I'm a Slave 4 U
Encyclopedia
"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
(2001). It was released on September 24, 2001 by Jive Records
, as the first single from the album. The urban
song, has a similar soundscape to Vanity 6
's 1982's song "Nasty Girl
", while its lyrics talks about being a slave to the music
.
The song garnered mixed reception from music critics. Some critics argued it was the singer's most mature sound at the time compared to her previous singles, while other noticed the song's attempt to leave behind Spears' girl next door
image and said her vocals were unnatural. "I'm a Slave 4 U" achieved commercial success, peaking inside the top-ten in almost every country that it charted on. However, the song peaked at number twenty-seven in Hot 100 and at number eighty-five in Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, both being the lowest chart positions of the single worldwide.
A music video for the single, which was directed by Francis Lawrence
, was released along with the single released. It features Spears dancing in a sauna
, and it was recreated by television series Glee
. Spears' performance of the song at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
in New York City
was highly criticized by animal rights
group PETA
for the inclusion of exotic animal
s. Spears performed the song on every tour since its release, including the promotional The M+M's Tour
.
and Chad Hugo
, best-known as The Neptunes
, who also collaborated with Spears on another album track, "Boys
", for her third and self-titled LP
, "Britney
". It was recorded by Andrew Cleman at Master Sound Studios in Virginia Beach, VA and by Brian Garten at Right Track Studios in New York City
, being later mixed by Serban Ghenea in NYC
. Audio engineering
was done by Ryan Smith and Tim Roberts. After reading the lyrics for the first time, Spears stated it talks "about me just wanting to go out and forget who I am and dance and have a good time. That's kinda where I am now right now. I love working, but at the same time, I love having a good time." The urban
song is backed with breathy and moaning vocals and scratching
. The soundscape of the song has been noted to be similar to Vanity 6
's 1982's song "Nasty Girl
".
Announced as the album's lead single, "I'm a Slave 4 U" was released in several formats. It was first solicited to radio station
s before its official singles release on September 24. On October 15 and 23, 2001, the track was physically available in Europe
and in the United Kingdom
respectively. The CD single
includes the main and instrumental
version of the track, and the b-side "Intimidated", which can be also found on the "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" soundtrack. In addition, a four-track vinyl
12-inch single was released in the United States
on October 30, 2001, which includes remixes by Thunderpuss
and Miguel Migs
. Other official re-workings of the track were made by Dave Audé
, which can be found on Spears' 2005 remix compilation
"B in the Mix: The Remixes
". The song was covered on the TV show Glee
, by Heather Morris as Brittany Pierce on September 28, 2010, as a part of a tribute episode to Spears titled "Britney/Brittany
". The song was covered by the American pop band Selena Gomez & the Scene
for their 2011 We Own the Night Tour
as a tribute for Spears.
stated that "the song is funk the way God
intended —hypnotic, insistent, mysterious, suggestive— and if Prince was a nineteen-year-old former Disney Club
host and virgin, he'd be proud to create such a record". Other reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Allmusic agreed that "Slave" was a step towards a more mature sound. The song and video was the beginning of a different Britney and was the first of her seductive videos. Even though the single made it to #27 in the US, it is often regarded as one of Britney's best single by fans. However, there were some bad reviews such as the one by Stephanie McGrath from All Pop, who despite considering "Slave" as a "huge step away from the bouncy pop
that made her a superstar" and was an "attempt to leave behind her pigtails and chirpy image
", stated that the track "did not suit her style, the vocals were forced and the Janet Jackson
slinkiness was unnatural".Bill Lamb
from About.com
listed at number nine, on her Top 10 Songs, saying: "By the time of this single off her third album, it was obvious Britney Spears was becoming an adult. This song is a radical shift from the "not quite innocent" 16 year old schoolgirl of Britney's first album. Slinky and sexy have crept into the Britney Spears style".
, becoming Britney's first lead single from an album not to crack the U.S. top ten. The track also became a top thirty hit on the Hot 100 Airplay
, but just barely made into the Hot 100 Singles Sales
peaking at number seventy-three. The low sales points are due mostly because of the song's 12-inch single
release instead of a competitive regular CD single
. "Slave" became Spears' first dance
hit, reaching number four on the Hot Dance Club Play
chart. It is also her first and, so far, only song to appear on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, peaking at number eighty-five. In Europe
"Slave" was more successful, becoming a top ten hit in nearly every country that it charted in, including big markets such as Germany
and France
, where it was certified Silver
by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
for selling over 125,000 copies. The track spent two weeks at number-five on the European Hot 100 Singles chart provided by magazine Music and Media at the time. "Slave" peaked at number-four on the official UK Singles Chart
and spent a total of fourteen weeks within the top seventy-five and sold over 150,000 copies. In the Pacific, the track was somewhat successful, debuting at number-seven on the Australian Singles Chart
. Despite spending a very short period on the chart, eight weeks, it was certified Gold
by the Australian Recording Industry Association
for shipments of over 35,000 units. In New Zealand
, "Slave" debuted at number forty-six on November 4, 2001 and missed the top ten, peaking at number-thirteen in its third week. The song spent just six weeks on the chart.
The music video was shot on a soundstage in Universal City, California
, over Labor Day
weekend (Sep. 1-2), under the direction of Francis Lawrence
, and is one of her most risqué videos ever. It made its world premiere on MTV
's "Making the Video
" on September 24 at 5 p.m. EST
, the same day the song officially hit the American
radio stations, and debuted at #1 on Total Request Live
two days later. Some of the dancing was choreographed by Puerto-Rican dancer Mayte Garcia, who taught Spears bellydancing for the video. In the video, Spears and fifteen dancers employ the same choreography seen in her with Spears looking over a balcony whilst singing with cars down in the distance. Spears is portrayed as a slave to the music who dances all day until she and the other dancers are sweaty and near dehydration
, forcing them to search for water
. Two alternative versions of the video clip can be found on the Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
DVD
released on November 9, 2004. The music video was nominated in three categories at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards
for Best Female Video
, Best Dance Video
, and Best Choreography
. The video clip for "I'm a Slave 4 U" ranked #1 in the list of the "50 Sexiest Music Videos of All-Time" published by Canadian music channel MuchMusic
in 2007. An official remix video used the "Miguel Migs Petalpusher Vocal Mix" was also released. There are another 2 unreleased remix videos using the Thunderpuss Club Mix and the Thunderpuss Dark Mix Nearly 10 years later in 2011, the video would be compared to her Till The World Ends
music video. Several references from the Slave video were made in the video for Till The World Ends, such as the dancers crowding around her and the sweaty dancers scene.
at the Metropolitan Opera House
in New York City
on September 6, 2001. Along with dancing
in a very revealing outfit, the performance
is probably most remembered for featuring a number of exotic animals, including a white tiger
and a live albino Burmese Python
on her shoulder
s, the latter of which has become one of Spears' most iconic images. The inclusion of the animals in the performance brought a great deal of criticism from Animal rights
organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
. In August 2008, MTV Network named the performance the most memorable moment in VMA history
. Other performances include several television
appearances to promote her third album, Britney
. She performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 11, The Rosie O'Donnell Show
on November 5 and the Late Show With David Letterman
on November 6. A month later, Spears opened the 2001 Billboard Music Awards
in Las Vegas
on December 4 with a performance of the track on a stage inside the fountain
s of the Bellagio Hotel. Notably, the song was performed at the National Mall
in Washington, D.C.
, to kick off the 2003 National Football League season
. Spears performed the track on her latest four world tours, Dream Within a Dream
, The Onyx Hotel
, The Circus Starring Britney Spears and The Femme Fatale Tour.
The Singles Collection
Boxset Single
Other Version
!align="left"|Country
!align="center"|Certification
!align="center"|Sales/shipments
|-
|align="left"|Australia
|align="center"|Gold
|align="center"|35,000
|-
|align="left"|France
|align="center"|Silver
|align="center"|125,000
|-
|align="left"|Norway
|align="center"|Gold
|align="center"|10,000
|-
|align="left"|Sweden
|align="center"|Gold
|align="center"|20,000
|-
|}
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 song was written and produced by 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...
and 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...
, for Spears' third studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, 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). It was released on September 24, 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...
, as the first single from the album. The urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
song, has a similar soundscape to Vanity 6
Vanity 6
Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s.They released one studio album, which blended the sounds of pop, New Wave, dance music, R&B, and funk.-Formation:...
's 1982's song "Nasty Girl
Nasty Girl (Vanity 6 song)
"Nasty Girl" is a song written by Prince for his protégé girl group Vanity 6. Prince gave the songwriting credit to lead singer Vanity, although he was the writer and composer. It was the second single taken from their self-titled debut album Vanity 6 and was released in 1982.The backing music was...
", while its lyrics talks about being a slave to the music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
.
The song garnered mixed reception from music critics. Some critics argued it was the singer's most mature sound at the time compared to her previous singles, while other noticed the song's attempt to leave behind Spears' girl next door
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
image and said her vocals were unnatural. "I'm a Slave 4 U" achieved commercial success, peaking inside the top-ten in almost every country that it charted on. However, the song peaked at number twenty-seven in Hot 100 and at number eighty-five in Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, both being the lowest chart positions of the single worldwide.
A music video for the single, which was 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 released along with the single released. It features Spears dancing in a sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
, and it was recreated by television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. Spears' performance of the song at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards
2001 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2001 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 2001, honoring the best music videos from June 10, 2000, to June 8, 2001. The show was hosted by Jamie Foxx at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
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...
for the inclusion of exotic animal
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
s. Spears performed the song on every tour since its release, including the promotional The M+M's Tour
The M+M's Tour
The M+M's Tour was the fifth concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. Spears expressed interested to tour again as early as February 2006. She started rehearsing for a show at House of Blues venues in secret, and pulled out of a surprise performance on April 25, 2007, at Los...
.
Background and composition
"I'm a Slave 4 U" was written and produced by Pharrell WilliamsPharrell 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...
and 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...
, best-known as 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...
, who also collaborated with Spears on another album track, "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...
", for her third and self-titled LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, "Britney
Britney (album)
Britney is the third studio album by American pop singer Britney Spears. The album was released worldwide on November 6, 2001 by Jive Records, and one day after in the United States...
". It was recorded by Andrew Cleman at Master Sound Studios in Virginia Beach, VA and by Brian Garten at Right Track Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, being later mixed by Serban Ghenea in NYC
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Audio engineering
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
was done by Ryan Smith and Tim Roberts. After reading the lyrics for the first time, Spears stated it talks "about me just wanting to go out and forget who I am and dance and have a good time. That's kinda where I am now right now. I love working, but at the same time, I love having a good time." The urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
song is backed with breathy and moaning vocals and scratching
Scratching
Scratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the late 1980s, it has been used...
. The soundscape of the song has been noted to be similar to Vanity 6
Vanity 6
Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s.They released one studio album, which blended the sounds of pop, New Wave, dance music, R&B, and funk.-Formation:...
's 1982's song "Nasty Girl
Nasty Girl (Vanity 6 song)
"Nasty Girl" is a song written by Prince for his protégé girl group Vanity 6. Prince gave the songwriting credit to lead singer Vanity, although he was the writer and composer. It was the second single taken from their self-titled debut album Vanity 6 and was released in 1982.The backing music was...
".
Announced as the album's lead single, "I'm a Slave 4 U" was released in several formats. It was first solicited to radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s before its official singles release on September 24. On October 15 and 23, 2001, the track was physically available in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
respectively. The CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
includes the main and instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
version of the track, and the b-side "Intimidated", which can be also found on the "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" soundtrack. In addition, a four-track vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
12-inch single was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on October 30, 2001, which includes remixes by Thunderpuss
Thunderpuss
Thunderpuss was the remix/productionteam of music producers Barry Harris and Chris Cox. Harris had previously worked as part of several music groups including Kon Kan, Top Kat, Killer Bunnies and Outta Control and had also released several singles himself...
and Miguel Migs
Miguel Migs
Miguel Steward, better known as Miguel Migs is a deep house DJ, producer and musician from San Francisco, California. -Biography:Migs began his music career at 18 years old, as a lead guitarist and songwriter for a Santa Cruz local band called Zion Sounds...
. Other official re-workings of the track were made by Dave Audé
Dave Audé
Dave Audé is a Grammy nominated producer, house DJ, and remixer. He has done production for musicians such as KoЯn, t.A.T.u., DJ Keoki, Barenaked Ladies, Faith No More, Cause and Effect, Hilary Duff, Wanessa, Ashley Tisdale, The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Lunascape, Madonna, Britney Spears, CeCe...
, which can be found on Spears' 2005 remix compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
"B in the Mix: The Remixes
B in the Mix: The Remixes
B in the Mix: The Remixes is the first remix album by American recording artist Britney Spears, released on November 22, 2005, by Jive Records. The album contains remixes of tracks from her first four studio albums—...Baby One More Time , Oops!.....
". The song was covered on the TV show Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
, by Heather Morris as Brittany Pierce on September 28, 2010, as a part of a tribute episode to Spears titled "Britney/Brittany
Britney/Brittany
"Britney/Brittany" is the second episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 24th episode overall. Written and directed by series creator Ryan Murphy, it premiered on the Fox network on September 28, 2010, and pays tribute to Britney Spears...
". The song was covered by the American pop band Selena Gomez & the Scene
Selena Gomez & the Scene
Selena Gomez & the Scene is an American pop band formed in Hollywood, California in 2009. Along with lead singer and founder Selena Gomez, the band consists of bassist Joey Clement, guitarist Ethan Roberts, drummist Greg Garman and keyboardist Dane Forrest. Selena Gomez & the Scene have released...
for their 2011 We Own the Night Tour
We Own the Night Tour
The We Own the Night Tour is the third concert tour by American band Selena Gomez & the Scene, in support of their third studio album, When the Sun Goes Down...
as a tribute for Spears.
Critical response
The song was mostly well-received by the critics. A review from NME magazineNME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
stated that "the song is funk the way God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
intended —hypnotic, insistent, mysterious, suggestive— and if Prince was a nineteen-year-old former Disney Club
Disney Club
Disney Club is the name of many television shows associated to Disney productions aired mostly in Europe and Brazil during the 1990s and early 2000s.- Americas :* Brazil : aired from April 28, 1997 to December 28, 2002 on SBT...
host and virgin, he'd be proud to create such a record". Other reviews from Rolling Stone magazine and Allmusic agreed that "Slave" was a step towards a more mature sound. The song and video was the beginning of a different Britney and was the first of her seductive videos. Even though the single made it to #27 in the US, it is often regarded as one of Britney's best single by fans. However, there were some bad reviews such as the one by Stephanie McGrath from All Pop, who despite considering "Slave" as a "huge step away from the bouncy 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....
that made her a superstar" and was an "attempt to leave behind her pigtails and chirpy image
Girl next door
The cultural and sexual stereotype of the girl next door or the All-American girl is invoked in American contexts to indicate wholesome, unassuming femininity, as opposed to the culture's other female stereotypes such as the tomboy, the valley girl, the femme fatale, girly girl, or the slut. The...
", stated that the track "did not suit her style, the vocals were forced and the 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...
slinkiness was unnatural".Bill Lamb
Bill Lamb
The Hon. William Henry Lamb was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1938 until 1962 and, variously, a member of the Australian Labor Party and the Lang Labor Party...
from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
listed at number nine, on her Top 10 Songs, saying: "By the time of this single off her third album, it was obvious Britney Spears was becoming an adult. This song is a radical shift from the "not quite innocent" 16 year old schoolgirl of Britney's first album. Slinky and sexy have crept into the Britney Spears style".
Chart performance
"I'm a Slave 4 U" reached number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
, becoming Britney's first lead single from an album not to crack the U.S. top ten. The track also became a top thirty hit on the Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
, but just barely made into the Hot 100 Singles Sales
Hot 100 Singles Sales
The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the...
peaking at number seventy-three. The low sales points are due mostly because of the song's 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
release instead of a competitive regular CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
. "Slave" became Spears' first dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
hit, reaching number four on the Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
chart. It is also her first and, so far, only song to appear on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, peaking at number eighty-five. In Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
"Slave" was more successful, becoming a top ten hit in nearly every country that it charted in, including big markets such as Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and 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...
, where it was certified Silver
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
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...
for selling over 125,000 copies. The track spent two weeks at number-five on the European Hot 100 Singles chart provided by magazine Music and Media at the time. "Slave" peaked at number-four on the official 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 ...
and spent a total of fourteen weeks within the top seventy-five and sold over 150,000 copies. In the Pacific, the track was somewhat successful, debuting at number-seven on the Australian Singles 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...
. Despite spending a very short period on the chart, eight weeks, it was certified Gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
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...
for shipments of over 35,000 units. In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, "Slave" debuted at number forty-six on November 4, 2001 and missed the top ten, peaking at number-thirteen in its third week. The song spent just six weeks on the chart.
Music video
Universal City, California
Universal City is a community in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, that encompasses the 415 acre property of Universal Studios...
, over Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend (Sep. 1-2), under the direction of 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...
, and is one of her most risqué videos ever. It made its world premiere on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's "Making the Video
Making the Video
Making the Video is an MTV show, consisting of half-hour episodes, which chronicles the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video and the show often includes light-hearted and humorous moments. It always concludes with a premiere of the...
" on September 24 at 5 p.m. EST
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, the same day the song officially hit the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio stations, and debuted at #1 on Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
two days later. Some of the dancing was choreographed by Puerto-Rican dancer Mayte Garcia, who taught Spears bellydancing for the video. In the video, Spears and fifteen dancers employ the same choreography seen in her with Spears looking over a balcony whilst singing with cars down in the distance. Spears is portrayed as a slave to the music who dances all day until she and the other dancers are sweaty and near dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
, forcing them to search for water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. Two alternative versions of the video clip can be found on the Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (DVD)
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative is a greatest videos DVD compilation by singer Britney Spears. Released by Jive Records on November 9, 2004, it accompanied the greatest hits of the same name. The collection contained all of Spears's music videos from 1998 to 2004, including unreleased material from...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
released on November 9, 2004. The music video was nominated in three categories at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards
2002 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2002, honoring the best music videos from June 9, 2001, to May 31, 2002. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It is most remembered for Michael Jackson's acceptance of a birthday statue, which he...
for Best Female Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
, Best Dance Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video was first awarded in 1989, and it was one of the original four genre categories that were added to the MTV Video Music Awards that year. With a revamp of the awards in 2007, the category was cut out along with several others, yet it returned for the...
, and Best Choreography
MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography
The following is a list of MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Choreography in a Video....
. The video clip for "I'm a Slave 4 U" ranked #1 in the list of the "50 Sexiest Music Videos of All-Time" published by Canadian music channel MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
in 2007. An official remix video used the "Miguel Migs Petalpusher Vocal Mix" was also released. There are another 2 unreleased remix videos using the Thunderpuss Club Mix and the Thunderpuss Dark Mix Nearly 10 years later in 2011, the video would be compared to her Till The World Ends
Till the World Ends
"Till the World Ends" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the second single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin, with additional writing by Kesha and Alexander Kronlund, and additional production by...
music video. Several references from the Slave video were made in the video for Till The World Ends, such as the dancers crowding around her and the sweaty dancers scene.
Live performances
Spears first performed "I'm a Slave 4 U" publicly at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards2001 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2001 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 6, 2001, honoring the best music videos from June 10, 2000, to June 8, 2001. The show was hosted by Jamie Foxx at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City...
at the 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
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on September 6, 2001. Along with dancing
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
in a very revealing outfit, the performance
Performance
A performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
is probably most remembered for featuring a number of exotic animals, including 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 a live albino Burmese Python
Burmese Python
The Burmese Python is the largest subspecies of the Indian Python and one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, native to a large variation of tropic and subtropic areas of Southern- and Southeast Asia. They are often found near water and are sometimes semi-aquatic, but can also be found in trees...
on her shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
s, the latter of which has become one of Spears' most iconic images. The inclusion of the animals in the performance brought a great deal of criticism from 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...
organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
. In August 2008, MTV Network named the performance the most memorable moment in VMA history
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...
. Other performances include several television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
appearances to promote her third 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...
. She performed 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 and the Late Show With David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
on November 6. A month later, Spears opened the 2001 Billboard Music Awards
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
on December 4 with a performance of the track on a stage inside the fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
s of the Bellagio Hotel. Notably, the song was performed at the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to kick off the 2003 National Football League season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
. Spears performed the track on her latest four world tours, Dream Within a Dream
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
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...
, The Circus Starring Britney Spears and The Femme Fatale Tour.
Track listing
- UK CD
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Main Version) — 3:23
- "Intimidated" — 3:17
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Instrumental) — 3:23
- European CD
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Main Version) — 3:23
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Instrumental) — 3:23
- "Intimidated" (Non-Album Track) — 3:17
- Britney... Interview — 4:16
- The Remixes - Promo
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" (ThunderpussThunderpussThunderpuss was the remix/productionteam of music producers Barry Harris and Chris Cox. Harris had previously worked as part of several music groups including Kon Kan, Top Kat, Killer Bunnies and Outta Control and had also released several singles himself...
Radio Mix) — 3:18 - "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Miguel MigsMiguel MigsMiguel Steward, better known as Miguel Migs is a deep house DJ, producer and musician from San Francisco, California. -Biography:Migs began his music career at 18 years old, as a lead guitarist and songwriter for a Santa Cruz local band called Zion Sounds...
Petalpusher Vocal Edit) — 3:35 - "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Album Version) — 3:23
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) — 8:46
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Miguel MigsMiguel MigsMiguel Steward, better known as Miguel Migs is a deep house DJ, producer and musician from San Francisco, California. -Biography:Migs began his music career at 18 years old, as a lead guitarist and songwriter for a Santa Cruz local band called Zion Sounds...
Petalpusher Vocal) — 5:31
The Singles Collection
The Singles Collection (Britney Spears album)
The Singles Collection is the second greatest hits album from American singer Britney Spears, released in commemoration of her ten year anniversary with her record company Jive Records...
Boxset Single
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" - 3:23
- "Intimidated" - 3:17
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Video Enhancement) - 3:30
Other Version
- "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Dave AudeDave AudéDave Audé is a Grammy nominated producer, house DJ, and remixer. He has done production for musicians such as KoЯn, t.A.T.u., DJ Keoki, Barenaked Ladies, Faith No More, Cause and Effect, Hilary Duff, Wanessa, Ashley Tisdale, The Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Lunascape, Madonna, Britney Spears, CeCe...
Slave Driver Mix) — 5:51
Weekly charts
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles | 5 |
| 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... ) |
33 |
| Romania (Romanian Top 100 Romanian Top 100 The Romanian Top 100 is the national airplay-based singles chart of Romania. It is weekly and it started running in 1996. It is recognized as an official chart by the European division of Billboard, Music & Media.... ) |
10 |
| US 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... |
27 |
| US Billboard Pop Songs | 15 |
| US 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... Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
3 |
| US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
85 |
Year-end Charts
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 99 |
| Romania | 93 |
| Switzerland | 68 |
Certifications
{| class="wikitable"!align="left"|Country
!align="center"|Certification
!align="center"|Sales/shipments
|-
|align="left"|Australia
|align="center"|Gold
|align="center"|35,000
|-
|align="left"|France
|align="center"|Silver
|align="center"|125,000
|-
|align="left"|Norway
|align="center"|Gold
|align="center"|10,000
|-
|align="left"|Sweden
|align="center"|Gold
|align="center"|20,000
|-
|}
External links
- The official music video on "VEVO", in "Youtube" — VevoVevoVevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
, YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....