Happy Birthday, Britney Spears! Looking Back on the Singer’s Best Moments

Britney Spears turns 35 on Dec. 2, and it’s time to celebrate!

Since bursting onto the music scene in 1999 with the release of her single “…Baby One More Time,” Spears has captivated audiences around the world with her talent, charm and incredibly catchy songs. Here, we’re taking a look back at some of the pop star’s best moments.

After getting her start on The Mickey Mouse Club during her preteen years, Spears returned to high school after the show was canceled in 1996. She later signed to Jive Records, and the rest was history.

Spears released her debut album …Baby One More Time in 1999, and the video for the title track instantly launched her into superstardom.

“There’s not that many pop songs out right now, for one thing,” Us Weekly reports Spears as saying of the track while filming the video in 1998. “The sound, for one thing, is totally different from anything out there, which is really cool, you know?”

The album went straight to No. 1 upon its release, has since sold 30 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling first album of any artist.

“When it first debuted at such a high number on the charts, I was really, really overwhelmed,” Spears told reporters backstage at the 1999 American Music Awards. “I was really excited.”

Spears’ next album, Oops! I Did It Again, was also a huge success, with the title track from the record becoming one of Spears’ most recognizable songs. She released her third album, Britney, in 2001, later making the leap to acting with a starring role in 2002’s Crossroads.

The singer also made headlines for her realtionship with Justin Timberlake, who she dated until 2002. The pair had met on The Mickey Mouse Club, with Spears noting during a 2001 TRL appearance that Timberlake was her first crush.

“My first crush? Yeah, it was Justin,” she said. “Yeah, it was my first one. I was 12. He was my first, like, puppy love boyfriend.”

Through it all, Spears has graced us with iconic performances and excellent music videos, proving that she’s got serious staying power. The star is currently headlining a residency in Las Vegas and recently released her ninth studio album, Glory.

Check out the video above for a few highlights of Spears’ illustrious career.

This story first appeared at Womanista.