Spears released her debut single, "...Baby One More Time", in October 1998 which peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1999 and topped the chart for two weeks.^[15][16] It opened at number-one in the UK Singles Chart selling over 460,000 copies, a record for a female act at the time,^[17] and became the top-selling single of 1999^[18] and the 25th most successful song of all time in British chart history with over 1.45 million units sold.^[17] Gillian G. Gaar, author of She's a Rebel: The History of Women in Rock & Roll (2002), documented that "eyebrows were raised over the schoolgirl-in-heat persona Spears projected in her [music video for ...Baby One More Time], along with an increasingly revealing series of stage outfits".^[19] Spears's debut album ...Baby One More Time peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 in January 1999.^[20] Rolling Stone magazine, in a review of the album, wrote: "While several Cherion-crafted kiddie-funk jams serve up beefy hooks, shameless schlock slowies, like [']E-Mail My Heart,['] are pure spam".^[21] NME commented britney spears and paris hilton pictures nue "[Spears's debut album and its title-track] are the kind of soullessness that saturates Stateside charts and consists of nothing but over-chewed bubblegum beats and saccharine sensibilities".^[22] In contrast, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic wrote: "Like many teen pop albums, ...Baby One More Time has its share of well-crafted filler, but the singles, combined with Britney's burgeoning charisma, make this a pretty great piece of fluff".^[23] ...Baby One More Time was later certified fourteen times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting fourteen million units shipped within the United States.^[24] Spears posed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in April 1999, shot by photographer David LaChapelle.^[25] Geoff Boucher of The Los Angeles Times reported, "there was no mistaking the titillation factor in the recent Spears cover story and accompanying photos in the April 15 issue of Rolling Stone, which sent eyebrows arching throughout the music industry, where several executives half-jokingly called it "child pornography".^[26] Gillian G. Gaar reported, "The American Family Association charged that the pictures, which showed Spears in push-up bras and a minuscule pair of shorts with 'Baby' in rhinestones on the bottom, presented a 'disturbing mix of childhood innocence and adult sexuality' and asked that all 'God-loving Americans' boycott stores carrying her albums".^[19] More controversy arose when Spears declared that she would "remain a virgin until marriage".^[27] This pledge has been questioned due to her apparently sexual relationship with fellow pop singer Justin Timberlake.^[28][29]

Spears released her fourth studio album In the Zone in November 2003, jettisoning the Max Martin-produced synthpop of her earlier releases. The album took in lesser-known producers such as RedZone and big names including Moby and R. Kelly. Spears co-wrote eight of the album's thirteen songs and co-produced several pieces of her material for briteny spears sextape the first time. In the Zone reached number one in the U.S. charts during its debut week, selling over 609,000 copies. This made Spears the first female in the Nielsen SoundScan era to have her first four studio albums to debut at number one.^[63] The album had a mixed reception from critics. Stylus Magazine gave the album a D and blamed Spears's career choices by stating, "Ultimately, In the Zone suffers greatly from Britney's uneasy transition from teen tart to sexually powerful woman. Had Britney been in charge of her career direction instead of mercilessly prostituted by her management, she might have been able to produce something with some semblance of musical vision."^[64] The Guardian praised the album's melodies and her effort, giving it 4 out of 5 stars: "Unlike previous Britney albums, In the Zone has no filler and no shoddy cover versions, just 57 varieties of blue-chip hit-factory pop. There is southern hip-hop, deep house, Neptunes-style R&B, the ubiquitous Diwali beat and, most importantly, oodles of Madonna."^[65] The album spawned the hit single "Toxic", winning Spears her first ever Grammy in the category of Best Dance Recording.^[66]

Spears released her third studio album Britney in November 2001. In the album, she assumed some creative control by co-writing five tracks.^[41] Although not as successful as her previous albums,^[35] Britney debuted at number one in the U.S. by selling 745,744 units during its first week.^[42] The album's success made her the only female artist in music history to have her first three albums debut at number one.^[43][44] The album fared well with critics such as Allmusic who gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing the album's title tracks as being "pivotal moments on Britney Spears's third album, the record where she strives to deepen her persona, making it more adult while still recognizably Britney."^[45] In contrast, Rolling Stone said of the album Britney "belabors the obvious: Spears is one month away from entering her twenties and clearly needs to grow up if she's going to bring her fans along."^[41] Britney's lead single "I'm a Slave 4 U" peaked at 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 making it the album's biggest hit.^[46] To help promote the album, Spears embarked britney spears nude oops on the Dream Within a Dream Tour in November 2001. The tour was forced to cut short in Mexico City due to bad weather.^[47] With the end to her tour, Spears announced she would take a six month break from her career.^[48]

Spears was an accomplished gymnast, attending gymnastics classes until age nine and competing in state-level competitions.^[10] hqtits She performed in local dance revues and sang in her local Baptist church choir. Spears entered New York City's Professional Performing Arts School when she was eight. Spears's parents would often argue, and they eventually divorced in 2002.^{[citation needed]}

The release of Spears's fifth album, Blackout, was rescheduled to October 30, 2007 rather than November 13, 2007 due to online leaks.^[111][112] Blackout debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart^[113] and the U.S. Billboard 200.,^[114] making Spears the only female music artist to have her first five albums go to number one and two. It was fairly well received by critics.^[115] As of June 2008, there have been 3.1 million digital downloads of the songs and remixes from the album in the United States.^[116] Rolling Stone gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars.^[117] Allmusic also rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling Blackout "coherent and entertaining" and stating that "it holds together better than any of her other records".^[118] Blackout's lead single, "Gimme More" leaked on the internet on August 30.^[111] The song, which was Spears's first produced by Danja, peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 on October 3, making it her most successful single in the U.S. since her debut, "...Baby One More Time".^[119][120] Spears's highly anticipated performance of "Gimme More" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards was panned.^{[121][122][123]} The BBC stated that "her performance would go down in the history books as being one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards",^[124] and The Times noted that "Spears was out of synch as she lip-synched photossex and at times just stopped singing altogether".^[125] Despite the criticism on her performance,^[126] the single has achieved worldwide success.^{[127][128][129][not in citation given]} The second single, "Piece of Me", peaked at No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart.^[130]

Throughout 2007, Spears's behavior received heightened media attention, including attacking a paparazzi vehicle with an umbrella.^[97] Spears left the rehabilitation center on March 20 according to her manager, who said she was released after "successfully completing their program."^[98] As the legal battle over the custody of their children britney spears upskirt continued, many members of her entourage have been summoned to testify about her parenting skills.^[99] In March 2007, Leonard Pitts, Jr. wrote that in the aftermath of Spears's personal struggles that have become widely publicized, Spears had been reduced to an abstract idea as opposed to being regarded as a real person.^[100] "The abstraction is not surprising: Whatever media touch, they objectify... What must it be like to have your marriage and divorce, your relationship with your parents and kids... dissected by millions of strangers who think they know you?"^[100] Pitts further commented that fame and fortune do not qualify the media scrutiny Spears has faced, but observed that fact has been overlooked by "our rush to a day of 'reality' television" and "tabloid journalism".^[100] Though "[t]here is no reverence, no privacy, [and] nothing held back as sacred", Pitts argues "Britney Jean Spears is not an idea."^[100]

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer and entertainer. Raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears first appeared on national television in 1992 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1994. In 1997, Spears signed a recording contract with Jive, releasing her debut album ...Baby One More Time in 1999. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 , and established her as a pop icon and "bona fide pop phenomenon", credited for influencing the revival of teen pop in the late 1990s.^[2] nicole scherzinger nude fake Her next three albums also debuted at number one. In December 2008, her sixth studio album, Circus, was released.

According to Zomba Label Group and Sony BMG, Spears has sold over 83 million records worldwide.^[3][4] In addition, she is ranked as the eighth best-selling female recording artist in the U.S. with 32 million sold albums certified by the RIAA,^[5] and is currently the fifth best selling artist act of the decade in the country, as well as the top selling female artist.^[6] Spears is also ranked by Forbes 2009 issue as the 13th most powerful celebrity with britney spears nude paparazzi photos over $35 million dollars in earnings this year.^[7]

At age eight, Spears auditioned for the Disney Channel series The New Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was considered too young to join the series at the time, a producer on the show introduced her to a New York City agent.^[10] Spears subsequently spent three summers at NYC's Professional Performing Arts School and also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions. She was an understudy in the 1991 off-Broadway musical Ruthless!.^[10] In 1992, she landed a spot on the popular television show Star Search. nude pics of britney spears coming out of a car She won the first round of competition, but ultimately lost. At age eleven, Spears returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on The New Mickey Mouse Club in Lakeland, Florida.^[10] She was featured on the show from 1993 to 1994, until she was 13.^[11] After the show ended, Spears returned to Kentwood and attended high school for a year.^[12]

Britney Spears was born and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana as a Southern Baptist. ^[8] Her parents are Lynne Irene (née Bridges), a former elementary school teacher, and Jamie Parnell Spears, a former building contractor and chef. Spears has two siblings, Bryan and Jamie Lynn. Bryan Spears is married to Jamie-Lynn's manager, Graciella Rivera.^[9]