EJ's Thoughts: Is Britney Spears Still An Underdog?

Friday, January 21, 2011

Is Britney Spears Still An Underdog?

As 'Hold It Against Me' tops charts, is this the year she drops the label?
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Christina Garibaldi

Britney Spears
Photo: Kevin Mazur/ WireImage

Despite selling out stadiums and having her singles, including her newest one, "Hold It Against Me," shoot to the top of the charts, Britney Spears always seems to have an air of underdog about her. After rising to the top of the pop ranks, Spears suffered some personal setbacks that she can't seem to shake even in the wake of professional triumph.

So, is 2011 the year Spears finally loses the stigma? MTV News asked a few experts to weigh in.

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton compared the Britney of today to the Britney of her pop heyday in the early part of the millennium.

"I think Britney is still an underdog in comparison to her former self," he said.

The last big sit-down interview Spears did was in 2008 for her documentary "For the Record." And aside from smaller magazine write-ups, Spears has managed to stay out of the usual rounds of doing press, an aspect of her public persona that may contribute to the idea that she is an underdog.

"Britney's been an underdog for, like, four years. There's gonna come a point where we're gonna have to stop considering her an underdog," MTV News' Jim Cantiello said. "I still think people do. She's recluse for all intents and purposes. I mean, she doesn't do any press, so I think as long as that mystery surrounds her, people will think of her as an underdog."

But, Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt notes that being somewhat of a recluse does not make Spears a pop underdog.

"I don't know if she'll ever be an underdog on the pop charts," Greenblatt said. "No matter what goes on with her personally ... if she brings them something and it's good enough, people take it and put it at the top of the Billboard chart."

Do you consider Britney Spears an underdog? Sound off in the comments below!

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