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Boys (Britney Spears song)
Encyclopedia
"Boys" is a song performed by American recording artist Britney Spears
. It was written and produced by Chad Hugo
and Pharrell Williams
of the production team The Neptunes
and American rap group N.E.R.D.. A version of the song, "The Co-ed Remix" was released as the sixth single from Spears' third studio album, Britney
(2001), and it features added vocals from Williams. It also served as the second single from the Austin Powers in Goldmember OST. "Boys" is a R&B
and hip hop
piece, deriving also of dance-pop
music, and including funk and soul
influences. The remix carries a slower tempo than the album version, and both versions are said to be reminiscent of Janet Jackson
. Some critics praised Williams and Spears' chemistry, as well as the production on the track, while others did not think the song worked well.
While the song did not perform well on the Billboard
charts in the United States, it reached the top ten on the Belgian charts and in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and charted in the top twenty in Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. The song would later be certified Gold in Australia. The song's accompanying music video, directed by Dave Meyers
, was nominated at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
for "Best Video from a Film." The clip features Spears and Williams at a party. The singer has performed "Boys" a number of times including at the 2002 NBA All-Star Game
, on Saturday Night Live
, and on several of her concert tours.
. It was written and produced by The Neptunes
(Chad Hugo
and Pharrell Williams
) — members of American rap group N.E.R.D.. The song was re-recorded as "The Co-Ed Remix", with a slightly different sound, and added featured vocals from Pharrell Williams. Following its inclusion on the Austin Powers in Goldmember OST, it was released as the second single from the soundtrack, following "Work It Out", performed by one of the film's stars', Beyoncé Knowles
. The release also made it the sixth single release to come from Britney. A press release for Maverick Records
called the track a standout from the film's soundtrack, and said that Spears' cameo in the film "brings superstar status to the Fembot brigade." The release also stated that the song and video "stays true to the fractured funk [at] the heart of the film." AOL Music premiered the new track on June 13, 2002, and it was streamed more than 1.35 million times, setting a new record an AOL Music "First Listen." The song was first released on August 2, 2002.
/hip hop
piece which incorporates dance-pop
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing
, it is set in the time signature
of common time
and has a tempo of 108 beats per minute. While the original Britney version features Spears solely, "The Co-ed Remix" which was released as a single, sees the singer and the song's co-producer, rapper Pharrell Williams trading lines. The remix version of the track contains a slower tempo then that of the original. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
, Williams and Spears put on a "rap-lite teen-pop tease." The song also includes influences of funk music. During the time of the album's release, her official site stated that the song had aspects of 70's soul music
and influences of Prince's music. According to Alex Needham of New Musical Express, the track takes influence from Janet Jackson
. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
said the song was "cut-rate '80s Janet Jackson." Lyrical content sees Spears eying a guy with an intent to "get nasty."
said that The Neptunes
' productions on the album, "I'm a Slave 4 U
" and "Boys" "swaddle her in writhing, kick-the-can beats, but never have a groove and a verse been so betrayed by a limp chorus." Nicki Tranter of PopMatters
said that the remainder of the album was "tried and tested" dance-pop, noting "Boys" and "Cinderella" revisiting "old Britney territory exploring predictable issues including her love being irreplaceable, her use of the dance floor as an appropriate courting place, and her much-loved girl-ness." Yale Daily News
writer Catherine Halaby considered the song "an envelope-pushing (when you consider her claims of wholesomeness) smutfest."
Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, where it appeared at number twenty too. "Boys" is so far Britney Spears least successful single in the U.S. It appeared on the Billboard Pop Songs chart at number thirty-two. In Canada, on the Canadian Singles Chart
, the song performed better, reaching number twenty-one. "Boys" fared better in internationally, appearing in the top-twenty in several markets in which it charted. On the UK Singles Chart
, the song peaked at number seven. It also peaked in the top ten of the Irish Singles Chart
and both the Belgian Flanders and Wallonia Ultratop
charts. On the ARIA Singles Chart in Australia, the song spent twelve weeks on the chart, peaking at number fourteen. "Boys" would go on to be certified Gold in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association
. Furthermore it peaked in the top twenty of the charts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.
The music video
for "Boys" was directed by Dave Meyers
. It starts with an intro showing a guy, DJ Qualls, trying to get into the castle where a party, which Britney is attending, is being held. However, he is stopped by the guards at the entrance. He tells them that the night before, he was "eating Fruity Pebbles
with P. Diddy." The guards still refuse to let him past and he begins to scream for Spears. As the music starts, the camera zooms into a room in one of the castle's towers, where Spears, adorned in a dress and readying herself for a party, is inside dancing with a group of women in white outfits around her. The next scene takes place in one of the courtyards where Spears and a man are sitting at opposite ends of a long table. Following this, Spears walks around a pool, where she spots a man, portrayed by Justin Bruening
swimming around. They begin to interact with each other; at the same time, Pharrell is at the bar with a woman. Spears walks over to him and they begin to talk. Following this, Spears dances with a group of people, including Mike Myers
as Austin Powers. Actors Jason Priestley
and Taye Diggs
also make cameo appearances in the video. The video was nominated for at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
for Best Video from a Film, but lost to Eminem
's "Lose Yourself
."
. She also performed it on the twenty-seventh
season of Saturday Night Live
on February 2, 2002. She performed the song as a mash-up with "I'm a Slave 4 U
" on her ABC
special, In the Zone, to promote her fourth album In the Zone. In the United Kingdom, Spears performed the song on CD:UK
. The singer has performed the song on all of her tours since its inception, which include Dream Within a Dream Tour
, The Onyx Hotel Tour
and The Circus Starring Britney Spears. When Spears performed the song on the Dream Within a Dream Tour, and this was the only occasion where she performed the original track as in the following tour performances she performed "The Co-Ed Remix." In the tour's extension in 2002, she replaced the original version with the remix on the tour. On the Dream Within a Dream Tour, Spears performed it wearing a tank-top and suspenders. While performing it on The Onyx Hotel Tour, it featured male dancers pushing her while she was standing in luggage carts
. During her performance of the song on The Circus Starring Britney Spears Spears performed wearing a military costume, while surrounded by her dancers, some of them riding bicycles. On 2011's Femme Fatale Tour
, Spears wears a golden cape for a snake charming
number of the song.
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 written and produced by Chad Hugo
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
and Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
of the production team The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
and American rap group N.E.R.D.. A version of the song, "The Co-ed Remix" was released as the sixth single from Spears' 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...
(2001), and it features added vocals from Williams. It also served as the second single from the Austin Powers in Goldmember OST. "Boys" is a R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
piece, deriving also of dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
music, and including funk and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
influences. The remix carries a slower tempo than the album version, and both versions are said to be reminiscent of Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
. Some critics praised Williams and Spears' chemistry, as well as the production on the track, while others did not think the song worked well.
While the song did not perform well on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts in the United States, it reached the top ten on the Belgian charts and in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and charted in the top twenty in Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. The song would later be certified Gold in Australia. The song's accompanying music video, directed by Dave Meyers
Dave Meyers (director)
David "Dave" Meyers is an American music video director.-Career:Meyers has directed over 200 music videos including: P!nk's "There You Go", "Most Girls", "You Make Me Sick", "Get The Party Started", "Don't Let Me Get Me", "Feel Good Time", "Stupid Girls", "U + Ur Hand", "So What", "Please Don't...
, was nominated at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
2003 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2003 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2003, honoring the best music videos from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
for "Best Video from a Film." The clip features Spears and Williams at a party. The singer has performed "Boys" a number of times including at the 2002 NBA All-Star Game
2002 NBA All-Star Game
The 2002 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 10, 2002 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, home of the Philadelphia 76ers. The game was the 51st annual All-Star game. The Western All-Stars defeated the East 135-120. Kobe Bryant of the L.A. Lakers won the MVP award....
, on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, and on several of her concert tours.
Background
The song was originally included on Spears' third, self-titled studio albumBritney (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 and produced by The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
(Chad Hugo
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
and Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
) — members of American rap group N.E.R.D.. The song was re-recorded as "The Co-Ed Remix", with a slightly different sound, and added featured vocals from Pharrell Williams. Following its inclusion on the Austin Powers in Goldmember OST, it was released as the second single from the soundtrack, following "Work It Out", performed by one of the film's stars', Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. The release also made it the sixth single release to come from Britney. A press release for Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
called the track a standout from the film's soundtrack, and said that Spears' cameo in the film "brings superstar status to the Fembot brigade." The release also stated that the song and video "stays true to the fractured funk [at] the heart of the film." AOL Music premiered the new track on June 13, 2002, and it was streamed more than 1.35 million times, setting a new record an AOL Music "First Listen." The song was first released on August 2, 2002.
Composition
"Boys" is a R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
/hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
piece which incorporates dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, it is set in the 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
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
and has a tempo of 108 beats per minute. While the original Britney version features Spears solely, "The Co-ed Remix" which was released as a single, sees the singer and the song's co-producer, rapper Pharrell Williams trading lines. The remix version of the track contains a slower tempo then that of the original. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
, Williams and Spears put on a "rap-lite teen-pop tease." The song also includes influences of funk music. During the time of the album's release, her official site stated that the song had aspects of 70's soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and influences of Prince's music. According to Alex Needham of New Musical Express, the track takes influence from Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
. 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...
said the song was "cut-rate '80s Janet Jackson." Lyrical content sees Spears eying a guy with an intent to "get nasty."
Reception
Critical reception
Calling the song a "a decidedly lubricious duet", Alex Needham of New Musical Express said that "She sings about boys, he sings about girls. A simple concept, but an effective one, resulting in Britney ’s best single for ages." David Browne of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment 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...
said that The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
' productions on the album, "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...
" and "Boys" "swaddle her in writhing, kick-the-can beats, but never have a groove and a verse been so betrayed by a limp chorus." Nicki Tranter 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 that the remainder of the album was "tried and tested" dance-pop, noting "Boys" and "Cinderella" revisiting "old Britney territory exploring predictable issues including her love being irreplaceable, her use of the dance floor as an appropriate courting place, and her much-loved girl-ness." 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 considered the song "an envelope-pushing (when you consider her claims of wholesomeness) smutfest."
Chart performance
The song failed to make a major impact in the United States, only appearing on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, where it appeared at number twenty too. "Boys" is so far Britney Spears least successful single in the U.S. It appeared on the Billboard Pop Songs chart at number thirty-two. In Canada, on the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
, the song performed better, reaching number twenty-one. "Boys" fared better in internationally, appearing in the top-twenty in several markets in which it charted. On the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, the song peaked at number seven. It also peaked in the top ten of the Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...
and both the Belgian Flanders and Wallonia Ultratop
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
charts. On the ARIA Singles Chart in Australia, the song spent twelve weeks on the chart, peaking at number fourteen. "Boys" would go on to be certified Gold in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
. Furthermore it peaked in the top twenty of the charts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark.
Music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Boys" was directed by Dave Meyers
Dave Meyers (director)
David "Dave" Meyers is an American music video director.-Career:Meyers has directed over 200 music videos including: P!nk's "There You Go", "Most Girls", "You Make Me Sick", "Get The Party Started", "Don't Let Me Get Me", "Feel Good Time", "Stupid Girls", "U + Ur Hand", "So What", "Please Don't...
. It starts with an intro showing a guy, DJ Qualls, trying to get into the castle where a party, which Britney is attending, is being held. However, he is stopped by the guards at the entrance. He tells them that the night before, he was "eating Fruity Pebbles
Fruity Pebbles
Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles are brands of breakfast cereal introduced by Post Cereals in 1971 featuring characters from the animated series The Flintstones. Cocoa Pebbles contains chocolate-flavored crisp rice cereal bits, while Fruity Pebbles contains crisp rice cereal bits that come in a...
with P. Diddy." The guards still refuse to let him past and he begins to scream for Spears. As the music starts, the camera zooms into a room in one of the castle's towers, where Spears, adorned in a dress and readying herself for a party, is inside dancing with a group of women in white outfits around her. The next scene takes place in one of the courtyards where Spears and a man are sitting at opposite ends of a long table. Following this, Spears walks around a pool, where she spots a man, portrayed by Justin Bruening
Justin Bruening
Justin Bruening is an American actor and former fashion model. In 2003, his acting career began when he was cast in the role of Jamie Martin on the daytime drama All My Children, earning him a Soap Opera Digest Award in 2005 for the portrayal...
swimming around. They begin to interact with each other; at the same time, Pharrell is at the bar with a woman. Spears walks over to him and they begin to talk. Following this, Spears dances with a group of people, including Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
as Austin Powers. Actors Jason Priestley
Jason Priestley
Jason Bradford Priestley is a Canadian-American actor and director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role which catapulted him to recognition in the early 1990s....
and Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs
Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an American theatre, film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the Broadway musical Rent, the motion picture How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and the television series Private Practice...
also make cameo appearances in the video. The video was nominated for at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
2003 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2003 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2003, honoring the best music videos from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
for Best Video from a Film, but lost to Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's "Lose Yourself
Lose Yourself
"Lose Yourself" is an Academy Award winning song by American hip-hop artist Eminem, released as the first single from the original soundtrack to the movie 8 Mile on October 22, 2002. It was written and produced by Eminem himself, along with longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the...
."
Live performances
Spears performed "Boys" on multiple occasions. She performed the song on February 10, 2002 at the 2002 NBA All-Star Game2002 NBA All-Star Game
The 2002 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 10, 2002 at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, home of the Philadelphia 76ers. The game was the 51st annual All-Star game. The Western All-Stars defeated the East 135-120. Kobe Bryant of the L.A. Lakers won the MVP award....
. She also performed it on the twenty-seventh
Saturday Night Live (Season 27)
Saturday Night Live aired its twenty-seventh season during the 2001-2002 television season on NBC. The season started on September 29, 2001 and ended on May 18, 2002, 20 episodes were produced....
season of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on February 2, 2002. She performed the song as a mash-up with "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...
" on her ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
special, In the Zone, to promote her fourth album In the Zone. In the United Kingdom, Spears performed the song on CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
. The singer has performed the song on all of her tours since its inception, which include 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...
, The Onyx Hotel Tour
The Onyx Hotel Tour
The Onyx Hotel Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It supported her fourth studio album In the Zone and visited North America and Europe. A tour to promote the album was announced in December 2003...
and The Circus Starring Britney Spears. When Spears performed the song on the Dream Within a Dream Tour, and this was the only occasion where she performed the original track as in the following tour performances she performed "The Co-Ed Remix." In the tour's extension in 2002, she replaced the original version with the remix on the tour. On the Dream Within a Dream Tour, Spears performed it wearing a tank-top and suspenders. While performing it on The Onyx Hotel Tour, it featured male dancers pushing her while she was standing in luggage carts
Baggage cart
Baggage carts, luggage carts or trolleys are small vehicles pushed by travelers to carry individual luggage, mostly suitcases. There are two major sizes: One for big luggage and one for small luggage...
. During her performance of the song on The Circus Starring Britney Spears Spears performed wearing a military costume, while surrounded by her dancers, some of them riding bicycles. On 2011's Femme Fatale Tour
Femme Fatale Tour
The Femme Fatale Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer Britney Spears, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was officially announced in March 2011, with dates for North American venues revealed. The tour was initially planned as a co-headlining tour with Enrique...
, Spears wears a golden cape for a snake charming
Snake charming
Snake charming is the practice of pretending to hypnotise a snake by playing an instrument. A typical performance may also include handling the snakes or performing other seemingly dangerous acts, as well as other street performance staples, like juggling and sleight of hand...
number of the song.
Track listing
- 12" Vinyl and UK Maxi singleMaxi singleA maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
- "Boys" (The Co-Ed Remix) – 3:45
- "Boys" (The Co-Ed Remix – Instrumental) – 3:45
- "Boys" – 3:28
- "I'm a Slave 4 UI'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...
" – 3:23
- Brazilian CD Single
- "Boys" (The Co-Ed Remix) – 3:45
- "Boys" (The Co-Ed Remix – Instrumental) – 3:45
- "Boys" – 3:28
- "Boys" (Instrumental) – 3:28
Charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan (Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... ) |
63 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 7 |
| US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 22 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Gold |