Do u miss "old" Britney? How did it feel to stan her at her prime?

[Look But Don't Touch]

Hello everyone 

I mentioned before that I became Britney fan at the beginning of 2020. So I totally don't remember early 2000s - Britney's prime as I was too young at that time unlike some experienced gays here 

Watching all of Britney's interviews, performances, listening her songs etc. from that time is really amazing and extremely inspiring. I love how at the time she was so young, s e x y (and she was so aware of it), confident in a healthy way, always smiling, having amazing charisma and SHE DIDN'T GIVE A **** at all about people's opinions, about dengerous parts of her tours like water, flying etc. She was just going through life as a woman that knew what she wanted, is extremely aware of her beauty, intelligence  and great at what she was doing. She was killing it. She really was everything people till this day want to be. There's no need to explain it. I've never seen that much of amazing charisma, beauty and positive energy in another human. She's a phenomenon. 

I feel like I lost so much and that must have been so much ******* fun to stan her in early 2000s  as she was really giving gays everything. And she was actually a pop star, now obvi she kinda already retired as there's no music in 5 years so maybe she'll come back someday but that's not a thread about it. Britney from early 2000s makes me feel full tbh so I don't wait for new music that much. Britney has changed through years LIKE CRAZY. We actually don't know what her personality is now as she doesn't do a lot. As someone said in Framing Britney Spears documentary "It's impossible to know her" but in early 2000s she was giving so much that people really could feel they knew her. Her energy was amazing.

I hate the fact that before 2007 she had that image of extremely s e x y, talented, young chick and now she has a image of some old crazy lady. Hate how people switched that for literally no reason. 

So my question:

Do u miss "old" Britney? How did it feel to stan her at her prime?

[GlitterSlayDExhaleHI]

We knew she was the **** but it was hard to appreciate it because fire is all we knew. Then a lot of disappointed fans through the years, starting with circus, got a lot of heat for wondering why she seemed so not into it (obviously the conservatorship has a lot to do with it). But every damn day since femme fatale interviews and tour has gotten worse. And worse. And worse. I’m not saying I don’t understand why, I’m just saying how it is. The one exception was 2016-2017 and that one brief time around Christmas when she had short hair did she seem like herself. Even in 2016 with the spark, the tour chroeo was so bad she couldn’t “be what she was”. I know she could be under all the right circumstances but **** - even in FTR, you know, A DECADE AND A HALF AGO - she felt like every day was Groundhog Day. I think she has learned to find peace so she can cope with everything that happens to her under the conservatorship. But I think it has broken her spirit. 

[rik]

She’s still in her prime omfg

[jordeezy river red]

I just miss Britney feeling open to us. IDK as much about the visuals, I just miss seeing her confident and being the leader we knew her to be for a brief period. 

[Soysaucechicken08]

I still remember running home to catch her on trl.I still remember going to McDonald's to get album cd. Or watching the vmas with the excitement knowing she would be performing and couldn't leave my tv screen in fear of missing it and each year all would wonder how she would put do herself.  My friends even had a vma party in 2007 for big comeback after a crazy year. She was the queen of spectacle. It was truly an amazing time seeing her in her prime but also very hard to live upto her own standards she set. Such an incredible fierce entertainer she was... She literally was a female Michael Jackson from 2000-2004.  
 

so yes I absolutely miss primeney but nothing in life last tbh. But I'm glad I experienced it 💕💕

[Million Billion]

Do I miss her? Ofc, every single day with all of my stan heart. What kind of question is this? But I wish she were free before thinking about an album, a song or anything music related 

Stanning her back then was amazing because it was slayage after slayage. We knew she always gave her 200% plus music industry was way different than now so each new event was bigger than now. With her on magazines, tv shows, interviews, on tour, music videos, commercials, award shows, she was everywhere. She was not just a successful popstar, she became a phenomenon, everyone knew about her from kids to adults. Her music was everywhere. 

BUT NOT EVERYTHING WAS POSITIVE she was (maybe) equaly loved and hated/criticized for everything. Since the Baby One More Time days for showing "some skin" to the 2000 Vmas performance, to the ***ualized new era with the Slave music video, parents claiming it was a bad role model for kids, they wanted her burned alive, the virginity thing, the Madonna kiss, her **** choreographies, the Jt break up, the way she dressed, the Onyx Hotel Tour, omg they wanted to burn her, the backlash was giant, it was just too much pressure. 

Our girl was a strong woman but the c-ship ruined everything. 

Had shee been free she would have fought harder. 

[ovoxo]

Ugh you just took me on a trip down memory lane   In hindsight, it’s basically exactly the way you described it. She was EVERYWHERE and always flawless. From toothbrushes, to notebooks her face was everywhere. At the time, I feel like full power Britney was all I knew, so I didn’t view her as “primeney” it was just Britney, who always brought her A game. I was so inspired by her confidence and the way she carried herself, still am tbh. 

[G-unit]

It was magic stanning her in her prime.  ESPECIALLY because social media/YouTube, etc didn’t exist or wasn’t a big thing yet.  There was such an aspect of mystery to celebrities.  They weren’t at your fingertips.  You knew very little about them.  You had to wait for the radio to play their new song...and hearing it would be a whole ordeal (especially to me lol).

Celebs are WAY too overexposed these days and there really isn’t that same feeling that I used to get back in the day.

Britney is Britney.  I wouldn’t say I miss the old Britney, because people are allowed to grow.  I’m happy she had her boys and took time to get married, even though it didn’t work out.  I’m glad she’s taking this time right now for herself, even if it is a form of protest...she really does seem to be living her best life...given the hand she’s been dealt.  I miss her freedom.  I miss the fact that she’s been robbed of 13 years of her life. Robbed of COMPLETE motherhood.  Since the conservatorship, she’s never been able to legally have custody of her children, who are very quickly nearing adult-age.  That’s what makes me the most sad.  She wanted children more than anything, and while I’m sure she cherishes every moment she’s had with her boys, it still makes me sad that she couldn’t call the shots for her kids like other mothers get to.

I do hope that one day this crap ends and she feels inspired to live her best, professional life again...but it wouldn’t surprise me if the time of her career spent in the conservatorship has completely ruined her outlook on her dreams.  But maybe if it ends, she’ll feel that spark and passion again.

[nthenwkiss]

think of her as of covid-19

- literally everyone in the world knew about her, she'd be the topic of the day after an award ceremony performance.

- no one was sure of what she was, but everyone had opinions and "facts" about her.

- she'd be incredibly loved, incredibly hated, incredibly celebrated, incredibly criticized, she'd be everything - alpha and omega.

- it was common for people to mention her on a daily basis as if it was the weather; its cold today, btw did you see Britney's new video?

and so much more that i cant even put into words, but one thing is true tho' we didn't know any other britney, she wasn't primeney for us, she was just her.... and like everybody knew madonna and others were also big, but at the time, other celebs didn't even matter.

[NotBuyingIt]

I became a fan at 9 years old in 1999 and what I miss the most is her genuine connection with her fans. I don’t care if she never performs, records, etc. again. I just miss her.

[Freakshow__]

I’ve been a fan since BOMT and that “old Britney” (1999-2004) really seems like it was a billion years ago. She was the number one pop star in the whole world and there was no one like her. Music videos, performances, looks, everything. It was magical cause there was so much promotion, always something new and she seemed so into it. I feel Lucky to have experienced that.

[MissSpearsSaysSo]

Britney will be remembered as a strong, talented, focused and devoted artist who loves her fans, and that is a fact!
 

Britney was so incredibly huge and popular worldwide, it’s almost hard to describe it. But she really was everywhere and a Constant topic people were talking about, because every little thing she did, like a performance or a messy tabloid story was judged so harshly. The media was changing and becoming a lot more intrusive. but she always shined and performed so highly above anything said or thrown at her. She was such a professional and you could see it. 
 

Watching Britney on television was like witnessing something out of a little Fantasy, or something that was so ridiculously cool, that it couldn’t possibly be real. The hype around her was always huge, and she kinda had you always obsessed and guessing what she would do next. The public images that pop stars have today aren’t the same as it was back then, back in the early 2000s it was all about her, and it was like she was so perfect that she wasn’t a real person.

 

So, I missed seeing her first 3 VMAs on TV, but I was Lucky enough to see her kiss Madonna, watching live on my aunts the set. People were talking about it for months.. it was kinda crazy. The media was obsessed with her and she was getting so big that they were starting to not enjoy that and then it became cool to hate on Britney. But fortunately, that has changed and for the most part, I think people love her again, and it means more these days to love and support Britney. 
 

Apart from like, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley/Hanna Montana, and  1 Direction there hasn’t been anyone else who’s come close to her legacy, musical impact, and her level dancing, video and live performances. She came out during the time of the boy band craze and she garnered more attention than all of them. She worked so hard, and everyone always spoke about her drive and dedication and how truly private and humble age is. Britney deserved every praise and reward she got. There will never be another Britney. 
 

 

[OCBoy1985]

I became a fan of Britney in late 1999 after she dropped the remix to Crazy, Sometimes made me notice her but Crazy made me a fan not Baby.

I think back then being fan was just better in general because U had MTV, BET & VH1 were still music focused and rushing home to see TRL OR 106 N Park was amazing and exciting.  Then U had MTV Cribs, Diary, the fabulous life of on VH1 I believe everything was just better back then and music wasn't as microwaveable like it is today.

Britney was in her prime the no.1 female in the world I would say and she had record companies trying to find they own Britney (Pink, Jessica Simpson, screamTina, Mandy Moore etc) and at the award shows everyone always wanted to see what she would do next.  Just like how Beyonce is now when she performs!

I feel like things were bigger back then and meant more without the internet/social media leaking everything.

I will also say that Pop stars have it WAY WAY easier than when Britney was in her prime in the early 2000s and the 90s.   Nowadays EVERYONE gets a standing ovation, everyone gets awarded and everyone gets good reviews and its much easier to chart nowadays too.    In Britney hey days Pop stars didn't get good reviews, and U didn't get a standing ovation unless U really KILLED it.  These Pop stars have it EASY nowadays.

[HIM]

I didn’t understand her magnitude bc I was only a kid. For me she was just a normal celebrity. It wasn’t until years later and with hindsight I realized how massive she was. 
 

Listening to Oops album on my Walkman were the days. Trying to dance YDMC choreography with the gay cousins, buying Crossroads from Target when they had their movies closer to the front and not in the back where they have it now, they were white shelves and multiple aisles of movies. I would find her music on jukeboxes at pizza places and be too shy to play them but I was there flipping the discs to see BOMT and OIDIA track list 

[jonloch1]

yeh i do. sometime last year i watched Time Out with Britney Spears and Live and More! for the first time in years and years, and it really broke my heart because it was like watching a completely different person. Even watching interviews she did during ITZ era, shes so bubbly and enthuasistic and now, god knows if/when shes ever gunna perform or do new music again  

[OCBoy1985]

56 minutes ago, HIM said:

I didn’t understand her magnitude bc I was only a kid. For me she was just a normal celebrity. It wasn’t until years later and with hindsight I realized how massive she was. 
 

Listening to Oops album on my Walkman were the days. Trying to dance YDMC choreography with the gay cousins, buying Crossroads from Target when they had their movies closer to the front and not in the back where they have it now, they were white shelves and multiple aisles of movies. I would find her music on jukeboxes at pizza places and be too shy to play them but I was there flipping the discs to see BOMT and OIDIA track list 

I remember walking to school in elementary school (5th grade) in 1996 listening to Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown debut albums that I saved my money for and bought the cassette tape  😂😭😂

I remember getting The Opps, Britney and ITZ albums that Friday before they were released.   It was this record store here in Philly and they would put the albums out early or if U called and asked for it they would sale it to you!

Those were the days when U would rush to the CD store look around at all the music and buy Britney new album and listening to it on the ride home and looking at the booklet.   It was really an experience that kids today will never understand, its not the same waiting for 12 am and clicking or tapping on your phone or laptop to stream your favorite artist.

[GlitterSlayDExhaleHI]

It’s weird to think this ****ery has been going on so long that her prime worldwide superstar days now seems like just a short, brief period. 1999-2004. Just five years. Obviously circus tour was a huge success, but the blastoff to superstardom was, relatively, short lived. What’s crazy is she was NONSTOP for the entire 5 years though. Can’t imagine how tiring that must’ve been. But I think when everything is so new and you’re so young it’s somewhat easier to keep up the stamina / momentum. They work these stars to death because they know it won’t last forever. Just like how Bieber was getting exhausted and breaking down. And many others. 

[HIM]

1 hour ago, OCBoy1985 said:

I remember walking to school in elementary school (5th grade) in 1996 listening to Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown debut albums that I saved my money for and bought the cassette tape  😂😭😂

I remember getting The Opps, Britney and ITZ albums that Friday before they were released.   It was this record store here in Philly and they would put the albums out early or if U called and asked for it they would sale it to you!

Those were the days when U would rush to the CD store look around at all the music and buy Britney new album and listening to it on the ride home and looking at the booklet.   It was really an experience that kids today will never understand, its not the same waiting for 12 am and clicking or tapping on your phone or laptop to stream your favorite artist.

You are right, it’s not the same. Nowadays you stream and you’re done. Listen to it every hour and so often but back then it was a whole *** experience!! You studied the album, track by track on the stereo, the booklet, the lyrics, it all was part of the fun. Having something physically doesn’t compare to having everything be a file among others in a computer/phone. 

[MyAccountGotBanned]

Through 1999-2004 fans complained heavily about lyp syncing and lack of depth and artistry when compared to whar Christina and Justin were putting out and Britney was kind still doing the same thing.
 

it was a great time to be a Stan but there were definitely lots of backlash, debating and discussion about everything she did.
 

Everyone would talk **** at school or the media and you didn’t really have that much to back her up as far as talent etc.

I remember the not a girl ama performance being a big deal cause she was covered and singing live . 

we had to resort to videos of her singing as a child to show that she wasn’t an industry puppet 

 

it was cool to not like her, people would wear spear Britney shirts … she was the definition of mainstream and easily digestible that you were a nerd to Stan for her 

[LikeShatteredGlass]

I’ll probably get dragged for this, but it was fun until it wasn’t fun.

Early Britney was literally everywhere. This was amazing for my BOMT Stan days. When I tell you I rushed to get the BOMT CD single, then the album, then tour tickets. I couldn’t get enough Britney and for years there was more than enough Britney music, content, merch, and appearances to go around. 

Enter the ITZ era. It was too much. So much Britney in so many different places. The promo started to feel forced. The media and public started turning on her. Britney started speaking up (yes, queen, finally) and acting out, even before k fed. For all her success, and for all the great tracks we got during ITZ, it started to feel like her team over saturated Britney the brand and you couldn’t blink without seeing her. 

Blackout felt like she was back. Gimme more came out and I had renewed faith. But we all know how that one goes.