Nadia Cohen - Britney: A Life in Music

S he may be one of the bestselling female recording artists of all time, with millions in the bank, two gorgeous children and a future that looks bright, but it has not been an easy journey for Britney Spears. But, despite the frequently public scandals, shes a survivor in a notoriously tough business. Her spectacularly successful Las Vegas residency, Piece of Me, has cemented her place among the highest earning artists and she is worth at least a staggering $56 million.

With awards ranging from a Grammy to Worlds Sexiest Female, Britney has repeatedly risen to the top. Her career has already spanned two decades, and her time under the intense scrutiny of the media has been tough. Yet Britney continues to intrigue and entertain us as much now as the day she burst on to the scene in 1999.

When the title track from Britneys first album, Baby One More Time , was released in January 1999, it was an instant sensation. It debuted at No. 1 not just on both sides of the Atlantic, but in 15 countries worldwide. Within a few months the album sold over 10 million copies and became the biggest-selling album ever by a teenage artist. The single sold 500,000 copies the first day it was released, and later received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. In Britain it became the fastest-selling single ever by a female artist, and remains the 25 th most-successful song of all time in British chart history.

The now-famous video helped to fuel the phenomenon and she can take much of the credit for that. Her record label Jive originally wanted the video to be animated, but Britney had other ideas and suggested the raunchy schoolgirl look. It proved to be the first of many smart ideas.

Despite the raunchy pop persona, or perhaps because of it, Britney portrayed a squeaky clean image and declared she would remain a virgin until she married. However, she caused controversy in April of that year when she appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone wearing just a bra and shorts, sparking an outcry which led the American Family Association to urge God-loving Americans to boycott stores selling Britneys albums.

A lot has changed for Britney since those early days. Two marriages and a very public mental breakdown seemed like the end of the world to her at the time, but since then she has reached new heights, with nine albums under her belt, a high-profile stint as a judge on The X Factor USA , and a record-breaking Las Vegas residency, with possibly another on the horizon.

But, among the successes, Britney still has to contend with difficulties along the way. Simon Cowell handpicked her for the role in 2012, with a reported salary of $15 million, making her the highest-paid talent show judge in TV history. However, she left after just one season, allegedly afraid that she was about to be fired for being boring. Britney was brought in to boost ratings, but she was roundly criticized, not only for some of her fashion choices but also for fluffing lines and seeming disconnected from the contestants.

Ratings for the show continued to fall but Britneys comeback into the hearts of her fans was helped by her surprise decision to record a song with edgy producer will.i.am. He released Scream & Shout on his album #willpower in December 2012, giving Britneys credibility a boost with a whole new audience.

L ooking back, Britney had star quality from an early age. She performed in local shows and talent contests from the age of five, and when she was just eight, Britney enrolled at the Professional Performing Arts School after moving to New York with her mother. She was cast in several commercials and landed a small role in a Broadway show, but her big break came when she joined the Disney Channels The Mickey Mouse Club .

Other future stars in the club were Christina Aguilera and, of course, Justin Timberlake. Although she was rejected the first time, at her second audition Britney was selected from 20,000 hopefuls, to the delight of residents in her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana. Her parents Lynne and James have said they knew their daughter was always destined for show business.

From the first moment she tasted fame, there was no stopping Britney. Although the Mayor of Kentwood declared 24 April 1993 Britney Spears Day, she would never be a small-town girl again. After becoming a Mouseketeer, she signed with a prestigious Manhattan talent agency, Carson-Adler, and never looked back. Although The Mickey Mouse Club was cancelled and Britney had to briefly return home, she continued auditioning for record labels, and made a professional demo tape.

When music executives from Jive Records heard Britney sing in 1997, they instantly knew she had huge commercial appeal and signed her to a lucrative deal. Since she could sing, dance and looked great known as the triple threat they were determined not to let her slip through their fingers, so Britney was whisked off to a studio in Sweden with a team of producers and a vocal coach to start work on her first album. Although her career seemed to be taking off like a rocket, Britneys parents were so broke they filed for bankruptcy.