Pop star Britney Spears is back in the headlines.
A New York Times documentary released this week is providing riveting insights into her music career, controversial relationship with her father and the machinations of an unforgiving music industry.
While Framing Britney Spears makes for some harrowing viewing, the documentary has also sparked a reappraisal of Britney's work, with a new generation of fans checking out her song catalogue on streaming sites.
They will find a lot of good material on offer. Since her emergence 22 years ago, Britney has built an impressive body of work that not only helped define the pop sounds of the early 2000s, but also ushered in the dance music wave dominating the charts and festivals today.
Her work also provides an unvarnished look into her innermost thoughts during what went on to become a tumultuous career.
From the innocent sounds of ... Baby One More Time to the angry defiance of Piece of Me, Britney's catalogue tells the story of a teenager's public transition to adulthood with all the joys and pain that comes along the way.
Here are 10 songs that best showcase that journey.
1. ‘... Baby One More Time’ (1998)
What an arrival: Britney transitioned effortlessly from Disney children’s television star to pop music stardom with one of the all-time greatest debut singles.
The first of many successful partnerships with Swedish producer Max Martin, the earworm is built upon brilliantly ascending melodies that lead to an explosive chorus straight out of the Abba handbook.
2. ‘Sometimes’ (1999)
A major theme throughout Britney’s career is that pull between youth and adulthood. This is why each album is packed with both playfully upbeat tracks and heartfelt balladry.
Sometimes is good example of the latter, an uplifting and glossy ballad where Britney admits to being a little complicated. Just how deep that feeling ran would be proven years later.
3. 'Oops!... I Did It Again' (2000)
Britney announced herself as a diva in waiting with this sublime piece of pop music. More than the smooth hooks, what makes this song brilliant is the production from Swedish pop-meister Martin.
This song was a first-rate example of their partnership, in which a premium was placed on melodies and vocals delivered with pin-point precision. This track should be prescribed listening for any pop songwriting masterclass.
4. ‘Lucky’ (2000)
Once again, Britney counteracted the raised eyebrows caused by the slightly racy Oops!... I Did It Again with a refined power ballad. Interestingly, the lyrics detail "a Hollywood girl" who is "lost in an image, in a dream".
Did Britney already begin to feel the corrosive nature of the music business only two years into her career?
5. 'I'm a Slave 4 U' (2001)
With this heady single, Britney decidedly moved away from the bubblegum pop of her first two albums for a more adult sound. This means harmonies were jettisoned for heaving beats and sweet vocals made way for more sultry and panting sounds.
As well as being a global hit, the track was responsible for one of the great VMA Awards performances, where Britney took to the stage in 2004 draped with a white python.
6. 'I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman' (2002)
With a title that can also be used to sum up the thin line Britney has skirted throughout her career, this decent ballad has the singer really focusing on the emotional turmoil that comes with transitioning to adulthood.
Being a grown-up is not just about big night outs, as in the preceding single I'm a Slave for 4 U, but also being more circumspect and independent. "There is no need to protect me," she sings. "It's time that I learn to face up to this on my own."
7. ‘Toxic’ (2004)
The best of Britney's clubby tracks, Toxic is an absolute banger with an east-meets-west production that melds bhangra drums and Bollywood strings with darting synth and surf guitars. Capped off by Britney's arresting and slinky vocals, it went on to land the star her first Grammy in 2004 for Best Dance Recording.
8. ‘Piece of Me’ (2007)
If you are a lifelong Britney fan, anything from 2007's Black Out album will be hard to listen to. Not because of its quality, which was strong enough, but because it was recorded during a period where Britney was at her lowest ebb.
Amid a well-publicised string of increasingly erratic behaviours, the fact she was able to produce decent material was a miracle in itself.
Piece of Me is sturdy dance number powered by squelchy electro synth riffs. The track also finds a defiant Britney taking aim at her media critics.
“I'm Miss American Dream, since I was 17,” she says in the opening verse. “Don't matter if I step on the scene, or sneak away to the Philippines. They're still going to put pictures of [me] in the magazine.”
9. ‘Perfume’ (2013)
It’s good to see Britney sing again with feeling. After four albums full of dark, claustrophobic and, at times, angry club tracks, Britney delivers a more optimistic turn in this late career highlight.
Sure, the synths and EDM beats are here, but they don’t dominate and allows Britney to deliver her most heartfelt vocal performance in years.
10. ‘Matches’ (2020)
With her latest track, Britney reminds us of her carefree sounds of old. Matches recalls her early collaborations with producer Martin and the result is an exuberant piece of pop music.
The fact that the track features the Backstreet Boys gives it an extra level of pathos. Both artists came up together and suffered their own share of public setbacks. This makes Matches more than breezy pop song, but a statement of survival.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Company%20Profile
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
Ballon d’Or shortlists
Men
Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)
Women
Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)
Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
RESULT
Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEnablers%20of%20digital%20services%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Blockchain%20and%20cryptocurrency%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Crowdfunding%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Banking-as-a-service%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Banking%20identification%20number%20sponsors%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Issuers%2Fprocessors%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Programme%20managers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDigital%20issuance%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Blockchain%20and%20cryptocurrency%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Alternative%20lending%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Personal%20financial%20management%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Money%20transfer%20and%20remittance%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Digital%20banking%20(neo%20banks)%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Digital%20wallets%2C%20peer-to-peer%20and%20transfers%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Employee%20benefits%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Payables%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Corporate%20cards%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EValue-add%20for%20merchants%2Fconsumers%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Data%20and%20analytics%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20ID%2C%20authentication%20and%20security%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Insurance%20technology%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Loyalty%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Merchant%20services%20and%20tools%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Process%20and%20payment%20infrastructure%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Retail%20technology%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESME%20recovery%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Money%20movement%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Acceptance%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Risk%20management%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Brand%20management%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ENew%20categories%20for%202023%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Sustainable%20FinTechs%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Risk%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%A2%20Urban%20mobility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
SQUADS
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
