Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century Podcast: Britney Spears (No. 6)

On today’s (Oct. 30) episode of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century podcast, we reach No. 6 of our list with a pop star who became one of the great icons of the early 21st century — first as the artist behind a string of smash hits and unforgettable pop culture moments, then as a survivor of some of the most dehumanizing media coverage and behind-the-scenes struggles any celebrity has faced in recent years. (Read our No. 6 Greatest Pop Star essay about Britney Spears here.)

Host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard executive digital director Joe Lynch and senior charts/data analyst Eric Frankenberg to track Britney Spears’ journey. First, we debate the finer points of her No. 6 position on the list and how much the exclusion of her 1999 …Baby One More Time era should affect her ranking, then we remember the finest singles, videos and performances from her ’00s peak, and how her steady personal and artistic evolution resulted in her also becoming a great albums artist. We also recall how even at her commercial apex, media treatment of Spears ranged from patronizing to offensive — and how later in the ’00s, discussion of her would turn downright cruel, with her public breakdown being used as cheap fodder for insulting headlines and bad late-night punchlines.

Then, we get into her revival at the turn of the ’10s, and how the conservatorship that controlled her work and life the entire time ultimately came to overshadow everything — before she won her freedom back, earning the right to do whatever she wants with her career, including stepping back altogether. We end by reliving some of our favorite random Britney-related moments over the years — including college football broadcasts, Juliette Lewis lip synchs, non-sequitur tweets and the phrase “fo shiz, fo shiz” — and sharing our predictions for what a Britney comeback could possibly look like.

Catch all of that below, get acquainted with our past episodes here, and be sure to subscribe to Billboard‘s Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century series wherever you get your podcasts! (New episodes will be revealed every Wednesday, following the Tuesday publishing of our Greatest Pop Star for that week, up to the unveiling of our No. 1 on Dec. 3.)