For many people, Britney Spears is an iconic figure with indelible marks on the music industry. Since her professional debut with Baby One More Time in 1998, the American singer and performer has achieved massive success, with six of her first seven albums reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Spears' two-decade career has witnessed her transformation from a child star to an A-list celebrity whose life is as diverse as her songs. Regardless of the highs and lows in her controversial career, it is undeniable that Britney Spears is one of the most iconic figures in the music industry. Here, See and So looks at the singer's career evolution as well as some of her most remarkable personal highlights.

Born on December 2, 1981, Britney Spears quickly gained attention at a very young age. In 1993 when she was only 12 years old, Britney starred in season 6 of the US variety show The All-New Mickey Mouse Club alongside other child stars such as Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, and Christina Aguilera.

Britney's musical career found its turning point in 1998 when she released her debut album, Baby One More Time. The album received smashing success, topping the Billboard 200 charts and selling 25 million copies worldwide. The leading single of the same name received both commercial success and critical acclaim, catapulting Britney to global stardom.

With her reputation on the rise, Britney Spears began to sparkle controversy in 1999 when she posed in her underwear on the May cover of Rolling Stone. Despite criticism of her sexy image in the public, the Baby One More Time singer's musical career continued to blossom. At the 1999 Billboard Music Awards, Britney received four awards, including for female artist of the year and best new artist.

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were one of Hollywood’s power couples for nearly four years until they broke up in 2002, which was attributed to Britney's infidelity. Despite the breakup, the I'm a Slave 4 U singer still focused on developing her career. At the MTV Video Music Awards show, Britney stunned the audience when she rocked the dance floor with a python around her neck. In 2002, Britney also starred in her first and only feature film, Crossroads, which was both a commercial and critical flop.

In 2003, Britney Spears earned her first Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for her performance of Toxic. Just one year later, the singer's career received severe criticism due to her controversial romantic relationships.

In January 2004, the Baby One More Time singer married childhood friend, Jason Alexander, but the marriage was annulled in the following 48 hours. Shortly after the scandalous marriage, Britney dated backup dancer Kevin Federline, amid accusations that Kevin left her pregnant girlfriend to hook up with Britney.

Britney Spears' career continued to be surrounded by controversies when she announced her whirlwind engagement to boyfriend Kevin Federline just after two months of dating. In the same year, the couple welcomed their first son, Sean Preston.

Despite her declining sales, Britney Spears continued to make headlines with her private affairs. In September 2006, Britney and Federline welcomed their second child, Jayden James, two months before the Toxic singer filed for divorce. In the same year, Britney came under fire for her irresponsibly poor parenting skills.

As a result of her self-indulgence in drugs, Britney Spears had to enter a rehab facility in Antigua. However, the singer was reported to keep checking in and out of rehab. Britney's struggle with addiction worsened in the summer of 2007 when she was stuck in a custody battle with ex-husband Federline for their two sons.

Britney's personal struggles went from bad to worse in 2008, when she was sent to the psychiatric ward at UCLA Medical Center for 72 hours. With her ongoing issues, the Circus singer was put under the conservatorship of her father Jamie. By the end of the year, however, Britney seemed to regain her positivity when releasing her sixth studio album, Circus. The successful album, with hits such as Piece of Me and Womanizer, helped Britney make a grand comeback.

With the tremendous success of her comeback album, Britney hit the road for her Circus Starring Britney Spears Tour, which became her highest-grossing tour ever. One year later, the Princess of Pop made a career crossover when she cameoed in How I Met Your Mother and Glee.

Much to her fans' delight, Britney released her seventh album, Femme Fatale, with lead singles such as I Wanna Go and Till The World Ends. The album became a smashing success, prompting Britney to embark on her eighth concert tour, The Femme Fatale Tour. Her personal life seemed to be on the mend as well, with the singer's engagement to then-boyfriend Jason Trawick in December.

Britney's career took a fascinating turn in 2012 when she became a judge on Season 2 of the singing competition show The X Factor. However, she left after only one season. According to Biography, Britney found it uncomfortable to give negative feedback to contestants and decided to leave the role.

In 2013, Britney released her eighth album, Britney Jean, which she described as her most personal album. In the same year, the singer announced her Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, where she performed on the show Britney: Piece of Me in Sin City for the next two years.

In 2015, Britney released her much-anticipated single Pretty Girls, in which she teamed up with female rap star Iggy Azalea. Despite the pair's reputation, the single didn't live up to expectations and landed a relatively modest No. 29 on the US music chart.

In 2016, the music star released her ninth album, Glory. Britney also made headlines with her personal spending, which was reported to be more than $10 million in 2016.

Britney Spears met her current husband, personal trainer Sam Asghari back in 2017 when the two were filming the music video for Britney's Slumber Party. The Baby One More Time singer also showed her devotion to charity work, when she donated a painting for an auction to support victims of the October 2017 shooting massacre.

In 2018, Britney and Federline's endless fight for custody fight was in the news again after Federline requested Britney to pay him more in child support. Even though Britney was already paying $20,000 per month for the boys, Federline insisted on a higher amount as the boys were reaching their teenage years.

Britney Spears' personal life experienced setbacks in 2019. Following her father's health deterioration, Britney announced she would take an indefinite hiatus, calling it quits on her second Las Vegas residency, Britney: Domination. Suffering from the stress caused by her father's health struggles, Britney was checked into a mental health facility, leaving her sons under full custody of their father.

Britney’s conservatorship officially ended in November 2021 after 13 years, much to the singer and her fans' delight. Since 2016, the singer has been focusing on improving her health and personal life. After announcing their engagement in 2020, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari tied the knot in June 2022 and moved to an 11-million mansion following their wedding.