Britney Spears (Britney Jean Spears) (born December 2, 1981) is an American pop singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, and author. Her debut album ...Baby One More Time, released in early 1999, propelled her to international stardom. It spawned several singles, including "...Baby One More Time", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 single. She released her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again in spring of 2000 with continued success. Her third album Britney was released in fall 2001, followed by the release of her fourth album In The Zone in fall 2003. The album's breakout single "Toxic" was a worldwide success and has won Spears her first Grammy Award. The collection Greatest Hits: My Prerogative was released in fall 2004 followed by a remix album B in the Mix: The Remixes a year later and a brief career break. Her newest album Blackout was released worldwide in October 2007, with the first single "Gimme More" becoming another worldwide hit.
Britney Spears has sold over eighty-three million records worldwide according to Zomba Label Group. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ranks her as the eighth best-selling female artist in American music history, having sold 31 million albums in the U.S. Spears's fame in the music industry has led her to experiment with other forms of media, including film and television. As an actress, she is most noted for her starring role in the 2002 movie Crossroads. Spears has also made guest appearances in various movie and television programs. Her success as a singer led her to several high-profile advertising deals and endorsements, including her own Elizabeth Arden perfume line.
Britney Spears's personal life has gained much attention from the media as a result of her stardom. In particular, her marriage to Kevin Federline in 2004 was the topic of numerous articles. She gave birth to her first child, Sean Preston, in 2005 and to her second child, Jayden James, in 2006. The couple's divorce in fall of the same year was highly publicized, followed by an ongoing legal battle for the custody of their two sons.
