Piece Of B: We Rank Britney Spears’ 10 Best Music Videos
There is no denying that Britney Spears has delivered many timeless music videos throughout her career. From the moment she first traipsed down a hallway in a schoolgirl uniform, she has redefined the power of a video as a storytelling tool. She also showcased her ability to bring the world to a halt for 3 minutes to watch her every movement. Since then she has assumed countless identities to bring her various tracks to life.
I’ve compiled a list of 10 of her best and most memorable music videos! Prepare for the slayage and check them out below!
10. “Work Bitch” – 2013
Before announcing her Las Vegas residency, the pop goddess commanded her fans to get to work, bitch on her feisty single. The music video takes her and a slew of dancers into the heat of the desert to liberally douse themselves in a bottle of Fantasy (get that product placement) before serving up some fierce moves. Spears also wields a whip, calls the shots in the midst of a BDSM party and generally slays the game while dancing in a pool surrounded by sharks. After one viewing, fans were surely inspired to get to work in order to generally improve their lives.
9. “Stronger” – 2000
Before Joseph Kahn began his career as a full-time member of Taylor Swift’s PR team and the director of the majority of her latest music videos, he worked on some of Brit’s most iconic releases. Their first collaboration came with “Stronger” in 2000. In it, the diva confronts a cheating lover at a party before finding strength in her independence. However, the most enduring moments come as she dances on a metal chair. Add in some dramatic footage of her emoting in the rain, and you have basically bottled perfection in the early aughts.
8. “Me Against the Music” – 2003
The world did not deserve a collaboration between pop’s reigning princess and queen in 2003. However, Britney Spears and Madonna have always been generous. After making out onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards, they reunited on the frantic lead single to In The Zone. Although the record was criminally underrated on radio, it received a mesmerizing video that saw the pair of hitmakers teasing each other and trading off incredible dance breaks in an underground club. Inspired by the fiery beat and her superstar companion, Brit in particular showcases her most complex choreographic feats before almost recreating the iconic kiss at the video’s end.
7. “Oops!…I Did It Again” – 2000
The pop princess made landfall on Mars and commanded a team of otherworldly space aliens in the music video for “Oops!… I Did It Again.” Between proclamations that she was in fact “not that innocent,” the space temptress seduced a visiting astronaut before breaking his heart and breaking it down with her athletic cohorts. Adding to the fervor is that fact that she did almost all of it while wearing an enviable red catsuit. Good luck beating that look, humanity.
6. “Slumber Party” – 2016
Her most recent music video is proof Britney Spears is still a force to be reckoned with. After a subpar and convoluted rollout for Glory’s lead single, “Make Me (Ooh),” she came back in a big way when it was time to unleash “Slumber Party.” In the video she teams up with Tinashe to host a dark and sexy party in a mysterious mansion. Serving a variety of chic looks, executing tight choreography and seductively tossing one shoe while canoodling with the up and comer on a couch, the 36-year-old was still very much the beguiling pop star she was almost 20 years ago. Add in a some saucy shots of her licking spilled milk off a table, and it is hard to imagine things getting any better.
5. “Everytime” – 2004
Although she has helped shape dance pop for nearly 20 years, that is not to say that Brit is not capable of getting a little more serious. Her defining ballad received one of her most heart-wrenching and mature video treatments. In it, she and a lover argue as the paparazzi swarm for their next headline. Their battle continues into their apartment, where they go separate ways and the pop star succumbs to a head wound in her bathtub. As the media chase an ambulance carrying her unconscious body, a ghostly Spears walks a hospital hallway, and medics attempt to revive her next to a mother in labor. Exploring concepts of death and (re)birth, the visual is hauntingly beautiful and became almost prophetic in the following years.
4. “I’m a Slave 4 U” – 2001
After dominating the world of teen pop on her first two albums, it was time for a brand overhaul ahead of her self-titled third LP in 2001. She emerged as a fully fledged dance floor vixen on the project’s lead single. The tight production was tailored for choreography. Dressed in a frothy pink top and rocking a lacy thong over her jeans (nothing is more early millennium fashion), the hitmaker more than delivered while hosting a steamy dance party. The choreography remains some of her most recognizable, and the video certainly showcased her personal growth. She may not have been a woman just yet, but she was clearly anything but a girl.
3. “Womanizer” – 2008
Following the frenetic energy and dark headlines that plagued her throughout 2007, the “Womanizer” music video provided an opportunity for rebirth. Opening with footage of the nude hitmaker in a steamy sauna, it was a though she was purifying herself from the toxicity of the previous year and returning to form. What followed was a dramatic storyline that saw her getting even with a dishonest partner in the juiciest of ways. Assuming a variety of roles, she followed her lover boy to learn about his nefarious ways. Then, she taught him a lesson he is unlikely to forget.
2. “…Baby One More Time” – 1998
There is not much to say that has not already been said about the video that started it all. At just 17-years-old, the pop princess exploded onto the music world with her debut single. Bursting with bravado, she brought it to life and became an instant sensation thanks to the accompanying music video. Playing the role of the daydreaming high schooler, she appealed to her fellow teens and sparked a new wave of pristine pop confections. The youthful pop star-in-the-making carefully cultivated an image that was irresistibly tantalizing, and it was all her idea. Talk about an iconic debut.
1. “Toxic” – 2004
Britney Spears did not refer to herself as a femme fatale until the release of her seventh studio album in 2011. However, she more than lived up to the title while playing the role of a woman scorned in her “Toxic” video. Reuniting with Kahn, the pair crafted her most timeless visual. In it, she wears a variety of disguises and travels by plane and motorcycle to extract her revenge. Nothing is cuter than stewardess Brit. No one is fiercer than the flame-haired super spy who pulled off a flawless backhand spring to escape a lab with poison in hand. But the most iconic moment comes when the living legend writhes across the screen covered in glittering diamonds. Queen of saving the world from shitty lovers and looking undeniably perfect while doing so.
Which of Britney’s videos is your favorite? Let us know below, or by hitting us up on Facebook and Twitter!
