Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer and entertainer. Born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, Spears first appeared on national television in 1992 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1994. In 1997, Spears signed a recording contract with Jive, releasing her debut album ...Baby One More Time in 1999. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and established her as a pop icon and "bona fide pop phenomenon", credited for influencing the revival of teen pop in the late 1990s. Her next three albums also debuted at number one. After two compilation albums, Spears released Blackout, her only studio album which did not debut at number one. In December 2008, her sixth studio album, Circus, was released.

In the years following her ascent to pop superstar, Spears's personal life has been a frequent subject of celebrity and tabloid journalism. Spears was married twice, most notably to Kevin Federline, had two children, and was the subject of a reality TV show with Federline in Britney & Kevin: Chaotic. After their divorce, Spears dealt with several personal struggles before resuming her professional career with 2007's Blackout.