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Britney Spears, the princess of pop, has—despite her stumbles—always delivered in music video form. These days she’s found a new source of creativity on Instagram, offering fascinating peeks into her world through short workout videos, Doolittle reviews, and fashion shots. And now that everyone’s at home with a lot of time on their hands, Britney included, it seems as good a time as any to look back at the singer’s iconic music video offerings to see how she—and we—have grown through the years.
Below, a complete history of Britney Spears’ music videos.
“…Baby One More Time” (1998)
As Fabolous would say, “Often imitated, never duplicated.” This video is a classic and was instantly iconic as soon as it premiered. “…Baby One More Time” is an incredibly catchy song on its own, but the music video is what truly put Britney on the map—and on the rocket ship to superstardom. What more can be said about the schoolgirl outfits, the fuzzy pink pigtail holders, the basketball, that hasn’t been covered? As far as first impressions go, they may never top this.
“Sometimes” (1999)
Britney’s bare midriff continued on its hot streak in “Sometimes.” This video, I think, is singlehandedly responsible for crop tops becoming a huge thing in 1999. Even though “Sometimes” is a ballad, Britney managed to work in a white-clad dance troupe to bust some moves on a boardwalk—and that’s why she’s the world’s greatest entertainer.
“You Drive Me Crazy” (1999)
At this point Britney was clearly ready to have some fun. It was finally time to see the goofy side of Britney in all her gum-chewing glory. The pigtails are back, the exposure is high, and Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier make the most 1999 cameos of all time. “Crazy” also offers what is now known as a Britney trademark: her signature “stop!” and slow swoop forward on a chair for optimal cleavage teasing.
“Born to Make You Happy” (1999)
In what mostly seems like foreshadowing to “Oops!…I Did It Again,” Britney serves a lot of leather LOOKS, some slightly awkward choreography, and very random (but much appreciated) cutaways to a ripped male torso. Watching this video, it’s easy to see why we all thought metallic eyeshadow was a totally appropriate daytime look.
“From the Bottom of My Broken Heart” (1999)
Maybe Britney was tired of showing off her dance moves in music videos, because “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart” marks a shift into focusing on her acting. The now overused music video cliché of lip syncing and longingly looking into the camera was basically invented by Britney in this video. “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart” also cemented the singer as a style chameleon: As soon as I saw her pull off a green fleece bucket hat, I knew she was a star to be reckoned with.
“Oops!…I Did It Again” (2000)
Rewatching the “Oops!” video is like taking a time machine to a world where everything was right and nothing hurt. Britney in a red leather jumpsuit is how we all deserve to be remembered: vivacious, silly, lusted after by a hot astronaut. This is a perfect song, a perfect video, and a perfect encapsulation of why Britney had the worldwide impact she did. If you didn’t attempt to learn Britney’s “Oops!…I Did It Again” arm choreography, did you ever truly live?
“Lucky” (2000)
“Lucky” was our first taste of biographical emo Britney. This video has a fabulously meta plot that seemingly took place in the 1940s, which meant we got to see Britney in sweeping Sunset Boulevard sleeping gowns and Veronica Lake–inspired hair. Looking back, “Lucky” was an almost too obvious cry for help—maybe that’s why we ignored it for so long? Or maybe we were just distracted by the star swipes.
“Stronger” (2000)
“Stronger” demonstrated Britney’s growth in music videos from a codependent basket case (“…Baby One More Time”) to…well, stronger. So strong, in fact, that we learned Britney didn’t even need backup dancers! All we need is Britney, a chair, and an all-black room to make our lives a little bit better for three and a half minutes.
“Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know” (2001)
Previously, all Britney got to share with her onscreen beaus were a few chaste kisses, some hand-holding, and a weird pillow fight. “Don’t Let Me Be the Last to Know” was Britney telling us that not only did she know what sex was, she was having it—often—on the beach! Of course, Britney was infamously coy in real life about sex stuff (as she had every right to be—everyone’s obsession with her virginity was gross).
“I’m a Slave 4 U” (2001)
This video cemented what Britney fans already knew was brewing: Britney was done with the cutesy kid-friendly pop star stuff and ready to be unveiled as a smoking hot sex symbol. The sweat, the orgy, the lowest cut pants of all time, the abs! This is what passed as controversial and “too hot” in 2001. How far we’ve come.
“Overprotected” (2001)
At this point Britney dropped the pretense of “Lucky” and was full-on telling us how fed up she was with being a media sensation for doing little more than growing up. She did so with her tried-and-true formula: Britney. Chair. Dancing. She mixed it up a little by dancing on a chaise longue as well!
“I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” (2002)
An accompanying piece to the Shonda Rhimes–penned Crossroads, “Not a Girl” was an anthem for young women everywhere who found themselves in that strange space between girl and adulthood. This is a notable video for the “bleached blonde hair and eyebrows” look Britney popularized. Also, doesn’t it seem as though this is where The Bachelor got the idea for leaving contestants on majestic, abandoned natural wonders?
“I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” (2002)
Another Crossroads soundtrack fulfillment, the music video for “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” was Britney’s chance to feel like a true rock star. She fronts a band (!)—something that has never before been seen in her videos—writhes on a motorcycle, and demonstrates some pretty impressive cat/cow positions on the ground. What a limber lower back!
“Boys” (2002)
“Boys” is an extremely underrated video in Britney’s canon. It has everything: awesome dancing, a CGI castle, Pharrell whispering sweet nothings, cameos by Austin Powers and DJ Qualls, Britney being all horny, and multiple zebras. How fun is it to see Britney goof around with Mike Myers? Why aren’t there more movie-character cameos in music videos? As usual, Britney is a pioneer.
“Me Against the Music” (2003)
Britney’s love for Madonna was well-publicized, and in “Me Against the Music,” she finally had her chance to collaborate with the pop veteran. At the time, this video was thought of as somewhat lackluster, considering it contained two of the biggest singers-who-dance of all time, and it’s clear they were never on set at the same time. There’s only so much that body-double work and camera angles can make up for, and the lack of sizzle from Britney and Madonna’s true chemistry shows. Britney’s dancing in the flophouse is fun, though!
“Toxic” (2004)
The “Toxic” music video was the dizzying high Britney reached before it all came crashing down. “Toxic” had several great set pieces (airplanes! Paris! motorcycles! the side of a skyscraper!), phenomenal outfits, and wigs that were to die for. And Britney writhing in an all-diamond outfit is still the Halloween costume we wish we were ballsy enough to wear. “Toxic” looks still get referenced by fans today (ahem, Taylor Swift) and this is without a doubt the best music video of 2004.
“Everytime” (2004)
Another ballad, another cry for help in music video form that we ignored. We follow Britney through Vegas as she’s hounded by the paparazzi, a bad boyfriend, and her own demons. This video was dark. Britney gets a piece of glass lodged in her head and then drowns in a bathtub, people. And she still gets no peace from the public. Looking back on this video, Britney needed a break, y’all.
“Outrageous” (2004)
As fun as it is to see Britney love up on Snoop Dogg, this video feels like a bit of an afterthought—a “why not” video for the last single from In the Zone.
“My Prerogative” (2005)
At this point, Britney and Kevin Federline had become a thing, and the Britney we had come to know and love began to flounder. Emboldened by her second marriage, Britney started the more rebellious part of her career and life, as visualized in the “My Prerogative” video. Britney crashes her car into a pool at a spooky house (which feels weirdly prescient to the theatrical experience “Sleep No More”), is filmed bed-dancing for some exhibitionist, and more.
“Do Somethin’” (2005)
This should have been Britney’s big moment, but it was more of a tepid shrug. It’s same old, same old. Fans began to wonder: Is Britney spending too much time with Kevin to evolve?
“Gimme More” (2007)
Aaaaand here was our answer: Britney evolved all right—at this point, she was a mother of two, had a reality show, was hounded by increasingly dangerous and volatile paparazzi, shaved her head, and had been to rehab twice. The video for “Gimme More” is not quite the disaster that was her 2007 VMAs performance, but it’s also not the return to form everyone was hoping for after such a tumultuous period in Britney’s life.
“Piece of Me” (2007)
Luckily “Piece of Me” came along and salvaged the Blackout era. Britney’s most personal and specific song to date, “Piece of Me” showed Britney having fun with her all-blonde gal pals, making fun of photographers and tabloids, and had some solid dancing that helped erase “Gimme More” from our memories.
“Break the Ice” (2008)
“Break the Ice” is entirely animated, so it doesn’t feel as though it should count as a Britney video. I’m guessing she was too busy with motherhood to participate in a proper shoot. That’s okay, Britney. We all need breaks…
“Womanizer” (2008)
…especially if that break leads up to a video as fabulous as “Womanizer.” This bit of filmmaking is why you should never count Britney Spears out. Along with the great “catch the cheating boyfriend” concept, we got to see Britney as we had never seen her before: in an office! “Womanizer” feels like a natural sequel to “Toxic” (some of the wigs even look similar) and hits all the right notes. At this point, we were all screaming, “Welcome back, queen!!!”
“Circus” (2008)
Britney starts this video with not one but two beats of obvious product placement. Hey, get that money. What follows is an extremely literal circus theme, including elephants and Britney as a lion-tamer. It’s not exactly pushing the envelope as far as videos are concerned, but “Circus” is a solid follow-up to “Womanizer.”
“If U Seek Amy” (2009)
Ah yes, the controversial F-U-C-K. In one of Britney’’ weirdest videos, we start at the morning after a hotel room party, segue into an almost Kubrick-esque couch dance while drugged-out partiers watch, and then segue to Britney’s “happy housewife” look in the suburbs, where she’s hosting an apple-pie fueled orgy. It’s extremely ambitious for a relatively simple dance song—and for that, we must give Britney props.
“Kill the Lights” (2009)
Another animated yawner. Nothing more to say.
“Radar” (2009)
“Radar,” or “Britney goes to a polo match,” is mostly notable for its first-generation iPhone. Was this video that long ago?!
“3” (2009)
A simple white backdrop and plunging neckline was all this single about threesomes really needed, and Britney delivered.
“Hold It Against Me” (2011)
With this video we return to a theme that has worked well for Britney in the past: outer space. Again, the product placement (this time Makeup for Ever and Plenty of Fish (????)) is so egregious that it distracts from an otherwise cool and futuristic treatment.
“Till the World Ends” (2011)
At the time, post-apocalyptic was all the rage—Hunger Games was huge—and Britney cashed in with this video. It’s a much hotter take on the underground orgy from The Matrix Reloaded, and the visual effects are actually pretty good for a music video.
“I Wanna Go” (2011)
Finally, a return to Britney’s considerable comedic timing! Wearing a cut-off Mickey Mouse T-shirt, Britney kicks off this video in high style by hilariously shutting down haters in the press and poking fun at herself. This video even has a subtle Crossroads 2: Cross Harder joke and a nod to Thriller. It’s perfect.
“Criminal” (2011)
“Criminal” is a way better video than it has any right to be and is incredibly underrated. The song is pretty mediocre, but the video follows Britney as a put-upon domestic violence survivor who breaks free and moves on with a hot affair with her real-life boyfriend at the time, Jason Trawick.
“Ooh La La” (2013)
You can’t really expect a masterpiece video for a song on the Smurfs 2 soundtrack, but Britney nonetheless delivers her first family-friendly effort in years. It’s cute. Her kids are cute. It’s fine.
“Work Bitch” (2013)
Britney at her capitalist best! “Work Bitch” was just the shot in the arm that Britney’s career needed in 2013. The dominatrix persona suits the singer, and the desert/pool visuals are truly stunning. This video gave us some glorious GIFs, and for that we must be eternally grateful.
“Perfume” (2013)
I don’t doubt that perfume is an important presence in Britney’s life, as she’s spritzed some on in approximately 12 of her videos previous to this one. But despite some decent Americana road trip looks, “Perfume” is a bit of a filler song and video.
“Pretty Girls” (2015)
The “Pretty Girls” song and music video were a bit of a stumble for both Iggy Azalea and Britney. Hastily put together and cheap looking, this video is not up to what we’ve come to expect from Ms. Britney Jean Spears. Luckily we know that if there’s one thing Britney can do, it’s a comeback. We look forward to many more music videos for years to come.
“Make Me…” (2016)
The concept of the video is simple but effective: Britney and her friends audition hot guys for the very music video we’re watching. It’s nice to see the star looking so easy and breezy. And fun fact: The guy who “wins” would later star on U.K.’s Love Island.
“Slumber Party” (2016)
This isn’t the most memorable of Britney’s videos, but it does feel like a return to form. So many of her signatures are here! There’s a sexy, mysterious house party, a love interest with chiseled abs, dancing in the shortest skirt available in Wardrobe—all things we’ve come to expect from Britney, and a solid way to end this list.
