The 2003 VMAs featured an incredible anticipated performance that combined Madonna, Britney, and Christina Aguilera. Britney found a way to make the performance even more memorable. During the middle of Madonna’s classic pop hit “Like A Virgin,” the queen of pop kissed both fellow performers on the lips (no doubt inspiring Katy Perry in the process).
This memorable event came right on the heels of Britney’s breakup with Timberlake. While Madonna quickly switched sides to give Aguilera the same lip lovin’, the broadcast quickly pointed the camera at Timberlake, catching him in the process of making a face.
Staying Close With the Family
She's had a tumultuous life, but Britney has always remained close with her family. When Jamie Lynn was pregnant at the young age of sixteen, Britney stuck by her side. She also bought her brother, Bryan, a 1.5 million dollar loft in New York City, but then nearly burnt it to the ground when she knocked over a candle.
Spears has always been generous with her money – after September 11th, she donated a million dollars to the children of uniformed officers affected by the attack.
The Devil Met her at the Crossroads
Spears had done almost everything right and had become one of the most famous stars in the world after mere years. Though it seemed like she could do it all, that came back to bite her when she starred in a movie titled, fittingly, "Crossroads." As a coming-of-age road trip with a few other female stars, it should have drawn in plenty of box office sales.
And it did...but critics hated it, taking aim at Spears's acting and calling it nothing more than a vanity project. Zoe Saldana, of all people, called Spears's acting “very good.” At the same time, Britney's parents revealed they were divorcing after twenty-seven years of marriage.
A Long List of Lovers
After her heartbreaking breakup with Timberlake, Britney hit the dating field. Whether it's famous actors like Colin Farrell or Jared Leto, or musicians like Fred Durst, Britney barely had a moment to herself. It was Durst who came with some controversy, however.
In 2003, at the height of both of their careers, the Limp Bizkit front-man worked on a song with Spears, and they soon got into a relationship. Well, he thinks they did, at least, though Britney has denied all of his claims. Whether or not he was telling the truth, he later went on record saying, “I just guess at the time it was taboo for a guy like me to be associated with a gal like her.”
Album Number Four
In November of 2003, Britney's fourth album, "In the Zone,” hit shelves. It sold over ten million copies and produced four singles, the first of which was a collab with Madonna called “Me Against the Music.” The other three singles were “Every time,” “Outrageous,” and “Toxic.” The video for “Toxic” won Britney her first Grammy award for Best Dance Recording.
By this time, Spears had taken over most of the creative control of her material, writing and co-producing all of it. Vibe referred to the album as “a supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter.”