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Britney
Spears: It's My Life |
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by
VH1 Staff
Britney Spears probably
isn’t used to falling behind. But in this year of teen idol
reinvention, where everyone from Justin Timberlake to Jessica
Simpson has managed to amend their public persona for the
better, she’s somehow stayed the same. The hot
magazine
covers and MTV smooch with Madonna reconfirmed her as one of the
most scrutinized individuals on the planet. But what’s really
new about Brit?
At last, we’re getting some answers with her fourth album In
the Zone - and it turns out that when she grows up, Britney
wants to be … well, a bit of everything. She’s naughty like
Christina Aguilera, asking for help with her zipper on
“Showdown” and saluting masturbation on “Touch of My Hand.” Like
Justin, she also calls in the A-list hit-makers. R. Kelly bumps
up the saucy “Outrageous” and Moby contributes the blissed-out
trance of “Early Mornin’.”
She doesn’t take her old boyfriend’s “Cry Me a River” diss lying
down, either, but rather than getting mad, the ballad
“Everytime” begs his forgiveness. Maybe for this 21-year-old,
growing up means maturing emotionally as well as sexually. In a
recent press conference, Spears responded to criticism of her
image and lip syncing, shared some of her favorite reading, and
revealed what she takes from Avril Lavigne.
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Is it getting harder or easier to keep reinventing yourself?
Britney Spears: No, that's the funnest part about what I
do. I get to direct my shows, and come up with different
outfits. It's like being an art director. It's called being an
artist. I don't find it hard to do. I mean, I pray to God I
don't have writer's block, and thankfully I haven't.
What inspired you to be more open about the subject of sex
and relationships this time around?
BS: I'm getting older, and I think it’s a natural thing
to indulge in yourself and have those thoughts.
Are you afraid you’ll lose your younger fans because of the
album’s sexual material?
BS: I don't want to be responsible for young people. I
love kids and I think they're great. But I'm getting older, so
the things that I talk about aren’t going to relate to a
seven-year-old.
Your career seems to be putting more emphasis on your
sexuality and publicity stunts like the MTV Awards kiss.
BS: Well, I can't help that. I'm out there doing my
thing, and people are like, “Do you think she's trying to make
this big publicity thing?” No. I'm just doing my job. I'm
performing. I'm not the one putting it all over the papers. So
if you think it's me trying to make a publicity stunt - hell no,
I'm just doing my job. It's you guys making a big deal out of
it.
Your pastor recently said he was disappointed with your
image. What did you think of his reaction?
BS: You can't go around pleasing everyone. That's his
opinion. I don't understand what exactly about my image that
he's taken aback with. I'm just a person and I have to express
myself that way. He has his beliefs and I have mine. His belief
system is Baptist. If you think about [it], religion is the
thing that's causing wars right now.
What songs are most meaningful to you on In the Zone?
BS: “Touch of My Hand,” because it was one of the first
songs. It and “Everytime” really laid the foundation for the
rest of the album. I really love the vibe of “Touch of My Hand.”
I love the subject, because no one's really talked about some of
those things. People are scared to go there. I think it's an
empowering thing for girls. “Everytime” is a really nice song,
because it's personal in a weird way. It's one of the songs that
when you hear [it], it's like when you go to heaven. It takes
you away.
Can
you share with us an emotional high and low that you were going
through while creating this album?
BS: I was going through a bunch of weird stuff. Sometimes
you get overwhelmed with being able to do whatever you want to
do. You're like, “Oh my gosh, what direction do I want to take?”
It was such an emotional journey doing the whole record, but
it's like therapy being able to put it out there right now and
share it with people.
How else do you get through low emotional periods other than
writing songs?
BS: I love doing yoga. I'm like a stretch-a-holic. I love
to paint and do art. And swim as well. And I read a lot of
books. I love to read.
What are some of the books you’ve read recently?
BS: I love [Eckhart Tolle’s] The Power of Now and
[Don Miguel Ruiz’s] The Four Agreements. One of my
favorites is a Kabbalah book called Taming Chaos [by Rav
P.S. Berg]. It's kind of deep and dark, but I like weird books
like that. That's one of my favorites, so go get it!
“Everytime” talks about the downsides of relationships when
you're living life in the fast lane. Do you get tired of
short-lived flirtations?
BS: It’s a downside, but it’s reality. We all have those
points in our lives, but you have to learn from those
experiences to help you better yourself. I'm trying to learn
right now to be a little bit more open, and do the dating thing.
People are trying to teach me, but it’s a hard process. I think
opening up to a different person, letting yourself go and being
vulnerable is hard for some people.
What kind of things were you looking for in your
collaborators?
BS: Well, the Moby thing kind of fell in to my lap. I was
excited about that because I've heard of stuff that he's done
with Gwen Stefani. He really works well with women. Sometimes,
you don't want to be in reality and music takes us out of it. He
has a good way of doing that on a spiritual level, so I was
really excited about working with him.
Given R. Kelly's legal situation, did you hesitate to work
with him?
BS: I know he has the personal thing going on. But I
think he's a very talented guy, and I thought the song was cute.
I really didn't pay attention to the controversy because that's
not what it's about. I like to flirt.
Do you lip sync when you’re performing?
BS: No, I don't lip sync. I think the reason why people
say that is because I am dancing a lot. There are parts where
the background vocals and the chorus definitely come up, but
that doesn't mean that I'm not singing. It's just you're dancing
so much that you have to have support in the choruses. I think
sometimes people like to pick people apart because they're
jealous or whatever - you tell me.
Is In the Zone part of a backlash against the old
Britney Spears?
BS: No. I'm always going to be me, but we change everyday
and express ourselves in different ways. I'm not anti-Britney at
all. I totally love everything that I've ever done. That was me
at that moment in that time, and that's what I believed in. So I
don't regret the things that I did in the past.
What do you think of other artists who represent themselves
as the anti-Britney?
BS: Avril Lavigne and those girls all have their game and
what they do. But at the end of the day we're all the same. When
I see Avril Lavigne or Gwen Stefani or Christina Aguilera on TV,
I take pieces from them. I don't copy their music, but I see
emotions in their music that inspire me. Instead of girls being
like anti-this or anti-that, we should support and inspire each
other. |
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