Britney (album)
Encyclopedia
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. Britney is notable for Spears' increasingly prominent role in the production, and being the transition album away from her bubblegum pop
sound and teen pop
image from her previous two albums, and leaned increasingly toward more R&B
and Hip hop
, along with more sexual influences. Although the album's singles were slightly less successful than her album's previews singles, Spears assumed some creative control by co-writing five of the album's tracks. The uneasy transactional music styles for the album Britney garned it at the number one position in the Billboard 200
, in which gave the Jive
label its eleventh chart-topping album.
The album became 2001's most successful debut by a female or female group artist. The album's success made her the first female artist in music history to have her first three studio albums to debut at the number one spot. This record however would later be broken by Spears herself with her 4th studio album In the Zone
which charted in the same position. To date, the album has sold over 13 million copies worldwide.
Spears did not write "I Love Rock 'n Roll", the Arrows' song that Joan Jett
and the Blackhearts turned into a hit in 1981, but it was Spears' idea to cover the song with R&B producer Rodney Jerkins
, and scratches performed by Corey Chase. Aside from Jerkins, who produced Spears' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction)" cover and other tracks on her prior album, Spears also worked with the Neptunes. She told MTV that, "I was inspired by a lot of hip-hop and R&B while I was on my last tour," Spears said. "I was inspired by Jay-Z
and the Neptunes
. She told Jive
"I really wanted to work with the Neptunes
, and wanted to make Britney" nastier and funkier". Britney's "nastier" sound, which does not exceed a few "hells" and "damns," prompted some critics to wonder if Spears may be outgrowing her audience. She said, "It's not my intention to leave my young fans. I just want an older generation to pick up on it as well," she responded. "I couldn't do ...Baby One More Time
number three. I had to change it up and pray people think that's cool."
She recorded a song with Justin Timberlake
, which is titled "What It's Like To Be Me". She said that "I have to say I was a little nervous at first," Spears said of working with Timberlake. "I'm used to producers going in there and it's like work. And I go in and I work and I do my vocals and work. And I thought that it was awkward at first, because I was nervous recording with him doing my vocals. Max Martin
also co-wrote a track called "Overprotected
" on which Spears sings, "You're gonna have to see through my perspective/ I need to make mistakes just to learn who I am/ And I don't want to be so damn protected", mainly exclaiming about being over judged by everyone around her.
It was during this time Britney shared a brief romance with 107 Spark FM's George Page from The Weekend Breakfast Show.
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a score of 54, based on 12 reviews.
The album fared well with critics such as Allmusic, who gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars
, describing the tracks, and particularly the titles, as "the record where she strives to deepen her persona, making it more adult while still recognizably Britney." In contrast, Rolling Stone
said of the album: "Britney belabors the obvious: Spears is one month away from entering her twenties and clearly needs to grow up if she's going to bring her fans along."
The 1000th issue of Entertainment Weekly
dated July 4, 2008 celebrated the 1000 best films, television shows, albums, and books, etc. from 1983 to 2008. In "The Classics: Music" category, Britney was listed at number ninety-seven on the list of the 100 best albums.
album charts selling over 746,000 copies in its first week, replacing Michael Jackson
's Invincible. Britney entered the Canadian Albums Chart
at number one on sales of 44,550 copies, well ahead of the second-place debut by Pink Floyd
's Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
which sold 28,894 copies. The following week in the U.S albums chart, Britney moved to number two after a 55% sales decline, selling 337,000 units. In the album's third week of release, its sales increased by 34% to 451,000 because of the holiday season, though it dropped to number three on the Billboard 200 behind two new entries. On its fourth week, the album moves 5-4 on a 17% sales increase, selling more than 264,000 copies and cracked the 2 million mark. It was followed by a beneficiary of a 13% sales boost, and ups the album one slot to number-three Enya
's A Day Without Rain
, on sales of almost 300,000 copies. Due in part to an increased exposure from her film debut, Crossroads
and with the help of her "Dream Within a Dream Tour
" the album peaked number-fourteen on the Billboard 200
, and had been continued moving back up the chart from number-fourteen to number-nine, and just giving the album a total of 3.3 million units in the US on 2002, according to Nielsen SoundScan
.
The album's number-one debut on the Billboard 200
made Spears the only female artist in SoundScan
history to have their first three albums debut at number one, garnering her the top slot on the week's chart, as well as the honor of having the second biggest debut of the year – behind NSYNC's Celebrity
, which moved 1.88 million copies in its first week – according to Nielsen SoundScan
figures released on November 14. Britney is, however, 2001's most successful debut by a female or females, trumping Destiny's Child
's Survivor which sold 663,000 copies in its first week and Janet Jackson
's All For You which sold 605,000. Also, the album landed at number-eighty four on BMG Music Club all-time best-sellers list with 588,000 units, behind Celine Dion's "Celine Dion
" (624,000) and the "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
" soundtrack (642,000).
In Japan, the album debuted at number four on the Oricon
charts, selling 66,900 units during its first week. Britney has since sold 250,000 copies to date and earned Platinum certification there. It has also been certified two times Platinum in Australia, where it reached a peak of number four. In the UK, it debuted at number four and has been certified Platinum for shipping 300,000 copies to retailers. The album spent thirty-six weeks on the UK Albums Chart
. To date, Britney sold a total of 316,944 copies in Canada which considerably a big decline from her previous albums. In 2002, Britney was certified two times Platinum by the IFPI
for shipments of two million copies inside Europe. It debuted at number two in France, where it has since sold over 425,000 copies.
and performed there on January 28. After that she made a special television appearance entitled "Total Britney Live" in which she sung her songs from Oops!...I Did It Again and her new song from Britney. Back in the United States, Spears visited to The Rosie O'Donnell Show
and performed "I'm a Slave 4 U
" on September 10. Spears's television appearances included performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 11, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
on November 5, The Late Show With David Letterman on November 6. On November 18, Spears performed in her first live HBO concert special from the MGM Grand Las Vegas
. Cher
was scheduled to join Spears at the concert to sing the Sonny & Cher hit "The Beat Goes On
", a song that Spears covered on her 1999 debut album, ...Baby One More Time
. But, Cher was forced to cancel the planned duet because of a conflict with the European promotional schedule for her upcoming studio album, Living Proof.
On September 6, Spears' premiered her first single from the album "I'm a Slave 4 U
" at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
at Lincoln Center's Metropolitan Opera House
in New York City. The jungle-themed performance was highly criticized by animal rights
group PETA
, because of Spears performing with a white tiger
and yellow python. The following evening September 7, Spears had a duet with Michael Jackson
at his "Michael Jackson
: 30th Anniversary Celebration", The Solo Years concert in New York. The duo performed "The Way You Make Me Feel
". An issue of Rolling Stone featuring Spears on the cover hits newsstands on September 13. On September 13, Spears was in Australia for a Sydney press conference for an international promotional tour for her album, but she canceled the media event, calling it inappropriate in light of the terrorist attack on America. Spears said in a statement, "I do not feel it appropriate to hold a press conference here in Australia for the launch of my album." In early 2002, Spears held a press conference at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes
, France, on January 19. She was also on-hand for the NRJ Music Awards ceremony, which took place during the MIDEM
2002 international music-industry conference in Cannes.
Spears first performance of "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
" was on The Rosie O'Donnell Show on November 5, and on The Late Show With David Letterman on November 6, the day Britney came out. Spears performed her hit single "I'm a Slave 4 U
" on The Late Show With David Letterman on December 3. The following evening on December 4, Spears performed "I'm a Slave 4 U
" at the 2001 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on a stage inside the fountains of the Bellagio Hotel, which aired on Fox at 8 pm ET. On January 9, 2002, she sung "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
" on the 25th American Music Awards
. Spears returns as host and performer on the February 2 episode of NBC
's Saturday Night Live
. Her all new Pepsi
commercial—her second ad for the company—was premiered during the February 3, Super Bowl
on Fox. Spears was scheduled to sit down for an hour on The Oprah Winfrey Show
during the week of February 4. She also performed "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet Woman" at the NBA All-Star Game on February 9. Afterwards, she went to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to again perform "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" on February 11. In the UK, Spears's The Frank Skinner Show
interview was aired on Britain's ITV1
television on January 26.
In February 2002, she had been very busy month ahead of her, promoting the album. She visited again the NBC
's Today show for an interview on February 6. Spears performs on Tonight Show With Jay Leno on February 11, and on The Rosie O'Donnell Show on Valentine's Day
on February 14. And appeared on ABC's Live! With Regis and Kelly on February 18 and The View on February 22. She also appeared on the 44th Annual Grammy Awards on February 22. She performed "I'm a Slave 4 U" at the NRJ Music Awards in France at 2002. She also did had press conference in Japan on 2002, to promote her debut film and at the same time the album. She also did several commercials in Japan and Korea entitled "Pepsi FIFA World 2002". In Australia she did a press conference with Dyan Lewis and held a show entitled "Pepsi Live" in which features songs from Britney she also promotes Crossroads
. In Mexico, she held a press conference on July 2002. Also in the Netherlands, she again held a press conference for her movie and the album. She appeared on a German talk-show "Boulevard Bio" themed "Niemand ist Perfekt" and was aired on January 15, 2002, in which she talks about her album and her debut film. In the UK, she performed "Overprotected
" in the Top of the Pops
on January 16. In Australia, she was interviewed live on "The Saturday Show" and was aired on January 26. In Germany, and appeared on the show Wetten, dass..?
and performed her ballad hit I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
on March 23. In Mexico, visited a Mexican variety show "Otro Rollo
" on July 23. On September 15, a limited number of tickets was going on sale for her tour in support of her third Jive Records
release Britney. The tour was set to kick off October 26, The tour was announced on September 7 by Jive Records
, which will kick off in Miami in October, with ABC
television's Making The Band stars O-Town in the opening slot. On February 2002, Spears' announced that she will kick off the second leg of her North American tour on May 24 in Las Vegas, the same city where she performed her first live, full-length HBO concert special last year. The tour wrapped approximately two months later in Mexico City.
", the first single from Britney, was written and produced by hip-hop
duo The Neptunes
. Featuring layered vocals and a sparse beat, the track showcased Spears at her most grown up, alienating some parts of her younger fan base. The track entered the UK Singles Chart
at number four, having been premiered at the MTV VMAs
; the performance was criticized for including live animals. The accompanying video, directed by Francis Lawrence
, was nominated for three MTV VMAs in 2002, and the track reached number twenty-seven on the U.S Billboard Hot 100
without a commercial release. "Overprotected
" was the second single to be lifted from Britney in the UK, Canada and Australia, while "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
" was the second single released in the USA and Europe, and the third single in the UK and Australia. A remixed version of "Overprotected" was released as the third single in the USA and charted at number eighty-six on the Billboard Hot 100
, The remixed version has a different music video. "Overprotected" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
. It proved to be another success in Europe, and peaking number four on the UK Singles Chart.
"I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
", the theme song to Crossroads, staggered to fit the release dates for the film. Written by Max Martin, Rami and UK singer-songwriter Dido
it peaked number-two in the UK. The song did not manage to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
in the USA, and was a poor performer at pop radio stations. "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was released in Australia, Canada and Europe, excluding France, where "Anticipating
" was released instead, in mid-2002, with the UK release following in November. Originally made famous by Joan Jett
, the track was featured in Crossroads. The single was released to coincide with the film's release in Australia and Europe, and the DVD release in the UK; because of the scheduling of the theatrical and DVD releases, the single was never released in the USA. However, the track managed to reach only number-thirteen in the UK. "Anticipating
", the 1980s-influenced track, was released exclusively in France
having a set of specially commissioned remixes released. The track (written by Brian Kierulf
, Josh Schwartz
, and Spears herself) was promoted using the Dream Within a Dream Tour
live performance of the song as the music video. It was later also released in Brazil. "Boys
" was the fourth single in North America and fifth single in Europe and Australia released from Britney. Instead of the album version being released, a remix of "Boys" was commissioned. It was featured on the soundtrack of the third Austin Powers
film. The new version—remixed by The Neptunes (who wrote and produced the original album version)—included lyrics from a male perspective, featuring Pharrell performing alongside Spears. The track made it to the top ten in the UK where it reached number-seven, although it also became one of Britney's poorest performing singles in the USA.
, with additional 588,000 sold at BMG Music Clubs. Nielsen SoundScan
does not count albums sold through clubs like the BMG Music Service, which were significantly popular in the 1990s.
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...
. The album was released worldwide on November 6, 2001 by Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
, and one day after in the United States. Britney is notable for Spears' increasingly prominent role in the production, and being the transition album away from her bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
sound and teen pop
Teen pop
Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards teenagers. Teen pop copies genres and styles such as pop, dance, R&B, hip hop, country and rock....
image from her previous two albums, and leaned increasingly toward more 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...
, along with more sexual influences. Although the album's singles were slightly less successful than her album's previews singles, Spears assumed some creative control by co-writing five of the album's tracks. The uneasy transactional music styles for the album Britney garned it at the number one position in the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, in which gave the Jive
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
label its eleventh chart-topping album.
The album became 2001's most successful debut by a female or female group artist. The album's success made her the first female artist in music history to have her first three studio albums to debut at the number one spot. This record however would later be broken by Spears herself with her 4th studio album In the Zone
In the Zone
In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears, released on November 16, 2003, by Jive Records. Following the end of the Dream Within a Dream Tour in July 2002 and her break-up with Justin Timberlake, Spears announced she would take a six-month break from her...
which charted in the same position. To date, the album has sold over 13 million copies worldwide.
Background and recording
Spears announced of the album, that much of the material of her third record reflects who she is, which is why she named it Britney. Spears recorded 23 tracks for Britney, and choosing the 12 of the best tracks for the album, Spears claimed, that this was the most, if not the only, difficult part of the recording process. Writing, which Spears first attempted on "I'm So Curious" and "Dear Diary" on her first two albums, came more easily to the singer for the album, due partially to the assistance she received from writing team Josh and Brian. While Spears simply came up with the concepts they developed on some of the tracks, Spears wrote both melody and words for others. "This is the first album I have ever really written and taken my time on," Spears said. "So when I actually listen to the whole album, it's just that much more special. I don't know if I'm the best songwriter in the world, but I had a lot of fun doing it and hopefully I will get better and grow."Spears did not write "I Love Rock 'n Roll", the Arrows' song that Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
and the Blackhearts turned into a hit in 1981, but it was Spears' idea to cover the song with R&B producer Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
, and scratches performed by Corey Chase. Aside from Jerkins, who produced Spears' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction)" cover and other tracks on her prior album, Spears also worked with the Neptunes. She told MTV that, "I was inspired by a lot of hip-hop and R&B while I was on my last tour," Spears said. "I was inspired by Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
and 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...
. She told Jive
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
"I really wanted to work with 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 wanted to make Britney" nastier and funkier". Britney's "nastier" sound, which does not exceed a few "hells" and "damns," prompted some critics to wonder if Spears may be outgrowing her audience. She said, "It's not my intention to leave my young fans. I just want an older generation to pick up on it as well," she responded. "I couldn't do ...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
number three. I had to change it up and pray people think that's cool."
She recorded a song with Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, which is titled "What It's Like To Be Me". She said that "I have to say I was a little nervous at first," Spears said of working with Timberlake. "I'm used to producers going in there and it's like work. And I go in and I work and I do my vocals and work. And I thought that it was awkward at first, because I was nervous recording with him doing my vocals. Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
also co-wrote a track called "Overprotected
Overprotected
"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...
" on which Spears sings, "You're gonna have to see through my perspective/ I need to make mistakes just to learn who I am/ And I don't want to be so damn protected", mainly exclaiming about being over judged by everyone around her.
It was during this time Britney shared a brief romance with 107 Spark FM's George Page from The Weekend Breakfast Show.
Critical reception
Initial critical response to Britney was mixed. According to MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a score of 54, based on 12 reviews.
The album fared well with critics such as Allmusic, who gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
, describing the tracks, and particularly the titles, as "the record where she strives to deepen her persona, making it more adult while still recognizably Britney." In contrast, 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...
said of the album: "Britney belabors the obvious: Spears is one month away from entering her twenties and clearly needs to grow up if she's going to bring her fans along."
The 1000th issue 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...
dated July 4, 2008 celebrated the 1000 best films, television shows, albums, and books, etc. from 1983 to 2008. In "The Classics: Music" category, Britney was listed at number ninety-seven on the list of the 100 best albums.
Chart performance
Britney debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album charts selling over 746,000 copies in its first week, replacing Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Invincible. Britney entered the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
at number one on sales of 44,550 copies, well ahead of the second-place debut by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd
Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd is a compilation album by Pink Floyd. It was released by EMI Records in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2001 and the following day in the United States through Capitol Records. It debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart on 24 November 2001, with sales...
which sold 28,894 copies. The following week in the U.S albums chart, Britney moved to number two after a 55% sales decline, selling 337,000 units. In the album's third week of release, its sales increased by 34% to 451,000 because of the holiday season, though it dropped to number three on the Billboard 200 behind two new entries. On its fourth week, the album moves 5-4 on a 17% sales increase, selling more than 264,000 copies and cracked the 2 million mark. It was followed by a beneficiary of a 13% sales boost, and ups the album one slot to number-three Enya
Enya
Enya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
's A Day Without Rain
A Day Without Rain
-Wild Child:"Midnight Blue" -Only Time :...
, on sales of almost 300,000 copies. Due in part to an increased exposure from her film debut, Crossroads
Crossroads (2002 film)
Crossroads is a 2002 comedy-drama road film directed by Tamra Davis and starring American recording artist Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning...
and with the help of her "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 album peaked number-fourteen on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and had been continued moving back up the chart from number-fourteen to number-nine, and just giving the album a total of 3.3 million units in the US on 2002, according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
.
The album's number-one debut on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
made Spears the only female artist in SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
history to have their first three albums debut at number one, garnering her the top slot on the week's chart, as well as the honor of having the second biggest debut of the year – behind NSYNC's Celebrity
Celebrity (album)
Celebrity is the third and final studio album by the pop boy band 'N Sync. It was released on July 24, 2001, by Jive Records. The label was heavily criticized for releasing singles that involved Justin Timberlake on lead vocals, and none which involved JC Chasez performing or co-writing...
, which moved 1.88 million copies in its first week – according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
figures released on November 14. Britney is, however, 2001's most successful debut by a female or females, trumping Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
's Survivor which sold 663,000 copies in its first week and 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...
's All For You which sold 605,000. Also, the album landed at number-eighty four on BMG Music Club all-time best-sellers list with 588,000 units, behind Celine Dion's "Celine Dion
Celine Dion (album)
Celine Dion is an eponymous album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on March 31, 1992. It is her second English album and 17th in total...
" (624,000) and the "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (soundtrack)
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 2000 film, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. Released by Def Jam Recordings, the soundtrack is mainly composed of hip hop and R&B songs...
" soundtrack (642,000).
In Japan, the album debuted at number four on the 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...
charts, selling 66,900 units during its first week. Britney has since sold 250,000 copies to date and earned Platinum certification there. It has also been certified two times Platinum in Australia, where it reached a peak of number four. In the UK, it debuted at number four and has been certified Platinum for shipping 300,000 copies to retailers. The album spent thirty-six weeks on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. To date, Britney sold a total of 316,944 copies in Canada which considerably a big decline from her previous albums. In 2002, Britney was certified two times Platinum by the IFPI
IFPI
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
for shipments of two million copies inside Europe. It debuted at number two in France, where it has since sold over 425,000 copies.
Promotion
In early 2001, Spear's first appeared on the Super Bowl XXXVSuper Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
and performed there on January 28. After that she made a special television appearance entitled "Total Britney Live" in which she sung her songs from Oops!...I Did It Again and her new song from Britney. Back in the United States, Spears visited to The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show is an Emmy Award-winning American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002...
and performed "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 September 10. Spears's television appearances included performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 11, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show is an Emmy Award-winning American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It aired for six seasons from 1996 to 2002...
on November 5, The Late Show With David Letterman on November 6. On November 18, Spears performed in her first live HBO concert special from the MGM Grand Las Vegas
MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The MGM Grand is the third largest hotel in the world and largest hotel resort complex in the United States in front of The Venetian. The MGM Grand was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in...
. Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
was scheduled to join Spears at the concert to sing the Sonny & Cher hit "The Beat Goes On
The Beat Goes On
"The Beat Goes On" is a Billboard Hot 100 top ten hit song written by Sonny Bono and recorded by Sonny & Cher. It was issued as a single and appeared on their 1967 album In Case You're In Love...
", a song that Spears covered on her 1999 debut album, ...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time is the debut studio album of American recording artist Britney Spears, released on January 12, 1999, by Jive Records. In June 1997, while Spears was in a negotiation with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense, her mother asked family friend and entertainment...
. But, Cher was forced to cancel the planned duet because of a conflict with the European promotional schedule for her upcoming studio album, Living Proof.
On September 6, Spears' premiered her first single from 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...
" at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
at Lincoln Center's Metropolitan Opera House
Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center)
The Metropolitan Opera House is an opera house located on Broadway at Lincoln Square in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the theater opened in 1966. It replaced the former Metropolitan Opera House at Broadway and 39th St...
in New York City. The jungle-themed performance was highly criticized by animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
group PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
, because of Spears performing with a white tiger
White tiger
The white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.-Color comparison:...
and yellow python. The following evening September 7, Spears had a duet with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
at his "Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
: 30th Anniversary Celebration", The Solo Years concert in New York. The duo performed "The Way You Make Me Feel
The Way You Make Me Feel
"The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. Released by Epic Records in November 1987, it was the third single from Jackson's seventh studio album Bad. Written and composed by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones , the song is credited as being a pop and R&B...
". An issue of Rolling Stone featuring Spears on the cover hits newsstands on September 13. On September 13, Spears was in Australia for a Sydney press conference for an international promotional tour for her album, but she canceled the media event, calling it inappropriate in light of the terrorist attack on America. Spears said in a statement, "I do not feel it appropriate to hold a press conference here in Australia for the launch of my album." In early 2002, Spears held a press conference at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France, on January 19. She was also on-hand for the NRJ Music Awards ceremony, which took place during the MIDEM
Midem
-MIDEM:Short for Marché International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale, MIDEM is the world's largest music industry trade fair, which has been held annually at and around the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, since 1967...
2002 international music-industry conference in Cannes.
Spears first performance of "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
I'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...
" was on The Rosie O'Donnell Show on November 5, and on The Late Show With David Letterman on November 6, the day Britney came out. Spears performed her hit single "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 The Late Show With David Letterman on December 3. The following evening on December 4, Spears performed "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...
" at the 2001 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on a stage inside the fountains of the Bellagio Hotel, which aired on Fox at 8 pm ET. On January 9, 2002, she sung "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
I'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...
" on the 25th American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
. Spears returns as host and performer on the February 2 episode of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's 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...
. Her all new Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
commercial—her second ad for the company—was premiered during the February 3, Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
on Fox. Spears was scheduled to sit down for an hour on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
during the week of February 4. She also performed "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet Woman" at the NBA All-Star Game on February 9. Afterwards, she went to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to again perform "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" on February 11. In the UK, Spears's The Frank Skinner Show
The Frank Skinner Show
The Frank Skinner Show was a television chat show hosted by comedian Frank Skinner which lasted nine series on British television between 1995 and 2005.It was screened on BBC One from its first episode on 10 September 1995 until 3 June 1999....
interview was aired on Britain's ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
television on January 26.
In February 2002, she had been very busy month ahead of her, promoting the album. She visited again the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today show for an interview on February 6. Spears performs on Tonight Show With Jay Leno on February 11, and on The Rosie O'Donnell Show on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
on February 14. And appeared on ABC's Live! With Regis and Kelly on February 18 and The View on February 22. She also appeared on the 44th Annual Grammy Awards on February 22. She performed "I'm a Slave 4 U" at the NRJ Music Awards in France at 2002. She also did had press conference in Japan on 2002, to promote her debut film and at the same time the album. She also did several commercials in Japan and Korea entitled "Pepsi FIFA World 2002". In Australia she did a press conference with Dyan Lewis and held a show entitled "Pepsi Live" in which features songs from Britney she also promotes Crossroads
Crossroads (2002 film)
Crossroads is a 2002 comedy-drama road film directed by Tamra Davis and starring American recording artist Britney Spears, Zoe Saldana and Taryn Manning...
. In Mexico, she held a press conference on July 2002. Also in the Netherlands, she again held a press conference for her movie and the album. She appeared on a German talk-show "Boulevard Bio" themed "Niemand ist Perfekt" and was aired on January 15, 2002, in which she talks about her album and her debut film. In the UK, she performed "Overprotected
Overprotected
"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...
" in the Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
on January 16. In Australia, she was interviewed live on "The Saturday Show" and was aired on January 26. In Germany, and appeared on the show Wetten, dass..?
Wetten, dass..?
Wetten, dass..? is a long-running German-language entertainment television show. It is the most successful Saturday television show in Europe...
and performed her ballad hit I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
I'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...
on March 23. In Mexico, visited a Mexican variety show "Otro Rollo
Otro Rollo
Otro Rollo is a Mexican comedy and variety show, broadcast live on Televisa on Tuesday nights...
" on July 23. On September 15, a limited number of tickets was going on sale for her tour in support of her third Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
release Britney. The tour was set to kick off October 26, The tour was announced on September 7 by Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
, which will kick off in Miami in October, with 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...
television's Making The Band stars O-Town in the opening slot. On February 2002, Spears' announced that she will kick off the second leg of her North American tour on May 24 in Las Vegas, the same city where she performed her first live, full-length HBO concert special last year. The tour wrapped approximately two months later in Mexico City.
Singles
"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...
", the first single from Britney, was written and produced by 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...
duo 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...
. Featuring layered vocals and a sparse beat, the track showcased Spears at her most grown up, alienating some parts of her younger fan base. The track entered 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 ...
at number four, having been premiered at the MTV VMAs
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
; the performance was criticized for including live animals. The accompanying video, directed by Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
, was nominated for three MTV VMAs in 2002, and the track reached number twenty-seven on the U.S Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
without a commercial release. "Overprotected
Overprotected
"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...
" was the second single to be lifted from Britney in the UK, Canada and Australia, while "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
I'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...
" was the second single released in the USA and Europe, and the third single in the UK and Australia. A remixed version of "Overprotected" was released as the third single in the USA and charted at number eighty-six on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, The remixed version has a different music video. "Overprotected" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
. It proved to be another success in Europe, and peaking number four on the UK Singles Chart.
"I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
I'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...
", the theme song to Crossroads, staggered to fit the release dates for the film. Written by Max Martin, Rami and UK singer-songwriter Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
it peaked number-two in the UK. The song did not manage to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the USA, and was a poor performer at pop radio stations. "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was released in Australia, Canada and Europe, excluding France, where "Anticipating
Anticipating
"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...
" was released instead, in mid-2002, with the UK release following in November. Originally made famous by Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
, the track was featured in Crossroads. The single was released to coincide with the film's release in Australia and Europe, and the DVD release in the UK; because of the scheduling of the theatrical and DVD releases, the single was never released in the USA. However, the track managed to reach only number-thirteen in the UK. "Anticipating
Anticipating
"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...
", the 1980s-influenced track, was released exclusively in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
having a set of specially commissioned remixes released. The track (written 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...
, Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
, and Spears herself) was promoted using 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...
live performance of the song as the music video. It was later also released in Brazil. "Boys
Boys (Britney Spears song)
"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...
" was the fourth single in North America and fifth single in Europe and Australia released from Britney. Instead of the album version being released, a remix of "Boys" was commissioned. It was featured on the soundtrack of the third Austin Powers
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember is a 2002 American spy comedy film and the third installment of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember,...
film. The new version—remixed by The Neptunes (who wrote and produced the original album version)—included lyrics from a male perspective, featuring Pharrell performing alongside Spears. The track made it to the top ten in the UK where it reached number-seven, although it also became one of Britney's poorest performing singles in the USA.
Track listing
Personnel
- Producers: Max MartinMax MartinMartin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
, Rodney Jerkins, The NeptunesThe NeptunesThe 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...
, RamiRami YacoubRami Yacoub is a Swedish music producer and songwriter of Palestinian descent, and former member of the successful songwriting/production houses Cheiron Studios and Maratone...
, Wade RobsonWade RobsonWade Jeremy William Robson is an Australian dance prodigy, director, producer, songwriter, and award-winning choreographer. He began performing as a dancer at the age of five. He has directed music videos and world tours for numerous music artists such as 'N Sync and Britney Spears...
, Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
. - Engineers: Max Martin, Andrew Coleman, Brian Garten, Brad Gilderman, Pablo Munguia, Rami, Michael Tucker, Yasu.
- Assistant engineers: Jaime Duncan, Richard G. Johnson, Marc Stephen Lee, Charles McCrorey, Daniel Milazzo, Tim Roberts, Ryan Smith, Rich Tapper, Jill Tengan.
- Mastering: Tom Coyne.
- Mixing: Max Martin, Stephen George, Serban Ghenea, Jean-Marie Horvat, Rami
- String arrangements: James Biondolillo, Mark Suozzo.
- Vocal arrangements: Justin Timberlake.
- Vocals, background vocals: Britney Spears.
- Background vocals: Justin Timberlake, Sue Ann Carwell, Tyler Collins, Albert Hall, Damion Hall, Nana HedinNana HedinNana Hedin, also known as Na Na and Nana d'Aquini, is a Swedish singer born May 24, 1968 in Eskilstuna, Södermanland County, Sweden.- Career :...
, Jennifer Karr, Maxayne Moriguchi, Jeff Pescetto, Jason ScheffJason ScheffJason Randolph Scheff is an American bassist, singer and songwriter. Since 1985 he has been the bassist and singer for the veteran pop-rock band Chicago. He is the oldest son of well-known session bassist Jerry Scheff, who toured for several years with Elvis Presley...
, Chris Thompson. - Featured musicians: Chad HugoChad HugoCharles 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...
, Pharrell. - Bass: Thomas Lindberg.
- Guitar, background vocals: Max Martin.
- Guitar: Esbjörn Öhrwall, Nile RodgersNile RodgersNile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
. - Photography: Steven KleinSteven KleinSteven Klein is an American photographer based in New York.-History:After studying painting at the Rhode Island School of Design, he moved into the field of photography...
Charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
4 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 1 |
| Belgian Flemish Albums Chart 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... |
3 |
| Belgian Walloon Albums Chart | 7 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
11 |
| European Top 100 Albums Chart European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
2 |
| French SNEP Albums 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... |
2 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 19 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
1 |
| Greek Albums Chart Greek Albums Chart International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
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| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
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| Japanese Oricon Albums Chart 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... |
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| New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
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| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
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| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
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| Swiss Albums Chart | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
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| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
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Certifications
Notes: * As of March 2010, the album has sold 4,342,000 copies in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScanNielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, with additional 588,000 sold at BMG Music Clubs. Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
does not count albums sold through clubs like the BMG Music Service, which were significantly popular in the 1990s.
Chart Procession and Succession
Awards
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Vocal Album | Nominated |
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Vocal Performance Overprotected Overprotected "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... |
Nominated |