Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American pop singer. Her career encompasses chart-topping records, high-profile advertising, and a foray into acting. She is now considered an American cultural icon recognized throughout the world, but has also been the subject of controversy surrounding of her music and image.

Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears first came to fame as a member of the Disney Channel's New Mickey Mouse Club in the 1993 and 1994 seasons.

Her castmates on the show included Justin Timberlake and Joshua Chasez (who later became members of the pop band NSYNC), Keri Russell (star of the TV show Felicity), Christina Aguilera, also a pop singer, and actor Ryan Gosling. Spears dated Timberlake for about five years.

...Baby One More Time Her first album on Jive Records, ...Baby One More Time, debuted in the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Charts in early 1999, and also topped the charts in the UK. The single of the same name was also a number one hit in many countries, and was accompanied by a music video in which Spears wore a schoolgirl outfit and danced down a high-school corridor.

Spears broke the record for the youngest artist, at age 17, to have his or her first single debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Spears also broke the record for the youngest artist, at age 17, to have his or her first single and first album debut simultaneously at #1 on the Billboard charts. Spears still holds this record. The album ...Baby One More Time is to date the best-selling album by a teenager, with 14 million copies sold in the United States and over 25 million worldwide, plus 3 million with the five released singles.

Spears took home several awards for her work on ...Baby One More Time throughout 1999, including Choice Single ("...Baby One More Time") at that Summer's Teen Choice Awards, as well as four MTV Europe Music Awards, including Best Song ("...Baby One More Time"), Best Pop Act, Best Female Act and Breakthrough Act. In addition, she also won four Billboard Music Awards including Female Artist of the Year, New Female Artist of the Year, Hot 100 Female Artist of the Year and Album Artist of the Year (...Baby One More Time).

In 2000, Spears was nominated for two Grammy awards: Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single "...Baby One More Time", and Best New Artist. She did not receive either award.

Oops!... I Did It Again

Her followup album, Oops!... I Did It Again, released on May 16, 2000, also debuted at number one, and was a similarly huge hit. It sold over 1.3 million units its first week in the U.S., making it the fastest-selling album by a female artist. The album sold 10 million units in the U.S. and 20 million worldwide.

Following the success of her first two albums, Spears' career skyrocketed, and a multimillion-dollar music, film, advertisement, concert and TV-special "industry" sprang up around her. Her most popular ads were for Pepsi, for which she earned a reported $7-$8 million. In 2003, there was media speculation that the soft drink behemoth were planning to replace Spears with Destiny's Child frontwoman Beyoncé Knowles. This speculation turned out to be false, and Spears has gone on to sponsor other Pepsi products since.

During 2000, Spears extended her wins at awards shows beginning with an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist and the Favorite Female Singer prize at that Spring's Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. Throughout the year, she won for Choice Female Artist and Choice Hottie Female at the Teen Choice Awards, Best-Selling Album (...Baby One More Time) at the Juno Awards and Best-Selling Female Pop Artist at the World Music Awards. At the end of the year, Spears took home two Billboard Music Awards for Album Artist of the Year (Oops!... I Did It Again) and a special award for Highest One-Week Female Artist Album Sales in History (Oops!... I Did It Again).

In 2001, Spears was again nominated for two Grammy awards: Best Pop Vocal Album for Oops!... I Did It Again, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the single of the same name. She did not receive either award...