Anticipating
Encyclopedia
"Anticipating" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears
. It was released in France as the fourth single from her third studio album Britney
. It was written by Spears while produced by Brian Kierulf
and Josh Schwartz as a throwback to the disco
era. Lyrically, it talks about friendship and camaradie between women. It was met with critical praise, with reviewers complimenting its empowering lyrics and comparing it to 1980s compositions of Madonna
and Rick Astley
. It achieved minor commercial success, peaking at number thirty-eight. "Anticipating" was performed in the Dream Within a Dream Tour
(2001–2002), where Spears wore a patched denim skirt and danced in front of giant crayon drawings. The music video consisted of the performance from Live from Las Vegas.
and Josh Schwartz while produced
by Kierulf and Schwartz. It was recorded at Rusk Sound Studios in Los Angeles, California
, the DOJO in Jackson, New Jersey, Sound on Sound Studios and Battery Studios in New York City
. It was also mixed
at Battery Studios by Stephen George
. Audio engineering
was done by Aaron Kaplan, Rich Tapper, Jill Tengan and Charles McCrorey. Nile Rodgers
played the guitar
. Bass guitar
and programming
was done by Kierulf. Background vocals were provided by Spears and Jennifer Karr.
"Anticipating" is a song with a 1970s disco sound. According to the sheetmusic published at musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group
, the song is composed in the key of F major
and is set in time signature
of common time with a tempo
of 112 beats per minute. Spears vocal range spans from F3 to A4. The song has a basic sequence of B(9)–C–Dm7–B(9) as its chord progression
. Lyrically, it talks about friendship
and camaradie between women.
called "Anticipating" the strongest track in the album. Yale Daily News
writer Catherine Halaby called it a "fun, cutesy disco ballad". Nikki Tranker of PopMatters
said it "offers Britney’s fans something a little different with a simple tune beautifully underlined by a well-executed ‘70s disco sound". Jim Farber of the Daily News while reviewing the Dream Within a Dream Tour
named it along with "Stronger
", "[two] girl-power anthems". Katie Perone of the Loyola Greyhound said "[it] is a fun, bubbly song that probably would have had great success on Oops!
". Barry Walters of Rolling Stone
stated the song is "a euphoric Rick Astley
flashback, [where] she emotes without framing her vocals in Nickelodeon
-schooled theatricality". Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe
compared it to early Madonna
tracks such as "Holiday
". In the album review, David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
criticized "Anticipating" along with "Bombastic Love" for "[relying] on enervated formulas". On July 26, 2002, the song entered at number forty-six in the French Singles Chart
. The following week, it peaked at number thirty-eight.
. The performance began with a video interlude of Spears talking to her dancers. She then appeared onstage, wearing a patched denim skirt. The set was made of giant coloring book
drawings of houses and cars. After the second chorus, she invited the audience to sing along with her. At the end of the song, she briefly talked to the audience before taking off the skirt and top to perform "I'm a Slave 4 U
". Shaheem Reid of MTV
noted that during the opening night of the tour in Columbus, Ohio
, "Britney must've forgotten that the disco-era throwback cut was brand spanking new, because she kept encouraging everyone to sing along to the chorus [...] Although the crowd clapped and bobbed to the beat, Britney had to go this one alone vocally". The music video, directed by Marty Callner
, consisted of footage of the tour performance from Live from Las Vegas. Several effects were added, including a glittering ball and the name of the song appearing on the screen. The song was also promoted in a commercial Spears filmed for Toyota Vios
.
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. It was released in France as the fourth single from her third studio album Britney
Britney (album)
Britney is the third studio album by American pop singer Britney Spears. The album was released worldwide on November 6, 2001 by Jive Records, and one day after in the United States...
. It was written by Spears while produced by Brian Kierulf
Brian Kierulf
Brian Kierulf is a songwriter and producer from USA. He usually writes songs with Joshua M. Schwartz. They are a part of KNS Productions.-Selected discography:Britney Spears - compilation album Platinum Christmas...
and Josh Schwartz as a throwback to the disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
era. Lyrically, it talks about friendship and camaradie between women. It was met with critical praise, with reviewers complimenting its empowering lyrics and comparing it to 1980s compositions of Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Rick Astley
Rick Astley
Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...
. It achieved minor commercial success, peaking at number thirty-eight. "Anticipating" was performed in the Dream Within a Dream Tour
Dream Within a Dream Tour
The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It promoted her third studio album Britney in North America and Japan. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was promoted by Concerts West, marking the first time Spears did not tour with Clear Channel...
(2001–2002), where Spears wore a patched denim skirt and danced in front of giant crayon drawings. The music video consisted of the performance from Live from Las Vegas.
Background and composition
"Anticipating" was written by Spears, Brian KierulfBrian Kierulf
Brian Kierulf is a songwriter and producer from USA. He usually writes songs with Joshua M. Schwartz. They are a part of KNS Productions.-Selected discography:Britney Spears - compilation album Platinum Christmas...
and Josh Schwartz while produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Kierulf and Schwartz. It was recorded at Rusk Sound Studios in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the DOJO in Jackson, New Jersey, Sound on Sound Studios and Battery Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was also mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
at Battery Studios by Stephen George
Stephen George
- External links :**...
. Audio engineering
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
was done by Aaron Kaplan, Rich Tapper, Jill Tengan and Charles McCrorey. Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
played the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. Bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and programming
Programming (music)
Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
was done by Kierulf. Background vocals were provided by Spears and Jennifer Karr.
"Anticipating" is a song with a 1970s disco sound. According to the sheetmusic published at musicnotes.com by Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Publishing Group is a music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group.UMPG owns or administers more than 1 million copyrights. They are one of the largest music publishing businesses in the world with more than 47 offices in 41 countries...
, the song is composed in the key of F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
and is set in time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of common time with a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 112 beats per minute. Spears vocal range spans from F3 to A4. The song has a basic sequence of B(9)–C–Dm7–B(9) as its chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
. Lyrically, it talks about friendship
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
and camaradie between women.
Reception
Jane Stevenson of Jam!Jam!
Jam! is a Canadian website, which covers entertainment news. It is part of the CANOE online portal, owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division....
called "Anticipating" the strongest track in the album. Yale Daily News
Yale Daily News
The Yale Daily News is an independent student newspaper published by Yale University students in New Haven, Connecticut since January 28, 1878...
writer Catherine Halaby called it a "fun, cutesy disco ballad". Nikki Tranker of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
said it "offers Britney’s fans something a little different with a simple tune beautifully underlined by a well-executed ‘70s disco sound". Jim Farber of the Daily News while reviewing the Dream Within a Dream Tour
Dream Within a Dream Tour
The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It promoted her third studio album Britney in North America and Japan. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was promoted by Concerts West, marking the first time Spears did not tour with Clear Channel...
named it along with "Stronger
Stronger (Britney Spears song)
"Stronger" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again . It was released on November 13, 2000, by Jive Records as the third single of the album. After meeting up with producers Max Martin and Rami in Sweden, the singer recorded...
", "[two] girl-power anthems". Katie Perone of the Loyola Greyhound said "[it] is a fun, bubbly song that probably would have had great success on Oops!
Oops!... I Did It Again
Oops!...I Did It Again is the second studio album by American pop singer Britney Spears. The album was released on May 16, 2000 by Jive Records. The album became a commercial success after debuting at top position on the U.S. Billboard 200 selling over 1,319,193 units during its first week...
". Barry Walters of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
stated the song is "a euphoric Rick Astley
Rick Astley
Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...
flashback, [where] she emotes without framing her vocals in Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
-schooled theatricality". Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
compared it to early Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
tracks such as "Holiday
Holiday (Madonna song)
"Holiday" is a song by American singer Madonna from her self-titled debut album. Released on September 7, 1983 by Sire Records, it later appeared remixed on the 1987 remix compilation You Can Dance and the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection, and in its original form on the...
". In the album review, David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
criticized "Anticipating" along with "Bombastic Love" for "[relying] on enervated formulas". On July 26, 2002, the song entered at number forty-six in the French Singles Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
. The following week, it peaked at number thirty-eight.
Promotion
The song was performed at the Dream Within a Dream TourDream Within a Dream Tour
The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It promoted her third studio album Britney in North America and Japan. The Dream Within a Dream Tour was promoted by Concerts West, marking the first time Spears did not tour with Clear Channel...
. The performance began with a video interlude of Spears talking to her dancers. She then appeared onstage, wearing a patched denim skirt. The set was made of giant coloring book
Coloring book
A coloring book is a type of book containing line art for a reader to add color using crayons, colored pencils, marker pens, paint or other artistic media...
drawings of houses and cars. After the second chorus, she invited the audience to sing along with her. At the end of the song, she briefly talked to the audience before taking off the skirt and top to perform "I'm a Slave 4 U
I'm a Slave 4 U
"I'm a Slave 4 U" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, for Spears' third studio album, Britney . It was released on September 24, 2001 by Jive Records, as the first single from the album...
". Shaheem Reid of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
noted that during the opening night of the tour in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, "Britney must've forgotten that the disco-era throwback cut was brand spanking new, because she kept encouraging everyone to sing along to the chorus [...] Although the crowd clapped and bobbed to the beat, Britney had to go this one alone vocally". The music video, directed by Marty Callner
Marty Callner
Marty Callner is a director. His primary work is with music videos. Marty has directed work from such popular artists as Cher, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith and has work recorded back as far as 1977 and as recent as 2009. He has been nominated for 7 Emmys, 3 DGAs, and 1 CableACE Award...
, consisted of footage of the tour performance from Live from Las Vegas. Several effects were added, including a glittering ball and the name of the song appearing on the screen. The song was also promoted in a commercial Spears filmed for Toyota Vios
Toyota Vios
The Toyota Vios is a 4-door subcompact sedan developed for the South East Asia, China, and Taiwan markets.Introduced in 2003, the Vios serves as a replacement of the Toyota Tercel , which filled the Asian subcompact market for a 1.5 litre, below the Toyota Corolla and Toyota Camry, both of which...
.
Track listing
- CD Single
- "Anticipating" – 3:16
- "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a WomanI'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman"I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written by Dido, with additional writing and song production by Max Martin and Rami Yacoub for Spears' third studio album, Britney . It was released on February 5, 2002 by Jive Records, as the...
" (Metro Mix) – 5:25 - "OverprotectedOverprotected"Overprotected" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami Yacoub for Spears' third studio album, Britney . It was released on December 18, 2001 by Jive Records, as the second single from the album worldwide...
" (Darkchild Remix) – 3:18