A Britney Spears Uber Post in Honor of Friday's Concert

In case you haven't quite figured it out yet, I absolutely positively love Britney Spears (um...of my 50some blog posts, she's been the topic of 11 of them).

So in honor of her Circus tour coming to Pittsburgh on Friday (I AM SO EXCITED...I feel like a 12 year old girl), I've decided to dedicate yet another lengthy memory-like post to the one performer who has seriously amazed me for years now.

...Baby One More Time
The Single and the Album

In a pop saturated late 90's era, "...Baby One More Time" exploded onto the scene. The song was catchy. The dancing was awesome...and I hated how much I loved this song. It was fantastic. I can remember being in middle school...it was the summertime...and Brit had released a few singles off of her first studio release...I was going to stay over at my friend Kate's house with all of my friends. Steph had somehow convinced her mom that it was a party for Kate's birthday so that she could trick her into buying Brit's CD for her (being in middle school, we were all a little strapped for cash). So Steph wrapped the CD up and acted like we were all going over to celebrate Kate's birthday (Kate's birthday is the day before Britney's -- in December). When we went to pick Steph up, her mom came out and kept saying happy birthday to Kate over and over and over. Needless to say, when we drove away, Steph had some rather humorous explaining to do.

Oops...I Did It Again
The Album

Reminds me of my cousin Megan. We used to spend summers together. One summer we were obsessed with the Spice Girls. Another, it was N'Sync (my first "real" concert). Another it was Britney...and this album. Now. I love Brit, but her first CD was full of songs that any credible artist these days (AKA...someone up to her star power now) would never release. Come on. "E-Mail My Heart"? Oops was a little higher in caliber with even more catchy dance songs. I can remember Meg and I being obsessed with "Lucky" for some reason...and watching the "Making theVideo" for it on MTV over and over again (much like we did with Spice World only a few summers before). I STILL love that dress Brit wears when she accepts the award in the video...and the outfit she wears when she's throwing glitter off the star. Some of the songs off this CD are still the best of her career -- Stronger, anyone?

"One Kiss from You"
The Song

Real lyric: "I don't want to hear my time will come." Misunderstood lyric: "I don't want to fill my tongue with cum."

Britney

The Album

This album...to me, is the first one of Brit's releases that I can sit and listen to from start to finish without switching a single song. Sure, some of the songs are totally eye roll enducing worthy (particularly the slow ones), but it DOES have my favorite dance sequence ever on it.

"I'm a Slave 4 U"
The Song and Video

This video is still my favorite Britney video of all time. I love the dance in it. I love the wardrobe. I love the colors. There's just something about how raw and sweaty and dirty it is. I can't get sick of the song, which helps. I did think at one point, however, that instead of saying "Get it, get it," Britney was saying, "Kitty, Kitty." I still get made fun of for that. Also, this video makes me think of one weekend when my parents went away and my brother's super skanktastic girlfriend at the time was staying the weekend with me. I stayed up that Friday night watching music videos and this one kept coming on. Over and over. And I loved it. Steph and I also dressed like Britney from this video for a Halloween party. It was fantastic.

"Overprotected"
The Song and Video

My favorite Britney dance sequence takes place in the Dark Child remix video version of this song. It STILL gives me chills and amps me up today. Dance sequence starts at 2:20.

In the Zone
The Album

I bought this CD in New York CD pirated. I love it. LOVE IT. It's more urban and dancey than the rest of her CDs...plus the Onyx Tour that accompanied the album was absolutely, positively one hundred percent incredibly awesome.

Toxic
The Video and Song

By far my favorite Britney vid. Love the concept. Love the costumes. Love, love, love the song. I was home sick one day from school and the toxic video kept coming on MTV every hour...and dammit if I didn't get up and dance to it even though I had a fever something terrible. The making of this video also reminds me of Honkus...and watching the making of the "Toxic" vid together. "It's a wrap y'allllll."

My Prerogative: Greatest Hits
The Album

I was surprised to see that Brit released a greatest hits album so quickly...until I realized how many songs she actually had released. I guess that I just didn't realize how many massively big songs and singles she had. Love the art work on this. Love the bonus tracks and the bonus disc of remixes (and the awesome mega mix that spawned a shit load of YouTube vids).

"Do Somethin'"
The Song

The first video Honkus and I ever made. We made Courtney Cassa shoot it in their dorm room literally days before we moved out. It's still fantastic today. :)

"I've Just Begun Having My Fun"

The Song
See video. 'Nough said.

Blackout
The Album

Is forever going to remind me of Honkus, my absolute BFF in the whole wide world. I can remember what a trying time this whole album period was...how hard it was to be a fan. How scary. You didn't know what the hell Britney would be doing next. She was out and she was acting completely crazy...but she wasn't talking to her fans. She was manic. I can remember being in London (long before Blackout was released) when Brit shaved her head. Honkus sent me a copy of Us Weekly in her next care package and it was just...I don't even know. It was so weird and bizarre. Towards the end of Blackout's run was the whole hospitalization thing. And I can remember Honkus calling me early in the morning to tell me about that too. All the bad stuff aside...this album is absolutely incredibly a force to be reckoned with. In a year that tarnished the pop queen's crown, this was the diamond in the rough. The songs are a bit darker for Brit...but it fit her mood at the time. I love this album and whenever I listen to it, it makes me think of my best friend. :)

"Gimme More"
The Song

This song reminds me of the first of many weekends that Honkus drove down and spent with me in Pittsburgh. How fitting was it that Brit's first single in years was dropped during that first Pittsburgh weekend. I can remember "Hot as Ice" was also leaked at this time. The song hadn't been finalized or polished...but "Gimme More" had...and yeah. :)

"Break the Ice"
The Song

Makes me think of the drive away from Mellon Arena after graduation...plus Honkus and I made a vid to this one too. :)

Circus
The Album

I swore up and down that I wasn't going to download this album before it was released...then I watched the "Fans on the Record" special on MTV and caved. Amazing album...and her first tour in five years. How exciting it is to be a fan again (!!!!!!).