TV special

Nearly as old as Hawaiis molten volcanoes is the pun about its tourists "getting leid." No one can escape this joke not even Britney Spears. She is standing inside Gate 11A at Honolulu International Airport, surrounded by the host of sidekicks with whom pop icons travel (manager, personal assistant, publicist, journalist, eight dancers, two backup singers and two bodyguards). Outside the gate are 200 radio contest winners. Their prize: a five-second glimpse as Foxs TV cameras document Spears exiting the plane and receiving a necklace of flowers. She actually slipped into Oahu hours earlier, but for her TV special, Britney in Hawaii, her arrival is carefully being staged anew. And for the second time. On the first attempt, one of her burly bodyguards blocked the Britney-getting-leid shot. The producers mandate: No walking in front of Spears. The bodyguards reply: Thats his job. Her manager, Johnny Wright, steps in and negotiates an angle that both can accept.

"Just stick with me, girl," says Wright. "Ill get you leid." The dancers roar with laughter; Spears grins demurely. She has to save her real smile, all 13 lip muscles, for the cameras. This bit of energy conservation is a wise move. For the next five days, even as lensmen dog her, Spearss beauty-pageant smile will rival the gleam of Hawaiis bright April sun, never dimming. Not at the luau; not while swimming with dolphins, parasailing or autograph signing; and certainly not during her one-hour concert on the private beach at the Hawaiian Hilton Village. "Shes such a natural beauty, so fresh and colorful, it was obvious to do the special in Hawaii," says Michael LeVitt, who, along with Bob Bain, produced the show, which features Destinys Child and Joe. "Britney, to me, equaled Hawaii." She also equals a phenomenon, one whose record sales (18 million copies worldwide of her first CD, Baby One More Time, with more expected on her latest, Oops!I Did It Again) are only part of a bigger story.

In December of 98, she clearly changed female pop," says Michele Dix, vice president of music and talent programming at MTV. "The premier female artists were the Mariahs, the Whitneys, the Madonnas. There was also a Lilith [Fair] sound. And then here was this very young performer who broke through the barrier." Today on MTV, the premier female artists are Christinas, Mandys, Jessicas all of whom fall short of the drinking age. Spears, who came first, is the emblem of this new girl-pop landscape. "That scares me to think of it like that," says the 18-year-old, who, after an all-too-brief nap, is now looking at a glimmering Pacific Ocean from the balcony of her immense hotel suite. She, too, manages to look radiant, even in a faded yellow Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt, royal blue pajama bottoms and golden hair twisted in a makeshift scrunch. During this interview, a makeup artist will turn her face from cute to captivating while a stylist will provide tonights luau attire an ultra- short sarong and half-shirt that ties under her breasts. "People are going to be walking around in their bathing suits, so this isnt so bad," she rationalizes. Spears has come to rue media scrutiny. With good reason.

At 17, her first video (for Baby One More Time) had critics scolding her to pull down her tied-at-the-navel Catholic-school blouse. A few months later, when Rolling Stones lingerie-toting wardrobe people seemed to mistake her for Pamela Lee, the general public collectively wanted to ground her. ("I was going for an older audience there," she insists.) And when those photos prompted tabloid rumors of breast implants, reactions were more hostile still. ("The worst thing," she says, "was that people actually believed [I] would do that.") So Spears has also become a touchstone for that age-old parental riddle: When and how do you let your daughter grow up?"I just think of it as a costume," says her mother, Lynne. "And I dont think anything of showing stomach, cause its so hot down South, where we live [in Kentwood, Louisiana]." Adds Britney: "I think all teenagers want to feel sexy. Theres nothing wrong with that. But I dont think I dress sexy now." Sometimes friends at her label, Jive Records, disagree. At the video shoot for Oops!I Did It Again Spearss professional team nixed a shredded chiffon skirt it felt showed too much leg. "Theyre all paranoid," says Spears. Adds her four-time video director, Nigel Dick: "A lot of girls want to wear [provocative clothing]. The difference is that instead of some guys from school seeing you at a party, Britney is splashed across the world." Today, Spears does seem like a teen primping for a party, albeit one in an adolescent fantasyland. At the mention of Ben Affleck (who is in Oahu to film next years Pearl Harbor), she shakes her head: "At the Billboard Music Awards, he came into my dressing room. And I was so embarrassed, because I was doing sit-ups on the floor. I was a mess. Im not good with guys at all. I dont know what to say."

Some months later, a friend made matters worse, divulging to a magazine that "Britneys obsessed with [Affleck]." Spears says, "I was like, Why did you say that? I just think hes cute. Shes obsessed with him!" She sighs, adding, "He thinks Im a psycho, probably." Even in that unlikely event, her fans certainly dont. "Its important when I say stuff," says Spears, a Baptist raised in the Bible Belt. "When I was on MTV, I was talking about my prayer book that I write in every night, and someone in the audience was like, Thats so cool. And I was like, Oh, thats so good that I said that." A yen for provocative outfits and a prayer-writing habit? Sounds contradictory unless you have a teenager in your life. Spearss life began in a quiet, rural area where "Britney always performed at Dairy Day [a type of farm fair] and different stuff around town," says her friend since age 3, Jansen Fitzgerald, 17. (She adds that Spears is "still as goofy as ever, except her vocabulary is, like, huge now.") More impressive fare followed, including a Star Search win at 9 and an off-Broadway show (Ruthless) three years later. Her mother (a teacher) traveled with her, while dad Jamie (a building contractor) stayed behind.

"We werent poor, but we werent rich either," says Spears, who has a brother, Bryan, 22, and a sister, Jamie Lynn, 9. "To go to New York, its so expensive. But my dad worked it out." A rodent worked out the rest, in a manner of speaking. Disneys Mickey Mouse Club then united an 11-year-old Spears with future partners-in-fame Christina Aguilera, Felicitys Keri Russell and N Syncs JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake. In fact, both Timberlake and his group mate, Lance Bass, call up during this trip. Earlier, some beach-bathing teen informants authoritatively snitched that Timberlake is not only Spearss boyfriend but here in Hawaii with her. "The fans want us to be a couple," says Spears, who claims its been "a long time" since shes had a date, period. "His mom and my mom are good friends. And we do a lot of the same TV shows together." On the other hand, she did recently admit to occasionally kissing Timberlake. But this does not, in her view, change the fact that they are "just friends." She does have a favorite false rumor: an e-mail relationship with Prince William. "Its like, yeah!" she says. "Im a princess!"

She is, at least, the princess of pop, though Aguilera ruled the day at this years Grammys, when she won out over Spears as Best New Artist. Both dismiss any rivalry, with Aguilera saying, "Its sad how people are really making Britney and me out to be competition, because we are good friends from the Mickey Mouse Club." True, says Spears: "I remember when we listened to Janet Jacksons CD Thats the Way Love Goes in our dressing room and sang along." For Spears, post-MMC life school, sports was like Saved by the Bell: The Boring Years. "I was like, I gotta go to New York again," she says. At 15, she hooked up with an entertainment lawyer, auditioned, signed with Jive Records (already home to the Backstreet Boys) and released her debut CD two years later. A coterie of blond, midriff-baring starlets followed, though Spears claims, "I dont know who came out first. I just do my thing. Doing that, youre ahead of everybody else." Everybody, that is, except N Sync and the Backstreet Boys. Along with Spears, they form the triumvirate of todays chart-topping acts that critics have dismissed as bubblegum pop churned out by other writers. The spectacle has also vexed a number of todays songwriting artists. In his video, "The Real Slim Shady," rapper Eminem skewers both Spears and Aguilera. "I think [Aguilera was considering] a lawsuit," Spears says. "But Ive learned theres no sense in going there."

Besides, she adds, "I dont think Im bubblegum. Pop is pop." Indeed, her galvanizing stage show, two nights later, certainly appears to gratify her shrieking audience. She has also responded to critics by co-writing her first song, "Dear Diary," and planning guitar lessons during rehearsals for her upcoming five-month tour. "Im gonna play the song," she says. Her new message is also more mature, as on "Dont Go Knockin on My Door," in which she reprimands a disrespectful boyfriend. But the CDs most striking song may be "Lucky," with its lyric, "If theres nothing missing in my life, then why do these tears come at night?" "I dont want to sound ungrateful," Spears says. "I feel so blessed by what has happened to me." But she does relate to the song. Why? "I dont know, I guess its being a teenager in general," she says. "You go through so many things." Within minutes, this teenager is up and off to the luau where a TV camera will roll continuously, two feet away from that captivating face.

from tvguide.com

BRITNEY DOES IT AGAIN!

By DAN AQUILANTE and MEGAN TURNER

Like Madonna, Spears is keen to branch out into movies and is currently in discussions to star in "Grease 3."

And in a further example of emulating her idol, she has become heavily involved in the nuts and bolts of her musical career, exerting influence on everything from song choices to tour dates to ticket prices.

"I wouldn't do it any other way," she says. "If I can't be in control of what I'm doing, what's the point of doing it?"

Beyond the revealing outfits, provocative dance moves and "Lolita"-style magazine poses, Spears has proven to be one smart cookie.

Born and raised in Kentwood, La., as part of a tight-knit Baptist family, Spears was convinced from an early age that she would be a star.

At age 9, she and her mother, Lynne, a teacher, moved to New York so Spears could pursue a performing career. Two years later, she joined "The New Mickey Mouse Club," and after two seasons on the TV show, signed with Jive Records, which is also home to the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync.

On "Oops!" Spears shows a new maturity, with vocals that are stronger than those on her first album and song subjects that are more sensual than the puppy-love odes that marked " . . . Baby One More Time."

The disc also features Spears' debut as a songwriter.

"'Dear Diary' is my first song that's made it onto an album," she says. "It feels very special that I got to do this, because the words that I'm singing are mine."

She says the tune was inspired by a real-life incident. "I liked this guy" - she refuses to name him - "and I didn't know how to approach him, so instead I wrote about him in my journal."

Then, as if divulging a state secret, she whispers: "My goal is to write a whole album by myself."

Smart move, says Joe Levy, the music editor of Rolling Stone, which this month splashes Spears on its cover for the second time.

"'Dear Diary' is an admirable effort," Levy says. "I'm glad she's starting to write songs. I figure the more control she exerts in that part of her career, the better."

Levy says pitting Spears against Christina Aguilera - who beat her for the Best New Artist Grammy this year and is considered her main rival for the hearts and wallets of the teeny-bopper set - is like comparing apples and oranges.

"Everyone knows Christina Aguilera has the voice, and no matter what changes, if you have a voice, that's always with you," he says. "What Britney has is smarts.

"She has proven herself a pretty crafty manipulator of the media and the public's thirst for a pop star. She knows something about that."

Spears has astutely positioned herself as an object of teen desire: Boys want to be with her, while girls just want to be her.

But she denies her image is deliberately manufactured - by her or anyone else.

"Image," she explains patiently, "isn't something you try to do. It just happens. People grow, people change. It just happens, whether you like it or not." She adds: "My style changes from week to week."

'If the title of Britney Spears' sophomore album, "Oops! . . . I Did It Again," proves prophetic, the savvy blond singer is well on her way to a career that transcends the current teen-pop craze.

The 18-year-old became a certified pop sensation on the strength of last year's debut CD " . . . Baby One More Time," which sold an astonishing 10 million copies.

With her follow-up set - "Oops!... I Did It, Again"- to hit stores Tuesday, music industry insiders are already calling Spears a "Mini-Me Madonna," a tag that sits well with her.

"I love and respect what [Madonna has] done with her career," Spears told The Post in an interview between rehearsals for last night's episode of "Saturday Night Live."

"The way Madonna's been able to do it all - film, theater, music - and still manage to have children. Wow! I think she's just very cool."

Britney Spears capitalizes on the demographic of the moment The Queen of Teen

IN A MINUTE, BRITNEY SPEARS WILL BE ON LIVE national television. Right now she is yawning. "I haven't been getting enough sleep," she says, a little apologetically, waiting backstage on the set of ABC's The View. Then she walks on camera and knocks out five flawless minutes: She deflects queries about her love life, tells a rehearsed anecdote about cow-tipping (a prank involving sleeping cattle) and demonstrates a yoga exercise. When she steps off stage, Spears signs an autograph for Sigourney Weaver ("My kid is a huge fan," the actress explains), whisks up her entourage and leaves in a white, unmarked van. Britney is 18 years old.

Show business is easy for Spears. By age 9, she was winning talent shows. At 10 she starred off-Broadway. At 11 it was the Mickey Mouse Club. At 15 she got a record contract. Last year, prepackaged as the girl next door, she sold 11 million copies of her debut album in the U.S., more than any other individual artist. Her 1999 earnings: $15 million.

Credit some of her success to good timing. Spears sings light, bouncy music about teenagers at a time when light, bouncy music is popular again, and when there are more teenagers--31 million--than there have been since the baby boomers were teens. Credit the rest to drive.

But now comes the hard part. Many performers have big first albums. Only a few carve out lucrative careers. Spears has two challenges: to parlay her fame into bigger earnings, quickly, and to lay the groundwork for a lengthy reign.

Her fans make the first task easier. Kids are avid buyers of albums--people under 19 make up the largest percentage of music consumers. Better still, they (or their parents) are avid buyers of everything, even Britney dolls. She should net at least $15 million off them this year. Kids also love concerts. So SFX, the concert promoter, guaranteed her at least $200,000 per show for a 100-show tour. And advertisers love anyone kids love. Spears has deals worth $6 million with Clairol, Polaroid and the Got Milk? campaign.

"We're going to push her products, and she's going to push our products, and everyone's going to be happy," says Larry Lucas, a Clairol senior product manager.

Then there's the money from the music itself. She signed with Jive Records in 1997, and with no track record, got paid accordingly: a $250,000 advance and a royalty rate, after fees, of less than $1 per record sold. Stars like Madonna or Celine Dion command royalties of $2.20 or more.

But before Spears' next album comes out in May, her managers will try to renegotiate with Jive. As with most record contracts, Jive has options to pick up each album she makes, but no obligation to increase her pay. Spears' comanager Larry Rudolph is betting the label will ante up--by either giving her a multimillion-dollar advance, increasing her royalty rate, paying a larger part of promotional expenses, or all of the above--in order to keep a lucrative artist happy.

Maybe, maybe not. Clive Calder, Jive's secretive owner, is a famously tough dealmaker. "Clive," says an attorney who has bargained with him, "doesn't give away ice in winter."

All of this haggling will take place out of view of Spears and her parents, who still live in Kentwood, La. "Larry handles the money stuff," Britney shrugs.

This shouldn't be a surprise. Spears knows the business, but she's still a teen. She doesn't understand that she hasn't bought her new Mercedes, but leases it. When she sits down for lunch at a New York restaurant, she takes the chewing gum out of her mouth and sticks it on her plate.

But being a teenager gives Spears an advantage when it comes to her image, a mix of raciness and wholesomeness that's a large part of her appeal. "She knows exactly what her audience wants," Rudolph says. "She is her audience."

When Jive executives explained their plans for her first video--Superhero Britney fights animated monsters--she balked: "I was like, no, I can't do that. It was out of the question." Instead, Spears suggested a video that featured her and a group of dancers shimmying through high school. The results sold records and raised eyebrows, particularly the scenes where she wore a Catholic schoolgirl uniform with the shirttails knotted above her belly. That was her idea, too: "I thought kids would dig it more if we tied up our shirts."

Like her first release, her new album was assembled by Jive's stable of producers and writers, most of whom also work with Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. But it will include "Dear Diary," the first song she's written.

The idea, Britney says, is to have a career like Madonna, who is still selling millions 17 years after her first hit. "She's always been four steps ahead of everyone."

Spears needs to hurry. There are at least three Britneyish singers following in her footsteps. And the pop style she specializes in is nearing the end of its shelf life.

But that's another cool thing about being a teenager, even a show-biz-savvy one: You can stock up on optimism. "Once you have fans, they want you to succeed," Spears says. "I don't think I'll have any problems."

from Forbes magazine

Fan fulfills Britney dream

By Troy Moon

News Journal staff writer

It wasn't really Britney Spears' fault that Charlie Betts cried. It wasn't her dancer T.J.'s fault either.

The tickets that T.J. promised Charlie, the tickets that Britney personally wanted the 13-year- old Jim Bailey Middle School sixth-grader and his mother, Wanda, to have, weren't at the ticket booth.

The boy buried his head in his mom's chest and bawled.

``Don't cry, baby,'' Wanda whispered in his ear, rocking him slowly. Yet thousands of other Spears fans brushed by him and into the Pensacola Civic Center on Wednesday night for the start of the second leg of the pop star's ``Baby One More Time'' tour.

They eventually got the tickets. Nearly 9,000 people had tickets to the sold-out show. Most purchased tickets when they went on sale Dec. 11. A few hundred purchased tickets the day of the show, when Ticketmaster opened up more seats - common once stages are set up and organizers realize they can squeeze in a few more seats here and there.

In recent weeks, people have taken out ads for tickets. In two separate auctions, pairs of tickets for the concert went for more than $800 each. Dozens of people roamed in front of the Civic Center before the show, searching for tickets to buy. Sometimes, they got lucky.

Cristi Shelton and her mother, Betsy Shelton, heard about the show Wednesday afternoon on the radio. The Mississippi mother and daughter were in Perdido Key with their family vacationing, yet raced to the arena.

Soon, Cristi, 13, was standing in front of the Civic Center holding a sign asking for tickets. But Mom found two for sale first.

``Face value,'' Betsy Shelton said. ``$78 for the pair.''

Wanda Betts couldn't afford tickets, even though she works two jobs. But Charlie really wanted to go. Life's not as fun for him as it should be.

Wanda Betts wrote about Charlie and sent his story to the Pensacola News Journal's ``Britney or Bust!'' essay contest. The first- and second-place essays would win a pair of tickets each. That was the only way Wanda Betts could get her son to the show, she thought.

So she told Charlie's story.

How he suffers from sickle cell anemia. And how he suffered a stroke in 1995. How Charlie, a student in the Exceptional Student Education program, has to have a blood transfusion every 28 days. How every night when Charlie sleeps, an IV drips through his leg to offset the iron from the transfusions.

``Even though he has an IV every night,'' Wanda Betts wrote, ``I promised him if we could get some tickets, we were going, even if we had to take the IV stuff with us.''

Wanda Betts' essay didn't win tickets. But it was printed as a runner-up in the Pensacola News Journal Life section on Monday.

Spears' dancer T.J. Espinoza, 19, read Charlie's story that morning after the troupe arrived in town.

``It just touched my heart,'' said Espinoza, a California dancer who has been with Spears for two years. ``And I just knew what I had to do, because it just made sense then.''

The night before, Espinoza found $40.

``It wasn't mine, and I felt a little guilty,'' he said. ``So I just knew it was right to use it for the tickets. I told the other dancers I'd put in that forty and they'd get the rest. But when Britney read the story she said that she wanted to make sure they had tickets no matter what. So, really, they're from everyone.''

But they weren't there. Not at first.

Heather Crown, Spears' assistant tour manger, got the message the tickets weren't there and tracked them down. It was a communication problem, nothing more.

Crown delivered the tickets to the Betts personally. Prime tickets - Row F on the floor.

Charlie's tears dried quickly and a pumpkin-size grin filled his face.

``I'm going to see Britney Spears,'' he said.

And he and his mom were off to join the party.

Britney at 18

Like any other 18-year-old, she has body image and boyfriend questions. Of course, she also has two nominations in Wednesday's Grammys, a world tour and a new album in the works.

By Stephanie Mansfield

The moment she turned 18, in December,Britney Spears felt different. It wasn't because she had one of the most popular records of all time (... Baby One More Time, 10 million copies sold), had been asked to guest-star as herself on The Simpsons or had sold out her entireupcoming national tour.

Eighteen may no longer be much of a threshold for kids in the real world, but for a bubble-gum goddess who was a Star Search winner at 10 and a TV personality at 11, coming of age meant emancipation.

"I still feel like a teenager in some ways," the double Grammy nominee admits in her girlish Southern drawl, "but there is somethin' about being 18. You feel like you're more of an adult."

For starters, she can legally pose nude for Playboy. "Oh, God. Never!" she shrieks.

There have been a few defiant acts. The first was getting her navel pierced. (She wears a silver-and-turquoise ring.) The second was a tattoo.

The small black-winged fairy peeking up from the rear waistband of Spears' black thong "made her feel like a little rebel," says Felicia Culotta, her traveling companion and chaperone for the past three years. Watching Spears get ready for a photo shoot, Culotta, a friend of Spears' mother, Lynne, says the singer had been "dying" to get a tattoo after a Christmas trip to Hawaii with friends. When she returned and was in New York with Culotta, a hairstylist recommended a tattoo artist in the Garment District. The two women, accompanied by Spears' 300-pound bodyguard, went to the parlor and picked out the fairy. It was inked at the base of her spine. And, yes, it hurt. "Her mother doesn't know yet," Culotta says, grimacing.

The newly tattooed singer -- her platinum-blond hair blunt-cut, her right ear stuck with enough diamond studs to keep De Beers in business -- is awaiting the release of her second CD and, in the process, tweaking her image to reflect her new maturity. For good reason. The former Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeer, whose Southern-magnolia manners belie a shrewd knowledge of the entertainment business, is ambitious and savvy enough to realize prepubescent girls are a fickle fan base, despite the billion-dollar pop industry that has spawned Britney-endorsed baby T's, calendars and other paraphernalia -- not to mention the bare-midriffed Britney clones waiting in the wings. Her managers are holding their breath as Spears, with quick-change artist Madonna in mind, asserts more product control and aims for an older audience.

"People assume I'm some puppet and people are telling me what to do all the time," Spears says. "When I first got signed to a record label, I was 15. So I did have some help at first. You don't know what you're doing. But now, with experience and as time goes on, I know what I need."

Almost overnight, the former gymnast from Louisiana has gone from kittenish jailbait in thigh-highs and baby T's to a voluptuous video vixen who showed up at last month's American Music Awards in a glued-on Chloe jumpsuit that displayed, to one and all, the entire coast of Britney.

But don't ask her about body image (or whether the rumor that she got breast implants is true). And don't ask about being a role model for other young women her age. ("I try not to feel that pressure.") As for the blatant sexuality of women on MTV:

"Some people go too far. I guess it's because they have insecurities. ... But if I do a video, of course, I'm gonna wear something I feel comfortable in, confident in."

One thing she's happy to talk about is the communication gap between teenagers and their parents. It's a common experience and an animated Britney Spears has a few words of wisdom.

"Don't be afraid to ask your parents for help," she insists. The singer -- who acknowledges, "I owe a lot of my success to my family" -- is particularly close to her mother, a second-grade teacher. (Her dad, Jamie, is a contractor, and she has an older brother and younger sister.) "I always have her to confide in. I think that's really important. There are a lot of my friends who never talk to their moms about anything. They have nobody to go to except their friends. And if they're in the wrong crowd, who can they call when they're in trouble?" She stresses she's no saint. "I've had my times when I've gone out and partied. I know what it's like. I don't want to do it again. Kids doing drugs every weekend. It's because they're lacking something in their life --maybe the feeling of being loved.

"Parents and teenagers don't have the quality time they used to. I think it's important to have a routine with your child. Have dinner together. Sometimes parents come home tired. [The kids will] go to McDonald's. They will do their homework and not even say hello."

It was her mother who groomed Britney for a career in show business, and she's the one who now telephones nervously from the family home in Kentwood, La. (pop. 2,600), to inquire about a certain designer outfit her daughter might appear in on national television.

But her mother also knows about the Britney backlash: the "I Hate Britney" Web sites, the nasty rumors and negative stories. Spears says the first thing she does after reading something bad about herself is pick up the phone and call her mother. "I'll call her up, crying. I'll be devastated and she will help me deal. It's so weird. Every week, there's something in the tabloids. She's helped me just say, 'OK, whatever.' ... There are days I get down. Hormones, totally. I'll get into the tub and have a bubble bath and just cry. I'll think, 'What's wrong? I should be so happy.' ... After I have my little cry, I feel better."

To teens with fragile self-esteem being bombarded with unrealistic images, she says, "Don't pay attention to what you read or see on TV. Just go with what you feel inside. Pay attention to you. You're finding out who you are."

And, yes, Britney Spears says she knew she was loved. "Always," she smiles. Still, there are the usual teen insecurities. "I wish I were taller," she says. "I wish my hair was thicker." (She usually wears hair extensions.)

If anything is missing, it's a boyfriend. Her name has long been linked with that of 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake (indeed, they recently had a dinner date in Los Angeles), and she has been corresponding with Britain's Prince William ("I gave him a picture and signed it"). She'd like to hook up with someone in show business. "I think it would help a lot. Of course, if I met somebody at McDonald's and I fell in love with him, I'd have to go with my heart. But it would help being in the same industry, because you know what that person is going through,scheduling-wise. Somebody else might not realize I'm really,really busy all day long."

She has a wicked crush on Ben Affleck. The two had an arranged dinner, and the actor surprised her in her trailer before the Billboard Music Awards. "He is so real," she says, eyes widening. "And so warm."

On the table is a movie magazine with -- you guessed it -- a grinning Affleck posing seductively on the glossy cover. Spears sighs and flips through, looking for more pictures. Suddenly, she looks younger than 18. "Y'all, what time does Fred Segal close?" she yells. The singer wants to go shopping at that exclusive store, but it's too late. It is suggested that they call the store to keep it open. Spears shakes her head. She's still a small-town Southern girl who wouldn't dream of inconveniencing anyone.

And for a girl who could have anything in the world, she seems a little wistful. She picks up the magazine again and gazes at Affleck's chiseled face.

"My dream is to make a movie," she says, "and have a lovescene with Ben Affleck." She dissolves in a fit of giggles.

To: Britney Spears

From: '80s pop star Debbie Gibson

"I hope she doesn't rush her personal growth process in terms of portraying an image that is very sexual. I refused to. She made a comment in Us magazine that she didn't want to be another me in terms of image, insinuating that a sexier image lasts and a more innocent one does not. I hope she realizes that's really not where

the focus is at all. To each his own. At the end of the day, if you work on your craft, you will endure. There are very few people who can stay hot on the charts decade after decade."

Britney Facts

Nickname: Boo Boo

Collects: fairies, diamond jewelry

Favorite uniform: Abercrombie & Fitch baggy jeans, baby T, baseball cap

Least favorite body part: her toes (thinks her itty-bitty toenails are too small)

Addicted to: Vanilla Ice Blendeds from L.A.'s Coffee Bean

Doesn't bother with: candy. Absolutely no sweet tooth. Better to go with diamonds -- or fairies.

Name of bodyguard: Rob

Object of desire: Ben Affleck

Favorite actresses: Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts

Hopes to age as gracefully as: Goldie Hawn

In her CD player: Usher, Lenny Kravitz

Sneakers: Skechers

Probably regrets saying: "I don't want to pierce anything. Belly rings are, like, old." She now has a silver-and-turquoise belly ring.

Biggest fear: flying

Next single may be: Oops, I Did It Again

from USA Weekend

BATTLE OF THE BUBBLEGUM DIVAS

By MEGAN TURNER- AP

ONCE, they both wore Mickey Mouse ears -- now pop sensations Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are duking it out for the title of Teen Queen.

Spears -- the reigning titleholder and an 11-time platinum winner -- faces a fierce challenge from Aguilera, a bleach blond lookalike who's seducing both teens and adults with her mature vocal stylings.

"Britney is working on her second album presently and I bet her people, at least, are considering Christina her main competition," says Heidi Sherman, music editor of Seventeen magazine. "And they're right to be concerned."

Aguilera consistently trounces Spears -- a former fellow Mouseketeer -- in readers' popularity polls, Sherman says.

"The problem with Britney is that she's less accessible -- she has a 'va-va-voom' sexuality and she feels like competition to the girls. Christina has more charm and youthful appeal."

The ultimate test comes next month at the Grammy Awards when the dueling divas -- both nominated for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance -- go face to face.

Like most great music battles -- harking back to The Beatles vs the Rolling Stones -- those involved rarely display any public animosity.

But pop observers whisper that Spears is going to extreme lengths to stay in the spotlight.

A practicing Baptist, she raised eyebrows with a provocative plunging neckline at Monday's American Music Awards, further distancing herself from her once-wholesome schoolgirl image.

But Diane Salvatore, editor-in-chief of YM magazine, which features Aguilera on the cover of its February issue, says comparisons are unfair due to their different styles.

Britney hopes to follow in the footsteps of modern-day pop divas such as Madonna and Mariah Carey, while Aguilera's influences hark back to the blues legends of yesteryear, such as Billie Holiday and Etta James.

"There are many young, powerful women in music today and the world of teen music can accommodate all these different and unique talents," Salvatore says.

Britney Discusses Next Album

Funkier. Edgier. More mature. Those are the attributes Britney Spears ascribes to her second album, which she's started recording even as the Grammy nominations rolled in for her debut effort, Baby One More Time.

Spears recently wrapped up a recording session in Sweden that netted six new songs, and after doing a round of interviews reacting to her two Grammy nominations Best New Artist and Best Pop Performance by a Female she's slated to head to Orlando for more recording. The as-yet-untitled album is expected to be released during the fourth quarter.

"I know this next album is going to be totally different," Spears says, "Especially the material I did in Sweden. It's really funky and edgy, and it's more mature because I've grown as a person, too, and as an artist."

But Spears assures her fans that she's not completely abandoning the pop styles that earned Baby One More Time a diamond award for selling 10 million copies, made it the second-best selling album of 1999, and launched such hits as the title track and "Crazy."

"It's still pop music, and it's still fun," Spears explains. "It's kind of like the Backstreet Boys, and the growth they had with their second album. It's kind of the same. It hasn't, like, completely changed."

Spears, who plans to attend the Grammy ceremony in February, says she may preview a few of the new songs from the new album probably as a medley during her upcoming tour, which kicks off March 8 in Pensacola, Fla. Her other focus at the moment is finishing her independent high school studies. She has about six months left before she earns her diploma.

--Gary Graff ABC (from wall of sound)

Britney Spears is the biggest online celebrity.

The teen pop star is reportedly the most "saught-after" person on the web, Dotmusic reported. www.searchterms.com publishes a montly guide that lists the most asked-for phrases surfers type into search engines.

Spears is the only human that makes it on the top-ten list although Jennifer Lopez, Backstreet Boys and Limp Bizkit all make it in the top 100.

In more Britney news, she's expected to win the contest at the Record of the Year 1999 show in the U.K. next week. The odds look good for Britney and her break-through single "...Baby One More Time" to get the most audience votes.

U.K. pop star, Ronan Keating, and Ricky Martin are also crowd favorites and might provide a little competition for the pop princess.

The live show airs on Dec. 11th when all the pop superstars will try to win votes for their hot singles.

One more peice of Britney trivia - she turns eighteen today, (Dec. 2nd) and has come a long way from her days as a Mouseketeer.

For those fans hungry for more of Britney's music, her new single "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" is due out soon, MTV reported. She's also scheduled a U.S. tour in March.

Britney Spears Shoots TV Spots Touting "Teen People"

Britney Spears will help "Teen People" celebrate its second anniversary by appearing in a series of nationally syndicated TV spots which are scheduled to begin airing on December 27.

The singer, who just turned 18, will also serve as the cover girl for the anniversary issue of "Teen People." Dated February 2000, the magazine will actually arrive on newsstands the same day Britney's commercials hit the airwaves.

The teen star has enjoyed a breakout year in 1999, as her debut album "Baby One More Time" has been certified nine-times platinum by the RIAA since its release in January.

Spears has just released a new home video, titled "Time Out With Britney Spears," which collects her first three music videos as well as some behind-the-scenes, day-in-the-life footage of the singer.

For more on the teen star's current projects, check out the MTV Online feature "Britney Spears: Britney's New Moves."

-- David Basham

from mtv.com

Britney Spears Works On Next LP In Switzerland, Sweden

Britney Spears is currently overseas working on the follow-up to her multi-platinum debut, "Baby One More Time," at studios in Sweden and Switzerland, and she took time out from her busy schedule to sweep through last week's MTV Europe Music Awards.

For the 1999 MTV EMAs, Spears performed a medley of her hits and ended up taking home several awards (see "Bono Honored As Britney Spears Dominates MTV Europe Awards").

During dress rehearsals for the show, MTV News' John Norris caught up with Britney, who talked about the progress that she had made, so far, on recording album number two.

"I just got back from Sweden," Britney said, "and we did half the material over there. I was really, really happy with the material, but we had [such] limited time to get so much done. So I've just really been in the studio nonstop, which is cool, though."

While in Europe, Spears has reteamed with producer and songsmith Max Martin, who helped pen several tracks on the teen singer's first album, including the title track and the original version of "(You Drive Me) Crazy."

Spears also traveled to Switzerland to work on some songs with famed producer "Mutt" Lange, the husband of country sensation Shania Twain, and told John Norris that she was hoping to collaborate with Diane Warren and Babyface, among others.

When asked about what differences fans could expect between her first and second albums, Spears pointed out that her age would have an obvious effect on the material.

"When I did the first record," Britney said, "I just turned 16, and I'm almost 18 now. So the record will definitely grow, 'cause I've grown as an artist. Generally, it's still pop music, but I think it's a little bit funkier. It's more 'now,' the music's now. It's really funky. It's really fun, and I'm really excited."

from mtv.com

Happy Birthday Britney: Spears Turns 18

It seems like only yesterday she was a little Mouseketeer; now pop princess Britney Spears is officially all grown up as she celebrates her 18th birthday on Thursday.

Britney got the party started early, performing "Silent Night" at Wednesday night's Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at New York's Rockefeller Center. Spears then headed off to the Greenwich Village club Halo for her own velvet-rope birthday bash where Enrique Iglesias and 'NSYNC made the guest list.

While Britney has gone from "Star Search" to full-blown divadom during her 18 years, her childhood friends from her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana still know and love the less glamorous Britney.

"It was her first year running track, and she was at her first track meet, and everybody got on the line, the starting blocks, and they shot the gun, and everybody just went, but Britney just stood there," former schoolmate Tara recalled. "She had no idea what to do. She didn't know what the gunshot meant!"

"She always had someone to go out with, always always," Erin noted. "She was never alone, never by herself."

"I mean, I love her. She's like a sister," old pal Jason said. "She's great, and I think she'll do real well."

The songstress will soon release her next single, "From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart," and an older and wiser Britney Spears will kick off a brief U.S. tour in March.

For everything Britney, don't forget to check out the MTV News Online feature "Britney Spears: Britney's New Moves".

-- Kara Manning

from mtv.com

Britney's Charity

On Monday, Britney Spears announced plans to form a new charitable foundation that will oversee the launch of a performing arts camp for underprivileged children next year.

Spears is hooking up with The Giving Back Fund to form The Britney Spears Foundation and announced the endeavor at Nickelodeon's Big Holiday Help-A-Thon in Los Angeles.

The Foundation's first project will be a performing arts summer camp set for western Massachusetts' Berkshires. The camp would aim to give 100 underprivileged children two weeks of workshops and classes, and it hopes to open next summer.

Spears will also soon ask fans to help her name the camp through a contest on her official Web site (www.britney.com).

The pop star took time away from studio sessions in Sweden and Switzerland to make the announcement. As we reported last week, Spears is working once again with studio whiz Max Martin and has also done some work with producer (and Shania Twain hubby) "Mutt" Lange for the album (see "Britney Spears Works On Next LP In Switzerland, Sweden").

-- Robert Mancini

from mtv.com

Alice in Britney-land

Britney Spears might be the millennium's Alice.

The pop princess is talking with MTV films about updating the classic story, said a report in Entertainment Weekly.

The new Alice In Wonderland will be a musical.

The plan is to have the singer walking through a city and then getting hit by a VW Rabbit.

"After that, it's chaos," screenwriter Sarah Thorpe told Entertainment Weekly. "She's in the midst of a rock & roll, hip-hop musical that's far from anything Lewis Carroll imagined."

The script has the Mad Hatter as a talent scout, the tea party as a rap show and the Queen of Hearts as the Queen of Pop.

Thorpe has high hopes for the cast.

"Ricky Martin could be the Mad Hatter. Britney Spears could certainly play Alice." Britney's agent said the pop star is thinking about doing the movie but hasn't made a final decision.

BRITNEY'S NEW MOVE'S

Considering that Britney Spears' debut disc (recite the title along with us, folks) "...Baby One More Time" has surpassed seven-times platinum, it seems our patron saint of "TRL" need hardly suffer for our thanks. Spotting her name in the album chart top ten has become as reliable a ritual as tooth-brushing; it's as if all other entries must align themselves around wherever Miss Brit decides to plant herself, like satellites unable to resist her gravitational pull.

Yet while planets have no choice but to keep spinning in a rather preordained fashion, our Britney is already making tracks to get moving on her next LP, select her next single and video, rub shoulders with Joey and Pacey on "Dawson's Creek," and consider coming soon to a theater near you.

Plus there's that whole doll thing...

Roger Coletti of the MTV Radio Network was fortunate enough to get up close and personal with the Spearstress herself during her visit to our Times Square studio to co-host "Total Request Live." She was bubbling over with plots and plans, so click on over to read all about Britney's new moves.

MTV: You've just finished off your big summer tour. Are you going to be hitting the road again anytime soon?

Britney Spears: Yeah, for the next album. Which is really cool, 'cause I've had to do like a medley of songs from Janet [Jackson] and everything, because I don't have that much material for a first album. So on the next tour, I'll have my other songs from my next album, and it's gonna be like a world tour. It's gonna be everywhere, so it's gonna be fun.

MTV: How far along are you with the next album? It sounds like you have plans underway already.

Britney: Oh yeah, definitely. I'm gonna start recording in Sweden in, I think, a month and a half. I have, like, 16 tracks to do in two weeks, but we're not gonna use all those tracks, of course, and I'm gonna record it with a bunch of different producers. Like with Diane Warren, and Babyface, and of course Max Martin when I go to Sweden, and some of the same producers [from "...Baby One More Time"], like Eric Foster White.

I want [to record] a bunch of songs and just go from there and pick which songs are best for the album. Because the second album, I really, really want [it] to be [on] another level. 'Cause you know, your first album hits, and you're always worried, "Oh, my second album!" I want it to do just as good as "...Baby One More Time," I've just gotta have great material.

MTV: It seems like you really want to get the next album out soon. Do you have any time line on that?

Britney: Probably Spring. Springtime, yeah, definitely.

MTV: The video for "(You Drive Me) Crazy" is still pretty new. Do you have any other videos planned for the future?

Britney: I'm probably gonna have [one for] a ballad, "From The Bottom of My Broken Heart." It's probably gonna come out around Christmas time. [It's] gonna be my first [video for a] slow song, and we're thinking of like the treatment of it right now, what it's gonna be about, and it's really cool.

Like, all my songs so far have been up-tempos, and I've been dancing and everything, but I think the song is really strong, and it actually shows that I'm really singing. I'm really looking forward to that, because a lot of the up-tempos are not that hard to sing, and I can really, really sing in this song, which is really good, you know. I'm looking forward to that.

MTV: Is that something you're gonna do more of on the next album, like maybe some more challenging stuff, so some artists don't think that you're a joke?

Britney: Oh, yeah, definitely. Totally, yeah.

MTV: Aside from the album and the next video, what else do you have going on? Any other TV plans in the works?

Britney: After that [video,] I have "Dawson's Creek." I'm gonna be doing that in December. And I have a lot of award shows coming up in, like, overseas and stuff.

MTV: Do you have any thoughts about going into movies? You probably have a lot of people sending you scripts and stuff now.

Britney: Yeah, I have a management team in L.A., they hook all that up, with films and everything. Next year I think I may have a little bit of time after the tour to like, do a film or something. I really would like to do a film just to experience something different, but there's no time, because I'm so focused on my music right now. But I would love to. I would really love to do that.

MTV: We heard that you have your own doll coming out. You've gotta tell us about that.

Britney: Yeah! Actually there's, like, six different dolls. Well, it's the same doll, but there are different outfits: a different outfit from each video, then some of the outfits from the tour. Then there's like a collectors' item doll, which is like the $100 doll. It's really beautiful and everything. I collect dolls, so I was like, "Wow!" And my little sister, she has all of them, so she's like, "Ahh!" She freaked out!

MTV: Are the dolls out yet, or are they gonna be out for Christmas?

Britney: Well, the first set of dolls are the ones from the videos, and they'll be out, I think, like, next month? Like, coming up really soon. I'm not really sure. Then the other edition of the three dolls [with] the tour outfits, that's gonna come out around Christmas.

MTV: How do these dolls get made, anyway? Did you have to pose for them, or did they have to draw you? How does it work?

Britney: No, they just took a picture of my face, and they went from there. But yeah, it was really, really weird when I saw, like, the first face. I was like, "I know I'm not a supermodel or anything, but I look better than that face," 'cause the face was really, really ugly. So they had to redo the face and everything. It was pretty funny.

http://www.mtv.com/nav/intro_news.html

after you read the interview.. go to http://www.mtv.com/news/gallery/s/spears/doll.html

Britney Spears On Playing Disney With Joey McIntyre

Former Mouseketeer Britney Spears recently returned to her roots when she shot a concert special at Disney World's new attraction, the "Rock 'N Roller Coaster." The concert, which also featured a performance by former New Kid On The Block Joey McIntyre, was taped for an upcoming TV special.

"Britney Spears And Joey McIntyre In Concert" features not only performances by Spears and McIntyre; the show will also have interview segments with each artist, as well as a behind-the-scenes tour of the theme park with the two heartthrobs see ("Britney Spears, Joey McIntyre Headed To Disney").

Spears told the MTV Radio Network that she enjoyed her latest Disney experience, but that doing TV concerts can be hard work.

"Stuff on TV I think is so, like, I don't know, tedious," she explained. "'Cause you know, the camera had to be here, and the camera had to be here... I'd much rather just go out and have, like, thousands and thousands of fans, and just perform and give it [my] all. And that's usually when your performance comes out the best."

"Britney Spears And Joey McIntyre In Concert" makes its premiere on the Disney Channel on October 16.

-- John Gill

from mtv.com

LOST IN THE COUNTRY:

Britney Spears may know her way around the dance floor, but she sure doesn't know Nashville. According to the Nashville Tennessean, Brit got lost Tuesday wandering around the Opryland Hotel. She asked the woman next to her how to get to a lobby and -- surprise, surprise -- which mall to go to. The woman walked her to a lobby and pointed Brit to the Mall at Green Hills. Britney thanked her and remarked, "I can tell I'm in the South because people are so friendly here." Too bad her good Samaritan was from Ohio.

from www.seventeen.com

Britney Birthday Bash

Britney Spears is celebrating her 18th birthday with a magnificent fancy dress party costing £500,000. ($900,000)!!!!

But the amazing bash will not cost the singer a single cent. The tab will be picked up by her sponsor, fashion giant Tommy Hilfiger. The party at New York's Botanical Gardens, is on December 2 - the day Britney comes of age.

The guest list includes some of the hottest names in showbiz. Invites have already gone out to Madonna, Shania Twain, NSync, Backstreet Boys and Jerry Springer. Others expected to attend are ex-New Kid on the Block Jordan Knight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar.

A pal of Britney's said: "She is really chuffed to have such an amazing party for her birthday and knows she's lucky. It's going to be one of the biggest parties New York has seen in quite a while."

Britney has her heart set on a theme party after dressing up in period costume for the MTV Awards last month. She loved it so much she has asked all her guests to go along in fancy dress. Many of the partygoers, including close friends and family, will arrive at the Botanical Gardens by horse and carriage.

Britney Barbie

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA. -Britney Spears two biggest fans are not giddy grade-school girls. When Jay Foreman, 37, and Charlie Embry, 32, got to bed each night, they pray for good health and giant hits for the pop music phenom.

"For sure" says Embry

"Absolutely" adds Embry

If Britney stays big, so does her mini-me -the Britney doll, available in stores mid-October.

Foreman and Embry of Boca Raton, Fla., are launching their toy company, Play Along Inc., with the Britney Spears doll. They say it cost them "millions" to license, design, distribute and promote the dolls

But they're betting Britney Jean Spears, who turns 18 on Dec 2, is worth it. "Britney has the brand potential to be like a Barbie" says Foreman. "She's got another three, four years to develop her career."

Spears surfaced with a debut record "Baby One More Time (Jive/Arista)" in January. The album -more that 5 million sold so far -spills sugary hits like Fruit Loops falling into a bowl. she set to appear on an episode of ABC' s "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and four episodes of WB's "Dawson's Creek" during TV sweeps. There's the Rolling Stones cover, too.

Foreman and Embry know the toy truth: Strike while a star is hot. They quit toy maker Empire Industries in Delray Beach, Fla., last fall to start Play Along in May. In the toy business -just like pop music -your judged by your hits.

Embry sold Big Wheels, Barbie dolls, Lion King toys, and the Koosh Ball. Foreman helped engineer the success of Spice Girls dolls, which earned $150 pre-tax cash for toy maker Galoob.

The duo has faith in Spears because "from a demographic standpoint, she's perfect" says Embry. "Barbie sells to girls (age) 3 to 5. Britney's the next level. Girls won't play with her like Barbie, they'll display her."

And they can get basic Britney tree ways -featuring an outfit from the videos for "Baby One More Time," "Sometimes," or "(You Drive Me) Crazy." Three "deluxe" Britney dolls, $19.99 each, will come with two concert outfits. Other cloths and collectibles plus limited edition dolls will follow.

Another plus for Play Along , says Marty Brochstein, executive editor of The Licensing Letter, a New York Coty toy industry newsletter, is that retailers like toys based on scandal-free stars. After what Foreman experienced with the Spice Girls -"from peeing in hotel planters to carrying around Tutti Frutti condoms" - he can't envision bad behavior that would cost Britney her fans.

Britney Spears Chat at E! Online

Britney Spears: I'm happy to be online again, and I'm happy to be talking to everyone again. I've been looking forward to this.

Q: What's the most stressful part about your job??

A:There's a lot of new things that come up every day, like preparing for award shows and scripts. Also my schooling.

Q: besides lots of practice and dedication, how else do u get noticed as a singer???

A: By performing. I love to perform, and by doing that, my ability to sing comes out. When I'm on stage, I have so much fun, and hopefully that rubs off on the crowd and brings more energy to my performance.

Q : Hey britney! I just want to say that your music really inspires me to sing. my question is..... What is the weirdest thing a fan has ever given you?

A: A Catholic school uniform.

Q: Do u have a favorite city to perform in?

A: My favorite performance so far has been in Toronto, the crowd was amazing. It was the biggest crowd that I've had so far, 18,000 people.

Q: Brittney, is it ever too much pressure for you that you just want to go home and be a normal teenager again?

A:I have bad days, but I would have bad days if I had a normal life, too. Usually I'm like that when I'm delirious, but once I get my sleep back, I'm ok. I love doing what I do.

Q: if you could pick anybody, who would you do a duet with? (boy or girl)

A:I would say Madonna, I think she's cool. Madonna or Ricky Martin.

Q: Britney, when will you release your next single?

A:I think in like, two weeks. "You Drive Me Crazy."

Q: who are your main musical influences?

A: Probably Whitney Houston, I love her voice. And Mariah Carey. As far as performers go, I like Madonna and Janet Jackson the best.

Q: Britney what made you cover Journey's "Open Arms" in concert?

A:My Mom had that cd when I was really young. When I would travel, she would always put that cd in . When I first went on tour, I would always have that song in my mind.

Q: how old were you when you started singing?

A: I've been singing since I was a baby.

Q: how many dolls do you have in your collection?

A:Maybe 22 or 20, I'm not really sure how many I have.

Q: How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

A:Usually I get ten hours of sleep, that's what I want, but usually I'm getting, like, eight, which isn't so bad.

Q: Britney, do you plan on going to college?

A:Yeah, if I ever get time. If I get a break from this, yeah, but I don't have time now. I still have to graduate high school.

Q: Why do you think that you have had such a great success?

A:A lot of hard work has really paid off. First of all, it's fun and my audience can relate to me. When I'm on stage, they see that I'm having fun, and I hope that inspires them.

Q: Isn't it hard to keep a good relationship going with your old friends?

A:Not really. Of course, I don't get to see them as much, but whenever I'm home, I go out with them. And I'm always on the phone with them.

Q: Are the guys from N'sync cool to hang out with?

A:I really don't get to hang out with them that much, but when I have, they seem like really nice guys.

Q: I just luv Baby One More Time.....What do u think u will do in 10 yrs.

A:Goodness, hopefully by then, I will have success around the world, a number -one album. I hope one day to settle down, have kids and be normal. (laughs)

Q:who was your first kiss?

A:My first kiss, it was this guy in the seventh grade, he came over to my friend's house, I had the biggest crush on him. His name was Mason, oops, I probably shouldn't have said that! We kissed each other, and the next day, he totally ignored me! I was heart-broken! But we're friends now. (laughs)

Q: Britney you are so popular, how does it feel to suddenly have fan sites and all that stuff?

A:The other day was the first time I checked out the websites, it was flattering. It was weird and overwhelming, they show my face so much! It's very flattering.

Q: what is your favorite fast food resturant?

A:Probably Burger King.

Q: what has been your favorite city on your tour?

A:Toronto.

Q: What did you want to be when you where a child?

A:When I was little, I wanted to be a dance teacher. (laughs)

Q: When will you start filming on Dawson's Creek?

A:The first or second week in October.

Q: Britney, do you play any instruments or have any other hidden talents we should know about?

A:No, I pick up the piano a bit, and would love to play guitar.

Q: Britney, what is your favorite topic to sing about?

A:Love. (laughs)

Q: Britney I love your first album. When are you going to make a second alum?

A:Hopefully I will start working on it this fall, and hopefully will have it out next spring. Spring of 2000.

Q: Are you worried about just how long your career can really last?

A:I'm not worried about it, I just hope that my music can continue through the years, and reinvent myself like Madonna has done.

Q: Do people stop you in the street and mob you and all?

A:(laughs) A little bit! They are beginning, slowly, to recognize me more and more!

Q: Hello Britney. I love your voice. Your singing is incredible. I would just like to know, is it wise to start in the music career at a young age?

A:I think so, that way you know the ins and outs. The only disadvantage would be that you may lose out on some of your childhood.

Q: What do you think when people call you a sex symbol?

A:(laughs) It's very flattering. It's nice to be liked by the older people as well as their kids and their neices and nephews.

Q: Don't you think that your teenage years are a vital part of your life and a singing career can wait until you get older?

A:No, I feel like, that the novelty is there, with the younger kids. By the time you become an adult, your talent will have developed. I've had a normal teenage life, I've done the prom, hung out with my friends, played on the school basketball team. I have no regrets, starting my musical career now, rather than waiting until I'm an adult. I can only hope that my talent develops and improves over time.

Q: What's the weirdest rumor you have heard about yourself?

A:That I am 28 years old.

Q: What music do you currently listen to when on the road or elsewhere?

A:Lauren Hill, Janet Jackson, Madonna's "Immaculate Collection," Blackstreet, Usher, Brandy and Monica.

Q: how do you feel about the media creating so many ridiculous rumors about you?

A:People will do anything to sell a magazine.

Q : How come you always wear belly shirts?

A:It's just kinda one of my trademarks.

Q : Britney will you ever do your own choreographing?

A:I do a lot of it now, but with the help of others. I would love to do my own, yeah.

Q: What do you do when you get to visit home?

A:I just hang out with my friends, go to the mall, go to the movies. That's about it. I visit with my family mostly.

Q : what's your fav tv show?

A:"Dawson's Creek."

Q: do you see yourself as a role model?

A:No, I've heard that I've been catagorized as a role model. But I'm just human, I make mistakes. It's flattering, but a little frightening!

Q: where do you get the inspiration for your songs?

A:The songs were all written for me. I get really inspired by my fans when performing. I get all my energy from the crowd.

Q: Do you plan to go to college and if yes, which one?

Q : What's your favorite ride in your favorite theme park?

A:The Tower of Terror at Disney World.

Q: Britney, when do you figure you'll stop touring and maybe settle down to find a husband or have a family?

A:Hopefully within the next ten years.

Q: How long did it take you to learn all of your dance moves?

A:It takes a few weeks to get the tour together, three, four weeks.

Q: Whats your favorte movie Britney?

A:"Titanic."

Q: What musician would you most like to work with?

A:Probably Madonna, or Prince.

Q: What is Britney's favorite pet?

A:My dog Cane.

Q : Where is your favorite place to get away from it all?

A:Home.

Q: What are you doing for the millenium eve ?

A:Not really anything scheduled yet.

Q: How do you get started modeling for Tommy Hilfiger?

A:My entertainment lawyer hooked me up Tommy Hilfiger. He's also sponsoring my tour.

Q: Who's your favorite actor and actress and why?

A: Actor, Ben Affleck, actress Jennifer Aniston. Ben is a hottie, and she dates Brad Pitt! (laughs)

Q: Some people reacted badly to your pictures in "Rolling Stone". I thought they were great, but what did your parents think of them?

A:My parents were there the whole time. They were really proud, and being asked to do the cover of "Rolling Stone" was really an honor.

Q : If you were to Date a Backstreet Boy who would it be and why?

A:I really don't have an answer to that. They're really nice guys, really cute guys, but they are my label mates, I don't want to pick just one.

Q: What do you look for in a guy?

A:A sense of humor, a lot of self-confidence, just an all-around fun, nice guy.

Q: Hey Britney, Are the dancers in your video your elite dancers because they are the same in every video?

A:I've been working with them for a full year. We have the same dance style and work together really well.

Q: Do you pick out your own clothes for your performances?

A:No, I have a stylist.

Q: what do you do when you get homesick while touring?

A:I talk to my mom every day. I talk to my little sister every day, too, so that helps.

Q: so what's your favorite cereal?

A:Frosted Flakes, with bananas.

Q: what movie star would you like to meet?

A:Probably Brad Pitt.

Q: Do you embrace the comparisons to the Backstreet Boys and 'NSync, or do you see yourself as a music pioneer?

A:I don't call myself a music pioneer, no. I'm proud to be associated with 'NSync and Backstreet.

Q : Do you have any hidden talents?

A:I'm a pretty good dart player!

Q : Do you request anything special backstage, before a show?

A:Orange and purple Gatorade, Altoids, Doritos and Pop Tarts.

Q: do you believe in aliens?

A:No.

Q : Britney I recently recorded in Denmark with a Danish band on their album thats going to be out in the fall and i was wondering what some advice you can give me on getting a manager

A:Just try to make as many contacts as possible. Meet a lot of people before narrowing it down to one.

Q: Britney:who would you like to duet with??

Q: Hey Britney Spears, are you at the Isle Of MTV right now? I would love to be there, anyways I just wanted to say that you are very pretty and ask you if you have plans for ever doing any acting?

A:I would love to do a film at some point. If there is time in between touring. Thanks to everyone who joined the chat. Sorry I have to go, but I've gotta get back to my tour. Thanks for all your support, your letters, and your love. Talk to you soon.

Britney's in a Pickle

LIVE & KICKING JULY 1999 EDITION

Would she ditch her gran? Would she grass up a mate's bloke? Ms Spears spills the beans!

Q:What would you do if you discovered your best mate's

bloke was cheating on her?

A:I'd tell her 'cause I wouldn't want her to get hurt. I wouldn't bother talking to the guy-my concern would be totally for my friend, not him.

Q:Would you prefer to be a waitress or a cinema usherette?

A:Oh, a waitress. You'd probably get quite good tips

and there'd be plenty of restaurants to choose from. Also, you'd get

to talk to loadsa people, 'cause it's a kinda sociable job and I'm a sociable person!

Q:If a mate had bad breath, would you tell them?

A:If it was my best friend I'd feel relaxed enough to say, 'Eurgh! Your breath is rank, do something about it! But if it was someone I didn't know too well I'd offer them a mint.

Q:If you saw someone stealing something in a shop would you grass them up?

A:Yeah, but I don't think I'd confront the person myeself as it could turn nasty. I wouldn't just ignore it.

Q:How would you feel if a celeb was wearing the same frock as you at a party?

A:I'd be humiliated, especially as I'd probably have spent ages looking for it. But I'd make sure they saw me wearing mine and then perhaps they'd cover their's up a bit!

Q:If your mum gave you an ugly jumper (sweater) as a prezzie would tell her it was horrid?

A:I wouldn't say I didn't like it. I'd wait until she'd gone and then secretly throw it away and not tell her-ha ha!

Actually, my boyfriend gave me a necklace for my last birthday-just after we'd started seeing each other and it was horrible-it was the worst thing I'd seen in my life!

Q:What if your boyfriend had cooked you a lavish meal but it tasted gross?

A:Erm...(thinks) I'd eat it and act as though I liked it, so I didn't hurt his feelings. But if it was really horrible I'd probably have to throw it in the bin while he was out of the room! I like most things, but the one thing I absolutely hate eating is sushi-it's disgusting! So if he offered to take me to a sushi restaurant or to make sushi, I'd tell him in advance that I don't like it!

Q:If the a swank celeb party clashed with a visit to your gran's, what would you do?

A:I'd probably re-arrange things so that I could go to my grandmother's the next night. If it was an important party that was only going to happen once, then I'd feel OK about going to it, 'cause I can go see my grandmother any time. But say it was my grandmother's birthday or something really special then I'd go to that, of course.

The absolutely true adventures of a God-fearing, bubble-gum chewing, Jackie Collins-loving 17-year old girl

By Jancee Dunn

"Try some of this bread," Britney Spears advises. "It is really good. Let's get some more." This is a girl who knows exactly what she wants, and right now it is more bread. Waiter! "A girl's gotta eat," Spears says happily as she digs in. She basically goes unrecognized at the Globe, a restaurant in New York, because the crowd is, you know, old. In their 30s, at least.

If she were down the street at, say, the Gap, its patrons would be freaking, for Britney Spears is a genuine teen phenomenon, a 17-year-old girl from Kentwood, La., who has made good. Real good, in fact. Earlier this year, her debut album, "Baby One More Time," and its title single reached No. 1 concurrently. The album, a frothy collection of tuneful pop, hit just at the cusp of teen-pop mania (thanks to the likes of 'N Sync and the Backstreet Boys) and has gone on to sell 4 million and counting.

Fueling the momentum was the video for "Baby One More Time," in which a midriff-baring Spears dances in the halls of a high school wearing a racy Catholic-school uniform. Her idea, by the way. The suits at her label, Jive Records, originally floated a Power Rangers theme. "I was freaking out," she says. "They were, like, really set on it. They were gonna do it. I was like, 'Y'all. Please. I do not want to be some Power Ranger and have my watch come out and kill somebody.' So I told them my idea."

Spears is not some wide-eyed naif from the backwoods. She may have the exuberance of a teen-ager (and a sweet Southern demeanor), but there is a determined glint in her eye. She is brimming with confidence. "I don't know where it came from," she says. "I guess it's just the way I was brought up. My mom was always saying, 'Go for what you want.' "

Today, Spears wears a white Enyce jacket, a white tank top, drawstring pants and platform flip-flops. She smiles frequently, her white teeth nicely offsetting her dark skin - the deep, golden, melanoma-be-damned tan of youth. Spears is a down-home kind of girl who says that she has good instincts about people. "I don't want people kissing my butt," she says. "If I had a bad show and I know it, don't tell me I had a good show. I hate that. I guess because I'm 17, people think I don't see stuff like that."

Her roast chicken and mashed potatoes arrive. Spears has had only coffee today. The word coffee sends her into a brief reverie. "My mama and I, we love cappuccino," she says. At home, her mama used to make a concoction of homemade ice cream, cappuccino, Equal and milk. "She is, like, the best cook in the whole world," Spears says dreamily.

She starts to eat the roast chicken. With her fingers, God bless her.

One of Spears' favorite things to do, she says, is light some candles, take a bath and read a Jackie Collins novel. She would rather do that than go to a party, any day. "Every night, I have to read a book, so that my mind will stop thinking about things that I stress about," she says. "I focus on my book. Isn't that crazy? I like Jackie Collins. The one I'm reading now, you can't put it down."

Spears' life reads a little like a Collins page turner. It's the story of a girl from a small Louisiana town who was determined to be famous. As a child, Spears says, she "loved playing with dolls and Barbies, but I was always singing, always wanting to put on shows. And when I saw Madonna and Janet Jackson perform on TV, I was just so hungry for that."

She started singing in church competitions and when she was 8 went to an open call for The Mickey Mouse Club in Atlanta. She was deemed too young, but a producer on the set hooked her up with an agent in New York. "He said, 'Go there,' but I was scared," says Spears. "I didn't want to go to the big city. It took, like, six months until I was like, 'Mama, please, I want to do this. I want to go.' " So, Spears, her mother, Lynne, a second-grade teacher, and her baby sister, Jamie-Lynn, headed to New York that summer while her older brother, Bryan, and father, Jamie, a construction contractor, stayed behind. The three were first timers to New York, and they were intimidated.

"I didn't really like it at first," Spears says. "And my mom's like, 'Baby, whenever you want to go home, we'll go.' " Soon after, Spears landed a role in Ruthless, an off-Broadway play based on the 1956 movie thriller The Bad Seed. She played a demonic child, and it was fun for a while, but Spears' breaking point came when she had to perform on Christmas night. "I was 11 or 12," she recalls. "I know I still believed in Santa Claus. I was like, 'I don't want to do that, Mama! I want to go home.' "They gave notice on Christmas Eve. Two days before they left New York, Spears had another interview for The Mickey Mouse Club, and she got the job.

At age 11, she headed solo to Orlando, Fla., and spent the next two years shooting The Mickey Mouse Club. "There were 20 kids on the show, and I was the youngest, so I was pampered," says Spears, who lived in a nearby dorm with the rest of the cast. "And we were in Disney World, for Christ's sake. You know? When we had breaks, we'd go on rides.

"Then I went home and decided I just wanted to be in high school and be normal for a while," she continues. "Those teen-age years, I can't say I missed out, because I experienced that - going out, going to homecoming and prom. It was wonderful, but then I decided I was really bored."

Fortunately, when Spears was 14, she got a call from a family friend who happened to be an entertainment lawyer. Come to New York, he urged. Pop music is coming back. "At the time, there wasn't a young girl doing it," says Spears. "So I went." In New York she auditioned for Jive executive Jeff Fenster by singing "Jesus Loves Me" and Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing." "My mom was sitting there mouthing the words, which made me even more nervous," says Spears. Despite her jitters, she was signed.

"Every night, I had a Bible book that I prayed in," she recalls, "and every night, I would pray, 'I hope my song plays on a certain radio station that's really big,' and it would happen. Then I'd be like, 'I hope the video is wonderful,' and it was. Then I was like, 'I hope they play it on MTV.' " Behold the power of prayer. "I am totally blessed," Spears declares. Now she flies first-class and commands teams of people. "It really hit me when I did the video for 'Baby,' " she says. "I was like, 'Oh, my God, all of these people are working for me!' "

Lynne Spears had a similar thunderbolt reaction to her daughter's newfound fame. "It just happened on Letterman the other day," she says. "I wasn't feeling too well the night of the show, so I went to sleep and my friend taped it. The next morning I went to my girlfriend's house and watched Britney perform. I watched the crowd and I just cried and cried. My girlfriend said stop it or I was going to have to do my makeup again."

Of course, there has been a downside to the frenzy, including Spears' having to get used to the rumors that swirl around a newly minted star. There's one that claims she has had breast implants. ("Let me put it this way," says Lynne. "If anybody believes it, I brand them an ignorant goofball.") And one that she is dating a member of 'N Sync. (Not true.) And one that she is -- a child molester. "I'm a child," Spears marvels. "How can I be a child molester?"

The only other liabilities have been the occasional overzealous fan (like the one who recently tried to climb into Spears' parents' bedroom window) and her lack of sleep. "There was one time when I came off a tour," she says. "I went home and went to bed at 5 o'clock. I was delirious. I didn't wake up until 3 o'clock the next day." That would be 22 hours of slumber. Britney Spears is a girl who makes things happen. take her crush on Ben Affleck. "I was doing an interview on E! or something," she says, "and they asked, 'Who is a person you would really like to meet?' " Ben Affleck, she replied, looking right at the camera. A week later, his people called her people. "He said he never saw it," says Spears. "He was making a movie about the entertainment business, and he wanted to know about [the E! interview]." Soon, the two were having lunch at Planet Hollywood. (Both brought friends, so let's get our mind out of the gutter.)

"I told him I want him to direct one of my videos," she says with a big grin. "I was like, 'As long as you're the love interest.' " Spears is not dating anyone at the moment. Right now she is all about her career. This summer she will embark on her first headlining tour. Her old gig was opening up for 'N Sync. At first, she says, " 'Baby' wasn't even playing on the radio that much, and 'N Sync's fans didn't know me from Adam. I was like, 'I'm really young! Please don't be mean to me.' " Eventually, of course, she would win them over.

"I'll be glad when I'm on my own tour and the crowd's there to see me," says Spears, who meanwhile is spending most of her time at home with her mother. "She is exactly the same," says Lynne. "My husband works in Memphis, so Britney will crawl into bed with me, and the three of us -- me, her and Jamie-Lynn -- will sleep together. We eat ice cream and watch movies."

But that domestic tranquillity won't last for long. Spears' third single is called "Crazy," and she predicts that "it's gonna be bigger than 'Baby.' " She recently thought up a concept for the video. "Check this out," she says, spinning out the idea in one breath. "Me and my girlfriends are at this club, right? We're waiters, and we're in our waitress outfits, and we look kind of dorky. And we see this cute guy, but he has a girlfriend, so we all go to the bathroom, and when the anthem part of the chorus comes in, we walk out of the bathroom, and we are fierce. And we're at a club, so everyone's dancing. It's gonna be great." Do you have any doubt, readers, that it will be a No. 1 hit? Do you?

Yes, the girl has a plan. The recent hailstorm of controversy that arose from her Lolita-esque Rolling Stone cover didn't bother her a bit. "I don't see what the big hoopla is," she says. "What's the big deal? I have really strong morals, and just because I look sexy on the cover of Rolling Stone doesn't mean I'm a naughty girl. "I'd do it again," she adds coolly. "I thought the pictures were fine. And I was tired of being compared to Debbie Gibson and all of this bubblegum pop all the time." She tosses the last piece of chicken in her mouth and licks her fingers, one by one. "It shut them up, didn't it?"

from rollingstone.com and US Magazine

Britney Spears appears to be headed back to her roots on the Disney Channel, and she's taking Joey McIntyre with her.

Entertainment industry trade publication "Variety" reports that Spears and McIntyre have inked a deal with the Mouse-themed cable outlet to headline a television special. "Britney Spears and Joey McIntyre in Concert" will reportedly be taped in front of Disney's new Rock 'n' Roller Coaster in August and turn up on the channel on October 16.Spears (as well as many members of Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync) got her first big break as part of the cast of the channel's "Mickey Mouse Club."McIntyre, of course, got his big break as part of the New Kids on  the Block during teen pop's last great uprising in the late 80s.

BRITNEY AND THE BODYGUARDS:

With a hit single and huge fan following you'd think Britney Spears would be able to meet lots of other celebs -- but she's got to be able to get to them first. At a party in Manhattan following her recent New York show, the teen singing sensation -- like most of us -- was dying to meet hunky actor Mark Wahlberg. ("I've seen some of his movies, he's a hottie," she has said.) But when Brit finally got to the shindig, which was also attended by Duncan Sheik, Tommy Hilfiger, Q-Tip, and Melissa Joan Hart, she was met with so many bodyguards that she was unable get close enough to Marky, according to the New York Daily News. "There were so many people there .... I didn't get to meet him."

from seventeen.com

Britney Spears Has Sell-Out Crowd Shrieking And Singing Along

Teen pop star covers Madonna, Janet Jackson,Journey on first headlining tour.

Correspondent Lang Whitaker reports:

ATLANTA — Seventeen-year-old pop sensation Britney Spears mesmerized 5,000

young fans at the Atlanta Civic Center on Thursday as she played material from her quadruple-platinum album ... Baby One More Time and songs by such influences as Madonna and Janet Jackson during one of her first headlining gigs.

The sell-out audience, populated largely by teen and pre-teen girls,shrieked and wailed with every hip wiggle, every variation in vocal inflection and each costume change from Spears. Despite having only one album of material to draw from, Spears came across as an assured,confident entertainer during the hour-long set, the third performance of a summer-long North American tour.

"We came all the way up from Orlando [Fla., about 440 miles away] to see this show and it was awesome!," Margaret Campbell,13, said. "Her costumes were incredible, and the show was worth the drive."

Against a backdrop of billowing linen draped across a rope latticework, Spears' five-piece band was perched atop a platform raised approximately 10 feet off the stage. From the center of the platform, a staircase, framed by a swirling, Dali-esque handrail, descended to the stage.

The show began with six dancers performing to a funky, bass-heavy groove, while snippets of Spears' talking could be heard.Spears then appeared atop the band platform, wearing a pink vinylmidriff-baring tube top and a pair of white vinyl pants with sewn-in pink kneepads.Her hair was pulled into a bun atop her head, with a long blond ponytailextension clipped on. Every inch of exposed flesh was dusted with glitter.

She started by running through several songs from... Baby One More Time including "Soda Pop" and "(You Drive Me) Crazy." The album, released in January, has made Spears an instant star; it quickly hit #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and has now been in the top 10 for nearly half a year.

Each song was supplemented by intense choreography from the dancers, and Spears danced, too, whenever she wasn't singing. Eight mechanized spotlights mounted on the band platform followed the petite singer around the stage.

"I thought it was a beautifully decorated stage," said Leslie Hicks, 41, from Cartersville, Ga., who brought her two teenage daughters. "The whole show was very professionally done."

After a few songs, two of Spears' dancers pulled a young fan identified as Dustin from the audience, and Spears asked thecrowd, "Have you guys ever been in love?" The audience screamed a resounding"Yes!" and Spears proceeded to croon her ballad "Born to Make You Happy" to Dustin.

After quickly changing into a white tube top and denim overalls, Spears returned and sat on the steps by herself. "I used to have a boyfriend," she began, and the crowd howled as if in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, I did," she reassured them, "and he really broke my heart. I don't ever want to feel that way again." She then sang "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart."

Spears appeared to be singing over a pre-recorded track at times, but during some songs — including a cover of pop-rockers Journey's 1982 hit "Open Arms" — she obviously handled the vocals by herself.T hough Spears sang confidently when she was in the lower register, her voice was thin when she reached for high notes.

Her bandmembers provided a loud, synthesizer-driven groove, capably reproducing the tracks from Spears' album, and occasionally doing their own thing — filling one costume change, for example, by playing rap duo Eric B. and Rakim's "I Ain't No Joke."

After the band played Madonna's "Vogue" while Spears' dancers moved to the music, Spears appeared at the top of the stairs in a pink minidress and feather boa and performed a truncated cover of Madonna's "Material Girl."

The band then segued into Janet Jackson's "Black Cat," as Spears ripped off her dress to reveal a black leather halter top and a black leather miniskirt. She sang faithful versions of both "Black Cat" and "Nasty."

But the loudest response of the evening was for Spears' encore, her chart-topping song "... Baby One More Time"". Wearing black thigh-high socks, a spangled pink tartan miniskirt, a visible black bra and a sleeveless pink oxford, Spears brought down the house.

Tina Shuford, 9, stood in her seat and sang along word-for-word at the top of her tiny lungs. "This is my favorite song," Shuford said, as "... Baby One More Time" came to an end. "I wish she'd keep singing all night long."

The evening was hosted by Johnny Wright, the manager credited with discovering Spears, the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync— Spears opened for the latter group in late 1998 and early 1999. Severalof Wright's newest finds, including singer Michael Fredo and the group Boyz-N-Girlz United, opened for Spears.

Multi-talented Britney

By Dina Sansing

BRIT'S BRIGHT IDEAS: We know Britney Spears can sing. And we hope that she can act (since she'll be appearing on Dawson's Creek for three episodes next season). Now it seems that Brit is the man -- er, woman -- behind her music videos. The singer told US magazine that her record label originally wanted her to do a Power Rangers-themed video, but she gave it the big N-O. "I was freaking out. They were, like, really set on it. I was like, 'Y'all. Please. I do not want to be some Power Ranger and have my watch come out and kill somebody.' So I told them my idea." The rest, as they say, is history. But don't think Spears' creative juices ran out on the set of "Baby, One More Time." She also told the mag that she recently envisioned the concept for her next video, "Crazy." "Me and my girlfriends are at this club, right? We're waiters, and we're in our waitress outfits, and we look kind of dorky. And we see this cute guy, but he has a girlfriend, so we all go to the bathroom, and when the anthem part of the chorus comes in, we walk out of the bathroom, and we are fierce."

from seventeen.com

Britney Spears and 98 Degrees cause a fan frenzy in New Jersey. EW Online is backstage as the teen sensations -- along with Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre -- play their hits and wow the crowds

What a difference six months can make. Last December at New York radio station Z-100's Jingle Ball megaconcert, Britney Spears was hanging around backstage like a Madonna wannabe. No entourage, no reporters, no gaggle of fans. Fast forward to Friday's Zootopia showcase celebrating the third anniversary of the station's morning show, and it was Britney -- with her trademark glittery eye shadow and baby-blond hair extensions -- who created the animal-house atmosphere at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, causing kids to drop their ice-cream cones at the sound of her voice as they raced back to their seats.

Offstage, it was Britney's management team who created a circus, refusing to let people within five feet of the young singer. In fact, her handlers were so insufferable that on Monday they became the talk of the morning show. ''They were the worst,'' cried Elliot Segal, the Zoo's cohost. ''They're going to ruin the poor little girl!''

Britney Spears To Play Special Concert At U.S. Open Site

Britney Spears' upcoming North American tour is scheduled to keep the singer out on the road for most of the summer, but she will take a brief detour in order to play at the site of tennis' U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, New York on August 28

Spears won't be there practicing her serve and volley game, however, as the teen star has instead been tapped to perform at a special concert being held as part of this year's Arthur Ashe Kids' Day Event.

Aside from the Spears concert, the all-day festival will include tennis clinics, games, and celebrity matches featuring the likes of Pete Sampras and John McEnroe. Last year, the Backstreet Boys headlined the charity concert, while the event included appearances from Bill Cosby, Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis, and Venus and Serena Williams, among others.

Proceeds from the festival will be donated to the Arthur Ashe Foundation, which promotes education and bringing the sport of tennis to kids and inner-city youths.

The stadium concert will be held at noon two days prior to the start of this year's U.S. Open (slated for August 30 through September 12), and will be taped for broadcast on CBS on August 29.

from mtv.com

Britney Spears To Celebrate Fourth Of July At Woodstock

Britney Spears will kick off this year's "A Day in the Garden" concert series with a Fourth of July show at Yasgur's farm in Bethel, New York -- the site of the original Woodstock peace and music festival held back in 1969.

Spears' July 4 gig is being sponsored by the same group that sponsored last summer's "A Day in the Garden" concert, which featured performances from such rock icons as Lou Reed and Joni Mitchell, as well as the Goo Goo Dolls and Third Eye Blind.

"A Day in the Garden" organizers are currently planning additional concerts for the Bethel venue as part of its summer series, although a final schedule of artists and dates is still pending.

Spears, who has already sold over 3 million copies of her debut, "Baby One More Time," will make the trip to Yasgur's farm during the first week of her upcoming U.S. tour, scheduled to start on June 28 in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Woodstock '99, the actual multi-day concert commemorating the 30th anniversary of the original event, is slated for July 23-25 in Rome, New York, and will feature performances from DMX, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wyclef Jean and Alanis Morissette, among others.

from mtv.com

Britney Spears' Big Night Out

During the day, I like going to the beach with my friends. We bring our music and lay out and put lemon juice in our hair so it will turn blond- goofy stuff like that. Sometimes we'll ride our four-wheelers around and get dirty. But when we want to go clubbing, we go to Bourbon Street. I like Cat's Meow, and Pat O'Brien's is the best, with the piano bar and everything. My friends and I get really cute and dressed up. We'll drive down there in my white Mercedes with the top down. And, you know, my grandmother could get picked up in this car because it's so nice. I get kind of worried, though, because I don't want anyone to key it or anything. When we get there, we just like looking at people and how crazy they look. You never know what to expect there. We just walk around for awhile, we'll get something to eat, and then we'll just go to a club. If we're feeling really silly, we'll sing karaoke- "Purple Rain", old country songs and stuff from "Grease"-just really silly stuff.

from Rolling Stone

Britney Spears Gets Education In Achieving Platinum

With a #1 single and album, 17-year-old singer is hitting one career target after another.

Contributing Editor Chris Henderson reports:

At 17, Britney Spears is learning quicker than she probably ever thought possible what it takes to make a hit record.

Not that she didn't have a lot do with that.

The perky pop star said she was amazed when she first heard that her song "... Baby One More Time"had hit #1 on the charts. But after some thought, she said she could see what might have made it so popular.

"It's think it's just a good tune with edge and attitude," Spears said. "I think there are just lots of teens who totally appreciate good fun music."

Make that two million appreciative fans -- so far. The singer's debut album, also titled ... Baby One More Time, has already hit that double-platinum mark since its debut at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart in January. It has since resurfaced in the top slot for a three-week run that ended this past week. Meanwhile, the video for "... Baby One More Time" has been getting heavy airplay on MTV.

That puts the singer solidly in the category of teen sensation.

A few assets may help to keep her there. With her blonde hair, sex appeal and glistening white teeth, Spears fits the image of a fresh-faced all-American girl to a T. Her light, danceable songs, influenced by hip-hop and R&B, seem tailor-made for radio play.

"I think teenagers get misunderstood when it comes to pop music," said Stephanie Thompson, 15, of Fergus, Canada, who maintains a website about Spears. "I'm a girl, so I don't like Britney for her looks. I like her style and voice."

The heavy production power behind the album clearly helped it become a hit. Eric Foster White -- the producer behind pop diva Whitney Houston and Hi-Five -- as well as Max Martin, who's produced such teen sensations as the Backstreet Boys and Ace of Base, shared production duties. White also wrote many of the songs on the album.

Almost all of the tracks on ... Baby One More Time deal with love and romance, and are cut from the same cloth as '80s teen hits by singers like Paula Abdul and Debbie Gibson.

The romance theme is given an occasional twist, however. One of the songs, "E-mail My Heart" , is a timely take on Internet-spurred relationships.

"Eric Foster White wrote 'E-mail My Heart,' and I think it really hits home because a lot of people use computers as their main mode of communication," Spears said, adding that she hopes the use of e-mail gets more people to write love letters. "It lets people express emotions without hiding," she said.

The album offers some musical twists as well, like the reggae vocals incorporated into "Soda Pop" and the danceable cover of "The Beat Goes On," a hit by late songwriter-turned-politician Sonny Bono

Tracks on the disc are Spears originals, but she's interested in doing some of her own songwriting in the future. Her first attempt is "I'm So Curious," a song she penned for the B-side to her second single, "Sometimes."

Spears, who grew up in tiny Kentwood, La., (population 1,200), has had show-business aspirations almost all of her life -- even making an appearance on Ed McMahon's "Star Search" at 10.

Although she has worked as a model and actor -- and is tentatively scheduled to appear in three episodes of the TV show "Dawson's Creek" -- those interests are taking a back seat to singing for a while, she said.

"Music is my main focus right now," Spears explained. "All else I consider secondary."

As a longtime fan of such high-powered female singers as Madonna, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, Spears says she's pleased to see so many women currently achieving success in music -- especially as evidenced in last week's female-dominated Grammy Awards presentation.

"I'm excited for all the females," Spears said, "and it makes me hope it's like that next year."

from sonicnet.com

Britney Spears To Tour Clubs, Fairs, Amusement Parks

Teen pop star's 48-date headlining swing to last most of summer.

Contributing Editor Christopher O'Connor reports:

Teen pop star Britney Spears, whose ... Baby One More Time is the country's best-selling album, will spend the summer touring amusement parks, state and county fairs and large clubs.

The 48-date outing, announced Thursday (April 8) by her label, Jive Recordings, will be Spears' first headlining tour.

It's scheduled to start June 28 in Pompano Beach, Fla. The 17-year-old singer will hit such locales as the Six Flags amusement parks in St. Louis and Dallas, the Douglas County Fair in Omaha, Neb., and the New York State Fair in Syracuse, before wrapping up Sept. 5 in Allentown, Pa.

Before the tour, Spears will appear April 25 on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and May 26 on "Late Show With David Letterman." She's also slated to appear on the "Rosie O'Donnell Show" and "Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee" in May.

She'll play scattered dates in Europe this spring, a Jive spokesperson said.

Spears' debut album, ... Baby One More Time is the best-selling album of 1999, having sold more than 2 million copies since its release in January. It's currently #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The title track hit #1 on the singles chart earlier this year.

In February, Spears said her pop sound was what young people want to hear. "There are just lots of teens who totally appreciate fun, good music," she said.

In late 1998 and early '99, she toured as an opener for the pop vocal group 'N Sync.

As her star has risen, Spears has branched out into other endeavors. She is set to appear on several episodes of the television show Dawson's Creek and has struck a sponsorship deal with Tommy Hilfiger jeans.

But, she said in February, "Music is my main focus right now. All else I consider secondary."

from sonicnet.com

Britney's Summer Tour

When triple-platinum pop star Birtney Spears isn't onstage, she's usually on the phone. "The most important thing I'm taking on tour is my cell," she says, "so I can call my family at any time."

Spears, 17, admits that she's a little nervous about leaving home for more than three months. But she's looking forward to showing the world that her repertoire is larger than just her smash hit, "...Baby One More Time." "This is the first chance I'll have to sing all of my songs from the album," she says.

Even so, the aptly named, "...Baby One More Time" tour kicks off June 28 in Pompano Beach, Florida, and will make 48 stops across the United States and Canada before wrapping up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on September 5.

Fans will be glad to know that the knee injury Spears sustained by taping a video earlier this year is fully healed, so she'll be dancing like a woman possessed all summer. She'll look fly, too, because Tommy Jeans is sponsoring the tour.

And just how will Spears psych herself up to perform night after night? "I'm bringing my makeup bag," she says, "it's filled with body glitter and jewelry that my dancers and I love to play with before going onstage."

from Seventeen

Hill, Spears Ride New Wave Of Commercially Sponsored Music

(excerpts)

These days Lauryn Hill takes her Levi's on tour with her. Britney Spears won't be seen dead in a Tommy Hilfiger store without his jeans on. Even pop piano trio Ben Folds Five are getting into the act -

From sugary teen-pop sensation Spears to Grammy star Hill, music artists are making the most of their celebrity and giving major marketing companies another high-powered advertising tool. Cross Spears with the savvy marketing of clothing designer Hilfiger, and odd things can happen.

Sentences, for example, that mix the Valley Girl with the Wall Streeter. And that's the point.

"She is totally our demographic," a spokesperson for Tommy Hilfiger's Tommy Jeans said. Which is why Tommy Jeans has enlisted Spears to sign autographs at the company's stores this summer over the strains of her hit "... Baby One More Time".

Similar cross-cultural observations are likely taking place in boardrooms across the U.S. as nonmusic industries -- the apparel trade in particular -- line up to link themselves with the hottest music stars.

.....

Also this month, Tommy Hilfiger announced its sponsorship of Spears' summer tour, and Sears trumpeted a fall-concert pact with the Backstreet Boys.

These high-profile companies are racing to secure what Advertising Age fashion reporter Mercedes Cardona calls "the halo of coolness" that comes with connection to a top-10 band.

....

the young people targeted by Levi's today don't see sponsorships and other corporate alliances as any great ill.

"It would take a little more than a cool-looking jean jacket" to dilute Lauryn Hill's message, wrote Ricardo Budjak, a 24-year-old fan from Philadelphia, in an e-mail. "It's just the way it is now.

Katie Gregory, 14, of Petoskey, Mich., agreed, although she said merchandise blitzes such as the one mounted by the Spice Girls for their Spice World album can be overwhelming.

Such reactions are a sign of the times, according to Christie Nordhielm, an assistant professor of marketing at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management outside Chicago.

"The age of music consumers is lowering, and the younger the age, the less offended they are by advertising," she said. "That's not to say they're not cynical. But the fact that they are cynical makes them less shocked."

.....

By forging ties with music, which holds significant cachet with young people, Levi's aims to become involved with those consumers' day-to-day lives, spokesperson Kim Sobel said.

But companies score a real coup when they appear to be part of bands' lives. A sponsorship sign over a concert stage can signal a vague relationship; a band wearing a product nightly implies a substantially stronger endorsement.

When Spears shows up in Tommy Hilfiger stores this summer, you can bet she'll be clad in Tommy Jeans, the company spokesperson said.

Cardona, who covers the fashion industry for Adverstising Age, said such product placement is more important than traditional advertising. And fans should expect to see it more often since it's such an subtly effective tool, Nordhielm said......

from sonicnet.com

Britney Spears

ACTRESS/SINGER It's not easy being 17 and juggling home schooling with worldwide pop stardom. At a video rehearsal in February, "I was kicking my right leg up, and the left leg just collapsed," says Britney Spears, whose infectious debut CD, . . . Baby One More Time, has sold more than 3 million copies. She spent three weeks on crutches, then underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage in her knee.

But hobbling -- oops, that's hobnobbing -- with professional hairdressers has its advantages. "One stylist told me to get my hair lightened even more," says the naturally brunette Spears. "It looks so much better."

Not that the 5'5" singer needs much help. "Even as a little baby she was really darling," says her mother, Lynne, a second-grade teacher in Kentwood, La. (Dad Jamie is a building contractor.) "She has always been noticed."

Never more so than in the uproar over the recent Lolita-like photos of her that appeared in Rolling Stone. "I thought they turned out really well," counters Spears, who was also wounded by a report that she has breast implants. "It hurts me to hear this kind of stuff," says her mom.

But famous friends like 'N Sync's JC Chasez say it's Spears's fresh-scrubbed look that really appeals. "Guys are into her because she's cute, and girls like her because she's not trying too hard," says Chasez, who first met Spears in 1992, when both were Mickey Mouse Club Mouseketeers, along with 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake. Spears's schedule -- in addition to a 40-city tour starting in June, she's in talks for her own TV pilot and appearances on Dawson's Creek-- doesn't leave much time for dating. So if she has an embarrassing makeup moment, it's in front of a whole stadium. She was all set to walk onstage to open for 'N Sync at Dallas's Bronco Bowl last December when she noticed a large blemish on her cheek. With the ingenuity of youth, "I covered it with eyeliner and made a mole," she says. But midway through the show, the beauty mark turned ugly. "It smeared because I had been sweating!"

PEOPLE 50 Most Beautiful 1999

Britney to Play Middle School

May 6, 1999

Students at Hubert Middle School in Savannah, Ga., will get a special treat on Friday, May 14, when teen pop phenomenon Britney Spears plays an exclusive concert at the school, just for them.

11-year-old Mallory Lawson, who attends Hubert Middle School, won the grand prize in the Nickolodeon network's 10th "Nick Takes Over Your School" contest. She'll be escorted to her homeroom class by several Nick stars, who will then take over the campus, and subject the students to different Nickelodeon games — which will include the requisite sliming of both Lawson and Hubert's principal. Jones Communications, the cable company used by Lawson's family, will donate a computer to the school. Lawson will also receive a $1,000 grand prize, and Hubert middle school will receive $5,000.

At the end of the day, students will be treated to a private concert by none other than Britney Spears, still riding high on the success of her debut album, …Baby One More Time, which currently sits in the Top 10 on the charts.

from http://wallofsound.go.com/index.html

Britney Spears On Sponsor-Scaring Pix: "It's Fine And It's Tasteful"

Racy photos of Britney Spears published in the April 15 issue of"Rolling Stone" magazine appear to have caused quite a stir with a potential tour sponsor. According to the "New York Post," Nestle is rethinking its secondary sponsorship of the teen queen's upcoming tour. (Her main backer, Tommy Hilfiger, remains locked in.) Spears' label, Jive Records, denies that talks have ceased and contends that the tour will go on as scheduled, with or without Nestle. A spokesperson for Nestle says that the company was taking a preliminary look at sponsoring the tour and has decided to pursue other avenues. As for the provocative pix taken by video director and photographer David LaChapelle, the singer insists that they're really no big deal."'Rolling Stone,' they tend to push the envelope a little bit, and that's cool, because it's 'Rolling Stone,'" says Spears. "And I've seen other people on the cover,and it's like, 'whoa!' But it's okay. I wouldn't do this for any other magazine, but because it is 'Rolling Stone' I think it's fine and it's tasteful." The pop princess' tour is expected to kick off in late June.

Hit Teen Singing Sensation Gets her Own Show

Mouseketeer-turned-pop sensation Britney Spears has signed on to star in either a drama or comedy series for COLUMBIA TRISTAR Television (Dawson's Creek, Party of Five), possibly as early as next spring. The series will likely not be a sitcom, as Spears' co-manager Larry Rudolph recently indicated to ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY that she's interested in doing a drama. Spears is still expected to guest star on DAWSON'S CREEK, but it appears her story arc will now occur next season.

from ZENtertainment, #301. Taken from http://www.peeps.com/britney

Great Britney

Britney Spears may only be 17 but she's HUUUGGGEE in Blighty and even HUUUGGGEER stateside... Here's how she did it!

Q. What is your earliest memory Britney?

A. Singing everywhere I went! I remember getting out of the tub singign when I was three and everyone laughing. i totally embarassed my mom!

Q. Do you have a favorite childhood toy?

A.Yes I collect porcelain dolls and my favorite is an angel with a beautiful dress and curly hair. She has a special display case in my bedroom.

Q. When did you first sing in public?

A.That was at my Kindergarten graduation. I was SO nervous I couldn't face the audience while I sang "What Child is this?" My mom has a video of that day, but my head is turned away from the camera the whole time.

Q.What did you want to be when you grew up?

A.I always wanted to sing like Janet Jackson or Whitney Houston. I never changed my mind. Even now it's what I want most. If someone offered me a film, I'm sure I'd have a go-but singing comes first.

Q.When did you decide there's no business like showbiz?

A. I started having dance lessons at age 6, and entered talent contests in my area-my mom has my trophies at home. I auditioned for MMC when I was 8 but I was too young. Instead we moved to New York for awhile.

Q. What did you look like at age 8?

A. Exactly the same-except I had messed up teeth. I didn't wear braces to straighten them until I was 14.

Q.You ended up at Mickey Mouse's bezzer mate!

A. Sure! When I was 10 I auditioned again for MMC and I got in! It was so exciting! The best day was when Toni Braxton was a guest on the show and we had our makeup done in the same room!

Q. Were you sad when the show ended?

A.Yes, but then I had the chance to go to a proper high school. I played basketball and goofed around in the mall with my mates. I loved havign sleep-overs wearing our cute PJ's eating junk food and staying up late talking about boys.

Q.How did your record deal happen?

A. I was bored so I arrnaged a meeting with Jive records and for my audition I sang "I have Nothing" by Whitney Houston. Although I miss the other kids at leats these days my teacher can't tell me off for talking in class!

Q.You must miss going to the mall with your mates?

A.Well, I still love shopping. I like really cute clothes and I'm always buying hats-I have around 20!

Q.Bet you miss all the boys at home?

A. I can't go out with the boys at home just now because I travel so much. I've gone out with boys in the past, but nothing serious!

from Live and Kicking (UK)

"Britney Spears:Who Better than this teen phenom to dish prom tips?

By:Stephen Lenz

You've got to love Britney Spears.Currently the busiest girl on the planet,this celeb managed to find a sec in between dates on her european tour to talk to us,baby,one more time.We didn't bug Britney in another time zone to ask her about just anything-we wanted to talk prom! Here's what the sassy 17-year-old had to say.

Describle the guy who'd be your prom date

I think I'm usually attracted to the "play hard to get" type-so he'd just have to let me wish he'd ask.

Give us some beauty secrets that'll make the prom a better place for girls everywhere.

Drink lots of water,eat well and get lots of sleep before the prom.After all that,my skin's usually in top form.A blemish-free prom is best!!

Ultimate place to hold the prom?

Hawaii-definitely

Who'd be your dream celeb prom date?

Brad Pitt or Ben Affleck

How many thousands of guys have asked you to the prom this year?

I dont recall getting any prom invites this year! I guess everybody knows that I am a little busy.

Do you have a prom fashion rule?

Keep accessories simple.

What music would you want to dance to at the prom?

matchbox20 or Mariah Carey.The ultimate fast song would be "Brown-eyed girl"by Van Morrison. As for a slow song,I like "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton

What's your back-on-track tip for mid-evening prom burnout?

Round up all your favorite friends and head for the powder room to freshen up! That way you can catch up on the prom scoop and share some wake-up giggles.

What to do if another girl moves in on your prom hunk?

I'd try not to show my feelings.I'd never want either of them to know it bothered me.If he decides he'd rather be with her-then he was never meant for me.

Ok,enough prom-ness for now. Do you think your life would have been different if you'd grown up in a big city,instead of in a small town?

Growing up in a small town,you tend to have more values-you can take your time.But I've spent alot of time in NYC,and I wouldnt trade that for the world.I had opportunities that would only have been available there.So I think it's all give and take,and it all balances out in the end.You know,when I first came to NYC I absolutely hated it.I despised it but it does grow on you.=)

What's your favorite place on earth?

I love going to Florida to chill out-but when I want to be stupid, LA is the perfect place. I'm all about trees and grass,but I'm pretty much based in NYC now,and I dont know what I'd do without the energy that I get from being there.Plus LA has traffic.I dont like that.

Which do you like singing more-Fast songs or slow songs?

Slow songs in the studio-because you're in a little black booth and there isnt much energy in there.But on stage with all the people screaming,fast songs are simply the best.The crowds for my shows have been really responsive.I've been lucky.

You have a part in some upcoming Dawson's Creek episodes.What if the WB offered you your own show?

My character would be energetic,confident-but at times very shy.The show would be easy to relate to,but not too serious.

What do you miss most about home when you are on the road?

My mom's great cooking!

from Teen Celebrity

Live and Kicking Best Album review: Britney Spears BOMT

OK, I'm probably a bit biased here because I already think Britney's the bezzer thing since sliced bread, but believe me, her album really is a masterpiece of poptastic proportions. Britters has a crackin' voice and she shows it off awesomely on smoochers like Sometimes, and cheeky pop numbers like her massive hit single, and the ragga-esque Soda Pop. And you'll absolutely love her blimin' excellent version of the All Seeing I's The Beat Goes On. Britney is this year's girl and when you've listened top this album once, you'll deffo be asking to hear it at least a zillion more times!

On Shop of the World

She may be a huge pop star with a number one to her name, but there's nothing Britney Spears likes better than popping down to the mall for good shop.

Q. You did a tour of American shopping malls. How was that?

B: It was before the single or anything was released, but it was lodas of fun because I got to travel a lot. It was also cool because no one knew who I was and yet many seemed to enjoy what I was doing.

Q. What's the best thing about American shopping malls?

B: (excitedly) They just have so many different stores, like Foot Locker, Bloomingdales, the Gap, The Body Shop ... I haven't really seen what the malls are like in England, but here at home they are filled with brilliant stores.

Q. When did you last go to a mall?

B: (Looks disapointed) Oh that was a little while ago. I've been so busy. The last time I went, I bought this really, really cute peach outfit from an American shop called Bebe.

Q. What are your favorite kind of shops?

B: I love Bebe and I love anywhere that sells shoes. I just LOVE shoes. And I love hats too. I have so many hats. Oh my gosh!

Q.Do you buy your own clothes?

B: Oh yeah! Soemtimes if I'm going to an event, I have a stylist who will go out and get me something, but in everyday life I always pick out what I want to wear. I love shopping!

Q.What's the most you've ever spent on an item of cothing?

B: I bought some Dissel jeans for $150, but they were well worth it. They're really comfortable and I wear them all the time. In fact, I'd say they were my favorite piece of clothing.

Q.Do you get older people frowning on your saucy outfits?

B:No, because that's basically the way you'd dress if you were in school, but because we were dancing, we tied our shirts up at the front. (giggles) No one's told me off about it!

Q.Do your friends ever get to borrow your swanky clothes?

B: Oh yeah! All the time.

Q.Do you get cute boys hanging around you in malls?

B: (becomes all shy) I don't know... I mean... I don't (seriously) I find it very hard to find guys that I likes.

Q.Do you think that being famous makes it more difficult to meet boys?

B: yeah I think it does, because you're always so busy that you don't have time to meet guys. But as I said, I'm kind of picky anyway.

Q.What kind of guys do you like?

B:Someone really sweet and someone who makes me laugh. I have to get along with someone really well.

Q.Do you fancy any famous guys?

B: I think Ben Affleck is really cute. And Brad Pitt. Oh my gosh there are so many!

from Smash Hits, UK

Dream Girl

Top Teen Popstrel Britney Spears invites L&K into her personal dreamworld...

Q.What's your perfect day?

B: Sleeping late, getting up around noon. I love to sleep-I'm a major grouch if I have to get up early in the morning. Then I'd have a mocha cappuccino-it's the best drink in the world! Later that day I'd go shopping with my friends and after that I'd go watch a great movie like Stepmom or There's Something About Mary.

Q.Who would you like to spend it with?

B: erm, if I had to pick any hunk in the world it would be Brad Pitt or Ben Affleck, they're dreamboats.

Q.What's your idea of heaven?

B:Lots of happy people doing whatever they want. There are little villages everywhere and everyone is dressed in white and you can look exactly how you wanted to. That would be nice.

Q.If you could be anywhere now, where woukd it be?

B: Jamaica, because it's just so beuatiful. I'd love to lay out on the beach and get a beautiful tan!

Q.Have you ever had to disguise yourself when going out?

B:When I went home for a week the first time after the album had been released and the single was charting, I went to the mall. I started to walk around and then noticed some kids following me. Then suddenly there were loads of people asking me for autographs-it was really crazy! Next time I'll wear a hat or something.

Q.When you travel do you take anything with you that reminds you of home?

B: I take photographs of my friends and family. But I don't have room for stuff like teddy bears.

Q.When was the first time you got asked for your autograph?

B:I was in NY and I was going to some interviews and this young girl came up to me and I was like "oh sure!" I was so flattered! Now it's like "leave me alone". Nah, not really, I'm only joking!

Q. Justin N SYNC asked us to pass on a message to you... "ping pong". What does that mean brit?

B: oh ping pong! Me and Justin were on the MMC together and when we were on breaks together we would get together and have a brilliant ping pong match. I'm pretty mad on ping pong! I beat everyone cos of the wicked spin on my serve!

from Live and Kicking, UK

Introducing Britney Spears

She's HUUUGGGGE in America! been no. 1 in Canada and now she's comin' our way to the UK!

L&K: when did you first relalize you were famous?

B: I don't think I've realized it yet! I'm just very thankful for everything that's happening at the moment.

L&K:Is it all sawnk limousines nowadays or do you still catch a bus?

B:I just used public transportation about a month ago in New York City. I took a bus, rode on the subway, and got a taxi.

L&K:So who's your most celeb-tastic chum?

B: I guess it's Justin and JC from *N SYNC.

L&K: what do you most like to snack on for a midnight snack?

B:My absolute favorite snack is cookie dough ice cream-yumm!!

L&K: what's your bezzy chat up line if you see a fella you fancy?

B:oohhhhh.... (looks very coy) I'm usually much too shy to approach anyone-I let the guy do all the chatting up!

L&K:Are you a tidy person?

B:Yeah, I'm pretty tidy. My mom still gets me to help out with the dishes at home. Oh and I always make my bed in the morning!

L&K:Describe your ideal bloke?

B:I like guys who don't look as though they've spent more time getting ready than I have! And I must admit (goign all gooey eyed) I have a huuugggee crush on Brad Pitt!

L&K: what do you think when you first look in the mirror in the morning?

B: (chuckles) I think "UGH! brush that hair!"

L&K: what's your ideal job if you weren't a famous popstrel?

B: well, I'd like to teach dancing, learn photography. Be a dancing photographer perhaps!

L&K: what's the biggets fib you've ever told?

B: I've never told a fib! Actually that's probably the biggest fib I've ever told. ha!

L&K: do you have a message for L&K readers?

B: yup! Thanks to all of you for listening and reading about me. I really appreciate it and I can't wait to meet you.

Britney's splendiddymous single BOMT is out now!

from Live and Kicking

On Fire! Heat's player of the week is Britney Spears

*Britney Spears is the youngest person ever to have a number one US single and album. last month at the age of [it says 18]17 years, one month and 18 days . . . BOMT reached the peak in both charts. The single is released over here today (Feb 15) and is expected to hit number one on Sunday Feb. 21

*She's from a small town in Louisiana called Kentwood, but spent all her summers between the ages of 8 and 11 at a New York school for the performing arts (no not THAT one). This part-nomadic lifestyle helps her stay sane now she's a globally in demand pop star: "i'm so sued to travelling and being on the road. if I wasn't doing this I'd probbaly be a depressed little person."

*At age 13, Spears appeared on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club as a Mouseketeer. Duties included singing and dancing to the Disney Club song while wearing gigantic Mouse ears. Other alumni of the show include Keri Russell, star of US series Felicity and two members of the American teen band *N SYNC.

*Taking a leaf out of late-80's sensation Tiffany's book, Britney spent the three months before BOMT's release on a tour of American shopping malls.

*She's making a guest appearence on the third seaosn of Dawson's Creek, filiming later this year.

*The video for BOMT features Britney dancing to the song ina school uniform. "We were never allowed to wear uniform at my school. I thought it would be a fun, typcially LA thing to do. It wasn't the sort of school where people danced on their tables in the lunch break." Rather more questionably, however, Ant and Dec gave away the unifrom she wears in the video in a competition on SMTV.

[There is a big picture of her in a white baby-doll t-shirt with her hair down and a picture from the video which says "Don't try this at school. You'll get the teachers in trouble."]

from Heat ( a British entertainment mag)

Single of the Fortnight Britney Spears

Baby One More Time

Seventeen year old Britney has been touted as America's answer to Billie and BOMT has been a hee-uge hit over there. She's a bit raunchier than our Bill though, as anyone who has seen the "knee-socks a hoy!" video will agree. And the song has the somewhat dubious lyrvis "Hit me baby one more time" (although it actually means hit me with your love, thankfully). But is Britney any relation to Broccili Spears? All will be revaled as this song roars to the top of the charts and stays there for about a century.

score: 5: Wa-hey! It's fantastic!

from Smash Hits

Great Britney

Britney Spears is just your average good lookin', all singin', all dancin', all smilin', American cheerleader-with a major record contract to her name! But do we really need another 16 year old pop princess? Oh gosh, yes!

SH: Hiya Britney, is it true you were the original dancing baby?

B: Hahahhaha! Oh gosh, yes. I drove my mom crazy! Wven when I was in the crib I used to like have teh radio with me turned up really loud!

SH: did you pretend to be a popstar as a toddler?

B:Yes! I'd get in front of the mirror, put on Michael jackson or Whitney Houston, dress up in my mom's clothes, get a fake microphone and just go for it!

SH:. But you failed an auditon for the Tv show The Mickey Mouse Club at the age of 8. Was that a blow to your professional career?

B: (looking serious) Yes but the casting director said to me "You need to go to new York and get some experience first". So I did exactly that and I auditioned for the show when I was 11 and they hired me!

SH: What were your duties as a member of the MMC?

B: Oh my gosh! It was so much fun! There were 20 other kids and we got to sing, dance and act-the whole fun trio! i was the youngest one there actually, but I liked that because everyone was really sweet to me.

SH: So you moved away from home at a young age to go to NY?

B: Yeah but my mom and my little sister came too. First we went to NY, then when i got the job on MMC we all moved to Florida. That was a lot better because we would film for half the year and then get to go home for the other half.

SH: Where is home?

B: Oh gosh! I'm from a small town called Kentwood in Louisiana, which has 1200 people in it! it's really laid back and the food is really really good! It's all home-style cooking and really big portions!

SH: Didn't you ever want to lead a normal life in Kentwood?

B: (Seriously) There was a point after MMC, when I went home for a year. I was 14 and wanted to live a normal life, but after a while I just thought "Ok that's enough! I want to get out again!"

SH. of course, so how do you continue your studies now?

B: that's difficult because I don't actually have a tutor-I do it myself, though i still have to take tests under supervision. It's difficult to discipline yourself with school work. Some days I'm just like "OK I'll do it tomorrow."

SH. Cool. so you give yourself homework?

B: No, hahahahaha! Not unless I've been naughty, hahahahah!

Britney on Billie

SH: Do you know anything about Billie?

B: Um... I'm not sure. I think I saw her in a magazine. Is she a singer?

SH: She had her first number one at the age of 15 . . .

B: (Surprised) really? That's so cool! I'd love to do that. That would have been cool . . .

Billie on Britney

SH: how do you feel about Britney being called "The new Billie"?

Billie: that's quite a compliment! I listened to her song and it's quite different from mine.

SH: what advice would you give her about being successful in the UK?

Billie: Have a laugh. And stay poppy, because it's going to be another big year for pop!

[Billie is a 16 year old pop star from England]

from Smash Hits

Britney Spears the Queen of the Charts Talks Candidly

If you think having the No. 1 album in the country for four weeks straight has seventeen-year-old Britney Spears jumping for joy, guess again. It's not that she's not thrilled with the success of her smash debut, ... Baby One More Time, mind you -- jumping for joy is simply not an option for her at the moment, thanks to a dislocated left leg. So she's recuperating at home in the small town of Kentwood, La., (pop. 1,200) "Just sitting here watching TV, like I do every day."

That's a far cry from the spunky image that catapulted Spears to the top of the teen-dominated Billboard Top Ten. Showing off her well-toned midriff in the video for the album's title-track smash, Spears comes off as a high school everygirl -- the cheerleading class socialite who seems like she would also be the friend of every geek or nerd who crosses her path. The market was right for a female solo act who could inspire the little girls and get a rise out of the little boys who might have had crushes on the Spice Girls but also knew they were out of their league. But lest you think she came out of nowhere to fill the void, consider that Spears is already a veteran of New York's Professional Performing Arts School, the off-Broadway comedy Ruthless and The Mickey Mouse Club. When the Mouse gig folded, she scored a deal with Jive Records, which hooked her up with Backstreet Boys/Ace of Base mastermind Max Martin and Eric Foster. Her career has been purring along smoothly ever since -- with the exception of her injury, which has put plans such as appearing at MTV's Spring Break extravaganza on ice for the time being. But rest assured that plenty of fans don't mind waiting for her to do it one more time -- and then some.

So, what happened with the leg?

I was in dance rehearsal for the second video,"Sometime," and nobody was in the room except me. I was stretching my leg, and I kicked my right up in the air, and my left leg was on the ground and had such a good grip on the floor that my knee just dislocated and it went out of the socket. I didn't even know your leg could do that, and I thought I broke it 'cause it went completely out. The doctor said I'm really lucky I didn't tear any ligaments. I just tore a lot of tissue, and it's gonna take awhile for my leg to heal. I can't use my quad muscles, so the top part of my leg looks really small, 'cause of atrophy. It's really weird.

So you've gotten to watch the album sky-rocket from a reclining position. What's it like to have a No. 1 record?

I'm like really thankful -- really, really happy about everything. I never really expected it to go to No. 1. With the single doing so well, I was just gonna be happy if it went on the charts at, like, No. 47 or something. When they called and told me, I was sleeping so I thought they meant the single went to No. 1. Then they said, "No, your album," and I was completely overwhelmed. I called everyone.

You live in a small town, where everybody -- or at least most of the folks -- would probably know you even without the success. Are you treated any differently now?

The first time I went home, like, six weeks ago, the single had just taken off. I noticed all these people coming up to me in stores and stuff. It was a little crazy, 'cause it was my first time experiencing that since I was always on the road and I was never out in public. And it was, "Uh, oh, this is a little crazy." But it was flattering, too. I think after awhile it'll probably be annoying.

You've also become a sex symbol for teenage boys. Were you ready for that?

Not really. The first time I saw that there were even guys that were interested was when I went down to MTV to do the [Total Request Live] thing, and there were so many guys down there! I'd never seen that, 'cause I'm so used to opening for 'N Sync and seeing all these girls. And all of a sudden I went to MTV and there were all these guys and it hit me, "Oh my goodness!" It's cute and flattering, 'cause they have their little shirts all saying "Can you go to the prom with me?" It's really cute.

Do you have a boyfriend?

No, I do not have a boyfriend. I wish I could have time to have a boyfriend. But, really, I don't want a boyfriend, because I hate talking on the phone. I'm not a good phone conversation person. Long distance relationships just aren't for me.

Because of your success, do you have to be suspect of who you do hang around with?

When I come home I see my main friends, but I really don't tell anybody I'm coming home because if I did, I'd have to go visit nine million people. So I just kinda sneak home and totally relax.

Are your siblings starting to charge their friends to come over to visit and catch a glimpse of you?

Oh, no (laughs). My sister's little friends -- she's seven, so cute -- when they're over here, it's, like, really weird because they'll see me and come and give me a really big hug, and they're, like, staring at you. It's kinda funny. I have an older brother, too; he's twenty-one, the typical, over-protective brother. He's going to college right now.

When the songs are presented to you, do you give much consideration to what they're saying? Do you worry about whether they're appropriatefor a seventeen-year-old girl to sing or if you've had the life experience to really sell the sentiment?

There have been a couple of songs I've listened to that felt really, really adult and were too adult for me to sing. But, you know, with time there's songs that are probably going to fit in that category. There are songs that are probably too adult for me to sing right now but that I'll be able to come back to and be able to sing later.

Have you had a chance yet to celebrate your success with any big purchases -- like your own car?

Oh, my God -- I don't know. I've been thinking about that. I really, really like the two-door Lexuses, the coupe. I think that's a little too extravagant for your first car, though. I'd probably wreck it.

Pop's (Sexy) Teen Angel

Britney Spears is this year's hottest spice girl

By Veronica Chambers

Two weeks ago, 17-year-old Britney Spears dislocated her knee. She was at a video rehearsal for her second video "Sometimes," when she kicked her right leg up and her left knee gave out. The video shoot was postponed, and Spears is recuperating, the only time off she's had in weeks. So what does a 17-year-old pop singer do in her free time? "Yesterday, I wanted a good fattening sandwich," she explains. "So I asked the driver to take us to Jack in the

Box. Then we went to Cartier and I tried on this $80,000 ring. You should have seen me, girl. I was in a wheelchair. I hadn't taken a bath in two days. I looked nasty. But I tried on this ring and it was so beautiful, I got chills when I put it on." Did the salespeople at Cartier recognize her? "Oh God, no," she says, laughing. "I had bedroom slippers on."

She didn't buy the ring, but she certainly could have afforded it. Last month Spears's album, "... Baby One More Time," debuted at No. 1, and it's still there five weeks later. The first single, the title track, is double platinum, and her video is in heavy rotation on MTV. Spears got her big

break at the age of 11 when she joined the new "Mickey Mouse Club, which featured two kids who became part of 'N Sync (as well as "Felicity" star Keri Russell). Filmed in Orlando, the show later led Spears to 'N Sync's manager Jonny Wright. She landed a solo deal at Jive Records, but built her massive teen-fan base as the opening act for 'N Sync. Spears has managed to capitalize on two trends at once. She has the same cool,sexy style as such bubble-gum-pop groups as the Backstreet Boys. But she's also a teenage girl singing about love, in the mold of R & B singers Brandy and Monica. "Her music is catchy, it's hip-hop," says Brittany Oster, a 12-year-old fan. "You can dance to it."

Spears has always been ambitious. Growing up in Kentwood, La. (population: 2,500), the daughter of a schoolteacher, she began propelling herself toward stardom when she was 4. She started with dancing lessons and local recitals; at 8 she took up gymnastics, and attended Bela Karolyi's training camp. She's treated like a normal girl at home, but a recent MTV appearance in New York was a different story. Teenage girls mimicked the naughty Catholic-school uniform she wears in the video for "... Baby One More Time": unbuttoned white shirt, sexy black bra and a gray miniskirt hiked so high it makes Ally McBeal look like a nun. Though it was wintry cold, teenage boys took off their shirts and wrote love lettersto her in greasepaint on their chests. "Will you go to the prom with me?" they pleaded. And, "I love you, Britney." "It was really crazy," she says. This is not to say that Spears herself isn't starstruck. In Los Angeles, she makes daily visits to the Coffee Bean "because every time we go, we see somebody famous." Like who? "I saw the guy from 'Tommy Boy'." David Spade?

"Yes! Yes!" Spears screeches. "He was just standing there and drinking coffee. It was weird." But the guy Spears is really looking to share a cup of joe with is "Ben Affleck. He's so cute. And he doesn't have a girlfriend, now, does he?" She looks off dreamily. Britney Spears doesn't just play a teenager on MTV. She really is just 17.

from Newsweek

Girls just wanna have fun in the teen pop world

By Gary Graff

DETROIT (Reuters) - To paraphrase James Brown, the burgeoning teen pop realm of the past year and a half has been a boys' boys' boys' world.

Now it's the girls' turn.

While hunk lites such as the Backstreet Boys, Hanson and 'N Sync have ruled the charts, there's been a steady influx of estrogen into the scene.

The British trio Cleopatra has scored with songs such as ''Cleopatra's Theme,'' ``Life Ain't Easy'' and a cover of the Jackson 5's ``I Want You Back,'' as well as a variety-style TV show in their homeland and an invitation to perform for the pope's annual Vatican Christmas concert.

The New York City trio Divine, featuring one member who is studying at Rutgers, is riding high with its hit ``Lately'' and an upcoming tour with 'N Sync. And the singer Emilia has made her presence known with the pie-eyed single ``Big Big World.''

But the clearest message that the girls have arrived is being delivered by 17-year-old Louisianan Britney Spears, who starred with a couple of the 'N Syncers on the Disney Channel's now-defunct ``Mickey Mouse Club.''

Her debut album, ``...baby one more time,'' recently debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album charts, while the title track single also hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Perhaps this is the ``girl power'' the Spice Girls were talking about.

``(Pop) is on the radio all the time; I think people feel it would be nice to hear a change, to hear a girl sound,'' says Spears. ``I think the audience, the public, wants to hear it.''

Adds Tom Calderone, senior vice president of music and talent for MTV, ``It's so early to comment on it, but my gut is that it's going to be pretty big.

``I think Britney Spears debuting at No. 1 and continuing to sell a load of records based on one single is going to open a door for a number of new (female) artists,'' such as the Irish group B+witched and singer Billie Wright, whose debut albums are due out in February and May, respectively.

But according to Jane Kleinbaum, vice president of artist marketing at Jive Records, Spears' label, there's no easy explanation for why female artists are starting to come to the fore in the teen market.

``I don't think there's any difference now than there was a year or two ago,'' says Kleinbaum, who also helped direct the Backstreet Boys' rise to stardom. ``Acts can only come and go so quickly. It's coincidental that boys came first.''

To be fair, however, they didn't.

Singer/TV star Brandy paved the way in 1994, and two years later Britain's Spice Girls brought pop to a mainstream audience that had wearied of self-pitying modern rock.

They were quickly followed by the pop trio Hanson, then the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync -- '90s incarnations of '80s faves New Kids on the Block -- with a number of other boy acts, such as the Latin-flavored C-Note, 98 Degrees and 5ive, set to pop.

The girls, meanwhile, have been waiting for somebody to put them over the top. Cleopatra became so successful in Britain that it lacked the time to duplicate its triumphs in the United States.

Divine has been building slowly but hasn't exploded in the same way as Britney Spears -- perhaps because the pop market also was ripe for a solo star after a parade of groups.

``She really has become a major, major star on this single,'' says MTV's Calderone, ``We're looking to her not only as a video artist but part of the fabric of the network.''

MTV was slow to embrace the pop acts -- the Spice Girls, for instance, appeared first on sister channel M2 -- but the music network now features Spears and others' videos in maximum rotation.

Spears didn't emerge from nowhere. She's been singing publicly since kindergarten -- shyly, she adds -- and plowed through the talent contest circuit until first auditioning for ''The Mickey Mouse Club'' at age 8.

Told she was too young, Spears moved to New York City, where she attended the Off-Broadway Dance Center and the Professional Performing Arts School, filmed some TV commercials and appeared in the off-Broadway comedy ``Ruthless.''

Three years later, she was accepted to the ``Mickey Mouse Club,'' where she appeared for two years with future 'N Sync members Justin Timberlake and J.C. Chasez.

``We got to sing, dance and act,'' Spears says. ``That's when I realized I love to sing the best and I love to perform, and that's what I really wanted to focus on.''

After the show's sudden cancellation, Spears returned to Kentwood for a ``normal'' year of school and life before heading again to New York, where she landed the Jive deal.

The company hooked her up with producers Eric Foster and Max Martin, the latter of which brought her to Sweden for recording sessions. There was no shortage of material, but Spears wasn't sure she had a hit until some Jive executives played her Martin's ``Baby One More Time.''

``I went into the office, and all of a sudden they have this song, and I'm totally blown away,'' remembers Spears, who travels with a chaperone -- an adult friend of the family -- while her mother teaches school back in Kentwood, La. ``I was totally flattered Max Martin would allow me to sing that song.''

Thanks to ``Baby One More Time,'' Divine is noticing increased airplay for ``Lately'' as well.

``It seems like it's time for us,'' the says Divine's Nikkie Bratcher, 18. ``We never expected it to take off like it has.''

How long the flight will last, of course, is anybody's guess; just ask '80s teen sensations such as Tiffany and Debbie Gibson about the fickle nature of fame.

Even Spears acknowledges with a shrug, ``I just think people just like the sound of it now. Maybe it will go away in a year. Who knows?''

But MTV's Calderone is betting on a more lasting impact.

``I definitely believe it has staying power,'' he says. ''And there's a real spiral effect, too. These artists have brought back passion to record-buying, to listening to music. We're finding a real active core of just overall music passion coming back, which we love to see.''

(Gary Graff is a nationally syndicated journalist who covers the music scene from Detroit. He also is the supervising editor of the award-winning ``MusicHound'' album guide series.)

Britney Spears Does It One More Time

by E! Online News Staff

Expiration-date stamped cuts like "E-Mail My Heart" aside, Britney Spears is no fluke. (At least not yet.)

The teen singer, whose bouncy ...Baby One More Time debut turned heads by topping the pop album charts last month, is back on top. The ex-Mouseketeer's 11-song opus moved 182,000 copies last week, putting it safely at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts.

Spears held off a surging Lauryn Hill. The R&B/soul singer's unsinkable The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill landed at No. 2, with 112,000 CDs sold. Hill appears to be building sales in anticipation of a big Grammy night. She leads the field with 10 nominations.

Last week's No. 1, rapper Foxy Brown, slipped to fourth place. Chyna Doll sold 108,000 units.

Holding on at No. 3, the Offspring with Americana (109,000 copies sold).

Rounding out the Top Five (at No. 5): 'N Sync. The self-titled debut from Spears' teeny-bopper brethren is hanging tough (to invoke the spirit of New Kids on the Block) with 94,000 CDs ringing up sales.

Rounding out the Top 10: the Dixie Chicks' Wide Open Spaces (No. 6); Silkk the Shocker's Made Man (No. 7); the Tupac Shakur greatest hits collection (No. 8); DMX's Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (No. 9); and Everlast's Whitey Ford Sings the Blues (No. 10).

The week's biggest debut came courtesy the rappers known as Tear Da Club Up Thugs. The Thugs' Crazyndalazdayz cracked the Top 20--pulling in at No. 18.

In other chart action, fiftysomething Cher forged ahead with her unlikely comeback, with Believe up to No. 12 from No. 21 last week. Wrestling fans continue to find their groove with World Wrestling Federation: WWF--The Music Volume 3, a no-star collection up to No. 15 after just five weeks on the charts.

from :http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0%2C1%2C4317%2C00%2Ehtml

She's a Record-Breaker; Britney Spears Breaks Five Charts

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Jan. 21, 1999--Alongside her astounding No. 1 positions on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles, Billboard 200 Albums and as SoundScan's No. 1 Selling Single and No. 1 on SoundScan's Canadian chart, Jive recording artist Britney Spears has broken numerous records and statistics for debut album...Baby One More Time and debut single of the same name (source: Billboard 1/30/99).

Among the records broken are:

-- First new female artist to have a simultaneous No. 1 single in the Hot 100 and No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.

-- First new artist (male or female) to jump into the No. 1 spot on both the Hot 100 and Billboard 200.

-- First new artist (male or female) to have a single go to the No. 1 spot the same week that the album debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200.

-- First new female artist to have her first single and first album at No. 1 the same week.

-- Britney Spears is the youngest female in Billboard history to have a simultaneous No. 1 single and album debut at No. 1 in the same week.

-- Also, it's the first time in Billboard history that a single and album of the same name goes to No. 1 simultaneously.

CONTACT:

For more information:

Sonia Muckle, 212/824-1370 or Rey Roldan, 212/824-1286

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