Britney Spears Opens Up About the Pressures of the Music Industry

Throughout her career, Britney Spears has gone through ups and downs.

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Currently in the middle of her tour, Spears opened up about the pressures of the music industry -- and being a constant subject in the tabloids. "I think your personal life is your personal life, and that should stay private, but in the line of talking about my craft and what I do I'm willing to talk about those things," Spears said in a recent interview with PopJustice.com.

When asked how much of her the public really knows, she said "half. I can be pretty guarded with my personal life and I've learned that's OK." As a mother of two young boys, Spears said that if they decided to give singing and performing a shot, "I'd definitely keep an eye on them," she revealed, "but if that's what they wanted to do then I'd let them go after it. I'd just be very protective."

Spears, who began her career as a young teenager, discussed the ugly side of the business. "I wouldn't want them to go into it feeling fearful, and also nobody can really prepare you for this industry and what you experience, so I'd just have to trust that they have the instincts to know what's right and wrong and help guide them along the way," she said, before adding, "I think I have the experience."

But what would Spears be doing had she not become a pop sensation at such a young age? "I'd probably be a teacher," she replied, mentioning that she'd teach reading and history. "I love kids and even in what I do now one of my favorite parts of my day is getting to meet my fans before the show. Especially the little ones."

When asked what she's learned from things that didn't quite happen according to plan, Spears said, "[Get] everybody in check and make sure that everybody's on top of what they're doing. … If it doesn't happen the way you want it to happen, just don't take yourself too seriously and move on."

The biggest mistake Spears has made? "To not trust my instincts," she said simply.

Spears also revealed in the interview that she had a mini-club in her house, where she plays "a lot of music there" and "has a glitter ball."