What Made You a Fan of...John Mayer?

[phoenix98]

this may already exist, but I think it'd be interesting to hear how people discovered/when they first became fans of certain artists. I chose Britney first just because she's on my mind right now, but if this thread lasts I envision changing the artist every week or so.

example: the first time I can remember hearing about Britney was when my Aunt mentioned that some new pop singer was performing in a school girl's uniform (I later realized that she was referring to the "...BOMT" video).

I didn't actually buy my first Britney album until fall of 2001, when I picked up ...BOMT. I was already pretty familiar with Britney's singles, so I obviously loved it, and soon after bought Oops! and Britney. since then, I've bought all of her studio albums on the day they've been released.

now what about YOU?

[stevyy]

I became a fan when I heard Gimme More. Against general reviews I think Blackout has quite some great songs.

I was also very happy when she smashed again in 2008.

I'm not a fan of her current sound (HIAM).

the first album I bought was Blackout.. and then Circus. I don't own any other albums by her, cause I don't like her early career. I like Baby one more time (the song) though.

[biscuits]

Never really been a fan, but I did like her first couple of singles.

First time I remember hearing of her was simply when 'Baby One More Time' video aired on MTV in early 1999.

[sparkle80]

I dont know if I would be considered a Britney fan.
She's not my absolute fav but I do like alot of her songs and believe she is talented.

I started liking her after Sometimes. I never was crazy for Baby hit me one more time and thought she was overrated when that song exploded. When she did Sometime, I really started to pay more attention to her. After liking her follow up singles, I bought her debut. After that, I bought her next 3 albums the day they were released. I love her faster paced songs but I believe she has some really good ballads too. I did not buy Blackout or Circus though. I like those albums too but I prefer her earlier stuff.

[crazyman324]

I liked her, in the same way that I quite like Katy Perry and Rihanna now. I liked what she did but made no real attempt to go out of my way to listen to her or watch her videos. For instance I didn't own the "BOMT" or "Britney" albums, and the copy of "OIDIA" I threw away.
I think about mid-way through 2003 I just became obsessed with her. It was some VH1 special thing about Christina Aguilera which did it I think ( "The rise and rise of..." or somit like that). I just remember saying to my sister "I don't know why but I'll always have a soft spot for Britney". then BOOM. She was awesome In-The-Zone young hot Britney Spears, kissing Madonna, being on EVERY front page at some point and releasing my all-time fave song "Toxic".

I've mellowed in the last few years - God know I love her, but I don't consider myself a stan anymore.

[JimJim]

Hmm, that's an interesting question!

I really grew up with Britney Spears, I remember her songs from her debut era being really big at the time, but I wasn't old enough to remember it fully. I didn't mind her songs, but didn't go out of my way to hear them or anything, as I wasn't mad about music at that age.

I guess for me it happened around 2003/04, the 'In the Zone' singles were just so phenomenal, which then lead into the GH phase, but which point I was very much into music and starting to realise how many good songs she had, I bought her GH (which is a phenomenal body of pop music). I've then bought every album since.

I definitely prefer the latter half of her career on the whole, as opposed to the first half, but the first half probably had better singles - if that makes sense!

[phoenix98]

I definitely prefer the latter half of her career on the whole, as opposed to the first half, but the first half probably had better singles - if that makes sense!

that makes a LOT of sense, actually! I do love ...BOMT and Britney (not Oops! as much), but it's hard to deny that her earlier albums (especially the first two IMO) had EXCELLENT singles but also a lot of rubbish filler tracks ("Soda Pop"? "Email My Heart"? "Dear Diary"??).

with Blackout and especially Circus, I think more of the non-single tracks became just as strong as the singles, if not stronger (gems like "Heaven On Earth", "Unusual You", and "Shattered Glass" leap to mind).

[JSparksFan]

I remember the first time I heard about Britney Spears was when there was this news report on some "troubled Pop star" shaving her head. I was like, "Who is this crazy woman?" So, I went online and watched the video for "Stronger" and I loved it. So I basically backtracked her whole career and fell in love with all her songs. It's unbelievable that Britney was so big and I didn't even know she existed until 2007. Anyway, so later on I basically backtracked her career and listened to all her songs and she became - over time, my favourite artist of all-time.

[leoapp]

Before it's locked

I started to like her when i saw Sometimes video (the first time i saw her)
I started to love her in 2000 (oops era)
I because a fan after I saw I'm A Slave 4 U music video = she's so sexy there

[irishguy28]

I'm still waiting...

We got off on the wrong foot, because although "Baby" was so popular and pervasive, I really couldn't see what all the fuss was about (the video has no magic for me; the song itself is pedestrian and ploddy).

I much preferred "Born To Make You Happy" - by far my favourite Britney single (at least until "Boys" and "Break The Ice" came along) - and "Stronger" was interesting (and probably her best video, if you ask me). "I'm A Slave 4 U" was interesting, and "Everytime", despite being a slow number, I liked too.

But most of her stuff just doesn't appeal to me. I can see why something like "Toxic" would appeal to people, but I just didn't like it. And after breaking new ground with, what in Britney terms at least, experimental tracks like "Gimme More" and "Break The Ice" I thought she was maturing into a new, better sound - but it turned out to be a false dawn. "If You Seek..", for instance, should never have been committed to tape, let alone unleashed on an unsuspecting public.

[JimJim]

Before it's locked

I won't be locking it, MAM threads where the subject is inter-changeable such as this one (and a whole bunch of others) are allowed, ones that are solely based on one artist are generally not.

[Tom92]

I've always been a Britney fan since 'Baby One More Time'

I was about 5 when it came out

[pollei]

I liked Britney Spears because I remember when I was 5, songs like 'Oops' and her previous songs were smashing the world. After 10 years, I'm still a big fan of her. The fact that she kind of grew up with me and my generation makes her rock my world. I don't care if the next generation of teenagers don't appreciate her music, Britney Spears was the most popular person in the 00's. No one can deny that. She was such a phenomenal force of our generation. She will always have a special place in my generation's music taste. Even though they might be in denial about this, I haven't known a single person who doesn't like at least a single Britney song. I love her!

[HBIC jamesssxD]

When Me Against The Music came out, then In The Zone & was like damn, she makes good music! Now love her and all her music

[shirley]

liked Britney when I first saw the video for 'Baby One More Time.' My sister bought the album. She has the first 4 albums.

First Britney single I bought was 'Born To Make You Happy.' Also have 'Lucky' and 'Me Against The Music.'
Never ever liked Toxic. Can't stand that Britney song. Change channels whenever it comes on. First Britney album I bought was the Greatest Hits. Purchased Blackout when it was reduced to £5. Got Circus the day it came out (say it's my fave Britney album.)

Not liking Hold It Against Me at all. Had pre-ordered the album but cancelled it. Will wait to see what the other singles are like before I get it. Might wait until it's down to £5 or something like that.

[Valentino]

I liked Baby one more time the song and some of her other singles, I was a huge fan of Slave and that was the time when she caught my attention, her moves and the way she looks it really got me fascinating.

I dont own any of her albums besides Blackout and Circus.

BLACKOUT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH HER ; ITS BY FAR HER BEST ALBUM

[skapunk]

I dislike her music. So I am not a fan. But she deserves to breathe for making a good song like 'Toxic'. Even though she must've just entered the studio, read the pre-written lyrics, sing it with 20 takes and walk out, its a good song.

[Wmosi]

Personally,i only listen to her material Post In The Zone.That's Blackout and Circus.

I'd say the live performance of Gimme More at the 2007 VMAs made me somewhat a fan.It was such a trainwreck.

I love trainwrecks.

[CrazyCrazy]

Good idea for a topic!

However I'm not taking part here because she's rubbish!

Looking forward to future artists, mainly my faves!

[Spartan]

Interesting topic.

Personally, I've never been a fan. I don't see her star quality. She's an average singer, average dancer and reasonably attractive. I respect that she's made herself successful but that isn't reflected by the music she releases, which tends to be mediocre pop. She's had a couple of good songs though but that's about it.

[Wmosi]

I do think that her work in the latter half of the decade(Blackout and Circus) is miles better than the material she debuted with.

Plus, i find Toxic and Me Against The Music quite overrated, together with the accompanying album.

Blackout, i think was her(or her producers') creative opus.

[NothingFails]

I've never been a fan-fan but I've liked quite a few of her records.

I first heard of her around Sept 1998 when The Box (remember that?) showed the Baby One More Time video. To be honest, I didn't think much of it or her, figuring she was another Debbie Gibson type of teen princess who wouldn't amount to much... I was wrong.

I didn't like her at all in 1999 but with the second album I started softening up to her a bit and ended up buying Oops a few mos after it came out

[Brazilian]

Since 2000, with Stronger (song and video). I love all those pirouettes she makes with that chair.

[Driftwood]

It's funny that some absolutely non-fans of Britney Spears found time to post in a topic "When Did You Become/What Made You a Fan of...Britney Spears?" ("Everybody is addicted underneath the skin")
Well, my story is quite ordinary. You know, Belarus is not the major force in music industry, so I wasn't aware of BOMT chart success until February-March 1999. But I was lucky enough to have cabel TV and watch VIVA (German music channel) and had a possibility to listen to programms about UK Singles Chart on Russian and Ukrainian BBC. BOMT debuted at the top in the UK= first time I've heard about Britney. I wasn't blown away by BOMT video, but when I saw a cassette with BOMT album in my town in April, I've bought it. I've became a fan after I saw "Sometimes" video. She was so beautiful in it, and it was such a sunny video and cute midtempo song, that I literally fell in love with her. I spent my summer holidays in 1999 in the village (where my grandparents lived) with my friends and fell in love with a girl (I was 16, she was 14), so I forgot about Britney for a moment, but that girl broke my heart, summer ended, I got back to my town and school, and in September Britney reminded me of herself - I saw "Crazy video and became even a bigger fan of her.
I have 4 legal CDs of her music: B in the Mix, Blackout, Circus and The Singles Collection (deluxe). I would buy her older albums, but I've seen them only without booklets in our shops.
No matter what will happen in the future, there always will be a place in my heart for her, she's like soulmate to me (you know, "Soulmates never die" - Placebo), and I always will be thankful to her that she make me explore music.

[Toadallstar2]

I started liking Gimmie More and Toxic in late 2007 and then got into Piece of Me and my obsession has grown ever since.