A Look Back At Britney's Many Warehouse Parties

Think you've been to some great warehouse parties in your day? Whatever, noob. Unless you've been to a warehouse party in a Britney Spears music video, you've never seen a real banger. Following Britney's music video oeuvre over the years, it’s plain to see that "raucous bash in an industrial loft space" is one of her most preferred concepts. Know how New York plays itself in all of those movies? Well, "Warehouse" is just as much of a star as Britney in many of her music videos.

Think about it. Where does the heated boy vs. girl dance off in "Drive Me Crazy" take place? In a warehouse! What about the orgiastic writhing in "I'm a Slave 4 U"? Another abandoned warehouse!!! Warehouse parties also appear in "Overprotected," "Me Against The Music," and much later on in "'Til The World Ends." Most of these videos have a few fundamental things in common: A sick DJ booth is displayed. Large choreographed numbers take place. Everyone is REALLY sweaty.

But just as Britney herself has transformed over the course of her career, her warehouse parties have changed alongside her. Let’s examine the evolution of Britney’s warehouse parties across the course of her career.

"Drive Me Crazy" — 1999

Britney's inaugural warehouse party is basically an 18+ club. The idea here is that a bunch of kids found a warehouse in which they would have an unchaperoned battle of the sexes dance off. With milkshakes and Melissa Joan Hart, of course.

"I'm A Slave 4 U" — 2001

WELP, things really escalated in the space of two years. While her first party was basically a youth group dance, Britney's sophomore warehouse party is a hot yoga, dry-humping orgy. Unlike some of her later videos, there is very little going on at this warehouse party: no themed rooms, sparse decoration. Given the fact that orgies require plenty of space for people to spread out, a series of large, unfurnished rooms is just right.

"Overprotected" — 2002

Another hallmark of a Britney Spears warehouse party is the fact that there are always plenty of fun, random objects lying around. "Overprotected" delivers in that department. There's a carousel horse. There's a chaise lounge. There's some old neon signage. Spears, however, makes the mistake of arriving on time, and is thus the ONLY PERSON at the party for, like, half the video. Eventually her friends show up, and she no longer feels awkward. She will never show up early to one of these things ever again!

"Me Against The Music" — 2003

Having learned her lesson about the awkwardness of being punctual, Britney is fashionably late to this (underground?) industrial soiree. This gives her an opportunity to make an entrance. Thus far, this party is definitely the funnest one she's ever been to. There are themed rooms! Someone brought pizza! Even freakin' MADONNA showed up! This is also when things start to get distinctively weird. Note, the room with the tree, and the totally unnecessary bed frame in that one room.

"'Til The World Ends" — 2011

In this most recent warehouse party video, Brit keeps things relatively simple and returns to her roots. Perhaps this has to do with the fact that the apocalypse is happening around her and she had very little time to plan the party. While it doesn't take place in a warehouse per se — rather, in a sewer — I'm gonna count it as a warehouse party. After all, there's party lighting, a DJ, plenty of sweaty, tired dancers, and choreography. Basically, this video represents her body of work coming full circle. Hooray!