Hi guys! I was thinking it would be nice to start up an appreciation for both Brit & Madonna, seeing as to how much they both are icons to their generations, the general admiration & respect they have for one another, and are loved & supported by their devoted fans. A day I had been waiting for for a long time finally came the other night @ the VMA's, when Britney finally had the chance to live her dream of performing w/ her idol, Madonna onstage in front of millions of people. It was a day that will forever live in music history, one that will be talked about for many years to come, and one I'm sure no fan of both these women will ever soon forget. My contributions to this thread will be from a S.E. magazine on both Brit & Mad that was issued out back in 2001, called
Madonna & Britney: Mirror Images. It's a very informative magazine that gives great insight into the lives and careers of both women, of all the hard work each have gone through to get to where they are today, and just how much of an impact they've made in the world of music. The rest is up to you guys, feel free to post photos, articles, quotes from both Brit and Madonna that you may have or just your thoughts & comments will do. I hope you guys enjoy this.
Gold Collectors Series Entertainment Magazine Madonna & Britney: Mirror Images Two Generations Of Pop Superstars Editor's Letter Bridging the Gap
While Madonna was changing the face of pop music as an up-and-coming force out of the New York club scene in the early and mid-1980s, a young toddler in Louisiana named Britney Spears was taking her first steps toward what she hoped would be a career in show business. Now, nearly 20 years later, Madonna - a married mother of two - continues to pave the way for the next generation of superstars, led by Britney.
The two made headlines earlier this year by announcing their wishes to meet in the studio and collaborate on a duet. While their hectic schedules have yet to allow such an event, both parties have expressed mutual interest and admiration, and music fans of two generations continue to hold out hope.
In this collectible edition, Gold Collectors Series chronicles the lives and careers of both artists in hopes that we can bring each of them closer to their fans, and ultimately, to each other. We hope you enjoy the following pages of this Britney/Madonna special issue.
From the Editors Sweet Smell of Success Hard work's paid off for pop superstar Spears
One of the most common misconceptions about Britney Spears is that she became an overnight sensation. "That really bothers me," Britney said. "I worked really, really hard to get to where I am right now. I think people see that I'm just a real person like everybody else. When they see me on television or in concert, they see the real person I am."
In fact, Britney did pay her dues, which included a two-year stint on "The New Mickey Mouse Club" children's TV show when she was 11. Britney's lifelong ambition for pop stardom was finally sealed with the release of "...Baby One More Time" in January 1999. That initial taste of fame, including the first time a fan recognized her on the street, she said, remains a thrill.
"My friends and I were walking in New York City and we went by Times Square," she recalled. "There were a lot of fans there because of 'TRL' ("Total Request Live" on MTV), and they noticed me and I was like, 'Oh, goodness, someone noticed!' I felt so cool. It's like 'oh-my-god, they recognized me.'"
Britney was home visiting her family in Kentwood, Louisiana, the first time she heard one of her songs on the radio. "I just got in my car and shut the door and the song came on the radio," she said. "I was so excited and then I found out that my mom had called the station and made them play it." "...Baby One More Time" was released January 12th, 1999, and entered Billboard's album chart at No. 1.The same week, the title track topped the Hot 100 single's chart, making her the first debut solo artist to top both lists at the same time. The album went on to sell more than 5 million copies.
On The Road
With the success of the album, Britney made a handful of promotional appearances at malls across the country. She also reunited with former Mouseketeers and current members of *NSYNC, J.C. Chasez and future boyfriend Justin Timberlake for a series of concert dates in which Britney appeared as the opening act.
When asked on an Internet chat what was the most rewarding part of performing before a large audience of fans, Britney replied, "The crowd's reaction is probably the best reaction when you're up there. Even the songs that aren't out yet, they're still screaming, and that's the best feeling in the world because they know your music. And they're screaming your name.
Flying Solo
With the success of her debut album, Britney no longer had to play malls or open for *NSYNC, or any other group for that matter. She was the headliner. The aptly named, "Baby One More Time" tour kicked off June 28th, 1999 in Pompano Beach, Florida, and took her to 48 stops across the United States and Canada before wrapping up in Allentown, Pennsylvania on September 5th.
On the road, Britney travels with a small contigent of childhood friends. "One of my closest friends from home is traveling with meon the road because it's summertime,' she said at the time. "We're having a blast. It's so much fun. And my mom's a teacher, so she's off for the summer, and she's coming to visit and watch me perform. But I do go home when I have a break and just hang out with my friends.
"As far as hanging out with my friends, nothing has changed because we're so close," she continued. "We were brought up with each other, and we're like sisters. So it's basically the same. But, as far as going out to places like malls and places like that, I really can't do that much anymore, because, you know, crazy fans."
Music in Motion
To accompany her hit single, "Baby One More Time," Britney shot a vidoe that became a staple on MTV's playlist. Directed by Nigel Dick, the video was shot in two days at Los Angeles' Venice High School, which also served as Rydell High in the hit movie,
Grease.
"It's basically about a girl breaking up with a guy, and then she totally regrets it and wants him back," Britney explained.
"The video reflects how I see the guy on the bleachers and I want him back. I wanted the video to be something that all kids could relate to. Being in school and then getting out therer and dancing."
Britney revealed that she had to exert some artistic muscele to get the video shot to her liking. "The people who planned for the 'Baby One More Time' video had come up with a scenario a little too childish, which I refused," she said. "My audience is teenagers and I considered that it should relate to them. For that reason, I decided to make the video at the same school where they shot
Grease. I also came up with the idea of the Catholic uniforms. Today, many young girls have copied the look."
A Battle Wound
In February 1999, Britney, while in the dance studio rehearsing for her second video, "Sometimes", suffered a serious knee injury. The malady required three weeks on crutches and surgery to repair torn cartilage.
"As I kicked my right leg in the air, my left leg dislocated and collapsed on me," she explained. "I had a scan, but they said there wasn't anything wrong with it. Three weeks went by, we were about to go out on the road and my leg was still hurting. I had it checked again and realized there was something seriously wrong with it. I cancelled everything and had surgery. It was painful afterwards, but they gave me medicine to help me out, so I didn't feel that bad."
After a recuperative period of about six weeks, which included twice-a-week therapy sessions and a regular regimen of biking and weights, Britney was on the mend and back in dancing shape.
She Did It Again
The new century began with Britney-Mania at a fever pitch. In May 2000, she appeared on the FOX television special, "Britney in Hawaii," and released her sophomore CD, "Oops!...I Did It Again". The title track received criticism from pundits who said it sounded curiously similar to "Baby One More Time." The mere mention of it this put Britney on the offensive.
"I think I did change things up because the first album was talking about heartbreak, loneliness and stuff like that," she said. "Wht my new album, the message I'm portraying is that you're stronger and what you see is what you get.
"We can say it's a similar sound because it's my sound. Just like when Michael Jackson did 'Thriller' and his next album, it was a similar sound. I think it's cool that I have my own sound and that no one can touch that. I'm marking my territory and this is the kind of music that fits me. I can stil go and have different types of songs and talk about different things. I think this album is a major growth from the first one."
Britney's fans seemed to agree. They gobbled up 1.3 million copies of the CD the first week it hit the market, crushing the record for the most albums sold by a female artist in one week. By September 2000, after only 17 weeks, "Oops" had sold an astounding 7 million copies. The CD was not only a commercial hit, but Britney received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
One of the bolder moves on the album was her cover of the Rolling Stones classic, "Satisfaction." "I really liked the song when I was younger and I wanted to do a remake of it," she said. "The record label wasn't really happy with the idea because it was kind of a daring move to do something like that. But we went ahead, recorded it, and they liked it."
Tension on Tour
The "Oops!...I Did It Again Tour" began June 20th, 2000, in Columbia, Maryland, and concluded December 14th in New York City's Madison Square Garden. In between, it crisscrossed North America, including a few stops in Canada.
While Britney is relatively new to headlining her own arena shows, she said her last tour produced an almost surreal experience thanks to overzealous fans.
"I was on stage doing the last song, "...Baby One More Time,'" she said. "There's a part where I just stand there and the audience just screams. It's a climax point before I sing the last phrase, ''hit me baby one more time...' It's one of those really cool moments where I just have to stand there and be really cool, and then this guy comes up on stage, throws his shirt off and starts screaming at me. He had all these tattoos of me on his body and he was just like right in my face. At first I got scared, but then I just started laughing because I was all serious and then I just totally broke out and started losing it. The security finally came in and removed him from the stage."
Another outgrowth of her last two tours were accusations that Britney wasn't singing the vocals live, but rather lip-syncing. It's a charge she fervently denies.
"That's false," she said. "On the first two tours I had the big screen up ahead of me and there was a slight delay between what was happening on the stage and what was appearing on the screen. I think it was confusing and some people thought I was lip-syncing. There's times in the chorus where they turn up the background vocals and it helps me out, but I'm singing my ass off!"
Whe her new tour now over, Britney has filled her time hosting awards shows, performing at the Super Bowl, working on her second book completing plans for her big-screen movie debut and making plans to record a song with pop icon Madonna.
In addition, with the help of a ghost writer, she recently authored her first book,
Britney Spears: Heart to Heart. Now book publisher Delacorte Press Books annouced it will publish a yet-untitled novel written by Britney and her mother, Lynne. The book described by Delacorte as "somewhat autobiographical,' is scheduled for publication in May.
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