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|  Faces of the Week: Britney Spears | |
Pop diva Britney Spears is expecting her first child at the age of 23. But will this mean the end of the road for one of the world's most famous blondes? As the end of an era, it may not rank with the break-up of the Beatles, the death of Hendrix or Robbie Williams leaving Take That.
But the news that Britney Spears is pregnant is sure to provoke wistful appreciations of her early career as well as speculation about her future. The all-singing, all-dancing musical phenomenon burst onto the scene with the single Baby One More Time in 1999. Since then, Spears has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, amassing an estimated $50m (£26m) in the process.
Britney Jean Spears was born in the Kentwood, Louisiana in December 1981 and studied at New York's Professional Performing Arts School. After appearing in off-Broadway shows and a succession of television adverts, she enjoyed her first taste of fame in The New Mickey Mouse Club, a television show which also featured Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera.
Aged just 15, Britney Spears signed her first recording contract, and played at a number of venues across the States on tours sponsored by teen music magazines. The success of Baby One More Time, which went straight to Number One in both the US and the UK, brought her instant superstar status.
The video of the song, a slickly-choreographed number featuring Spears and colleagues in schoolgirl uniforms, proved a sure-fire hit with the teen market. Beyond that, adult admirers, like New Labour's arch spinmeister, Alastair Campbell, also admitted to being impressed by the beauty and charm of Ms S. The virgin-as-vamp routine drew criticism, with some commentators voicing disquiet at what they saw as the sexualising of children.
"Britney Spears fills a gap in the market which is not filled by others," says Martin Talbot, editor of Music Week. "She is a straightforward pop artist. Everyone else has a label, for instance as an urban act or a boy band. But she is an old-fashioned solo pop star with a global clout." As the hits piled up - Oops!...I Did It Again, Born To Make You Happy, Toxic - so did the criticism.
The film Crossroads, her attempt to break through as a Hollywood star, drew nearly as many plaudits as the soap opera of the same name, there was a running feud with the rapper, Eminem and, even today, websites like Hit Britney One More Time proliferate. Britney Spears has also spearheaded a new phenomenon: the artist as marketing tool. Besides pocketing a cool £3m for promoting Pepsi cola, she recently signed on with the cosmetics giant Elizabeth Arden, which now markets her signature fragrance. More worryingly, Spears mirrored her on-stage transformation from teenager to woman in real life. Under-age drinking and a tempestuous love-life, which made a mockery of her oft-claimed virginity, elbowed her music from the headlines.
Her romance with Justin Timberlake foundered after he dumped her over the phone. Dalliances with characters like Limp Bizkit's singular frontman, Fred Durst, and a snog with Madonna were engaging enough, but her 55-hour marriage to long-time friend Jason Alexander left Brit's many fans bemused. And to add insult to injury, paparazzi photos showed the sex symbol overweight and grazing at a Los Angeles burger bar.
But does the announcement of her pregnancy, with second husband Kevin Federline, signal the death knell for what some say is a career in terminal decline, overtaken by the likes of Avril Lavigne and McFly?
"The greatest challenge for a pop act is taking your fan base with you," says Martin Talbot. When you become a mum, things are different. Britney has made quick transitions before and she must now make another. From pop princess to pop tart? Well, maybe not. But there's no doubt that Britney Spears, the mum-to-be, cuts a startling different figure to Britney Spears the teen sensation.
Credit: BBC |
