The year 2007 was the most chaotic year for singer Britney Spears. Simultaneous to being one of the most popular artists in the world, Spears was an enigma disguised by perfectly blonde hair and catchy anthems. 

Memorable events from the era include countless awards, hit songs, an iconic denim-on-denim look with Justin Timberlake, and of course, a stark image of Spears with a shaved head in front of dozens of paparazzi also rises to the surface when reminiscing. 

Despite the celebrity’s prominence in the tabloids, Spears was just the voice persistently on the radio while on the way to gymnastics practice for junior communication studies major Kylie Shelon. At a birthday party, Shelon learned to dance to Spears’ hit song "Baby One More Time'' — just one example of a plethora of memories Shelon associates with the pop star. 

But when Shelon heard the controversy regarding Spears’ 14-year-long conservatorship, suddenly the narrative shifted.

"My perception of (Spears) has gone from being the sweet, innocent girl who produced music to somebody who lost a lot of freedoms, and that's terrifying," Shelon said. "I remember when things started getting weird; I wasn't even aware of what was happening because I was young. I remember my parents having E! News up at night and just seeing (Spears’) face all over and not being able to understand."

Fast forward 15 years, Spears has been battling for her freedom to dissolve a conservatorship against her father, Jamie Spears, which restricted many of her rights not only as a performer but as a human. The conservatorship was removed in November 2021, with many being unaware of the situation until a 2021 documentary was released by the New York Times titled, "Framing Britney Spears." 

Spears’ court-authorized conservatorship enabled her father to control all of her financial and medical decisions starting in 2008. The ruling was made following a public mental breakdown in which Spears shaved her head and attacked a paparazzo's car with an umbrella, which additionally led to Spears’ hospitalization and rehabilitation for substance abuse. 

Fans began speculating if the conservatorship was in Spears' best interest after finding out in May 2019 that there were rumors of a closed-door court hearing and out-of-the-ordinary Instagram posts from Spears. When more details came out with the months to follow, fans discovered she was forced to take birth control and the drug lithium — a mood stabilizer typically used to treat mania in people with bipolar disorder. 

"This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good,” Spears told a California judge during the June 2021 trial. “I deserve to have a life. I’ve worked my whole life. I deserve to have a two- to three-year break and do what I want to do … I’m tired of feeling alone. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does by having a child, a family, any of those things — and moreso.” 

Through a social media movement called #FreeBritney, fans and supporters around the world took part in raising awareness on the abuse Spears went through and strove to help end her suffering. 

However, now that the conservatorship is over — and with it the constant news coverage surrounding Spears — is she still the subject of fascination in contemporary society?

Though the pop star’s avid fans would likely argue otherwise, students like Gabrielle Gaw, a junior sociology major, believe the excitement and celebration of Spears being free has long-since been replaced by a quiet slumber.   

"There was the whole #FreeBritney movement, and then now she's free," Gaw said. "I think a lot of times people just forget about it, and even I have been guilty of that. I followed (the conservatorship trial) for a bit, and now it's kind of like, 'Okay, we got what we wanted.' So it's kind of over in that sense, even though it's not over for her; I'm sure it's still a battle (for her) and there's still things going on. But as far as the public perception of her (goes), now she's a bit forgotten.”

Shelon said the reason so many may have left Spears in the pop culture dust is because they were only interested in the legal discussion, but now that is no longer a factor in her life.

"I think that there's three different types of people when it comes to (Spears’) fans," Shelon said. "(There’s) people who cared about her for her, there's people who cared about her for just the music, and then there's people who cared about her for just the conservatorship. Everyone kind of falls on that spectrum somewhere." 

In an April 4 Instagram post, which Spears later deleted, the artist announced plans to write a book, calling the process "healing and therapeutic." The original caption acknowledged that some individuals may no longer care about Spears’ life, saying, “I'm sure it seems irrelevant to most and I'm completely aware of that!!

But given the drama and inquiry surrounding Spears’ life, junior communications studies major Katie McKinley thinks the memoir will be a best-selling release.   

"(Spears is) kind of a mystery; I feel like there are a lot of questions surrounding her and what happened in the past 10 years of her life," McKinley said. "I definitely would try to read it."

McKinley, who used to pretend she and her older sister Brittney were a pop star duo due to them sharing the same first names as Spears and Katy Perry, said the nostalgia surrounding Spears will always be relevant. But it may be time for Spears to take a step away from the questionable TikToks and Instagram videos, MckKinley said, now that the celebrity is expecting her third child since removing her contraception. 

"You're choosing to raise a child; I think it's probably better to focus on yourself and get all your ducks in a row and be organized," McKinley said. "So then you can really enjoy being a mother again."

On the other hand, Shelon said Spears should continue to do what makes her happy, even if that includes staying in the glow of the media or having a child. Shelon emphasized the quality of patience that people should allow her due to this newfound freedom that she may not be accustomed to.  

"It's kind of like (Spears’) growth was stunted," Shelon said. "So now, she needs to find out where she is. People need to be patient with her, support her and let her mess up a little bit if that needs to happen, because you can't succeed if you don't fail a little. And she's about to enter this whole new era of her life."

Senior psychology major Payton Forche said that her love of Spears began back when she would listen to her music in the background of her mom’s regular workout. Even more importantly than her love for Spears as an artist, Forche said she admires how Spears’ struggle gives recognition to the commonality of silencing women in the media. 

"It's weird that it took so long for (Spears) to be in control of herself when she was fine," Forche said. "And then Kanye West is always spouting the most weird (stuff) on social media and is allowed to do whatever he wants. So it kinda shows the bias between men and women."

While people may or may not take interest in the life of an early 2000s pop star, McKinley said Spears’ struggle introduced a new vocab word that many were formerly unaware of: conservatorship. 

Even though "Toxic" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" are lasting emblems of Spears’ legacy, her fight for freedom will also be a landmark for the discussion on conservatorship — even if she fades away from popularity.