From The Mickey Mouse club to Toxic, the performer who convinced us all that double denim was cool returns today with album number nine. As Britney Spears promotes Glory, threads and friends are promoting some of our favourite moments from years gone by. No, we aren’t being paid. We just really love Britney, okay?
“The year was 1999. The season was winter. The signal of a new dawn was Britney. Who knew three beats could change the world? Baby One More Time flooding the airways, on the radio, on the telly, updates via news alerts to my friend’s pager.
That opening salvo, those three beats, is my favourite Britney moment. When you’re 14, hitting play on your cassette of the single (and having to listen to the B-side so you can get back to beginning of side A), those three beats of positivity shine a light on a big world in which you can do big things. Or at least go on to wear double denim and cheat on Justin Timberlake. I’m only guilty of the double denim.”
Alexandra Davis
“For me, the relationship between Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears is my favourite Britney story. I was rooting for those childhood sweethearts. My love for *NYSNC at the time was probably the root cause (Bye, Bye, Bye was on repeat in my room… Probably quite apt for the eventual end of their romance). I was won over by their story of meeting at a young age while starring in the Disney Club. The matching denim outfit moment will live on forever in my memory.
Sadly it wasn’t meant to be, and now to see they haven’t spoken in more than 10 years! *Sob*
Some say that was the end of the ‘innocent Britney’ years. That is how I will always think of her – side by side with Justin.”
Joanna Wright
“Can I go for a song where she features? Will.i.am with Scream and Shout would be my pick for what I can only assume is her terrible attempt at an English accent. Up there for comedy value. Also further evidence she may have been better to have stopped whilst she was ahead… 16 years ago just after the release of her best and most memorable song – Oops I Did it Again!”
Rich Powney
“While the aforementioned double denim is probably one of her most memorable ensembles, Britney’s wardrobe has to be one of my favourite things about the star’s career so far. Leaving to one side her on-stage costumes, to which there wasn’t an awful lot, Britney had style – at least in 90s and noughties terms. She was responsible for many a detention with her take on school uniform, made cabin crew an even more appealing career path and even used a LIVE SNAKE as an accessory. Not many people can pull that off. And while the denim reigns supreme in the memories of many, my personal favourite co-ord of Timbears was the matching basketball kits. They were the original ballers.”
Amaris Cole
“I feel terrible for saying this, but my favourite moment of Britney Spears career is her breakup with Justin Timberlake. It’s not that I dislike her or her music, but her career had the misfortune of launching at the beginning of my record-collecting arrogance. When I was 15 I wisely realised that all pop music was terrible and shouldn’t be tolerated by people with proper taste. Not for me were songs without real instruments and about, well, whatever Hit Me Baby One More Time was about. I was finding obscure bands and pretending I’d always liked them. I rolled my eyes at Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. You’re glad you didn’t know me when Will Young and Gareth Gates went head-to-head in Pop Idol.
It was Britney’s split with Justin Timberlake that taught me the error of my ways. With Justin Timberlake’s release of Cry Me A River, I found a song that undermined all my arguments. I could no longer claim all pop music was terrible when this song was so good. And with my defence down I could recognise there was lots of great pop music. Busted weren’t a terrible knock-off guitar band! Justin’s earlier work with N*Sync was phenomenal (Pop is perhaps the most underrated boy-band song). Will Young’s I Think I Better Leave Right Now is surprisingly good! There were even things to enjoy in Daniel Bedingfield. So I’m grateful for Britney Spears, not because of her music, but because without her I perhaps wouldn’t be enjoying Taylor Swift’s 1989, or Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotion. And that would be a terrible world.”
Mark Walley
“No question about it. The greatest Britney song (and there have been many) is Beautiful. The lyrical authenticity and depth shaped millions of lives. “You are beautiful, no matter what they say” gave countless women (and men) courage to face another day. “Words can’t bring you down” enabled people of all walks of life to shake off the negativity that they were labelled with. “We are beautiful, in every single way” united the generations around an anthem of self-esteem and positivity. Britney, we salute you.”
Andy Wooldridge
Editor’s note: I’ve taken Andy to once side and told him that sarcasm is not welcome when it comes to Britney.
“I’ve heard good things about Brittany, though Normandy was where I used to go on holidays, so I don’t really have any Brittany moments. And what on earth happened in 2007?”
John Coleby
Editor’s note: Don’t worry everyone, I’ve also taken John to one side, too.