10 Music Artists Who Hated Their Own Success

By Jarlath Caolan /

7. Britney Spears

In what might be the most public rejection of celebrity status ever, in 2007 the world awoke to the news that Disney-reared pop starlet Britney Spears had shaved her head. Renowned for her long blonde tresses, the stunt challenged the public€™s perception of her as a sweet and innocent angel and instantly gave rise to rumors about mental health issues and/or drug abuse. The hotly-debated trip to the salon marked a period of turbulence for the star who divorced husband Kevin Federline, entered several drug rehabilitation facilities and lost custody of her children within the space of a year. Since then, Spears has struggled to return to her former, platinum-selling heights, 2013 album Britney Jean receiving a lukewarm critical reception and making only a minor dent on the charts. Music video director David LaChapelle who shot the jarring video for Everytime, a clear critique of fame in which Britney drowns in a bathtub in a luxury apartment before the ambulance containing her lifeless body is chased to the hospital by paparazzi, recently claimed that Spears is €œover€ being a pop star and has no enthusiasm for celebrity life these days. As Britney€™s star continues to wane, it€™s fair to assume that the child star from smalltown Louisiana has little interest in returning to the lifestyle that derailed her once already.