As a lifelong fan I really enjoyed the New York Times' Framing Britney Spears documentary. It's important that the general public gets the basic facts. But there were some things I wish were included or were better communicated. Here's a list of those things only super fans know.
1. The mysterious appearance of this album cover.
In 2016, Britney released her ninth studio album, Glory. The cover for the album was a screenshot from a re-shot music video. It was, and is, awful.
Then, one random day in 2020, this cover featuring Britney breaking away from chains appeared on streaming platforms.
2. The unreleased "Make Me..." music video and the one request Britney had for the director.
3. The way Britney completely transformed Las Vegas.
4. The sold-out world tours.
5. One of the best years in Britney’s career was 2016. She released one of the best and most critically-acclaimed albums of her career, gave some of her best performances in a decade, and basically proved to all the naysayers that she was in her prime.
6. Britney allegedly talked about the conservatorship in a 2016 interview that was cut from air.
7. This truly bizarre video of The View celebrating Britney Spears' divorce from K-Fed in 2006.
View this video on YouTube
Britney was was 24 with two infant children when she announced her divorce from K-Fed. Again: 24 with two babies! It's absurd and incredibly upsetting to see people celebrating, with confetti canons (!!), the breakdown of her marriage. Can you imagine?
8. When MTV sat Britney down to watch and react to (cruel) criticism from random people in Times Square.
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I think about this video a lot. Following her iconic 2000 VMA performance, MTV sat Britney down and had her react to people railing on her. It breaks my heart and really, I don’t get the point. It’s just mean and, sadly, was something that was done to her time and time again.
I think this video captures the overwhelming "meanness" average people were conditioned to have about Britney. The slut-shaming. The cruelty. It also goes into the whole argument of Britney as a role model, which is something she has said for YEARS she never wanted to be.
In A CD:UK interview from 2003 Britney said, "The only person I'm a role model for is my sister. That's it. Other than that, I'm here in the world to inspire people, not tell them what to do."
9. Britney's love for driving.
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In this bonus clip from the 2008 For the Record documentary, the interviewer asked Britney when she last felt free. Her answer: "When I get to drive my car. There's something about being able to drive your car that allows freedom, and I haven't been able to drive my car." Britney fans know she loves driving. It's kind of her thing. So when we see her driving her car, we get a little excited. She's happy.
10. Megyn Kelley’s attacking Britney for her song “If U Seek Amy” and Britney’s subsequent jab back/mocking of it in her music video.
The music video for "If U Seek Amy" was released after Megyn's segment with a Megyn Kelly lookalike saying the same thing.
11. The boyband double standards.
12. The cryptic messages Britney put on her website from 2004-07.
13. This clip of Oprah saying Britney was the kindest, nicest guest she's ever had in the history of her show.
One of my favorite Britney moments-at the height of her stardom and still kind
I think it gets lost that Britney is genuinely one of the nicest celebrities out there. Celebrity after celebrity say it when they meet her. She's one of the best.
14. Gone into deeper length about the censorship of her interviews.
My last Billboard cover story was with Brit in 2015, and it was rough. All my questions had to be vetted in advance, her manager (and surely the whole conservator team) listened in the whole time and she sounded so trapped & uncomfortable. I hope she finds peace soon #FreeBritney
The past 12 years or so have been very...tight lipped.
Britney has been notoriously hard to interview.
Remember that time @britneyspears’ dad had me banned from ever working with her again because I didn’t ask HIM for permission to a photo she HERSELF consented to? Yeah, #FREEBRITNEY
15. Iggy Azalea and Britney's bizarre salad date.
16. The absolute, total obsession with her boobs. Like really it was wild.
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I always think about this clip of Rosie (who is a Britney ally, mind you) grilling Britney who was probably 17 or 18 about wearing a tight white shirt on a Nickelodeon performance. It's total cringe.
17. The tabloid war that was incredibly biased in favor of Justin Timberlake. Britney was the betrayer. Justin was the sad victim.
When they broke up headlines about Justin were calling him the hero:
She was the betrayer:
Tabloids were *the* news source of the time period and they clearly had a side:
18. Her philanthropy.
19. Her social activism and love for the LGBTQ community.
20. The fact that Britney was dealing with a custody battle when the paparazzi were at their most rabid.
21. The VERY quick turnaround between 2007 and 2008.
Britney went from this:
To this:
In less than a year.
22. She's a Karate Kid.
23. That she has lots more to say. She said it herself: She’ll write a good, mysterious book someday.
“I’ll have a good book one day. A good, mysterious book” - Britney Spears
In her 2008 MTV documentary, Britney said, "I’ll have a good book one day. A good, mysterious book."