Back in 2000, Britney Spears was riding high on the global success of her hit breakout album, ...Baby One More Time. She was a first-time nominee at the GRAMMY Awards that year, receiving nods in the Best New Female Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance categories, the latter for "...Baby One More Time."
That 2000 GRAMMYs also marked Spears' first GRAMMY performance, which remains an unforgettable piece of GRAMMYs history today. In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind, turn back the clock to that epic, dazzling performance, which established Spears' prowess as one of the early 2000s' most imaginative, energetic entertainers.
The four-and-a-half-minute number opened with a flashback scene, putting a spotlight on young Spears as she watched the GRAMMY Awards from a couch at home. "Tina Turner and Janet Jackson," an announcer on the TV listed, name-checking two of young Spears' musical idols. "Wow!" the young girl thought in a voiceover clip. "Someday I'm gonna be there, just wait and see."
Sure enough, that clip fades into a dream sequence, and Spears kicks off her performance — beginning what was seemingly a full-circle moment for the star. As the singer stands amid a small group of backup dancers dressed as flowers, she belts out her heartbreak ballad, "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart," in stunning fashion.
As things begin to pick up with some booming thunderstorm visuals, Spears — who changed from a pastel tutu to a skin-tight glittery red bodysuit — is then joined by a phalanx of robot backup dancers. She launches into "...Baby One More Time" with an acrobatic dance routine, dazzling the crowd with epic production, dance moves and vocal theatrics.
Press play on the video above to revisit this iconic performance from Spears, and keep checking GRAMMY.com every Friday for more episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.