An intimate documentary featuring never-before-seen images of one of the world’s biggest stars is streaming now.
Britney Spears is no stranger to the spotlight, having rose to fame in the noughties and claimed a spot among the greatest popstars of all time.
Considering her stardom, it’s difficult to find unseen images of the American singer at any point in her career.
But the BBC has done just that in its new film, Britney: In Ten Pictures. The hour-long documentary is part of the broadcaster’s ‘ten pictures’ series that has featured legends such as Freddie Mercury.
Now available to watch on iPlayer, the doc notably features an image of Britney, now 44, the week before her debut album was released in 1999.
View 3 ImagesThe never-before-seen image shows Britney the week before her debut album dropped(Image: Lisa Means/ BBC)
It was captured by photographer Lisa Means, and shows a young Britney laughing with friends and family during a trip to get ice cream.
Lisa, who is interviewed in the documentary, had been commissioned by People magazine to document the rising star in her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana.
Interestingly, Lisa recalls Britney and her friends singing along to a Madonna song. She explains in the film: “Britney was like, ‘I hope I get to meet her one day!’ and we were like, ‘oh that would be really cool.'”
View 3 ImagesBritney and Madonna’s iconic on-stage kiss is featured in the documentary (Image: Chris Polk/FilmMagic via Getty )
Just four years later, Britney performed with Madonna the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, with the duo sharing their now-iconic kiss on stage. An image from that night is also featured in the film.
The BBC’s synopsis teases: “Britney Spears was one of the biggest pop stars of her generation. She grew up in the limelight, and like so many music stars, she was defined by imagery. But she was also the subject of extraordinary exploitation and control.
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“Years of personal and professional turmoil would play out in the frenzied glare of the media spotlight: breakups, breakdowns and familial fall outs.
“From the over-sexualisation of a child performer to the very public struggles with her mental health, this is the story of a manufactured child star fighting for control over her music, her life and her image.”
Britney: In Ten Pictures is streaming now on BBC iPlayer