Britney Spears is celebrating a special birthday.
The singer marked the 20th anniversary of her debut album, …Baby One More Time, with a heartwarming tribute to the body of work that changed her life.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“Can you believe that this album was released 20 years ago today??!! I can’t,” she wrote on Instagram alongside the cover art of the album. “It’s definitely been the journey of a lifetime, full of ups and downs, but I’m grateful for every single moment of it all. Getting to know you all over the years has been such an incredible experience, and has made this all worth it.”
“Thank you for your support from 20 years ago, all the way to today. I am blessed #20yearsofbritney,” Spears concluded.
Baby One More Time was a huge hit when it first released, landing at the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart. It also included the title song, as as well as hit songs “Sometimes,” “(You Drive Me) Crazy,” “Born to Make You Happy” and “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart.”
The “Toxic” singer previously opened up to Entertainment Tonight at how shocking it was that the album was reaching its 20th birthday.
“It’s been so fast. I feel like I just started yesterday,” she said. “It’s like everything still feels very new, which I guess is a blessing. But it’s been a roller coaster. I’ve had my manager [Larry Rudolph] for 17 years.”
As for what she would tell herself 20 years ago? “I would tell that Britney just to believe in yourself, and never doubt yourself,” she said. “Be strong and be you.”
Spears recently made headlines with the heartbreaking news she canceled her upcoming Las Vegas residency in order to spend more time with her sick father, Jamie Spears.
“I don’t even know where to start with this, because this is so tough for me to say,” Spears wrote in an social media post on Jan. 4. “I will not be performing my new show Domination. I’ve been looking forward to this show and seeing all of you this year, so doing this breaks my heart. However, it’s important to always put your family first… and that’s the decision I had to make.”
She explained that Jamie was recently hospitalized and had to undergo emergency surgery.
“A couple of months ago, my father was hospitalized and almost died,” Spears revealed. “We’re all so grateful that he came out of it alive, but he still has a long road ahead of him. I had to make the difficult decision to put my full focus and energy on my family at this time. I hope you all can understand. I appreciate your prayers and support for my family during this time. Thank you, and love you all… always.”
The hiatus could reportedly be for six months to a year, and also led Spears to delay the release of a new album.
