Editing Britney Spears (section)

===1981–1997: Early life, family, and career beginnings===
Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981, in [[McComb, Mississippi]],<ref name=bsbiography/> the second child of [[Jamie Spears|James "Jamie" Parnell Spears]] and [[Lynne Irene Bridges]].<ref name=":3" /> Her maternal grandmother, Lillian Portell, was English and born in London, and one of Spears' maternal great-grandfathers was Maltese.<ref>{{harvnb|Spears|Craker|2008|pp=4, 8}}. "But on my mama's side, the family tree is a little more colorful and glamorous. Her father, my grandfather, was Anthony Portelli, who came from the island of Malta."</ref> Her siblings are [[Bryan Spears|Bryan James Spears]] and [[Jamie Lynn Spears]].<ref>{{harvnb|Spears|Craker|2008|p=211}}</ref>

Born in the [[Bible Belt]], where socially conservative [[evangelical Protestantism]] is a particularly strong religious influence,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CRxNSxjYnMAC&pg=PA141 |title=Raising Up a Testimony |first=Matt |last=Soper |date=October 1, 2010 |publisher=Xulon Press |isbn=978-1-60957-818-3 |via=Google Books |access-date=December 2, 2017 |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026185845/https://books.google.com/books?id=CRxNSxjYnMAC&pg=PA141#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live}}</ref> she was baptized as a [[Southern Baptist]] and sang in a church choir as a child.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LoFm5aFfr4UC&pg=PA24 |title=The Exile of Britney Spears: A Tale of 21st Century Consumption |first=Christopher R. |last=Smit |date=December 29, 2017 |publisher=Intellect Books |isbn=978-1-84150-410-0 |via=Google Books |access-date=December 2, 2017 |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026185852/https://books.google.com/books?id=LoFm5aFfr4UC&pg=PA24 |url-status=live}}</ref> As an adult, she has studied [[Kabbalist]] teachings.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vrQvDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA111 |title=Consuming Religion |first=Kathryn |last=Lofton |date=September 12, 2017 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-48212-5 |via=Google Books |access-date=December 2, 2017 |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026185849/https://books.google.com/books?id=vrQvDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA111#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live}}</ref> On August 5, 2021, Spears announced that she had converted to [[Catholicism]]. Her mother, sister, and nieces Maddie Aldridge and Ivey Joan Watson, are also Catholic.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Christine |last=Rousselle |title=Update: Britney Spears says she is 'Catholic now' in social media post |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248608/update-britney-spears-says-she-is-catholic-now-in-social-media-post |date=August 6, 2021 |access-date=August 7, 2021 |agency=Catholic News Agency |archive-date=August 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807192933/https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/248608/britney-spears-says-she-is-catholic-now-in-social-media-post |url-status=live}}</ref> However, on September 5, 2022, after Spears' ex-husband, [[Kevin Federline]], and youngest son did an interview defending her father's actions during her [[Britney Spears conservatorship dispute|conservatorship]], she stated: "I don't believe in God anymore because of the way my children and my family have treated me. There is nothing to believe in anymore. I'm an [[atheist]] y'all".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Naumann |first=Ryann |date=September 5, 2022 |title='I Don't Believe In God Anymore': Britney Spears Posts 2-Minute Recording Speaking To Son Jayden As Public Family Fight Intensifies |url=https://radaronline.com/p/britney-spears-dont-believe-in-god-son-jayden-2-minute-recording-conservatorship/ |access-date=September 5, 2022 |website=Radar Online |archive-date=September 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905210705/https://radaronline.com/p/britney-spears-dont-believe-in-god-son-jayden-2-minute-recording-conservatorship/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

At age three, Spears began attending dance lessons in her hometown of [[Kentwood, Louisiana]], and was selected to perform as a solo artist at the annual recital. Aged five she made her local stage debut, singing "[[What Child Is This?]]" at her [[kindergarten]] graduation. During her childhood, she also had gymnastics and voice lessons and won many state-level competitions and children's talent shows.<ref>{{harvnb|Spears|Craker|2008|p=56}}</ref><ref name="stone99"/><ref name=foxnews>{{cite news |title=Britney Spears' Biography |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/britney-spears-biography |publisher=Fox News |date=July 31, 2008 |access-date=June 6, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131124739/https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195283,00.html |archive-date=January 31, 2011}}</ref> In gymnastics, Spears attended [[Béla Károlyi]]'s training camp.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pop's (Sexy) Teen Angel |url=https://www.newsweek.com/pops-sexy-teen-angel-169246 |website=Newsweek |access-date=July 28, 2021 |date=February 28, 1999 |archive-date=July 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711195957/https://www.newsweek.com/pops-sexy-teen-angel-169246 |url-status=live}}</ref> She said of her ambition as a child, "I was in my own world,&nbsp;... I found out what I'm supposed to do at an early age".<ref name="stone99"/>

When Spears was eight, she and her mother Lynne traveled to [[Atlanta]], Georgia, to audition for the 1990s revival of ''[[The Mickey Mouse Club]]''. Casting director Matt Casella rejected her as too young, but introduced her to Nancy Carson, a New York City talent agent. Carson was impressed with Spears' singing and suggested enrolling her at the [[Professional Performing Arts School]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thambawita |first=Isuru |date=September 4, 2022 |title=Britney Spears' duet with Elton John |url=https://archives1.sundayobserver.lk/2022/09/04/youth-observer/britney-spears%E2%80%99-duet-elton-john |website=Sunday Observer}}</ref>

Spears was hired for her first professional role as the understudy for the lead role of Tina Denmark in the off-Broadway musical ''[[Ruthless!]]'' She also appeared as a contestant on the popular television show ''[[Star Search]]'' and was cast in a number of commercials.<ref>{{harvnb|Spears|Craker|2008|p=75}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Laufenberg|2005|p=616}}</ref> In December 1992, she was cast in ''The All-New Mickey Mouse Club''. Other fellow cast members included [[Christina Aguilera]], [[Justin Timberlake]], [[Ryan Gosling]], [[Keri Russell]], and [[JC Chasez]]. After the show was canceled in 1994, she returned to Mississippi and enrolled at McComb's [[Parklane Academy]]. Although she made friends with most of her classmates, she compared the school to "the opening scene in ''[[Clueless]]'' with all the [[cliques]].&nbsp;... I was so bored. I was the point guard on the basketball team. I had my boyfriend, and I went to [[homecoming]] and [[Winter Formal|Christmas formal]]. But I wanted more."<ref name="stone99"/><ref name="rs2">{{cite magazine |last=Mundy |first=Chris |title=Cover Story: The Girl Can't Help It |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 25, 2000 |issn=0035-791X}}</ref>

In June 1997, Spears was in talks with manager [[Lou Pearlman]] to join the female pop group [[Innosense]]. Lynne asked family friend and entertainment lawyer [[Larry Rudolph]] for his opinion and submitted a tape of Spears singing over a [[Whitney Houston]] karaoke song along with some pictures. Rudolph decided that he wanted to pitch her to record labels, for which she needed a professional demo made. He sent Spears an unused song of [[Toni Braxton]]; she rehearsed for a week and recorded her vocals in a studio. Spears traveled to New York with the demo and met with executives from four labels, returning to Kentwood the same day. Three of the labels rejected her, saying that audiences wanted pop bands such as the [[Backstreet Boys]] and the [[Spice Girls]], and "there wasn't going to be another [[Madonna]], another [[Debbie Gibson]], or another [[Tiffany Darwish|Tiffany]]."<ref name="hughes145" />

Two weeks later, executives from [[Jive Records]] returned calls to Rudolph.<ref name="hughes145" /> Senior vice president of [[A&R]] Jeff Fenster said about Spears' audition that "it's very rare to hear someone that age who can deliver emotional content and commercial appeal&nbsp;... For any artist, the motivation—the 'eye of the tiger'—is extremely important. And Britney had that."<ref name="stone99"/> Spears sang Houston's "[[I Have Nothing]]" (1992) for the executives, and was subsequently signed to the label.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Taylor |first=Chuck |title=Air Waves: Jive's Britney Spears Sets Top 40 Abuzz With Rhythm-Leaning 'Baby One More Time' |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JQoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80 |magazine=Billboard |volume=110 |issue=43 |date=October 24, 1998 |access-date=March 11, 2011 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026185851/https://books.google.com/books?id=JQoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live}}</ref> They assigned her to work with producer Eric Foster White for a month; he reportedly shaped her voice from "lower and less poppy" delivery to "distinctively, unmistakably Britney".<ref name="Hughes 2005 147">{{harvnb|Hughes|2005|p=147}}</ref> After hearing the recorded material, president [[Clive Calder]] ordered a full album. Spears had originally envisioned "[[Sheryl Crow]] music, but younger; more adult contemporary". She felt secure with her label's appointment of producers, since "It made more sense to go pop, because I can dance to it—it's more me."<ref name="stone99"/> She flew to [[Cheiron Studios]] in Stockholm, Sweden, where half of the album was recorded from March to April 1998, with producers [[Max Martin]], [[Denniz Pop]], and [[Rami Yacoub]], among others.<ref name="stone99"/>