Princess of Pop; Back on Top

The name “Britney Spears” has certainly been one of the most prevalent on the celebrity scene for the past three decades. A household name, Spears’ lucrative and unique career has dazzled fans and critics alike due to the nature of its extreme complexity. The Princess of Pop has ascertained her definitive place in the limelight since the start of her young career at the age of 11 on the incredibly popular kid’s show, the Mickey Mouse Club. Since then, there has been little contrast between her private life and her career. Her international popularity has come with the constant scrutiny of the public eye as we have watched each chapter of her life unfold.

Britney skyrocketed to stardom following the release of her premier album entitled ...Baby One More Time. Just a teenager, Britney was depicted by the media as the epitome of an innocent “good girl”, and for the first few years of her career, this was reflected in her music. She was adored by the masses through the majority of her teenage years. As she matured, so did the content of her music. While she became arguably more famous and successful through her provocative creations, Spears’ found herself facing the criticism of many, for she no longer represented the ideals the public had once forced on her. This highly publicized image of Britney possessing tainted character, coupled with the non-existent line between her home life and career ultimately led to the rapid, woeful decline of this young woman’s life. Paparazzi and reporters were merciless in their pursuit of gossip regarding the star’s struggles with family, romantic relationships, management, mental health and more. The culmination of all of the media’s pressures and problems led to an infamous series of public breakdowns, the catalyst for Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, being appointed her “temporary conservator” in 2008.

That brings us to today. After thirteen years, Britney has finally been released from her father’s tight, restrictive grasp. She has the freedom to live her life independently, without the censorship and oppressive supervision over her actions. This past June, the pop star ended any semblance of public silence and, in a passionate and tumultuous court hearing, she revealed that she had suffered psychological, emotional, and physical abuse at the hands of her father. Moreover, her legal team has revealed the vast amount of money that her father has made as a result of being Britney’s conservator, and how her career path over the past decade has been altered to better serve his financial motives. At this hearing, however, the plea to suspend Jamie Spears as conservator was not fulfilled, and a new court date was set for the state of the conservatorship on Wednesday, September 29th, 2021. After a long summer of the world defending the pop star’s independence and innate rights using the #FreeBritney. This hashtag became one of the most popular on any social media platform to date. Numerous documentaries outlining Britney’s harrowing struggles over the past years have been artfully made available to the public, revealing a vulnerable part of a seemingly invincible woman. Through this coverage created by the media, the following of the proceedings of the case increased exponentially, leading up to September 29th, as thousands upon thousands of fans all over the world held their bated breath as they waited to hear the decision on Britney’s fate.

Following this momentous retrial, Mr. Spears’ conservatorship over his daughter’s financial decisions and dealings was suspended, and a corresponding investigation has been launched regarding his blatantly unethical and horrifyingly controlling nature by which he dealt with his daughter and every aspect of her life. Another trial date has been set for November 16th, 2021, in which the final decisions upon whether to terminate the conservatorship completely, as well as that to charge Mr. Spears with any crimes, are to be made. Britney has arguably had her entire childhood and young adult life stripped from her as the cost of her successful career, and finally, although it is appallingly overdue, Britney will possess the right to live how she wants to live.