The Eras of an Icon: Britney Spears 

This feature length film comeback! Icon behavior

i feel like people say she's a bad dancer or she's not that talented or whatever is purely becasue she makes very, very difficult stuff look ridiculously easy. the shit she does is hard. like, she's out here backflipping and dancing in a voice that isn't even her natural singing voice, etc etc and she fkng KILLS IT every single time.

you should do janet jackson especially because both of their situations are connected through justin and janet has a plenty of iconic eras

1998-2004 Britney Spears was the last global international superstar. People were comparing her to Madonna & Michael Jackson at the time, she was the biggest superstar in the world. This was pre-social media and she was still so omnipresent. Anytime you went to a store, you see Britney on tabloid & magazine covers. Anytime you turned on the radio, Britney was on. Anytime you turn on MTV, Britney’s music videos played. Anytime Britney did something, she was international news. That type of star power doesn’t exist anymore, she ruled the world with a wave of her hands. She truly earned the title of “Princess of Pop”.

It is WILD to me that Mila has only ten videos and is such a fantastic creator and story teller. I’m so excited to see what she covers next. Mila Tequila: New Millenia Historian Extraordinaire

Dude! As a student I cannot IMAGINE creating something of this calibre while in school. You’re incredible and I’m in awe. And I hope you don’t feel pressured to create, or guilty when you don’t put out content. Your videos are amazing but you don’t owe the Internet anything.

I remember being like 7 or 8 and BEGGING my parents for THE iconic Brittney spears perfume for Christmas. The little blue one. My dad threw a fit when my grandma got it for me and said I smelt like a hooker 😂 Christmas dinner was heated that year because of miss Brittney ❤

I can't imagine the trauma of being a sex symbol at 17. Of course she had a breakdown - anyone would under those circumstances! This video was amazing, so happy to see you back!

crazy thing is people criticize britt for having “messy” hair or makeup or wearing what she wants to wear but in this video you can clearly see she’s always been like that and i’m happy to have her back 😌

S&M was a mockery of how Rihanna was portrayed by the media so bringing Britney into it was the smartest thing ever.

Girl, I NEED an Avril series pleeeeease

Prediction: this girl will be producing, researching, writing, editing, and/or directing biographies/documentaries for a big network one day. Standing ovation. 👏👏👏👏

I really appreciated a full feature length video on Britney’s music/legacy and not about her “controversies.” She deserves so much more than to live in the shadow of her father’s abuse and mistreatment by the media. Britney set the bar.

FUN FACT: Blackout, while seemingly impersonal, is quite a personal album for Britney. It represents something she desperately sought out at the time: escape. She was partying constantly and this was a huge part of her life. For a lot of the songs, she played them in clubs to see what the reception was like and if people liked it.

FUN FACT: When Britney was in Mexico and she gave "the finger" .I. to the reporters, that became madly iconic. She was so criticized for it, that even nowadays people still calling that: la Britneyseñal (the Britney sign). I know this because I'm Mexican and I remember the smear campaign against her. I believe it was one of the worst tours for her. She cried behind the stage of a very popular show (Otro Rollo) and the host consoled her and teaches her to dance some Mexican music on the show, that helped her a lot with the people sympathy. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-veaunOrkcTM.html from min 4:45 Great Video BTW. Keep it up !!

You have to do an updated video now that her memoir just came out ✨✨

I guess I didn't realize how close Britney had those babies. But as someone who had two babies that close together she shaved her head right around the time all her hair would have been falling out from postpartum hormones... so maybe it was something she had been thinking about for awhile coupled with the stress from the situation she was in. I don't know if I've ever seen that idea floated in any of the discourse surrounding her blackout era before.

The fact that I remember so vividly when I was younger everyone fat shaming Britney Spears for her Gimme More VMA performance is so sad like 1. her body has nothing to do with anyone but 2. she literally still looks like a size small after having two kids 🥵 also that song slaps AND the album is 100% my favorite Britney album. Just so sad looking back at how people treated her.

Thank you for stating that the performance during the 2007 VMAs was not as horrific as people made it out to be. She worked her ass off and she still was fabulous

I will NEVER forget rushing home from school every day to watch TRL at 3:30pm and the exact moment I first saw baby one more time music video when it premiered for the first time. I was in AWE! She was EVERYTHING to me and I have loved her ever since. I am now 35 and I am so happy I got to be there for all of Britney’s incredible moments! It was a time in history that can never be recreated again!

she's back back back again! and just in time for the holiday season. best christmas ever! i wish we could all have a zoom party celebrating britney's freedom.

GIRL Britney flipping the paparazzi off in Mexico was so iconic that giving the finger to someone was referred as "the Britney sign" (la Britney señal) ever since YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW

I finally get an extensive chronological timeline of her career-- so well put together. Thank you for highlighting her successes!

I think we all need a series like this for Rihanna

you've successfully awakened a Brittney phase in me i'll now be listening to all of her albums in order of release thank you so much

Trying to sing AND dance at the same time is difficult. I wouldn’t blame her for lip syncing while dancing bc her dancing is insane! Say whatever you want about Brit, but you can’t deny that the girl can dance. She is so talented and I’m so happy she is finally free. 💕

this is literally my comfort video, i've rewatched TONS of times. the way you explain all of britney's history is done in such a superb way. ur such a talented queen

the last 4 times i watched this video I thought to myself, "ok I won't need to watch this again I've basically memorized it" but here I am again, with no regrets, drinking wine w/you. Incredible

The irony of Britney not being a good actor yet she acted like everything was ok for so long ♥️

As a millennial it’s so interesting to see pop culture moments I lived through be looked at as “history”. Your videos are always amazing!

It is so so refreshing to see someone make a video about Britney that’s not about her conservatorship (which is also extremely important but has been covered extensively) but about her career. People have forgotten just how much she accomplished!! ❤️

I feel so lucky to have grown up with Britney’s come up in fame. I got her CD for Christmas as the first ever CD I owned, back when CDs were a thing. I cherished it. I spent hours in my room making up choreography to her albums. When I eventually later took dance classes Toxic was one of the first songs I performed to. She is truly iconic and a major part of my childhood that I am insanely grateful for

I went to the Circus tour when it came to my city, here in Australia, and honestly, the show was such a blast for me! I remember the media backlash from the tour which was really upsetting to see but for me, I absolutely loved the concert and pretty much cried when Britney came down from the roof in the ringleader outfit 🥺 ICONIC! I knew this was going to be my one and only chance to see Britney in concert and I didn't care at all that she was lip syncing! I just wanted to be in her presence and see her perform and this concert low key lives in my mind rent free 🥰

to put it simply: this was a masterpiece. nothing makes me happier than seeing britney and her music/legacy being appreciated

I barley have words for Britney’s impact. I’m only a 17 year old Scandinavian girl, meaning i did not grow up listening to Britney at all, i just recently started to actually listen to her music, but i am absolutely floored. Her story is so sad, seeing her completely break down and disintegrate from the strong iconic independent BADDIE that she was, to a puppet, is just… im so so happy we’re seeing her coming back, and that her spirit isn’t all broken. God, Britney, i love you so much.

Thank you for mentioning the young ones at the Onyx Hotel Tour. I was 13 with my 14 year old sister and my parents. It’s was definitely uncomfortable seeing a couple of those performances with them. 😂 But it was still a fantastic show. Shadow will always be one of my favorite concert performances. ❤️

Been a big fan of Britney since the beginning. She has stacks of charisma and passion. Her dancing is top notch. The only other star to go as hard since imo is Beyoncé. I also love her voice, she expresses so much personality and emotion. It’s a crying shame the charts don’t accurately reflect her impact. (The charts from that time were badly affected by the emergence of the internet and the music industry was slow to catch up.)

Hi guys!!! I'm Mexican. I'll give you a bit of context on the canceled concert here. The Mexican press in general sucks. They're so extremists: they either love you a lot or they humiliate you and unprofessional. the questions they asked her were very disrespectful, the only kind one was Adal Ramones (he was hosting a talk show called "Otro Rollo"). Also the storms here in Mexico City are strong (I live so close to where she performed) and she did the right thing, it was very risky for the dancers. On the other hand, during the Femme Fatale Tour, B gave us a normal concert (at the Foro Sol) and another free one for the folks of the city (dealt with the government), for which she made up for the canceled concert years later Sorry if something is not understood, my English isn't good, please be kind. Xo

Similar to Elvis Presley and Freddie Mercury, Britney deserves to be remembered for her awesome music and not for some bad things that happened in her life.

Pleeeeeease make a Mary-Kate and Ashley retrospective, I feel like your take on that would be amazing

As a fan who witnessed Britney's career since the beginning (I video recorded all her performances. The Hawaii special was my favorite!!), you captured this wonderfully. It took me back and kids today won't know how magical and exciting it was. Being an iconic pop star like this was otherworldly because we didn't have inside access to them like we do today.

Circus era was a pivotal moment for me. I was 10 or 11 and before really only knew Britney from grocery store tabloids. This made me love her. I would wake up at 6am and watch music videos on mtv before school. I was mesmerized by the circus video and it’s still my favorite song. I remember reading Percy Jackson and listening to if u seek Amy on my radio. I think that’s where my love for her (and Gaga) comes from cause she was there when I was at such a transitional age and time.

I've lost count of how many times I've watched this video

I'm irish and Britney was always embraced. Like every single was on heavy rotation on radio. I think its because ireland was starting to shed its strict Catholic culture and britney was relatable in that way

This was done, SO WELL. I’ve never been much of a Britney fan, but obviously what she went through was horrendous. And you really killed it with each era and I learned so much. Great job!!!

Excuse me, but the "sexy horse scenes" in Radar we're literally HILARIOUS and MADE the video. It's literally what I think of when I think of that song and it makes me giggle every time. Which is very Britney. She's so freaking funny.

I grew up with Britney. She was the first big pop artist of my generation. My sister and I would save ALL our money to go to her concerts and buy whatever merch she released 😅 This video brought me sooo much nostalgia!! Britney was always such a sweetheart and people/media HATED her for it. They thought she was faking her sweetness but to this day, you can see how she’s maintained her gentle nature despite everything she’s been through. I remember in 2007, the footage of her in an ambulance absolutely BROKE me. The way everyone mocked her struggles was horrifying and I, admittedly looked away for a couple of years. I still cannot believe she survived everything she did. Our “BritBrit” (as we called her back then) is STRONGER and I really hope she can live the rest of her life in peace. I refused to see her in Vegas because I couldn’t accept that was “her”. I don’t think anyone should pressure her into performing ever again. She deserves to have her time and peace. I’ll always love her and I am SO happy your generation does too. ❤

It’s great to see someone talking about Britney Spears for the reason we all love her (her music) and not the many controversies that plagued her in the 2000’s. Those things should be remembered too, but at a certain point I just want to gush about how amazing of an album In The Zone is.

Many of us won’t admit it but we fell off the Britney train in 2008 and laughed at the tabloids exploiting her downfall. We wrote her off, as a has been and became outraged when the conservatorship was exposed. Britney’s true fans saw the warning signs and started a movement that resulted in her ultimate freedom. And we owe them greatly for this

your conclusion lowkey made me cry. she really is such an icon. and I hope moving forward we'll celebrate all the incredible things she's done, and all the horrible shit she's been through will be a small footnote in her legacy.

Britney has always had the "X Factor" going for her. Britney will forever be the #1 pop princess. If Aaliyah was still alive I think her & Britney would be at the top of their game. I Absolutely love Britney 's wardrobe in "Oops I did it again". I also love her wardrobe in "Lucky"! I think Britney looks like Faith Hill in the "Lucky" video. Britney was an excellent choreographer. Her dance skills are 2nd to none. She is one of the best dancers I've seen! I'd be scared to death to have that python anywhere near me!

I feel like blackout era is like Britney’s Artpop era, there are lots of similarities between the two. Musically, no, they aren’t really similar. But, both of them are under appreciated comeback masterpieces that were sort of experimental and disliked by the press when they came out, but are now both more appreciated for what they are. I will say that most of the current appreciation for these albums comes from people in their fandoms, and you don’t see often outside their fandoms. They were also both in bad mental conditions and had recently recovered from serious injuries that required surgery, and the press had been going after them for gaining weight when both of them still looked great. They’re both amazing albums, and I think they deserve more appreciation than what they got.

Thank you so much for another video. You are the light of my life

Who the fuck is out there saying Britney can't dance?? The audacity.

Girrrl not only was this so well put together, you just unlocked so many memories for me. Of course I remember baby Britney & coming into womanhood Brit but songs like Piece of Me, Radar, If You Seek Amy, Criminal - those songs were my SHIT lol. I had to go back & listen while watching this. Alot of her songs were bomb but that ‘fuck you pay me’ Britney is everythinggg period 😂❤️ Can you do Ciara or Keri Hilson or RiRi? I’d love to see thats

I watch this video religiously

I love her so much she's such an inspiration to me. I was in a controlling and abusive environment my whole life and I finally got a lot more freedom this year. So Britneys story is so relatable and she's like my inspiration to keep being strong and to be positive and not give up. It's tough knowing what happened to her all these years. But it's 2021 and she's free and so am i. And nobody owns my body or my mind. It belongs to ME. And if people get uncomfortable from a "crazy" person being themselves they can f off 😇

I’m currently 44, so I was pretty aware of every Britney incarnation and pretty much every move she made, as she was just that huge. But I think that what the public assumed was happening to her is that she wasn’t living up to her potential. Now, I wasn’t one of those people...which, I’m not a general fan of pop music anyway, but again, her name and face were everywhere in the 2000’s. You said it yourself that she had set such a high bar, she herself couldn’t even live up to it. People perceived early prime Britney as a literal goddess; she had the looks, the talent, the record sales, the money, etc and we really got used to seeing her in that light. Then she goes off and gets pregnant by some wanna be white boy rapper, she’s doing weird stuff with the kids, she’s wearing weird wigs and partying with B-list socialite celebrities, etc. And I just think that the people who had gotten used to seeing her in that light of “perfection” were extremely disappointed in her choices. She was being bullied by the media, the paparazzi, being called white trash, she had that awful interview with Diane Sawyer, and I think that “comeback” performance really stuck a fork it the whole phenomenon. Judging by her expressions and lack of/lazy dancing, the weird hair...it just confused people. And the reason we love celebrities is because we idolize and view them as “better” than the average person. Once a celebrity is no longer viable in that sense, their star often dims significantly. Now, reading back over what I just typed, you’d think that the person who wrote it, or anyone who has those qualities, was a psychopath. Well, yeah. Celebrity makes no sense. We logically know that they’re people just like us, they have the same emotions and insecurities that we do, they have issues like we do, they have babies and gain weight JUST LIKE normal people! But something in our brain acknowledges all of that...and then says, “But...”. We place such heavy loads on them that really just are not fair. In fact, it’s immoral. Britney is owed the biggest possible apology from us. And she deserves to give us the biggest “Fuck you”.

Break the ice is my FAVORITE Britney song! so underrated

I love that feeling of being a Britney stan and learning something new, like that Edgar Allen Poe reference. Ugh, icons supporting icons.

that is EXACTLY why i prefer the original overprotected, too! i don't remember a whole lot about my childhood (thanks, trauma!) but the 'britney' to 'in the zone' era is still incredibly vivid for me. it brought me from a little 9 year old, all the way to a slightly older but still little 11 year old on the cusp of getting her first period, very much facing down the barrel of puberty. i saw crossroads in theater three times, memorized the overprotected choreo with my two best friends, and obsessed over britney's numerous pairs of bedazzled low rise bell-bottom jeans wishing i had the hip dips to pull them off. oh, how trends change! now we have women hating themselves for their hip dips, while full round hips are now the thing. just goes to show how much it's bullshit! don't ever hate your body for not fitting the "trend", it's not worth it. i remember when i listened to 'breathe on me' for the first time!! it completely rocked my 11 year old brain. i remember thinking it was the sexiest thing ever, and to this day my opinion still hasn't changed. talk about being ahead of its time! i'm still waiting for the day it gets justice in the form of a really sickening drag performance, cus goddamn if the gays don't love breathe on me, who will?

Doja Cat is the only pop/rap star going as hard as Britney with her choreography. She was in a dance group before, but I definitely see her really owning this decade. Her performances and genre fluidity are already crazy good.

Thank you for this! I’m so tired of Britney videos on her personal life & controversies. (Yes I care about her & want the best for her), but I still want to appreciate the music, that’s why I fell in love with her in the first place. I always try to find videos really breaking down each era, but it’s hard. For me - I personally loved the Circus album & era. It’s special to me & I think underrated as a Britney fav.

While 'In The Zone' didn't perform as well in mainstream sales numbers, it's important to note how huge the remixes of her tracks were in the club scene all over the world - especially in the burgeoning LGBTQI+ scene of the early 2000's. This was when It became standard practice for remixes to be made of new tracks (both official & unofficial) and often clubs & dance parties were the only place to hear them because they weren't released to the public. This became a whole new audience for Britney & other artists like her, who might not have otherwise listened to her new music or even known that she had new tracks out.

The fact that you didn't mention the fact that Britney was given ONE TAKE to do her dancing routine in the pink shirt / denim jeans sequence on Slave 4 U made me wanna cry

32:28 - I was a tween/teenager when Britney's career took off, and I can't possibly over-emphasize how she much the media attention around her centered around her saving her virginity for marriage. I'm certain it was a marketing tactic much like it was with the Jonas Brothers, but purity culture was making a comeback at that time, so it was weird when her image went from relatively wholesome (minus the Baby One More Time video) to overtly sexual and suggestive. She was STILL being encouraged to say she was still a virgin when she was performing songs like Slave 4 U, so that's why it was considered a big deal at the time, because Justin basically outed to the world that she was lying about her virginity. I feel so bad for her, being put into a corner like that when she was only like 16 years old and then being forced to comply with an image that didn't fit her as an adult, and THEN to have her ex-boyfriend talk about personal details on air and making it seem like she was some terrible liar when she literally was just doing what her PR team told her to do.

This is the best video about Britney's career EVER. Period.

piece of me by britney spears is so important to me. it made me the woman i am today.

And when the world needed her most... she returned!! But seriously, you're helping me survive through finals right now.

Yes! Your timing is perfect considering everything happening with Britney! She is definitely an undeniable icon. No one can take that away from her. So excited to watch this!! 🙆🏻‍♀️

She just outright was like "yea everyone was pist about the innuendo oh well, nobody cares about your children."... THIS STATEMENT IS A PRIME EXAMPLE WHY THIS GIRL GOT MY SUB, ALWAYS GETS MY 👍 AND FULLY DESERVES ALL THE SUPPORT AND MORE THAT WE CAN THROW HER WAY! 👏👏👏👏👏

God, Britney is just gorgeous, I swear. Great video!! Didn't think I'd watch a 2 hour deep dive of Britney (even though I'm a 32 year old millenial so obviously grew up with her. Love her.) but you made this so interesting & enjoyable :) Much love!

Can we please get a One Direction era video? Also, the video on the teen mom obsession in the 2000s sounds like an amazing idea! I love this channel and this video was soooo worth the wait!

I was just checking your page yesterday like "where did the queen go" and now you're BACK and with a TWO HOUR video I cannot wait!!!!

Britney is a queen and an icon! I was in 8th grade when Britney dropped her first single and it was out of this world from there on out!!! Her popularity and icon status and what she's done for pop culture is up there with Michael Jackson. I lived it and so glad I got to experience Britney!! Untouchable!! Amazing job on the video!! So glad Britney is Free!!

Britney was literally her best era, from the tour outfits and performances she was on top of the world

1. I'm SO glad you're back! I'm 30,so all of your content takes me back to "the good old days" lol 2.That first album was STACKED,OK?! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 3.Again,so glad you're back, you're one of my favorites and I'm really glad that you make these videos because they're so well done and it's something that I didn't know I was missing! You're just great 🥰💚

Her getting emotional at the end as she speaks about Britney being finally free while I'm crying, is a moment.

this is my comfort video i genuinely lost count of how many times I've watched it.. as a 2003 baby my understanding of Britany's impact comes from u queenie

omg I can't get over how funny she is! you can tell how much she just wants to be happy and have those around her happy with all her little jokes and smiles.

The fact that you referred the “Leave Britney Alone” creator as a “she” is a testament to how well researched this video is

I love Circus. It's her 4th best album in my opinion. I didn't like it during its release for the same reason you mentioned, blackout just set the bar too high. but later listened to Circus again in 2011 and had a new found love for it after just thinking it was bland for a while. I think if you look at it as a stand alone album and not as her comeback album it's a really really solid album. A ton of 10/10 tracks. Womanizer, Circus, If U Seek Amy, Mannequin, Blur, Out From Under, Shattered Glass, Unusual You, all 10/10

32:28 Justins cringe beat boxing made my skin crawl 😂

I’ve been a Britney nerd for over 20 years. I jumped into your video as a “light reading” like Hermione Granger would say. But I found myself enthralled by your research. Thank you for this video. ❤

This analysis of Britney Spears career is better than the actual documentaries that are out there!

I haven’t finished watching yet but just wanted to say you are officially one of the best creators on the platform!! This really brings me back to the VH1 documentary days

I've watched this video 5 times now. Everytime I watch, there's a bit more context to these situations, and it never ceases to bring me to tears. She was treated so disgusting. It breaks my heart. The world doesn't deserve her.

So I’ve watched this like 3 times. Either I’ve got an addiction or this documentary is really good!

We’ve miss you!

This video was SO good, could you please do more full career analysis like this?

I haaated Britney when she first hit the scene. It only took me like 10 years to realize I was just super envious. And another 10 years to realize there was nothing to be envious of. I hope Britney is doing better now.

People do not understand how much I love Britney. She was such an integral part of childhood: i knew the lyrics (despite not knowing English), all the songs, watched her concerts on loop, bought every album i could and listen to it on loop. She only came once to my country, and it was the day before a concert I already had tickets for, and I couldn't assist but… I still regret it to this day. She evokes so many memories for me and my best friend (who's just as a fan as me). When I watched the netflix documentary, I cried so much to imagine someone (literally anyone, famous or not) could be mistreated so badly. This journey through her life brought me so many good memories and I couldn't about tearing up… For Britney, I always wish the best ever.

I was 11 years old when “baby one more time” came out and have followed Britney’s career ever since. I had every magazine with her on it, britney dolls, watched anything on MTV she was on (omg the special they had when the BRITNEY album was coming out!). It was so nice to watch this and relive some of her biggest moments. Thank you for putting this together. You are incredibly talented and so attentive to detail.

I’m only 18 minutes in and can already tell that you’ve put so much hard work in! Glad you’re back to detail the most iconic era ever

I like how she tells us the story like it’s some one just spilling tea. I appreciate how she gets to the point instead of other creators who lag with fluff

She’s such a queen… she literally walked so so many could run. I just hope she’s okay 💕

I now need to do the deepest dive into Britney's discography because Blackout is the only album I've fully listened to, and of course my Y2K playlist features her iconic bangers from other eras. I also have many docs and music vids to watch that I havent before. And lastly but most importantly, you are a helluva gal, Mila! Over two hours? We thank you for your service.

I was in high school when “if you seek Amy” came out and we freaked out over it! Me and my friends were like very impressed by how funny and smart it was. And looking back at the video, she really did that.

As 35 year old long time Britney fan, from the beginning way back when… I have to say you really did a great job covering all the bases. Also your insight is spot on for someone who wasn’t there for every second watching it unfold in real time. I commend your work and dedication and I thank you. Also me against the music is the best song ever. I will say for that era you forgot to mention the nfl kickoff live where she debuted the song for the first time. I was a sophomore in high school outside Baltimore back then and we skipped school to go see her perform it for the first time ever it was truly a day to remember🎉🎉 much love 💕 👌

This girl worked her a$$ off for sooo long!!! No wonder she had a breakdown!!! Did she ever get to just…be??? I watched your whole video and I’m worn out!!! She deserves everything she has acquired!!! And lip syncing a bit is common for performers who dance so hard. Ppl who condemn this…try to sing perfectly while dancing that much nonstop. I grew up listening to her and she will always be one of my favorites!!! She has gone through SOOOO much and I hope she has the best life ever!! Her legacy and iconic status will live on forever!!! Thank you for this video!!! Much Love from Oklahoma!!!