Throughout history, few things fail to bring limitless joy like Britney Spears’ music. As we find ourselves painfully slogging through the gigantic mess of a year that is 2020, one small glimmer of joy to celebrate is among us, the 20th anniversary of one of the most iconic and successful sophomore albums of all time ‘Oops… I Did it Again’.

In honour of this, Team Britney are releasing a commemorative, gorgeous, picture disc vinyl, coming August 14th and available to pre-order now. Plus, the release of ‘Oops!… I Did It Again (Remixes & B-Sides) EP’, including rare remixes of the hits “Oops!… I Did It Again,” “Lucky,” “Stronger” and “Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know,” plus four rare songs from the album sessions only released outside the U.S., including a cover of The Jets’ classic ballad “You Got It All.” coming on September 26th.

To celebrate the anniversary and announcement of the new releases, we have decided to revisit the album (as if we don’t already weekly) and discuss some of our favourite tracks and why they are so incredible.

Counting down from 5 to our absolute favourite.

5. ‘Can’t Make You Love Me’

In fifth place, ‘Can’t Make You Love Me’ s uptempo, funky beat is at such stark contrast to the despairing lyrics. She sings, “I might be sitting with the movie stars… but I can’t make you love me”. Britney is longing for a “normal” life here by trying to diminish her international fame and calling herself “just a girl with a crush on you”. However, overlooking the drama of the lyrics, the song itself is a playful, pure 2000s bop, effortlessly captivating and easily hair-whip-able.

4. ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’

Although a cover, this powerful banger perfectly details Britney’s life at the time, continuing to ride the wave of success from her incredibly successful album ‘Baby One More Time’, the song showcases Britney struggling to transition from teen idol to adult pop star in the public eye. This song is the first of many, including other ‘Oops..’ tracks ‘Lucky’ and “What U See (Is What U Get’), showing Britney struggle with the same problem. The 2000 VMA performance, where she infamously ripped off her black suit to reveal a nude two-piece, elevates the songs’ message and perfectly exemplifies the emotion Britney is trying to convey here.

3. ‘Lucky’

‘Lucky’ is probably one of the most haunting songs of Britney’s entire discography. At only age 19, Britney is eerily accurate in foreshadowing her career infamous, unfortunate downfall in 2007-8. The star of the song, “Lucky” (Britney) is struggling to deal with fame and success yet is continuously portrayed as having everything, being ‘lucky’ if you will. Although deeply painful to listen to, knowing the trials and tribulations celebrity life has put Britney through after the song’s release, the song is one of the first times Britney had the confidence to address her unprecedented fame, one that should be celebrated. Not to mention the song is pure bubble-gum-pop perfection and infectiously catchy.

2. ‘Oops… I Did It Again’

When thinking of early 2000s nostalgia, a few things may come to mind, flip phones, low-waisted jeans and last but not least, ‘Oops… I did It Again!’. Everything from the red catsuit, the spoken word bridge and the instantly recognisable choreography results in the song oozing iconicity. We’re sure we don’t need to describe the intoxicatingly catchy lyrics or the warping, enthralling beat but it’s safe to say this playful, unforgettable hit will always have a place in our hearts.

1. ‘Stronger’

If you are looking for a timeless, self-empowerment anthem then look no further than ‘Stronger’. This song manages to electrify the listener from the first, almost indescribable, sound (once hilariously accurately compared to that of a coffee machine.) The chorus (listen for that long note in the final chorus as well!) leaves the listener both exhilarated and empowered. Maybe I am biased because I possibly did or did not cry when watching her perform this, but writing about it now, I am struggling to find one bad thing to say about ‘Stronger’. When adding the context of Britney’s tumultuous personal life and her triumphant comeback, the songs’ message really is that of emancipation. Britney is “Stronger” now than ever before and that makes the song all the more special to us.

Although we could carry on talking for ages about how ‘Oops’ is possibly Britney’s most accomplished and vocally talented album in her discography or the clear, important turning point it showcased in Britney’s career from a one-hit-wonder teenager to adult, living legend, it is probably best to leave it here.

Make sure to go and re-listen to ‘Oops… I Did it Again’ if you haven’t recently and immerse yourself back in the pure nostalgic, 2000s bliss.

Words by Joe Gardner

Graphics by Katie Janes

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Denim: an innately versatile and timeless fabric, dominating dress codes of runways and street-style stars for decades. A good, flattering pair of jeans is a woman’s best friend; a trusty, fail-safe item to always return to when in sartorial doubt. But one denim phenomenon that has divided fashion lovers and trend-spotters since its inception is the polarising question of whether we should or shouldn’t double up on our denim.

A fashion phenomenon associated with the 70s and 80s, as seen on Blondie front-woman Debbie Harry and sported by Charlie’s Angels, the origins of double denim root back to the 1950s. Also known as the Canadian Tuxedo, a phrase coined after Bing Crosby’s head-to-toe denim ensemble had him denied entry to a hotel in 1951 for failing to confirm to acceptable dress codes, double denim was donned by 50s stars from Marilyn Monroe to Elvis, whose non-conformist style caught on thanks to her iconic embodiment of 50s sexuality and his global fanbase and popularity. Fast forward to 1978 and Debbie Harry, whose fearless punk-rock style gained her style icon status, made an on-stage appearance marrying different shades of denim. Drew Barrymore’s washed-out blue, laid-back denim-on-denim 1991 look was emblematic of the 90s grunge era, in distressed jeans and an oversized jacket that screamed androgyny.

If we had to pinpoint the moment when double denim became considered no-go style territory, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake at the 2001 AMAs instantly springs to mind. An ode to double denim would be incomplete without reminiscing on their appearance in matching denim ensembles that took the Western-inspired look a little too far with denim patchwork and JT’s cowboy hat – all kinds of wrong, but iconic nonetheless. Once considered a fashion faux pas, the double denim trend is seeing a revival that designers and celebrities aren’t hesitating to jump onto. After all, borderline bad taste is in, with ‘ugly’, slightly ironic and boundary-pushing trends such as sporty sandals, cycling shorts and Paris Hilton-style one shoulder-tanks all making an impression on the fashion landscape in recent years.

It’s a comeback people still seem sceptical about – Google search ‘double denim’, and one of the first questions to pop up is “Is double denim allowed?”, as if some sort of out of bounds, contraband concept to live in fear of. The runways are saying otherwise, however, with HTT denim looks featuring on the catwalks at Tom Ford, Miu Miu and Fendi among others in recent years, pushing the boundaries by going one step further with triple or even quadruple denim. Its versatility and laid-back sophistication lend it to emulation by A-listers such as Gigi Hadid, who has been known to double up on denim on numerous occasions, and whose double-denim dress code for her 24th birthday party saw celebrities from Hailee Steinfeld to Ashley Graham make their appearance donning the controversial trend. Bella Hadid went beyond with triple denim, layering a denim shirt over a reconstructed corset and jeans, a look slightly nostalgic of Britney’s questionable 2001 attire.

Double denim radiates a feel that’s at once chic, polished and laid-back, and can be styled to fit any occasion, with chunky trainers, statement heels and ankle books all working harmoniously with an all-denim ensemble. Shades of scarlet red or injections of metallic accents in the form of bags, shoes or jewellery thrive next to icy blue and indigo hues. The classic jeans and denim jacket combination emits an NYC street-style vibe, while a pairing of a button-down shirt and jeans gives off a Western feel. Alternatively, layer denim pieces over a striped tee for an effortless French-girl style à la Diane Kruger.

However it’s styled, embracing double-denim in its daringly versatile glory and marrying denim hues has made for one of the most enduring trends of the fashion landscape in recent years, despite its disputed status as verging on bad taste.

By Ruby McAuliffe

Artwork by Sasha Green

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