BRITNEY Spears is America’s latest teen queen. Her self-titled CD, which was released in the spring, shot up to No. 4 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, and it hasn’t taken long for the 17-year-old Spears to capitalize on her cresting popularity.

She’s landed a guest spot on the TV series “Dawson’s Creek” for this fall, and there has been talk of a major movie role. She’s also set to head back into the studio to record her second album.

In person, Spears is much like any other teen girl in America. She speaks quickly and laughs easily. But the naughty-schoolgirl image from her MTV video “…Baby One More Time” is just an image. She comes across like your kid sister, and our interview, in fact, was chaperoned by her press agent.

But Spears spoke passionately about her life as a musician, which includes an ongoing tour with a sold-out New York concert debut Wednesday at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Post: How did you discover you could sing?

Spears: I had gymnastics every day, almost, and it was like an hour away from where I lived. My mom loves music, and when she drove she would blare it. One day I was singing along, and she said, “Britney, you can sing.” So since then I’ve sung in the church choirs, and I entered contests, and one thing led to another.

Post: But you took a very early interest in show business.

Spears: I did other things when I was younger, like the Mickey Mouse Club and some plays, but this kind of success is new to me. I haven’t been at the point I’m at now for very long, and I want to stay at this point.

Post: We’ve heard you’re negotiating for a film role. Do you have Hollywood aspirations?

Spears: Yeah, definitely. I would really love to make a movie next year. That would be really, really nice.

Post: Any specific offers?

Spears: There’ve been a couple offers. One in particular sounds really good. It’s a movie that I’m really interested in doing. But right now I’m basically taking a look at the scheduling and seeing if there’s time to do it.

Post: That sounds like something someone who is much older than you might say. You’re a teen-ager but are surrounded by adults. What are the differences between the generations?

Spears: I think that older people forget to have fun with life. It’s even hard for me to remember that.

Post: So it’s tough to find time to relax?

Spears: Well, I’m such a perfectionist about my work that I tend to overdo things. I want things to be perfect. Working is part of life, but finding fun in the work is important, too. I’m only 17, and I don’t remember to have fun all the time. You can’t just work, work, work. You’ll just go crazy. I try to do things that are fun, sane and normal. It helps.

Post: Give us an example of fun, sane and normal.

Spears: I recently had a major rehearsal day for my tour. It was a really big cram, because shooting the video took so much time, so we only had a week and a half to work on the tour. This one cram day I had to learn four numbers. Afterward, we all went off to eat and went shopping at the mall, and later we saw “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.” I must have really needed to be entertained, because I thought that movie was the most hilarious thing in the world.

Post: What styles of music interest you?

Spears: When I’m traveling and stuff, like on airplanes, I love to listen to Lauryn Hill. She really mellows you out. I love her voice because it’s so soothing. I also like Blackstreet – not Backstreet. I mean, I like the Backstreet Boys, too, but I really like Blackstreet. I love Whitney’s new album, and I love Brandy.

Post: Who do you look up to in the business?

Spears: I really love the way Madonna is. I love her because she’s basically a legend, and she is so smart; she’s a great businesswoman and she always seems to know just what the audience wants to hear. She’s never failed, and she’s been able to do movies as well. I totally admire that.

Post: It’s been a rough year for teens, with the shootings in Colorado and elsewhere. Is it difficult being a young person today?

Spears: I hate it when people don’t take me seriously because of my age. People forget teen-agers are people with feelings – feelings that get hurt sometimes. On the good side is just being young and having fun. For me, the best part of it all is being able to see the world, meeting all these talented, amazing people.

Post: Do you find that people have preconceived notions about you?

Spears: The worst thing is some people automatically think that I’m a one-hit wonder. And them thinking I’m not going to be around for a long time. I believe if I’m able to make good music, and continue to make good music, the sky’s the limit, and I won’t go wrong.

Post: Your two most popular songs, “Sometimes” and “…Baby One More Time,” convey very different images of you: one shy, one assertive. Which is the real you?

Spears: I’m probably more like “Sometimes,” though not totally. I have to admit, when I’m interested in a guy I always have to have him make the first move, because I don’t want any rejection. The song is about a girl who’s interested in a guy, but she doesn’t know how to approach him, so she wants him to make the first move. That’s how I would handle it. But then again, on stage I tend to have more fun and give more attitude with “…Baby One More Time.”

Post: What about “Bottom of My Broken Heart”? Have you ever had your heart broken?

Spears: Oh, yes I have. When I was in high school I was dating a guy – actually, I broke up with him, but in the process he ended up hurting me. This is a song I can totally relate to. When you’re young, you have the most intense feelings of your life. That’s because those feelings are new and so strong. A lot of people say you never love like your first love. I think that’s kind of true.

Post: How do you decide which songs to perform?

Spears: First, I listen to a tape of the song. If it sounds too young, I say it’s kind of cheesy. If it’s too adult or the lyrics don’t go with me, I’ll also say no. You just have to find that right mix between the two.

Post: Does a song’s subject have to mirror what’s going on in your life?

Spears: I have to be able to relate to it in some way, so it’s not totally off base from where I’m at in my life. I like songs with attitude that are edgy, as far as up-tempo tunes go. I like to get used to a song and see if it fits well with my voice.

Post: Do you have any fears about performing?

Spears: I’ve been having this dream since I started rehearsing for this tour. Every night I go backstage and I’m getting dressed for the medley, and there’s a lot of clothes I have to put on for it, and somehow I always walk out on stage barefoot. I have all these clothes on, and no shoes.