In The Zone turns 20 years: Celebrate Telling Us Your Memories!

[Fita]

Hey!

In The Zone made TWENTY YEARS of existence in november this year. Can you believe it?

In her 4th studio album, our Britney decided to try a different sound and she was really experimenting there. There were producers like Moby (Early Morning), the great duo Bloodshy & Avant who produced the celebrated grammy-winner Toxic and some other heavy urban elements in songs like Showdown, I Got That (Boom Boom) (which was featured on White Chicks movie ), Outrageous (R. Kelly, Trixter/Magnet)...

If Britney had been chosen as The Notebook star we wouldn't have this album as it was, and Britney was happy to record it. 

We had music videos of MATM featuring Madonna, Toxic, Everytime (videos in the end of topic), ABC Special, Performance at Times Square... TRL appearences and others like On Air with Ryan Seacrest (around 2004 already)...

 

A very popular - among fans - showcase of in Rain Palms (video in the end of topic).

 

The Onyx Hotel Tour which Britney looked and danced AMAZING (but she hated this tour as she wrote on the book)...

 

This awesome outfit/look from this American Music Awards 2003 which she performed Toxic...

 

I used to dance in front on TV watching the ITZ DVD trying to do Britney's steps and I SWEATED, lol.

Tell us, what are you memories related to that era? Do you have any favs? 

 

Official Music Videos (except for Outrageous which wasn't released as we know):

 

ABC Special & Rehearsals of it:

 

Las Vegas Rain Palms' Showcase:

 

...And a few other pictures of moments the era including her star of fame as the youngest to achieve it at 21 years old: 

 

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by Fita

[setlimitations]

God, too many memories that all run together.  I am not much younger than her so these were my PARTY years.  If y’all think Britney has trouble with memories and time…y’all would really think I have dementia 

Edited November 17, 2023 by setlimitations

[Fita]

7 minutes ago, setlimitations said:

God, too many memories that all run together.  I am not much younger than her so these were my PARTY years.  If y’all think Britney has trouble with memories and time…y’all would really think I have dementia 

ITZ definitely one of my favorite eras! And you're right, gosh, there were a lot of promo done. No wonder Britney didn't want to do the Onyx Hotel Tour too, she had already done performances, interviews, photoshoots, recording the album and there was the breakup with Justin that hadn't healed yet at that point... 

[MikeHunt]

I remember hearing Breathe On Me as a kid and knowing it’s a segxy song and wanting to one day, fuq to it. And that one day finally happened and I felt so primal, segxy and empowered  Thank you Britney for that musical gem! 

[PrinceAli89]

I still can’t believe it’s been 20 years since this masterpiece of an album was released! Such a magical, incredible time to be a fan. She was truly at her creative peak as an artist and on top of her game during this era! 
 

I remember going to my local Circuit City to buy this album when it first came out. It was released in the US on Tuesday, November 18th, 2003. I remember replaying it in my portable CD player over and over and OVER again. To be honest, I almost feel like I sort of over listened to the album if that’s possible. 
 

I know I watched the In The Zone DVD 891028 times. I probably drove my parents crazy watching it in our living room and then immediately replaying it once it was finished. 
 

As for the Onyx Hotel tour, I also watched the showtime special millions of times. I remember recording it on VHS and just rewatching over and over again. I remember I was a little upset that she colored her hair but now I’m used to it. I actually permanently associate the tour with her chocolate brown hair now. I had tickets to see the show on my birthday that year but unfortunately the tour was cancelled which was very disappointing at the time. I remember the local newspaper saying she faked her injury to get out of the tour and as a fan I was disappointed in her at the time thinking this was true. However I was a young ignorant 13 year old boy that didn’t understand lol.

 

I could go on and on with my personal memories but yes this was a magical era and a great time in my own personal life as well. I wish we got some sort of In The Zone 20th Anniversary celebration edition 

[90's barbie]

Tbh please someone help me but i got the cd on my first ''comunion''...it was from a cousin and her bf, along with Sophie Ellis bextor album...both were copy's but i was so so so happy ☺️❤️

Going out of church to a bland party where my parents fight till 4 am ,dad leaving telling he was going to crash his car, me crying in my poor mother arms...,and the next day helping my emotions listening to that album on my portable cd player was heaven

[Fita]

6 minutes ago, PrinceAli89 said:

I still can’t believe it’s been 20 years since this masterpiece of an album was released! Such a magical, incredible time to be a fan. She was truly at her creative peak as an artist and on top of her game during this era! 
 

I remember going to my local Circuit City to buy this album when it first came out. It was released in the US on Tuesday, November 18th, 2003. I remember replaying it in my portable CD player over and over and OVER again. To be honest, I almost feel like I sort of over listened to the album if that’s possible. 
 

I know I watched the In The Zone DVD 891028 times. I probably drove my parents crazy watching it in our living room and then immediately replaying it once it was finished. 
 

As for the Onyx Hotel tour, I also watched the showtime special millions of times. I remember recording it on VHS and just rewatching over and over again. I remember I was a little upset that she colored her hair but now I’m used to it. I actually permanently associate the tour with her chocolate brown hair now. I had tickets to see the show on my birthday that year but unfortunately the tour was cancelled which was very disappointing at the time. I remember the local newspaper saying she faked her injury to get out of the tour and as a fan I was disappointed in her at the time thinking this was true. However I was a young ignorant 13 year old boy that didn’t understand lol.

 

I could go on and on with my personal memories but yes this was a magical era and a great time in my own personal life as well. I wish we got some sort of In The Zone 20th Anniversary celebration edition 

Wow, loved to read your memories here. I was 9 years old when ITZ came out. And the first thing I ever saw of Britney was the Toxic video which my father introduced me (what I think it's funny because he used to be kind of 'no no, Britney Spears isn't a man-type-of-song, but now he's totally fine with me being gay and Britney, haha). But I only watched it like in 2004. In that era she was ethereal. ****. A super dancer!!! Sweating and effortless... Oh, man. And the toxic video will never be beaten. It's iconic, periodt. Thanks for sharing!

Oh and I watched sooooooooo many times the ITZ DVD like you too! 

Edited November 17, 2023 by Fita

[Fita]

5 minutes ago, 90's barbie said:

Tbh please someone help me but i got the cd on my first ''comunion''...it was from a cousin and her bf, along with Sophie Ellis bextor album...both were copy's but i was so so so happy ☺️❤️

Going out of church to a bland party where my parents fight till 4 am ,dad leaving telling he was going to crash his car, me crying in my poor mother arms...,and the next day helping my emotions listening to that album on my portable cd player was heaven

If only Britney knew how much she was part of people's lives and helped or at least stayed with her voice there to distract them from their pain like you, right? 

[90's barbie]

1 hour ago, Fita said:

Hey!

In The Zone made TWENTY YEARS of existence in november this year. Can you believe it?

In her 4th studio album, our Britney decided to try a different sound and she was really experimenting there. There were producers like Moby (Early Morning), the great duo Bloodshy & Avant who produced the celebrated grammy-winner Toxic and some other heavy urban elements in songs like Showdown, I Got That (Boom Boom) (which was featured on White Chicks movie ), Outrageous (R. Kelly, Trixter/Magnet)...

If Britney had been chosen as The Notebook star we wouldn't have this album as it was, and Britney was happy to record it. 

We had music videos of MATM featuring Madonna, Toxic, Everytime (videos in the end of topic), ABC Special, Performance at Times Square... TRL appearences and others like On Air with Ryan Seacrest (around 2004 already)...

 

A very popular - among fans - showcase of in Rain Palms (video in the end of topic).

 

The Onyx Hotel Tour which Britney looked and danced AMAZING (but she hated this tour as she wrote on the book)...

 

This awesome outfit/look from this American Music Awards 2003 which she performed Toxic...

 

I used to dance in front on TV watching the ITZ DVD trying to do Britney's steps and I SWEATED, lol.

Tell us, what are you memories related to that era? Do you have any favs? 

 

Official Music Videos (except for Outrageous which wasn't released as we know):

 

ABC Special & Rehearsals of it:

 

Las Vegas Rain Palms' Showcase:

 

...And a few other pictures of moments the era including her star of fame as the youngest to achieve it at 21 years old: 

 

 

I have to thank you ,no matter what it means to you, you helped me going trough memory lane ,wich was blocked for son long...so i'ts good to know i Can let it go and focus on what healed my Heart ❤️

[Fita]

24 minutes ago, MikeHunt said:

I remember hearing Breathe On Me as a kid and knowing it’s a segxy song and wanting to one day, fuq to it. And that one day finally happened and I felt so primal, segxy and empowered  Thank you Britney for that musical gem! 

Monogamy is the way to go.................just put your lips together.........................and blow...................................................

It was definitely a performance we wouldn't want to watch around our parents (awkward)

And I think I kind of had a desire to have s3x listening to that song too, lol. Like an achievement haha

Edited November 17, 2023 by Fita

[BreeC]

My friend was getting married in Vegas when this album was coming out. I listened to it the flight there and back and anytime in between.  It remains my fav album and era. I’m sorry she was having personal struggles at this time. All I remember is she was 🔥.

[jordeezy river red]

I remember we had a Sam Goody in my town and they had a beautiful promo poster and I begged for it and they wouldn't let me have it. I was in 9th grade. The first time I heard the album was in Theater class...this older ghey guy played it and I started bopping so hard to "Boom Boom" and this blotch in my class said, "no, don't you bop your head to that." I hated her...she was a bully. Yeah...I was in my shy, awkward, 14-year-old church boy realizing I am gay phase. This album gave me life while I was alone in my bedroom tho. Honestly...I don't look back fondly on those years. It makes me sad. 

[Fita]

9 minutes ago, Y2Gay jordeezy said:

I remember we had a Sam Goody in my town and they had a beautiful promo poster and I begged for it and they wouldn't let me have it. I was in 9th grade. The first time I heard the album was in Theater class...this older ghey guy played it and I started bopping so hard to "Boom Boom" and this blotch in my class said, "no, don't you bop your head to that." I hated her...she was a bully. Yeah...I was in my shy, awkward, 14-year-old church boy realizing I am gay phase. This album gave me life while I was alone in my bedroom tho. Honestly...I don't look back fondly on those years. It makes me sad. 

Hey, wow, I appreciate your honesty. I did have my sort of shy awkward gay boy phase too. It's bad, I hated people implying that I was gay with their laughters, mocking me, their faces, etc. The bullying, to summarize it. I didn't even know about it, my own ***uality, it wasn't the time. Nobody has the right to tell me about my ***uality unless I ask to. It only hurt when people did that. And the whole self-esteem, puberty, hormones, ni--pples. Yeah. Then in 2011, high school senior year, I started to dance again really hard to Britney's songs specially the ITZ DVD 📀, the femme fatale album, specially ttwe and HIAM, but also the femme fatale tour. I danced so hard that my chest started looking different, slightly tougher or skinner, because of TTWE moves in that line Ooooh Ooooh whoooooaaaa. Haha, yeah. I LOVE to dance and Britney was kinda like that girl that invited/asked me out to dance one more time. And I wanna dance till the last day. ITZ era is my favorite I believe. I hope you're feeling stronger and powerful now like Britney seemed to be in that era onstage. If not, that's okay, too. But you can find it.

[HIM]

I was 8 years old and I picked it up at Walmart but then put it down. I wanted it but I was also obsessed with this record too at the time 

[The Femme Fatale]

I remember my mom and I went to Walmart and she bought me the CD. I remember putting it in my walkman and listening to it and being blown away by the masterpiece that is Toxic and said to myself that she needed to release this song and then she did and I was excited.

I liked a few other songs, like Breathe On Me and Brave New Girl, but I was still only a kid with a somewhat childlike innocence so I didn’t fully grasp the ***ual nature of the songs on there like Touch Of My Hand.

It’s funny how parents freak out over their kids being exposed to ***ual stuff, but tbh it goes right over your head at that age most of the time unless it’s blatantly obvious. Like some of the cartoons I watched I didn’t know had a lot of ***ual innuendos until I grew up lol.

Like I watched Titanic as a kid and the s** scene in the car went right over my head lol. I just liked the ship and the imagery.

Edited November 17, 2023 by The Femme Fatale

[SJK]

I remember I was heading into my freshman year of college that year. 

Her on spankin new music week on TRL was a major highlight, of course the ABC special and  ITZ and out all night, where she went to different gay bars in manhattan. 

I played the hell outta that CD when it came out. I’m one of the people that loves MATM. This whole album is legit, loved that she experimented way more. 

Definitely my favorite album of hers after “Britney”.  

[Emil87]

All happy memories. I was about 14/15 at the time and I just remember being really excited for the album after hearing a preview on TRL. Something I love about Britney’s albums is the consistency, not only are the singles grade A, but the entire albums as well. She was/is very much an albums artist.

Not gonna lie, I wasn’t exactly in love with MATM, and even started to doubt if Britney could deliver the same quality 4 albums in. And then oops, she did it again. Shame on me for ever doubting her. I fell in love with the album instantly. I remember first hearing “Everytime” live on SNL, and it was just magical. That’s when I realized she’s still got “it”. Songs like “Touch of My Hand” and “The Hook  Up” had me hooked at first listen. Other songs (Toxic) took me some time to really appreciate. I wish I could go back and hear the album again for the first time!

Overall, I was very happy with the album and its success. It was truly her full transition into adulthood, musically speaking. It was definitely a proud moment, as a fan.

I still love the album to this day.