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Britney Speaks (named by B.S.O.) TV HITS MAGAZINE JANUARY 2000 Issue #137

Hey everyone! It's Britney here. I've popped in to tell you all about my early days at the Mickey Mouse Club, and my favourite thing in the world - shopping!

Recently I went back to the studio where I filmed the Mickey Mouse Club. I was excited because, for five years, I worked there every day. The first year we remade songs that were popular and we did silly skits. I got to experience being in a studio, singing, working with a vocal coach and choreographers. It was really good groundwork for what I'm doing now.

There's a lot of people who've come out of the Club and done really well. Like Keri Russell, who's doing Felicity, Justin and JC from 'N Sync, and Christina who has an album out. We used to go to school in these bungalows and get our schedules in the morning. It was like we weren't even working 'cause we enjoyed doing what we loved - singing, dancing and acting!

For some reason, going backstage again, it seemed a lot smaller. Maybe because I was so small and everything in my dressing-room seemed so huge. It really felt good seeing the make-up artists who used to do my hair. I made so many friends and it was sad when we left because we were with these people for, like, two years, day after day, then all of a sudden I couldn't be with them any more.

When I have a day off I love to go shopping 'cause we never get to go. Usually the dancers and I get together and go to the nearest mall or to see a movie. After the shows, when we're bored on the bus and we have a long drive, we get movies to watch or play stupid games. There's never a dull moment on the bus! Often we'll stay up all night talking and it's cool that I have them on the road with me 'cause they're like my best friends. Then there's JT, our bus driver. He yells at us when we make a mess. He's always like, "Don't spill things!"

Where I live, out in the country, the neighbours and the kids would come over after school. We'd play basketball and have fun doing normal kid things. I'd ride my four-wheeler and my go-kart. I was a tomboy in a sense, but I'd have my girlfriends over and we'd play dolls. I used to collect Barbies and dolls. I'm obsessed with dolls. I still collect them. Every Christmas my mum gets me a doll and my little sister and I fight over who gets the prettiest. My first doll was one that talked and did everything like go to the bathroom. Her name was Baby Talk.

Record shopping is great, especially when I have a lot of travelling to do. Pop music puts me in a good mood, you know? When I'm in my car, if I'm depressed or in a bad mood, I turn up the radio. It's amazing how music can do that!

I listen to a variety of music. I like hip-hop, R & B and pop. Because I'm from Louisiana I listen to lots of blues music. When I was young I listened to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" while singing to the mirror like I was on stage- a total goof! My mum would scream, "Turn that down!" My taste changed when I got older and I started listening to a bit of rock. As far as performers go, I like Madonna and Janet because on stage they're like, "Wow!" You never know what they're going to do! All I really wanted when I released my album and single was to be in the Top 40 but when it and the album went to number one, I was, like, "Whoa! Wait a second. This is amazing!" I was really, really surprised.