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Britney Spears: 'I am too sexualised by the music industry'

The singer said she would prefer to tone down her music videos

Daisy Wyatt
Friday 04 October 2013 11:37 BST
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Britney Spears has hit out at the music industry, claiming she feels under pressure to maintain a sexy image.

The pop star said she would prefer her videos to be less raunchy, and to go back to the earlier days in her career when her videos had “not that much sex stuff going on”.

She told Boston radio station AMP 103.3: “A lot of sex goes into what I do. But sometimes I would like to bring it back to the old days when there was like one outfit through the whole video, and you’re dancing the whole video, and there’s like not that much sex stuff going on.”

She continued: “It’s about the dance and it’s about being old school, it’s like keeping it real and just making it about the dance. I’d love to do a video like that.”

Britney’s new video “Work B***h” shows the singer in various outfits, including a metallic bikini, fishnet tights, a studded leather bandeau bra and thigh-high patent boots.

The mother of two first broke onto the music scene in 1999 with her video for “…Baby One More Time”, in which she wore a school uniform and a yellow and red tracksuit.

The pop star, who recently signed a $30m (£19m) deal to perform a run of Vegas shows, revealed she cut scenes from her “ Work B***c” video because she thought they were too sexy.

She said: “Oh my god, we showed way more skin and did way more stuff for the video than what is actually there.”

When asked whether her managers were pushing her further than she wanted to go, she replied “yes”.

The 31-year-old said she wanted to remain true to herself and protect her sons Sean Preston, 8, and Jayden James, 7, from her sexualised on-screen image.

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She said: “I cut out half the video because I am a mother and because, you know, I have children, and it’s just hard to play sexy mom while you’re being a pop star as well.”

Britney’s father and long-term manager Larry Rudolph denied that the singer was made to film scenes she did not feel comfortable with.

They told TMZ: “Britney is never pressured into anything. She reviews all creative and for her ‘Work B***c’ video she discussed toning down some parts in finding a balance of sexy and being a mom.”

The pop star’s comments follow Sinead O’Connor’s public warning to Miley Cyrus yesterday that the industry will “prostitute you for all you are worth”.

In an open letter on her website, the nineties pop star warned Cyrus the industry only wanted her for her body.

O’Connor said: “Don’t be under any illusions…All of them want you because they’re making money off your youth and beauty…which they could not do except for the fact your youth makes you blind to the evils of show business.”

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