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 tuned 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.
