Okay, I need to get this off my chest.
I’ve been scrolling X (or Twitter, as most people still call it) lately, and I’m seeing a trend, and frankly, it’s driving me absolutely insane. Gen Z, bless your TikTok-addicted hearts, you need to pump the brakes on your revisionist history when it comes to Britney Spears.
Seriously, the amount of disrespect and sheer ignorance I see floating around about the Princess of Pop is infuriating. All you seem to do is clown on her current Instagram posts, “Oh my god, look at Britney dancing in her living room, so cringe!” or “Her captions make no sense, she’s so crazy!” and then, to add insult to injury, you compare her to artists who, while talented, haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of what Britney accomplished when she was their age.
Gen Z nowadays are hyping up Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, and Tate McRae. And don’t get me wrong, they’re making great music, they’re having their moments, and they deserve recognition. But to act like their current accomplishments somehow overshadow or negate Britney’s peak is just… well, it’s just plain wrong.
Now, you’re adding a new name, Alice Chater, and saying that she’s the next (or better, hah! You wish) Britney. That’s nuts!
Do you have ANY idea what Britney Spears was doing when she was 17? Or 18? Or even 20? Let me refresh your collective memories, because apparently, Wikipedia is a foreign concept.
When Britney was 17, her debut single “…Baby One More Time” became a global phenomenon. It wasn’t just a hit; it was a cultural reset. That album sold over 25 million copies worldwide. She was the first new female artist to have a number-one single and number-one album on the Billboard 200 at the same time. The first! At an age when most of you are still trying to figure out what college major to pick, she was selling out arenas and defining an entire genre.
By the time she was around the ages of your current faves (let’s say 20-22), she had already released four multi-platinum albums: …Baby One More Time, Oops!… I Did It Again (which sold over a million copies in its first week – let that sink in!), Britney, and In the Zone. She had numerous number-one singles, groundbreaking music videos that changed the game, and iconic performances that are still mimicked today. She was a global superstar, a fashion icon, and arguably the most famous woman on the planet.
Sabrina Carpenter is having a great run with “Espresso” and her new album. Chappell Roan is captivating audiences with her theatricality. Billie Eilish is a Grammy darling with a unique sound. Tate McRae is making waves. And good for them! But none of them, none of them, were achieving that level of unparalleled global dominance and cultural impact at such a young age. Britney didn’t just have hits; she was the blueprint. She paved the way for so many pop stars who came after her, whether they admit it or not.
And yet, all you Gen Zers want to do is scroll past her current struggles and personal expression, reduce her to a meme, and dismiss her legacy because you can’t fathom the kind of intense scrutiny and pressure she’s endured for literally her entire adult life. It’s easy to judge someone’s “crazy IG posts” when you haven’t lived a fraction of their life in the public eye, under the thumb of a conservatorship, and constantly under attack.
Her current mental state, her struggles, her Instagram, that’s a reflection of a woman who has been through hell and back, fighting for her autonomy and trying to find her way in a world that chewed her up and spit her out. It’s not fodder for your jokes or a reason to invalidate her immense contributions to music and pop culture.
Now, I know this might sound a bit biased, and full disclosure, Britney has always been my bias artist. But let me be clear: I’m not here to discredit the impact of other incredible artists who came before or after her prime. There’s room for everyone in music history, and each artist leaves their unique mark. My frustration stems from the selective amnesia that seems to plague discussions about Britney’s monumental influence. What’s more, Britney herself has always been incredibly kind and down-to-earth, never once downplaying other artists, even when “Britney clones” like Jessica Simpson, Willa Ford, and others popped up back in the day.
So, next time you’re about to post a snarky comment or compare her to someone who is just getting started, maybe do some research. Understand the sheer magnitude of what Britney Spears achieved. Understand the impact she had, and continues to have, on the music industry. And for the love of all that is holy, show some damn respect. Because without Britney, a lot of your current faves wouldn’t even have a stage to stand on. Rant over. For now.
ʙᴏɴɴᴇ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴛɪᴛ 