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The first time I met Britney Spears, she was being swallowed — by a huddle of bodyguards, publicists, stylists ... well, you get the picture. I could just make out the tip of a pink boot peeking out and a puff of glitter overhead, which assured me that yes, indeed, Britney was in there somewhere. Technically, I've met the girl, but really, I've just watched the Britney parade roll by.
So when an interview was set with the pop princess,
needless to say I was skeptical. After all, she was
just coming back from a year off where she broke up
with the love of her life, who then went on to tell
none other than Oprah how intimate they really were.
Her parents got divorced and a certain rock guy
revealed his personal knowledge of her anatomy. I
figured I'd have to slip my questions on a piece of
paper through a glass door and they'd slip back a
vague answer. It would be something about how lucky
Britney felt to be here today and oh, please, could
you mention her album is coming out next week? Thanks.
But the minute Britney walked into the studio, I knew
there was something different here. She was early,
for one. In fact, she sat down at the piano in the
room and played for a few quiet moments, sipped a
latte and patiently waited for us to begin. No
throng, no mob, no bodyguards — just her in a demure
cream blazer and her signature hat.
The pop machine stopped for an hour while we sat, and a shy young woman who had done some serious thinking wanted to talk. She was open to all
of my questions and only passed on answering once — when I brought up
Fred Durst.
She talked about losing her heart, among other things, to a certain J.T. She's found a
new religion, spent some time alone, and she's a
little — no, a lot — scared. She's scared that this
time no one is going to care, that Britney Spears may be
losing her superpowers. She has asked herself the big question: In the fickle world of
pop, has her time come and gone?
That question will be answered soon enough by the rest of us. As far as superpowers go, ironically, this new vulnerability and her readiness to admit regret and uncertainty has created the most powerful Britney I've ever seen.
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