17 years ago Britney Jean Spears released her debut album… Baby One More Time and the rest was herstory. V Magazine celebrated the pop queen and their own 100th issue with not one or two, but THREE covers. They had this to say…

Spears’s appearance on the cover of V100 speaks not only to where we V started, but to how it has evolved over the years. When founder and editor-in-chief Stephen Gan set out to release the first issue, he had a specific vision in mind for the magazine: V was to be the ultimate insider glossy for a new generation of die-hard fashion followers. Now, V has come to be held in a similar regard for music—a factor that Gan took into heavy consideration when deciding who should grace the anniversary issue’s cover.

“When looking for cover worthy subjects for our 100th issue, we had to ask ourselves, Who do pop stars and musicians—who have become an integral part of what V represents—look up to and admire? There was only one answer: Britney! She has entered icon status, and who in our world did not grow up listening to her music?”

Look out for for the full interview and more from V100, on stands March 8th. (Get those signed in Vegas! Collector’s item!) You can preorder all three here.

(Photo, Mario Testino; via V magazine)