Hi! Thanks for visiting Unreality Music! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed for regular updates.

I couldn’t go through today without talking about the furore Britney Spears caused at the MTV Video Music Awards. It’s all over the Internet today.

First, let me point out that it’s been a couple of years since Britney released a single. She’s not been ‘news’ in the music world in those years.

Instead, Britney’s taken the sideways move toward being gossip column fodder. And she obviously sells papers and the Internet gossip columnists regularly pick over her latest gaffes like the vultures they are.

Britney In The Beginning

When Britney hit the big time back in 1998, she was all of 17 years old. I remember being impressed with the airy pop sensibilities and her apparent media awareness. She talked in some interviews about how she was marketed and seemed to understand a fair bit about the business.

The winning streak continued for her well into the 2000’s, until the adoring media suddenly turned on her. A girl in her early 20’s. All of a sudden, the knives came out. How must that have felt?

Turning Points

Since 2004, Britney’s made a number of questionable decisions in her professional and private life. There was one ill advised marriage. Then another. I don’t think this was a co-incidence, I think she was looking for some kind of belonging.

Then of course, came the kids. Two children born in one year. That’s actually a lot. Consider post-natal depression. Consider tabloid speculation about her relationship with Kevin Federline.

Since January of this year, her freefall has been well chronicled across the web. Her aunt died at the start of the year. Britney went to rehab in February, shaved her head the very next day. She’s been linked to a number of different men, and faced allegations about her parenting. Her divorce was completed in July.

That’s a lot of personal stuff to go through in one year. Now, try going through it with a paparazzi lens stuck in your damn face.

What Next For Britney?

I’m writing this post in response to all the Britney-hating posts I’ve read on the web today. The girl is obviously in pain. She doesn’t need this pressure.

I found the video footage of her at the VMAs disturbing. She looked awkward and nervous. And she wasn’t dressed sexy - not because she’s overweight, she looked fine to me. But in the past she was confident on stage. That’s the difference.

Attempting such a large-scale comeback was a bad idea. No doubt.

After the VMA debacle, Britney needs to do some serious thinking. First: does she want to continue in music? If so, work on it. And if you’re performing live, stop lip-synching and get the dance moves back up to standard.

If music’s not her thing, she should withdraw from the public eye. Issue a statement to say that she’s retiring from music. Get some tasteful ‘mummy’ clothes and don’t give the tabloids any ammo for a year or so. Focus on the kids. The tabloids will get bored and go away. If not, they’ll fill the space with pictures of what a great mum she’s become. If there’s one thing celebs love (almost) as much as a train wreck, it’s a doting celebrity parent.

If I were in Britney’s position, I’d retire and use my money to launch the careers of new acts. That’s a lucrative game, and she’d potentially be great at it.