Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American pop music singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and author. Her debut album ...Baby One More Time, released in January 1999, propelled her to international stardom. It spawned its five singles, including "...Baby One More Time", which topped the Billboard Hot 100. She released her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again in May of 2000 with similar success. Her third album Britney was released in November 2001, followed by the release of her fourth album In The Zone in November 2003. The album's breakout single "Toxic" was an international success and has won Spears her first ever Grammy Award. The collection Greatest Hits: My Prerogative was released in November 2004 followed by a remix album B in the Mix: The Remixes a year later and a brief career break. Her fifth album Blackout was released worldwide in October 2007, with the lead single "Gimme More" earning success at worldwide charts.

Spears has sold over 83 million records worldwide according to Zomba Label Group. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ranks her as the eighth best-selling female artist in American music history, having sold 31 million albums in the U.S. Spears's fame in the music industry has led her to experiment with other forms of media, including film and television. As an actress, she is most noted for her starring role in the 2002 movie Crossroads. Spears has also made guest appearances in various movie and television programs. Her success as a singer led her to several high-profile advertising deals and endorsements including her own perfume line.

Spears's personal life has gained much attention from the media as a result of her stardom. In particular, her marriage to Kevin Federline in 2004. She gave birth to her first child Sean Preston in 2005, and to her second child, Jayden James in 2006. Her divorce of Federline in November of the same year was highly publicized, as was the legal battle for the custody of their two sons. Throughout 2007, Spears has been the subject of media scrutiny due to a series of controversial behavior in public.