Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is a Grammy Award-winning American pop singer, dancer, actress, songwriter, author, and endorsement model. Raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Britney Spears first appeared on national television in 1992 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1994. In 1997, Spears signed a recording contract with Jive, releasing her debut album ...Baby One More Time in 1999. The album established her as a pop icon and "bona fide pop phenomenon", credited for influencing the revival of teen pop in the late 1990s. Spears currently has six studio albums; her most recent addition, Circus, was released on her 27th birthday in December 2008. Spears is ranked as the eighth best-selling female recording artist in the United States with 31 million sold albums certified by the Recording Industry Association of America and one of the world's best-selling music artists having sold an estimated 85 million records worldwide. Spears also holds the title to multiple Guinness World Records.
