Britney Spears gets real about one of her most infamous moments in The Woman In Me — the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.
Fans know the 41-year-old singer has been known for putting on some legendary performances at the VMAs throughout her career. But in 2007, nothing seemed to go to plan for Britney for her performance of Gimme More — the song she also thinks spawned her worst music video ever! The show was meant to be a big career comeback for the pop sensation after she went through some personal troubles, but it was personal troubles that won the night.
Related: Justin Timberlake Is ‘Not At All Happy’ About Britney’s Book, But…
When she took the stage again, it’s safe to say it wasn’t her best performance as she stumbled through the choreography. Fans were stunned by the lackluster moment, and critics were brutal in their reviews of it. Even Britney recognizes it wasn’t the comeback she had hoped for at the time. The pop star wrote in her memoir that she experienced various issues leading up to her going on stage, explaining:
“There was a problem with my costume and with my hair extensions. I hadn’t slept the night before. I was dizzy. It was less than a year since I’d had my second baby in two years but everyone was acting like my not having six-pack abs was offensive. I couldn’t believe I was going to have to go out onstage feeling the way I felt.”
Jeez. She added:
“I went out there and did the best I could at that moment in time, which — yes, granted — was far from my best at other times. I could see myself on video throughout the auditorium while I performed; it was like looking at myself in a fun-house mirror.”
She sadly didn’t have a perfect performance. But innerestingly enough, Brit seemed to pull off a stellar and flawless routine shortly before the award show went live! An unearthed clip of her dress rehearsals actually showed her appearing in good spirits and killing the choreography on stage with her backup dancers. Take a look (below):
Wow! Now that is the performer we all love! So what happened? Britney seemed to be fine during the dress rehearsals — even though she hadn’t slept and had those wardrobe issues. What changed between the rehearsals and the live performance? Well, it turns out Justin Timberlake happened.
Right before the comeback performance, she awkwardly ran into her ex-boyfriend backstage. And bumping into the guy she loved and went through unforgettably painful experiences with for the first time in a long time had instantly thrown her off her game. Britney recalled in the memoir:
“It had been a while since I’d seen him. Everything was going great in his world. He was at the top of his game in every way, and he had a lot of swagger. I was having a panic attack. I hadn’t rehearsed enough. I hated the way I looked. I knew it was going to be bad.’”
She hated the way she looked as soon as she saw him. Ugh, Justin…
Between the pressure of performing again after publicly experiencing a rough time in her life, dealing with wardrobe issues, and seeing an ex, it’s no wonder she panicked and botched the performance! That’s a lot to deal with all in one day. But damn, are we proud she still managed to go up there and try her best now knowing what we know!
Thoughts on the unearthed Gimme More performance? Sound OFF in the comments below!
[Image via Nikki Nelson/ WENN, This Morning/Bruno Kauling/YouTube]
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