To say that Britney
Spears’s life has changed over the course of the past two years is somewhat
of an understatement. Since the release of her Jive Records debut "…Baby
One More Time" (which made Britney the youngest artist in Soundscan history
to have a certified RIAA 12x platinum album, and included four hit singles
including the title track and "(You Drive Me Crazy"), Britney has gone
from being a star in the making to a superstar and the "Queen Of Teen."
In 1999 alone she was nominated for two Grammys (including the coveted
Best New Artist), swept the 1999 MTV Europe Awards (where she nabbed Best
Female, Best Pop, Best Breakthrough Artist and Best Song), brought her
explosive live show around the globe and appeared on every major televised
award show both here and in Europe.
Perhaps even more
importantly than the accolades and the sales figures, Britney has become
an icon to millions of fans worldwide and her infectious brand of pop/R&B
has become the template for girl pop.
Now Britney is
back ready to take it to the next level. Featuring tracks from Diane Warren,
Rodney Jerkins, Mutt Lange, Max Martin and Britney herself, "Oops!… I Did
It Again" is destined to be the album of the summer and is much more than
just a follow-up. It’s a record that shows the progress from phenomenon
to artist. A bit wiser and more confident and self-assured, "Oops!… I Did
It Again" is Britney Spears as you’ve never heard her: sexy, sassy and
solidly in control.
Ask Britney about
the direction of her new CD and she is modest. "I'm not really doing anything
different this time around but I am really growing up, as a person and
that just all flows with the overall sound and feel of this record. There’s
no master plan! I’m just gonna be me and hope it all works out!"
Signs are evident
that it has already begun to "work out". The title track, which deals with
romantic misintentions, was written and produced by longtime collaborators
Max Martin and Rami and has already broken the record for first week adds
at CHR/Pop radio with 155 adds. "It’s an incredible song!" Britney declares,
I think it’s even better than "Baby One More Time!" Also incredible is
the video whose futuristic/Barbarella concept was Britney's idea.
The most noticeable
aspect of the single, the video and the album is maturity, which is just
what Britney had in mind. "People have to remember that when I did my first
album I was only 16. I had never been in the studio, it was all new to
me and so before I let people help me out and honestly I think that was
because I was just so new to the music industry, not only because I was
young. But making records and being part of the process and becoming more
in charge of my sound was something I had to experience and grow with and
on this album I’ve had the chance to do that. This album is closer to who
I am. It’s funkier!"
That funkier spirit
is loud and clear on uptempo rump shakers like "Stronger" and "Don't Go
Knockin’ On My Door" which find Britney in a frisky and fierce state of
mind. But as she proved on her debut, Britney can deliver ballads with
as much intensity as her more high energy cuts. On the aching "When Your
Eyes Say It" (written by Diane Warren and produced by Steve Lunt and Robert
Jazayeri) and the thoughtful "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" (penned
by Shania Twain and Robert Mutt Lange and produced by Lange), Britney shows
her depth. "I don’t want to just be some singer who sings a song just to
sing it," Britney offers speaking to the emotional range of the album.
"When you sing a song with feeling and do your all you connect and that’s
crucial to me. Especially since I think that the songs on this album are
ten times better than on my first album, so I really want my fans to feel
and hear how much these songs mean to me."
In keeping with
that need to communicate is "Dear Diary", co written by Britney. Britney
began writing melodies and songs while on the road and she has plans to
learn guitar (she is proficient on the piano) in hopes of writing more
songs in the future. "I think I’ve always had these songs that I've been
writing in my head," Britney explains. "Now I feel ready to let people
start to hear them."
Along with her
rigorous schedule and the release of her successful 2X Platinum home video
Time Out With Britney Spears in late 1999, Britney and her mother have
written a book entitled Heart To Heart. As if that weren’t enough, Britney
has also created the Britney Spears Foundation in conjunction with the
Giving Back Fund. Its first endowment is the formation of a performing
arts summer camp for underprivileged kids in Massachusetts. "I’m so happy
to be able to give kids the opportunity to learn about amazing world of
dance and music that I’ve have been lucky enough to make such a big part
of my own life."
Britney began performing
at an early age, and when she was 8, she auditioned for the Mickey Mouse
Club. Although she was too young for the show, a producer helped her secure
an agent in New York City where Britney spent the next three years studying
dance and music. She also had bit roles in commercials, theatre and films.
When she turned 11, Britney was old enough to earn a spot on the Mickey
Mouse Club and starred on the popular show for two years, relocating with
her family to Orlando.
After her stint
on TV, Britney returned home but she still had dreams of making it in the
music industry. "I've always wanted to be a singer," she declares. Armed
with those desires and a powerful voice, Britney went back to New York
when she was 15 and began to make the rounds of record labels. She sang
accapella for executives at Jive Records who saw and heard right away that
in the teenager from Kentwood, LA, there were the makings of a star. Britney
was signed soon after her audition and began work thereafter on what would
become "…Baby One More Time."
One listen to "Oops!..
I Did It Again" and Britney will make a believer out of you - one more
time.