Britney Spears: A Life in Photos

After the new Mickey Mouse Club was canceled, Spears returned to New York and tried to grab the attention of the music industry through demo tapes and auditions. Jive Records was interested, and she paired with manager Larry Rudolph and went to Sweden to record with songwriter Max Martin. She returned with her hit first single, "... Baby One More Time," which was released in late 1998. Here, Spears poses backstage at New York's Madison Square Garden on December 17th, 1998.