What Is It About Britney?

[Curious_1110]

A simple positive thread:

For the people that have been fans since 98/99, what was it about her that made her stick out from the many blonde pop females of the TRL era? What is it about her that keeps you invested her? Assuming majority of this forum is gay males..what is her significance to you as a gay icon? How has her music/image had an effect on that aspect of your life?  If there are female fans here also what impact has her music/image had on you? What keeps you invested in Britney? 

To the people that are younger and became fans around 2009 and her comeback: What was it about her that stood out in the times of Katy, Gaga, Rihanna, Taylor, ect that drew you into Britney? Also what keeps you interested in her despite not being there for the better years of her career?

 

For context: I joined this site almost a year ago not really knowing a lot about Britney. Since that time I've had members here give me a lot of information to, for lack of a better word, educate me on Britney. I grew up in the TRL era so I've always known her but was never really a part of the phenomenon that she was. Of course reading the links and seeing the docs that were sent to me gives me some context but there's nothing like having a person explain to you how a performer has impacted them to help you really understand their significance. 

[Curious_1110]

3 minutes ago, Damsel in Distress said:

I was a little girl when I became a fan.

I liked her fun music, her personality and her dancing.

I could watch her for hours and not get bored.

Unlike what she does now.

Has her music had an effect on you personally? And do you still consider yourself a fan because of nostalgia or does she represent more than that for you?

[The Greatest Show]

7 minutes ago, Damsel in Distress said:

I was a little girl when I became a fan.

I liked her fun music, her personality and her dancing.

I could watch her for hours and not get bored.

Unlike what she does now.

same here.

[BoyToySoldier]

I was introduced to her after the Oops video came out. I saw that and Baby One More Time after and begged my mom to buy me her CD. She bought me both.

After that, the Britney era came which solidified her as that blonde *** symbol and I was hooked. I had never seen someone so confident and glamorous before. She was on another level, I would watch her dance and be mesmerized. I actually tried to teach myself the Pepsi choreography in front of the TV.

I think as a gay icon she represents what we all wanted to be growing up. We all wanted to be ****, we all wanted to be confident, we all wanted to be in control.

Her music has had an effect on me personally because each album was released during pivotal moments in my life that I can look back on. Baby-Britney for my childhood, Zone-Blackout my preteens, Circus-BJ my adolescence and Glory represents my college years now.

I was bullied during middle school and I remember Blackout being an escape mechanism for me because I was too scared to tell my parents or anyone else. It was like my own little world. So yeah, that album really helped me turn my mood around and made me happy. So it's always gonna be special to me. Looking back on it now, it's even more special knowing that Britney herself was going through her own troubles and was able to overcome them.

[it's so much Better]

recycled Selena gomez's new style 

[Shadow.]

27 minutes ago, BoyToySoldier said:

I was bullied during middle school and I remember Blackout being an escape mechanism for me because I was too scared to tell my parents or anyone else. It was like my own little world. So yeah, that album really helped me turn my mood around and made me happy. So it's always gonna be special to me. Looking back on it now, it's even more special knowing that Britney herself was going through her own troubles and was able to overcome them.

Aww bullies can kiss *** tbh, glad you got through your troubles  

[BoyToySoldier]

7 minutes ago, Shadow. said:

Aww bullies can kiss *** tbh, glad you got through your troubles  

Thanks.  It was never really that bad, looking back on it. I had a falling out with a friend 7th grade and he had everyone else on his side because he was more popular than I was. After 8th grade, I moved to a new city because of my dad's job so I went to a different high school than the one everyone else was going to. I don't have any grudges, it helped me to become a stronger person and recognize fake people. 

[fnfurter]

2 hours ago, Curious_1110 said:

For the people that have been fans since 98/99, what was it about her that made her stick out from the many blonde pop females of the TRL era? What is it about her that keeps you invested her? Assuming majority of this forum is gay males..what is her significance to you as a gay icon? How has her music/image had an effect on that aspect of your life?  If there are female fans here also what impact has her music/image had on you? What keeps you invested in Britney? 

I really don't know why I opted to follow Britney instead of Christina, or Jessica, or Mandy. It just clicked and it happened, and I think her charisma and her passion had a lot to do with it, catchy hits aside. I remember her evolving in sound and style, growing up, and I remember all the fights that used to break out over it. (Not here; but at WOB. Yes, Britney fans have always fought, don't be so shocked.) I remember being totally for the change and wanting to continue growing with her. I know the reason I continued to follow her was because she kept me entertained; there was honestly no one like her back then. As a female, her music helped my confidence and the like.

Now.... I really enjoy the music. During the FF and BJ eras I sort of checked out; I bought both albums, but when I saw the MVs and the era as a whole, it just... It didn't feel right. I came back for Glory because things looked like they might be different, and they sort of were, but. I think it's more of, I've been following for so long that I don't know how to step away. I can check out again, but I know I'll always keep tabs on her no matter what.

[BoyToySoldier]

1 minute ago, fucknfurter said:

I really don't know why I opted to follow Britney instead of Christina, or Jessica, or Mandy. It just clicked and it happened, and I think her charisma and her passion had a lot to do with it, catchy hits aside. I remember her evolving in sound and style, growing up, and I remember all the fights that used to break out over it. (Not here; but at WOB. Yes, Britney fans have always fought, don't be so shocked.) I remember being totally for the change and wanting to continue growing with her. I know the reason I continued to follow her was because she kept me entertained; there was honestly no one like her back then. As a female, her music helped my confidence and the like.

It's funny you mention that. I have a friend who's also a B fan who told me when he was a kid, his parents didn't really agree with Britney's **** image right around ITZ and wanted him to turn to a more conservative pop star, Jessica to be exact.  Thankfully my parents never cared, and just saw it as entertainment.

[fnfurter]

Just now, BoyToySoldier said:

It's funny you mention that. I have a friend who's also a B fan who told me when he was a kid, his parents didn't really agree with Britney's **** image right around ITZ and wanted him to turn to a more conservative pop star, Jessica to be exact.  Thankfully my parents never cared, and just saw it as entertainment.

Yep. I had a couple of friends who had parents who were exactly the same way. Their disapproval started around the time of Britney and Slave, they just could not approve of that, so I ended up having to make little recorded cassette tapes of Britney for them to sneak into their houses and listen to. My mom was a metal and rock fan and she'd raised on me horror and the like, so she was never the type to censor what I enjoyed (unless it was just too extreme, of course); she would tease me for liking Britney, but she bought the albums and had no issues with Britney's '****' image. I was very lucky.

Lmao, personally I could not imagine being told to go stan for Jessica. 

[BoyToySoldier]

3 minutes ago, fucknfurter said:

Yep. I had a couple of friends who had parents who were exactly the same way. Their disapproval started around the time of Britney and Slave, they just could not approve of that, so I ended up having to make little recorded cassette tapes of Britney for them to sneak into their houses and listen to. My mom was a metal and rock fan and she'd raised on me horror and the like, so she was never the type to censor what I enjoyed (unless it was just too extreme, of course); she would tease me for liking Britney, but she bought the albums and had no issues with Britney's '****' image. I was very lucky.

Lmao, personally I could not imagine being told to go stan for Jessica. 

I mean Britney's impact was so huge, her label essentially made her into Britney

I love this Overprotected remix 

[fnfurter]

4 minutes ago, BoyToySoldier said:

I mean Britney's impact was so huge, her label essentially made her into Britney

I love this Overprotected remix 

Oh, my God, I remember Irresistible! I remember the video the best, and yes, they were definitely trying to make her another Britney.

(I actually cackled when she went "WOO!" It's not bad, but a "WOO!" in Britney's world meant she was about to kill some choreo, not do something really basic. Poor Jessica. Lord, even that outfit is giving me DWAD tour vibes.)

[BoyToySoldier]

5 minutes ago, fucknfurter said:

Oh, my God, I remember Irresistible! I remember the video the best, and yes, they were definitely trying to make her another Britney.

(I actually cackled when she went "WOO!" It's not bad, but a "WOO!" in Britney's world meant she was about to kill some choreo, not do something really basic. Poor Jessica. Lord, even that outfit is giving me DWAD tour vibes.)

This is even worse

 

[fnfurter]

7 minutes ago, BoyToySoldier said:

This is even worse

That actually made me feel bad for her, lmao. If I kept seeing myself put up against Britney and Christina, I'd be like, Okay, I'm out. I'm done, once in my childhood was enough. Lmaoooo.

[BoyToySoldier]

1 minute ago, fucknfurter said:

That actually made me feel bad for her, lmao. If I kept seeing myself put up against Britney and Christina, I'd be like, Okay, I'm out. I'm done, once in my childhood was enough. Lmaoooo.

It would have worked out better for her if she was a boy. JT had no competition, Ryan Gosling wasn't a singer. What sucked for her is that she couldn't outdance Britney and she couldn't outsing Christina. Eventually, Britney gained the upper hand over both of them and that's why Christina's team pushed her to dance so she could one up Britney. Unfortunately, she couldn't keep up and her live singing was horrible after busting a move.

1:25 and onward, it's like she's purposely trying everything and the kitchen sink

 

[fnfurter]

7 minutes ago, BoyToySoldier said:

It would have worked out better for her if she was a boy. JT had no competition, Ryan Gosling wasn't a singer. What sucked for her is that she couldn't outdance Britney and she couldn't outsing Christina. Eventually, Britney gained the upper hand over both of them and that's why Christina's team pushed her to dance so she could one up Britney. Unfortunately, she couldn't keep up and her live singing was horrible after busting a move.

1:25 and onward, it's like she's purposely trying everything and the kitchen sink

She really did.  She did that backward roll and I was like, girl, what? I don't remember that part. (To be fair, I literally only cared about the VMAs for Britney. I remember her performing with Fred, but I didn't remember the dancing and that roll on stage.) Back in those days I was solely about Britney because of the media and their whole "Britney vs. Christina" thing, and for some reason I believed I couldn't like both; but since BTB, I love and appreciate both. But yeah, even not being a Christina fan back in her prime, Jessica stood no chance between either of them.

[DoSomething954]

A mix between the songs and her dancing and energy on stage. Her pop songs stuck out more than the other girls to me. She seemed down to earth and could dance her *** off

[Curious_1110]

3 hours ago, BoyToySoldier said:

I was introduced to her after the Oops video came out. I saw that and Baby One More Time after and begged my mom to buy me her CD. She bought me both.

After that, the Britney era came which solidified her as that blonde *** symbol and I was hooked. I had never seen someone so confident and glamorous before. She was on another level, I would watch her dance and be mesmerized. I actually tried to teach myself the Pepsi choreography in front of the TV.

I think as a gay icon she represents what we all wanted to be growing up. We all wanted to be ****, we all wanted to be confident, we all wanted to be in control.

Her music has had an effect on me personally because each album was released during pivotal moments in my life that I can look back on. Baby-Britney for my childhood, Zone-Blackout my preteens, Circus-BJ my adolescence and Glory represents my college years now.

I was bullied during middle school and I remember Blackout being an escape mechanism for me because I was too scared to tell my parents or anyone else. It was like my own little world. So yeah, that album really helped me turn my mood around and made me happy. So it's always gonna be special to me. Looking back on it now, it's even more special knowing that Britney herself was going through her own troubles and was able to overcome them.

Sorry to hear about your being bullied but this was exactly the type of response I was looking for.

To me Britney's music is fun mindless pop - and I recognize her as a legend but I don't know anyone personally that could explain how she or her music has impacted them. I was the same way about Madonna until about 5-6 years ago when one of my more openly gay friends explained in great detail all that Madonna has done for the gay community and what that meant for him feeling more comfortable being himself ect. 

So having been there from pretty much the beginning I assume you kind of feel like you grew up with Britney in a sense? That probably makes you feel even more connected to her I guess..

[Curious_1110]

2 hours ago, fucknfurter said:

I really don't know why I opted to follow Britney instead of Christina, or Jessica, or Mandy. It just clicked and it happened, and I think her charisma and her passion had a lot to do with it, catchy hits aside. I remember her evolving in sound and style, growing up, and I remember all the fights that used to break out over it. (Not here; but at WOB. Yes, Britney fans have always fought, don't be so shocked.) I remember being totally for the change and wanting to continue growing with her. I know the reason I continued to follow her was because she kept me entertained; there was honestly no one like her back then. As a female, her music helped my confidence and the like.

Now.... I really enjoy the music. During the FF and BJ eras I sort of checked out; I bought both albums, but when I saw the MVs and the era as a whole, it just... It didn't feel right. I came back for Glory because things looked like they might be different, and they sort of were, but. I think it's more of, I've been following for so long that I don't know how to step away. I can check out again, but I know I'll always keep tabs on her no matter what.

From a female perspective how did her music help with your confidence? Any song in particular that sticks out?

 

[Dynasty]

I became a hardcore stan when she released slave 4 you. To me she was a role model, someone i mentally wanted to be some day. She was confident, hot, radiating, successful, capable and hardworking. She owned everything she did, and it was something i always wanted to be. That **** hot successful dude that makes people look at him when hes around, just like britney used to. And slave cemented that image in my head. 

Britney herself and her music helped me grow from a shy boy to a confident man with a pretty successful life, and i can never thank her enough. Her music, and her persona radiating through her music is what lead me to becoming who i am today, phisically and mentally. 

 

And  thats why i stick to her, gratitude and love, and i wanna thank you for reminding me why i love her by writing this