In the Zone
Encyclopedia
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 career. She started working on the album in November 2002, with producers such as Bloodshy & Avant
, R. Kelly
, Christopher Stewart
, Moby
, Guy Sigsworth
and The Matrix. Musically, In the Zone is a dance
-oriented album that incorporates elements of various genres, such as house
, trip hop
and hip hop
. It features instrumentation from guitars, drums, synthesizers, strings and Middle Eastern
musical instruments.
Spears began writing songs for In the Zone while touring around the world, despite not knowing the direction of the album. She started to experiment with different producers, trying to find those who she had chemistry with. The first song recorded was "Touch of My Hand", which Spears claims set the mood for the album. She co-wrote several tracks, and often changed the lyrics to suit herself. Spears stated she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not the point were she felt self-exploited. She also explained that the sexual nature of In the Zone was subconscious and happened while she was in the process of developing the album. The topic for the songs range from love, dancing, empowerment, and in the case of songs such as "Touch of My Hand", sex and masturbation
. Spears collaborated with artists such as Madonna
in "Me Against the Music
" and the Ying Yang Twins
in "I Got That (Boom Boom)".
After its release, In the Zone received generally positive reception from music critics. Reviewers appreciated the album, calling it a strong and confident pop record, while complimenting the mix of different styles and Spears's skills as a songwriter. Others however, criticized it for what they perceived as distant and processed vocals. Commercially, In the Zone became an international success, debuting atop of the charts in France and the United States, and peaking inside the top ten in eleven countries. In the United States, she became the first female artist to have four consecutive number-one albums. In the Zone went on to become the eighth best selling album of 2003. As of November 2007, the album had sold 6 million copies worldwide.
Four singles were released from the album: "Me Against the Music", "Toxic
" and "Everytime
" became worldwide hits, peaking at number one in Australia and reaching top five positions worldwide. To promote In the Zone, Spears performed the songs in a number of television appearances and also embarked on The Onyx Hotel Tour
. The album and its music videos are largely seen by critics as the end of her transition from teen pop star to a more adult female artist. In 2009, Amy Schriefer of NPR
listed In the Zone as one of The 50 Most Important Recordings of the Decade, calling it "a primer on the sound of pop in the '00s".
, which portrayed more adult and provocative themes and featured the lead single "I'm a Slave 4 U
". The album sold 4 million copies in the United States; nevertheless, it was viewed as "poor-selling" in comparison to her previous efforts. The following year, her relationship of three years with pop singer Justin Timberlake
ended after months of speculation.
After the Dream Within a Dream Tour
in support of Britney finalized in July 2002, Spears announced she would take a break from her career for six months. In November 2002, she revealed that she had started working on her next studio album. She explained, "Well, actually, I just said that I wanted two or three weeks off. [....] And the whole world was like, 'Ohmigod, [sic] she's gone..." While in Europe, Spears met with William Orbit
and Daft Punk
about possible collaborations, and originally confirmed Darkchild
and The Neptunes
as producers. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter
about the direction of the record, Spears responded it was an organic evolution, adding, "It should just happen naturally from the way you feel. [...] Whatever happens, happens". Fred Durst
was asked by Spears' management to submit material, and he wrote and produced three trip hop
tracks that were recorded by Spears in January 2003. However, after news of an affair between them broke, Durst told Jive Records
he was not going to let them use the songs for the album. In March 2003, Lauren Christy
from The Matrix spoke about the development of the album with MTV News
, and likened their work with Spears to Madonna
's Ray of Light
. Scott Spock, also from The Matrix, continued comparing her to Madonna, saying,
Spears also previewed several songs to Quddus Philippe of MTV in May 2003, including "Touch of My Hand", "Brave New Girl" and "Everytime". Spears commented, "I've really been able to take my time and have creative control and make [the new album] special, special, special." On August 27, 2003, Spears opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
performing a medley of "Like a Virgin
/Hollywood" with Madonna, Christina Aguilera
and Missy Elliott
. The performance started with Spears appearing on stage on top of a giant wedding cake while wearing a wedding gown and veil; she sang the first few lines of "Like a Virgin" before Aguilera appeared from behind the cake and joined her. Madonna then emerged from the cake wearing a black coat and a hat and started singing "Hollywood" before proceededing to kiss Spears and Aguilera on the lips. Missy Elliott came out from a wedding chapel
to sing her song "Work It" halfway through the performance. The kiss generated strong reaction from the media. The performance was listed by Blender
magazine as one of the twenty-five sexiest music moments on television history. MTV listed the performance as the number-one opening moment in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards.
, R. Kelly
, Diddy, Christopher Stewart
, Moby
, Guy Sigsworth
and The Matrix. She first started writing songs for In the Zone during the Dream Within a Dream Tour. Spears commented about writing while touring, "The only thing that was scary to me is that I didn’t know if they were good. [But] You can’t trust anybody. You have to go with your feelings." Spears commented that she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not to the point she felt self-exploited. Following the end of the tour, Spears invited her friend and backing vocalist Annet Artani to her home in Los Angeles. They started writing songs at the piano, and shortly after, they traveled to Lake Como
in Lombardy, Italy. Among the tracks they worked on was "Everytime", which Artani confirmed to be written as a response to Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River
", as well as "Shine", written by Spears about her sister Jamie Lynn
, which was left unfinished. Earnest recording of the album began in early 2003. Spears commented that although she did not know initially what direction she wanted to go with the album, she took time to work with different producers and to find those who she had chemistry with. The first song recorded for In the Zone was "Touch of My Hand", and Spears said it "really did provide a balance for the rest of the record. We just went from there." Following the recording sessions for "Everytime", Spears complimented Sigsworth, saying, "I just basically told him exactly how I wanted the song to sound. And he was so amazing because there's a lot of producers you tell them things and they don't get it. And you're like oh, that's not the right way. He got it just right. He was amazing."
Christopher Stewart and Penelope Magnet, known collectively as RedZone
, presented Spears with the third song they had written and produced, "Pop Culture Whore". While her management liked the track, she rejected it, telling them the song "sucked". After bonding with Spears during a night in New York City to "get in her world", as Magnet explained, it was easier to "actually write and know what she would and wouldn't say, to know where her real vibe is". Stewart and Magnet began working on the first version of "Me Against the Music"; Stewart came up with the track, while Magnet developed the melody on a piano and some of the lyrics. During the recording sessions, Stewart recalls that the studio's air-conditioning died for three days, but Spears "didn't complain or anything, and for me that shows she's where she is for a reason." While rehearsing for their performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Spears played a finished version of "Me Against the Music" to Madonna. After Madonna commented that she liked the track, Spears asked her to do the song with her. RedZone then handed "Me Against the Music" to Madonna, who arranged and recorded her vocal additions on her own, therefore making the song a duet. Spears, who has been a fan of Madonna for years, was "beyond surprised" when she heard Madonna's verse. She said "I just asked her to do a little thing, but she really went there. She did a lot of stuff to it." RedZone were then enlisted to work on several more songs for the album, including co-writing "Early Mornin'", recording background vocals for "Outrageous" and producing "The Hook Up".
The Matrix commented that after they presented songs to Spears, she tailored them to suit herself, especially the lyrics. Christy said, "... she really knows what she wants. She knows if she's trying something on that doesn't fit right for her. She's like, 'No, that's not me.' She's not one to strap on some sort of fake image." Christy also claimed to be impressed with Spears's vocal ability during the recording of "Shadow". Steve Anderson, Lisa Greene and Stephen Lee wrote "Breathe on Me" at Metrophonic Studios in London, England. Before meeting with the other writers, Anderson thought of two concepts for songs specifically for Spears: one he had worked on "for ages", and "Breathe on Me", which he drafted on the morning of the sessions. Greene and Lee did not like the first concept, and they wrote "Breathe on Me" with Anderson. The song was produced by Mark Taylor, who kept most of the programming done by Anderson. With Taylor, Spears recorded "Breathe on Me" and "And Then We Kiss
", which did not make the album. Before the album was released, Spears's manager Larry Rudolph
commented that it was important for Spears to continue moving away from a traditional pop sound, citing "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Boys
" from Britney as departures from her previous music. Barry Weiss
, then-president of Jive Label Group, added, "She has achieved what she set out to achieve, which was to make a mature album that didn't sound like something she would have done three years while still making a commercial album that has hit singles. [...] It's the kind of record she should be doing right now, and it came down to her to make it." In the Zone was recorded at Battery Studios and The Dojo in New York City, 3:20 Studios, Decoy Studios, Pacifique Studios, Record Plant
and Westlake Audio
in Los Angeles, California, The Chocolate Factory, in Chicago, Illinois, Triangle Sond Studios in Atlanta, Georgia
, Metrophonic Studios and Olympic Studios in London, England, and Murlyn Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. Throughout the beginning of 2003, Spears started testing tracks by playing them in nightclubs such as Show in New York City.
, saying, "I'd describe it as trance-y, kind of vibe record—something you could listen to that's no so song-structured [...] Of course I'm not doing '...Baby One More Time
' and those massive hits anymore. I think this record is where I am at right now in my life. It's sensual, it's sexual. I'm probably writing about that subconsciously because I don't have that right now." Amy Schriefer of NPR
stated the album is a mix of dance
, house
, crunk, Diwali
beats and hip hop
. According to William Shaw of Blender, the main theme of In the Zone is "Spears’s awakening to her sexuality as a single woman." The first single from the album, "Me Against the Music
", features Madonna, but was constructed as a duet after she was added to the track. Spears and Madonna trade lines during the verses, and Madonna sings solo in the bridge. The instrumentation in the song includes influences of hip hop and funk
guitars. The song's lyrics feature Spears and Madonna singing of the pleasures of letting go on the dancefloor, in "I'm up against the speaker / Trying to take on the music / It's like a competition". The second song, "(I Got That) Boom Boom", is an Atlanta-style hip hop track featuring the Ying Yang Twins
.
"Showdown" has "bubbly" beats and its lyrics, about "fighting and making up with carnal relations", include the lines "I don’t really want to be a tease / But would you undo my zipper, please?" The fourth track, "Breathe on Me", was described as the most sensual song of the record. Containing trip hop
influences, Spears sings, "Oh, it's so hot, and I need some air/ And boy, don't stop 'cause I'm halfway there" and "Just put your lips together and blow." "Early Mornin'" depicts Spears looking for men at a club in New York City. The song has a percolating beat and featured subdued vocals from Spears, who purrs and yawns through the track. The nightclub Show is referenced. "Toxic
", which Spears later named as her favorite song from her career, was originally offered to Kylie Minogue
. Released as the album's second single, it contains elements of electropop and bhangra music, and features varied instrumentation, such as drums, synthesizers, high-pitched strings
and surf guitars
. Lyrically, "Toxic" talks about being addicted to a lover. "Outrageous
", the fourth and final single from the album, is a hip hop-inspired track that according to MTV features Spears "whisper[ing] and moan[ing] [...] with a snake charmer
melody giving the song an exotic feel." The lyrics talk about materialism and amusement, with the singer referencing in the chorus a number of things that give her pleasure. In "Touch of My Hand", which Spears felt it was comparable to Janet Jackson
's "That's the Way Love Goes" (1993), she sings in a lower register. The instrumentation contains elements of Middle Eastern music
and its lyrics refer to masturbation
, "I will be bold/ Going to the places where I can be out of control/ Don't want to explain tonight/ All the things I try to hide."
The ninth track "The Hook Up" has a reggae
feel and features Spears singing in a Jamaican Patois accent. The ballad "Shadow" talks about how reminders of a lover can still linger after he’s gone. "Brave New Girl" lyrics talk about a young woman finding her passion and losing inhibitions. Backed by choppy, electro-funk
beats, she sings in a bouncy near-rap, "She's going to find her passion, she's going to find her way, she's going to get right out of this/ She don't want New York, she don't want L.A., she's going to find that special kiss." The song incorporates elements of the music of No Doubt
, Blondie
and Madonna. "Everytime" begins with a piano introduction accompanying Spears's breathy vocals, which build from soft to strong throughout the song. "Everytime" lyrics are a plea for forgiveness for inadvertently hurting a former lover. In the song, the singer explains she feels unable to continue in lines such as "Everytime I try to fly I fall / Without my wings I feel so small". During an interview with MTV, Spears said about the song, "It's about heartbreak, it's about your first love, your first true love. That's something all people can relate to, because you all have that first love that you think you're going to be with the rest of your life." When asked if "Everytime" was about Timberlake, she responded "I'll let the song speak for itself." The Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix of "Me Against the Music" removes the original melody of the song and adds a clattering backbeat and Punjabi shouts. In "The Answer", Spears sings that her lover is the answer to all her needs: "Who can hold me tight, keep me warm through the night? / Who can wipe my tears when it's wrong, make it right? / Who can give me love till I'm satisfied? / Who's the one I need in my life?". In "Don't Hang Up," she pleads on the phone for her lover to keep her satisfied long-distance.
. Jason Shawhan of About.com
gave a positive review, saying that while the album's vibe is sexy, the result is a personal statement from Spears. He also added, "T[here]'s another thing about Spears' new record, as none of her previous albums ever managed to produce any kind of sustained emotional response than the pleasure that comes from a good pop record. I miss Max Martin
, for sure, but it feels like Ms. S. has been paying attention to La Ciccone. To put it another way, this is Britney's True Blue." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic said that the album "[is] all club-ready, but despite some hints of neo-electro and the Neptunes, it doesn't quite sound modern—it sounds like cuts from 1993 or Madonna's Bedtime Stories
and Ray of Light. Production-wise, these tracks are not only accomplished but much more varied than any of her previous albums." Ruth Mitchell of BBC Online called "Early Mornin'" the best track of the album, but added, "Sadly, her attempts to prove her new-found maturity are what overwhelm and cloud all that is good about In The Zone." Mim Udovitch of Blender
commented, "This I’m-coming-out record is an unhesitant move from songs of the heart to songs of the groin [...] No longer a girl, freed from slavery, now fully a woman, she makes a pretty convincing mistress." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
called "Brave New Girl" and "Touch of My Hand" the best and most straightforward moments of the album, but added that "On a CD intended to celebrate her lurch into adulthood, Spears remains distant and submerged. For all her freedom, she's still finding her way."
Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone
said, "[Spears's] voice is so processed, its physicality almost disappears. [...] In the Zone offers strip-club, 1-900 sex, accommodating and hollow. Beyond the glittering beats, Spears sounds about as intimate as a blowup doll." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
stated, "Britney's fourth album, In The Zone, finds the pop tart coming of age with a bold mix of hip-hop and dance music, wiping clean the last traces of her bubblegum-pop past. [...] For the most part, In The Zone is a big, fat, thumping love letter to the dancefloor, which makes Madonna's involvement [...] even more appropriate." Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian
commented, "Unlike previous Britney albums, In the Zone has no filler and no shoddy cover versions, just 57 varieties of blue-chip hit-factory pop. There is southern hip-hop, deep house, Neptunes-style R&B, the ubiquitous Diwali beat and, most importantly, oodles of Madonna." Keleffa Sanneh of The New York Times
said, "Since singing seems not to be [Spears's] main interest (or to be sure, strength), she lets the beats do most of the work. When she's not whispering or moaning, she's disfiguring her voice with electronic effects or hiding behind a pack of back-up singers." Jason King of Vibe deemed it as "A supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter." "Toxic" won Spears her first Grammy Award
for Best Dance Recording
in 2004.
, In the Zone sold 609,000 during its first week of availability in the United States, debuting at the top of the Billboard 200
. The album had the second highest debut sales of 2003 by a female artist (only behind Alicia Keys
's The Diary of Alicia Keys
), as well as the fifth highest debut sales of the year. Spears also became the first female artist in Billboards history to have four consecutive number-one albums. By its third week, In the Zone had already sold 1 million copies in the country. The album was certified two-times platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) on December 16, 2003, for shipments of 2 million copies in the United States. It has sold 2,978,000 copies there according to Nielsen SoundScan. In Canada, the album debuted at number two in the Canadian Albums Chart
with sales of 31,000 units. It was certified three-times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA) for shipments of 300,000 copies.
In Australia and New Zealand, In the Zone debuted at number ten and twenty-five in the official charts, respectively. It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) indicating shipments of 70,000 units. The album debuted at number three on the Oricon
weekly album chart in Japan, selling around 59,128 copies. In Mexico, In the Zone was certified platinum on December 17, 2003, by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON) for shipments of 60,000 copies. The album was also certified platinum in Argentina by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
(CAPIF) for shipments of 40,000 copies in total. In the Zone debuted at number thirteen on the UK Albums Chart
, and stayed on the chart for forty-three weeks. It was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) for shipments of 300,000 copies. The album also debuted at the top of the charts in France. In April 2004, it was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for shipments of a million copies in Europe. In the Zone was the eighth best selling album of 2003. As of November 2007, the album had sold 6 million copies worldwide.
" was released as the lead single from In the Zone on October 20, 2003, by Jive Records. The label's choice for the first single was originally "Outrageous", but Spears convinced them to release "Me Against the Music". The song received mixed reviews from critics. Some felt it was a strong dance track of the album, while others referred to it as lackluster and disappointing. "Me Against the Music" achieved international success, peaking atop of the charts in countries such as Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland and Spain, as well as the European Hot 100 Singles. It also peaked at number two in Canada, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom, and inside the top five in many other nations. The song won the "Hot Dance Single of the Year" accolade at the 2004 Billboard Music Awards. In the song's accompanying music video, Spears chases Madonna inside a nightclub. "Toxic
" was released as the album's second single on January 12, 2004. After trying to choose between "(I Got That) Boom Boom" and "Outrageous", Spears selected "Toxic" instead. The song received positive reviews from critics.
"Toxic" attained worldwide success, reaching the top-five in fifteen countries, while topping the charts in Australia, Canada, Hungary, Norway and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it became her first single to peak inside the top ten in almost four years. The accompanying music video for the song portrays Spears as a secret agent in the search of a vial of green liquid. After she steals it, she enters an apartment and poisons her unfaithful boyfriend. The video also includes interspersed scenes of Spears naked with diamonds over her body. "Toxic" won Spears her first Grammy Award
for Best Dance Recording
, and its often referred to as one of her defining songs.
"Everytime
" was the third single released from the album, on May 17, 2004. It received positive appreciation from contemporary critics. "Everytime" was a commercial success, peaking inside the top five in most countries, while reaching the top of the charts in Australia, Hungary, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The music video for "Everytime" portrays Spears as a star hounded by paparazzi, who drowns in her bathtub when she starts bleeding from a wound in her head. In the hospital, doctors fail to resuscitate her while a child is born in the next room, implying she reeincarnated. The original treatment would have had Spears killing herself from a drug overdose, but the plot was removed after it received criticism by several organizations, who perceived it as a glamorization of suicide. "Outrageous
" was the fourth and last single from the album, released on July 13, 2004. The song was finally chosen as a single after it was selected as the theme song for the 2004 film Catwoman
. "Outrageous" received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised its funky sound, noting its influence from Michael
and Janet Jackson, while others deemed it as "forgettable". The song only charted in the United States, entering many of Billboards component charts and peaking at number seventy-nine on the Hot 100. The music video was being shot in New York City in June 2004, when Spears hurt her knee and had to undergo arthroscopic surgery. The video was canceled, as well as The Onyx Hotel Tour and the feature in the Catwoman soundtrack.
. Other broader-based marketing efforts included a tie-in with marketing company LidRock, where after ordering a soda at Sbarro
, customers received a cup featuring the artwork and a three-inch disc in the lid featuring "Brave New Girl" and songs by two other artists. In December 2003, an updated LidRock disc included a remix of "Me Against the Music" without Madonna, as well as songs by fellow Jive acts Nick Cannon
and Bowling for Soup
. Regal Theaters also showed a short film that included footage of the making of Spears's music videos. Two national TV advertising campaigns began on November 1, 2003, one with a teaser ad in American comedy show Saturday Night Live
and another exclusively on MTV. No sponsored cross-marketing campaigns were planned, as Larry Rudolph explained, "[This time] it's going to be more about the music than about corporate tie-ins." In terms of international exposure, during a fourth-month period Spears was featured in seven mini TV-specials and more than one-hundred and fifty interviews outside the US.
Spears first performed "Me Against the Music" at the 2003 NFL Kickoff Live
on September 4, 2003 at the National Mall
. The performance segued into a medley of "...Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U", which included pyrotechnics. On September 14, 2003, Spears played a surprise concert at Rain Nightclub
in the Palms Casino Resort, and performed "Me Against the Music", "Breathe on Me" and a medley of "...Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U". On October 18, 2003, Spears performed "Me Against the Music" and "Everytime" during the twenty-ninth
season of Saturday Night Live. Spears opened the 2003 American Music Awards
telecast with a performance of "Me Against the Music". On November 17, 2003, a concert special titled Britney Spears: In the Zone aired in ABC
. The following day, she performed "Me Against the Music" and "(I Got That) Boom Boom" on the American music show TRL
at Times Square
. "Me Against the Music" was also performed on American late-night show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
and American morning show Live with Regis and Kelly
on November 17 and November 24, 2003. She performed "Toxic", "Breathe on Me" and "Me Against the Music" as the headliner of the Jingle Ball
on December 8, 2003, at the Staples Center
. On January 24, 2004, Spears opened the 2004 NRJ Music Awards
with a performance of "Toxic". On August 5, 2004, Spears performed "Everytime" at the British music chart show Top of the Pops
.
, Mystic Lounge
, Mystic Garden
, The Onyx Zone
, Security Cameras, Club
and the encore. Check-In displayed performances with dance and advanced in the hotel theme. Mystic Lounge featured an homage to Cabaret
and other musicals, while remixing some of Spears's early hits. Mystic Garden displayed a jungle-inspired stage. The Onyx Zone displayed a ballad performance with acrobats. Security Cameras was the raciest part of the show, with Spears and her dancers emulating different sexual practices. Club displayed a performance with urban influences. The encore consisted of a system malfunction interlude and Spears performed wearing a red ensemble. The tour received mixed reviews from contemporary critics, who praised it for being an entertaining show while criticizing it for looking "more [like] a spectacle than an actual concert". The Onyx Hotel Tour was commercially successful, grossing $34 million. In March, Spears suffered a knee injury onstage which forced her to reschedule two shows. In June, Spears fell and hurt her knee again during a music video shoot. She underwent surgery and the remainder of the tour was canceled.
, its 2003 follow-up, In the Zone, is where she has finally completed that journey and turned into Britney, the Adult Woman." Erlewine compared Spears to her peer Christina Aguilera
, explaining that both equated maturity with transparent sexuality and the pounding sounds of nightclubs, but while Aguilera "comes across like a natural-born skank, Britney is the girl next door
cutting loose at college, drinking and smoking and dancing and sexing just a little too recklessly, since this is the first time she can indulge herself." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine stated, "For a girl who's always seemed too sexed-up for her age, In The Zone finds Britney finally filling her britches, so-to-speak. Her little girl coquettishness actually works now—maybe because, at 21, she's finally a woman." Jason King of Vibe said the album showcased a transformed Spears, "no longer a girl, and all the woman any man can handle." In 2009, Amy Schriefer of NPR
listed the album on The 50 Most Important Recording of the Decade list. Calling it "a primer on the sound of pop in the '00s", she deemed Spears as the ideal vehicle for a futuristic sound, since she was still trying to break away from her teen pop
past. Schriefer praised "Toxic" and "Everytime", and also stated, "While the decade's history of celebrity obsession, paparazzi voyeurism and conflicted constructions of female sexuality and motherhood are written on Spears' body, the decade's history of impeccably crafted pop is written on her body of work."
Julie Andsager in Sex in consumer culture (2006) said that the music videos from In the Zone presented a different Spears, and that although the album was intended to target the gay market, the videos were clearly designed for heterosexual men. Andsager suggested that Spears took cues more directly from sexual fantasies, and that the use of sanitized images of attractive young women posed in sexual ways (lesbian chic) serves two audiences: primarily, it sought to fulfill heterosexual fantasies, but as a secondary function, it may also serve young women as a source of instruction in attracting males. From a marketing perspective, the fantasy-fullfilment purpose of the album was apparent not only on the videos, but also in the kiss between Spears at Madonna at the Video Music Awards. Finally, Andsager explained that "[Spears] has, perhaps, taken her sexuality to its extreme—for network television, at least—at the age of 22"
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...
by American recording artist Britney Spears
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...
, released on November 16, 2003, 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...
. Following the end of 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...
in July 2002 and her break-up 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...
, Spears announced she would take a six-month break from her career. She started working on the album in November 2002, with producers such as Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy and Avant are a music production and songwriting team from Sweden made up of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg...
, R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Christopher Stewart
Christopher Stewart (music producer)
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million...
, Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, Guy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth is a U.K. based composer, producer and songwriter. In his career to date he has worked with many famous artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian and Alanis Morissette...
and The Matrix. Musically, In the Zone is a dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
-oriented album that incorporates elements of various genres, such as house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
. It features instrumentation from guitars, drums, synthesizers, strings and Middle Eastern
Middle Eastern music
The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...
musical instruments.
Spears began writing songs for In the Zone while touring around the world, despite not knowing the direction of the album. She started to experiment with different producers, trying to find those who she had chemistry with. The first song recorded was "Touch of My Hand", which Spears claims set the mood for the album. She co-wrote several tracks, and often changed the lyrics to suit herself. Spears stated she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not the point were she felt self-exploited. She also explained that the sexual nature of In the Zone was subconscious and happened while she was in the process of developing the album. The topic for the songs range from love, dancing, empowerment, and in the case of songs such as "Touch of My Hand", sex and masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
. Spears collaborated with artists such as Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
in "Me Against the Music
Me Against the Music
"Me Against the Music" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone, featuring American recording artist Madonna. It was released on October 20, 2003 as the lead single from the album by Jive Records. After bonding with Spears during a night in New York...
" and the Ying Yang Twins
Ying Yang Twins
The Ying Yang Twins is an Atlanta-based American crunk rap duo consisting of Kaine and D-Roc . The group debuted in 2000 and rose to mainstream popularity in 2003 collaborating with Lil Jon in his single "Get Low"...
in "I Got That (Boom Boom)".
After its release, In the Zone received generally positive reception from music critics. Reviewers appreciated the album, calling it a strong and confident pop record, while complimenting the mix of different styles and Spears's skills as a songwriter. Others however, criticized it for what they perceived as distant and processed vocals. Commercially, In the Zone became an international success, debuting atop of the charts in France and the United States, and peaking inside the top ten in eleven countries. In the United States, she became the first female artist to have four consecutive number-one albums. In the Zone went on to become the eighth best selling album of 2003. As of November 2007, the album had sold 6 million copies worldwide.
Four singles were released from the album: "Me Against the Music", "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" and "Everytime
Everytime
"Everytime" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on May 17, 2004, by Jive Records as the third single from the album. After Spears ended her relationship with pop singer Justin Timberlake, she made friends with her backing...
" became worldwide hits, peaking at number one in Australia and reaching top five positions worldwide. To promote In the Zone, Spears performed the songs in a number of television appearances and also embarked on The Onyx Hotel Tour
The Onyx Hotel Tour
The Onyx Hotel Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Britney Spears. It supported her fourth studio album In the Zone and visited North America and Europe. A tour to promote the album was announced in December 2003...
. The album and its music videos are largely seen by critics as the end of her transition from teen pop star to a more adult female artist. In 2009, Amy Schriefer of NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
listed In the Zone as one of The 50 Most Important Recordings of the Decade, calling it "a primer on the sound of pop in the '00s".
Background and development
In November 2001, Spears released her third album, BritneyBritney (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...
, which portrayed more adult and provocative themes and featured the lead 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...
". The album sold 4 million copies in the United States; nevertheless, it was viewed as "poor-selling" in comparison to her previous efforts. The following year, her relationship of three years with pop singer 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...
ended after months of speculation.
After 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...
in support of Britney finalized in July 2002, Spears announced she would take a break from her career for six months. In November 2002, she revealed that she had started working on her next studio album. She explained, "Well, actually, I just said that I wanted two or three weeks off. [....] And the whole world was like, 'Ohmigod, [sic] she's gone..." While in Europe, Spears met with William Orbit
William Orbit
William Orbit is an English musician, composer and record producer, perhaps best known to most for his work on Madonna's album Ray of Light. He has also co-produced several unreleased Madonna songs originally recorded for other albums...
and Daft Punk
Daft Punk
Daft Punk are an electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France and met with continued success in the years following, combining elements of house with synthpop...
about possible collaborations, and originally confirmed Darkchild
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
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...
as producers. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
about the direction of the record, Spears responded it was an organic evolution, adding, "It should just happen naturally from the way you feel. [...] Whatever happens, happens". Fred Durst
Fred Durst
William Frederick "Fred" Durst is an American musician, director, producer and actor, well known as the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit.-Early life:...
was asked by Spears' management to submit material, and he wrote and produced three trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
tracks that were recorded by Spears in January 2003. However, after news of an affair between them broke, Durst told 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...
he was not going to let them use the songs for the album. In March 2003, Lauren Christy
Lauren Christy
Lauren Christy is an English singer-songwriter and music producer.-Early life and education:Christy was born in London, England. She studied at the Bush Davies Ballet School as a child, before she decided to become a musical artist.-Music career:...
from The Matrix spoke about the development of the album with MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, and likened their work with Spears to Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's Ray of Light
Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3, 1998 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. After giving birth to her daughter Lourdes, Madonna collaborated with Patrick Leonard and William Orbit in developing the album...
. Scott Spock, also from The Matrix, continued comparing her to Madonna, saying,
"She's taking it to the next level in her career. Madonna constantly takes what's in the club and puts what she does on top of it and makes it mainstream. I think Britney is starting to embrace that concept where she's looking to work on different stuff, instead of using the same familiar, and applying it to her. [...] I don't think [her fans] will be freaked out or upset. I think they'll be really into what's going to happen."
Spears also previewed several songs to Quddus Philippe of MTV in May 2003, including "Touch of My Hand", "Brave New Girl" and "Everytime". Spears commented, "I've really been able to take my time and have creative control and make [the new album] special, special, special." On August 27, 2003, Spears opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards
2003 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2003 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2003, honoring the best music videos from June 1, 2002, to June 9, 2003. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City...
performing a medley of "Like a Virgin
Like a Virgin (song)
"Like a Virgin" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second album of the same name. It was released on November 6, 1984 by Sire Records, as the first single from the album. The song appears on the greatest hits compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...
/Hollywood" with Madonna, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
and Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
. The performance started with Spears appearing on stage on top of a giant wedding cake while wearing a wedding gown and veil; she sang the first few lines of "Like a Virgin" before Aguilera appeared from behind the cake and joined her. Madonna then emerged from the cake wearing a black coat and a hat and started singing "Hollywood" before proceededing to kiss Spears and Aguilera on the lips. Missy Elliott came out from a wedding chapel
Wedding chapel
A wedding chapel is a place, other than a legal court, and usually also, other than a church, where couples can get legally married. A church may also be used as a wedding chapel, but churches are usually called that by the marrying couple when the ceremony only involves those contracting matrimony...
to sing her song "Work It" halfway through the performance. The kiss generated strong reaction from the media. The performance was listed by Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine as one of the twenty-five sexiest music moments on television history. MTV listed the performance as the number-one opening moment in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards.
Recording
For In the Zone, Spears worked with hit producers such as Bloodshy & AvantBloodshy & Avant
Bloodshy and Avant are a music production and songwriting team from Sweden made up of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg...
, R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Diddy, Christopher Stewart
Christopher Stewart (music producer)
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million...
, Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
, Guy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth
Guy Sigsworth is a U.K. based composer, producer and songwriter. In his career to date he has worked with many famous artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian and Alanis Morissette...
and The Matrix. She first started writing songs for In the Zone during the Dream Within a Dream Tour. Spears commented about writing while touring, "The only thing that was scary to me is that I didn’t know if they were good. [But] You can’t trust anybody. You have to go with your feelings." Spears commented that she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not to the point she felt self-exploited. Following the end of the tour, Spears invited her friend and backing vocalist Annet Artani to her home in Los Angeles. They started writing songs at the piano, and shortly after, they traveled to Lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
in Lombardy, Italy. Among the tracks they worked on was "Everytime", which Artani confirmed to be written as a response to Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River
Cry Me a River (Justin Timberlake song)
"Cry Me a River" is the second single from Justin Timberlake's solo debut album Justified. Released on December 17, 2002, the single, which features guest vocals and production by Timbaland & Scott Storch, won Timberlake a Grammy Award for "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" in 2004.-Background...
", as well as "Shine", written by Spears about her sister Jamie Lynn
Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Marie Spears is an American actress and singer. The younger sister of pop star Britney Spears, she rose to prominence for her appearances on Nickelodeon shows All That and for playing Zoey Brooks on Zoey 101....
, which was left unfinished. Earnest recording of the album began in early 2003. Spears commented that although she did not know initially what direction she wanted to go with the album, she took time to work with different producers and to find those who she had chemistry with. The first song recorded for In the Zone was "Touch of My Hand", and Spears said it "really did provide a balance for the rest of the record. We just went from there." Following the recording sessions for "Everytime", Spears complimented Sigsworth, saying, "I just basically told him exactly how I wanted the song to sound. And he was so amazing because there's a lot of producers you tell them things and they don't get it. And you're like oh, that's not the right way. He got it just right. He was amazing."
Christopher Stewart and Penelope Magnet, known collectively as RedZone
RedZone Entertainment
RedZone Entertainment is an Atlanta-based, music-production entity. Redzone's discography includes collaborations with many artists, producers, and composers of note, and is responsible for over 25 million records sold. RedZone Entertainment has produced acts such as P!nk, Britney Spears, Celine...
, presented Spears with the third song they had written and produced, "Pop Culture Whore". While her management liked the track, she rejected it, telling them the song "sucked". After bonding with Spears during a night in New York City to "get in her world", as Magnet explained, it was easier to "actually write and know what she would and wouldn't say, to know where her real vibe is". Stewart and Magnet began working on the first version of "Me Against the Music"; Stewart came up with the track, while Magnet developed the melody on a piano and some of the lyrics. During the recording sessions, Stewart recalls that the studio's air-conditioning died for three days, but Spears "didn't complain or anything, and for me that shows she's where she is for a reason." While rehearsing for their performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Spears played a finished version of "Me Against the Music" to Madonna. After Madonna commented that she liked the track, Spears asked her to do the song with her. RedZone then handed "Me Against the Music" to Madonna, who arranged and recorded her vocal additions on her own, therefore making the song a duet. Spears, who has been a fan of Madonna for years, was "beyond surprised" when she heard Madonna's verse. She said "I just asked her to do a little thing, but she really went there. She did a lot of stuff to it." RedZone were then enlisted to work on several more songs for the album, including co-writing "Early Mornin'", recording background vocals for "Outrageous" and producing "The Hook Up".
The Matrix commented that after they presented songs to Spears, she tailored them to suit herself, especially the lyrics. Christy said, "... she really knows what she wants. She knows if she's trying something on that doesn't fit right for her. She's like, 'No, that's not me.' She's not one to strap on some sort of fake image." Christy also claimed to be impressed with Spears's vocal ability during the recording of "Shadow". Steve Anderson, Lisa Greene and Stephen Lee wrote "Breathe on Me" at Metrophonic Studios in London, England. Before meeting with the other writers, Anderson thought of two concepts for songs specifically for Spears: one he had worked on "for ages", and "Breathe on Me", which he drafted on the morning of the sessions. Greene and Lee did not like the first concept, and they wrote "Breathe on Me" with Anderson. The song was produced by Mark Taylor, who kept most of the programming done by Anderson. With Taylor, Spears recorded "Breathe on Me" and "And Then We Kiss
And Then We Kiss
"And Then We Kiss" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written by Spears, Mark Taylor and Paul Barry, while produced by Taylor for In the Zone. This version featured an electronica vibe and prominent vocals by Spears. The song was remixed by Junkie XL for the remix...
", which did not make the album. Before the album was released, Spears's manager Larry Rudolph
Larry Rudolph
Larry Rudolph is a personal manager. He is best known as the manager of Britney Spears from 1999–2004, briefly in 2007, and 2008-present.-Career:...
commented that it was important for Spears to continue moving away from a traditional pop sound, citing "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "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...
" from Britney as departures from her previous music. Barry Weiss
Barry Weiss
Barry Weiss is an American music executive. He is the current Chairman & CEO of Island Def Jam Motown Music Group and Universal Republic. He served as chairman and CEO of RCA/Jive Label Group from 2008 to 2011 and was also the CEO of its constituent Jive Records from 1991 to 2011...
, then-president of Jive Label Group, added, "She has achieved what she set out to achieve, which was to make a mature album that didn't sound like something she would have done three years while still making a commercial album that has hit singles. [...] It's the kind of record she should be doing right now, and it came down to her to make it." In the Zone was recorded at Battery Studios and The Dojo in New York City, 3:20 Studios, Decoy Studios, Pacifique Studios, Record Plant
Record Plant Studios
The Record Plant was a series of three famous recording studios which were founded by Gary Kellgren and Chris Stone, beginning in New York City in 1968. The next year, Kellgren and Stone opened a second studio in Los Angeles. In 1972, the company expanded again with a third location in Sausalito,...
and Westlake Audio
Westlake Recording Studios
Westlake Recording Studios is a well-known music recording studio in West Hollywood, CA.-History:The studio was founded as Westlake Audio in the early 1970s by Tom Hidley, and is credited as "one of the first big commercial efforts to produce acoustically standardised 'interchangeable' rooms"...
in Los Angeles, California, The Chocolate Factory, in Chicago, Illinois, Triangle Sond Studios in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Metrophonic Studios and Olympic Studios in London, England, and Murlyn Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. Throughout the beginning of 2003, Spears started testing tracks by playing them in nightclubs such as Show in New York City.
Composition
According to Billboard, In the Zone marks a musical departure for Spears. Instead of traditional pop, the album is darker and more dance-oriented. Spears talked about the overall sound of the album with Rolling StoneRolling 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...
, saying, "I'd describe it as trance-y, kind of vibe record—something you could listen to that's no so song-structured [...] Of course I'm not doing '...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
' and those massive hits anymore. I think this record is where I am at right now in my life. It's sensual, it's sexual. I'm probably writing about that subconsciously because I don't have that right now." Amy Schriefer of NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
stated the album is a mix of dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, crunk, Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
beats and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
. According to William Shaw of Blender, the main theme of In the Zone is "Spears’s awakening to her sexuality as a single woman." The first single from the album, "Me Against the Music
Me Against the Music
"Me Against the Music" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone, featuring American recording artist Madonna. It was released on October 20, 2003 as the lead single from the album by Jive Records. After bonding with Spears during a night in New York...
", features Madonna, but was constructed as a duet after she was added to the track. Spears and Madonna trade lines during the verses, and Madonna sings solo in the bridge. The instrumentation in the song includes influences of hip hop and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
guitars. The song's lyrics feature Spears and Madonna singing of the pleasures of letting go on the dancefloor, in "I'm up against the speaker / Trying to take on the music / It's like a competition". The second song, "(I Got That) Boom Boom", is an Atlanta-style hip hop track featuring the Ying Yang Twins
Ying Yang Twins
The Ying Yang Twins is an Atlanta-based American crunk rap duo consisting of Kaine and D-Roc . The group debuted in 2000 and rose to mainstream popularity in 2003 collaborating with Lil Jon in his single "Get Low"...
.
"Showdown" has "bubbly" beats and its lyrics, about "fighting and making up with carnal relations", include the lines "I don’t really want to be a tease / But would you undo my zipper, please?" The fourth track, "Breathe on Me", was described as the most sensual song of the record. Containing trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
influences, Spears sings, "Oh, it's so hot, and I need some air/ And boy, don't stop 'cause I'm halfway there" and "Just put your lips together and blow." "Early Mornin'" depicts Spears looking for men at a club in New York City. The song has a percolating beat and featured subdued vocals from Spears, who purrs and yawns through the track. The nightclub Show is referenced. "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
", which Spears later named as her favorite song from her career, was originally offered to Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
. Released as the album's second single, it contains elements of electropop and bhangra music, and features varied instrumentation, such as drums, synthesizers, high-pitched strings
Strings (music)
A string is the vibrating element that produces sound in string instruments, such as the guitar, harp, piano, and members of the violin family. Strings are lengths of a flexible material kept under tension so that they may vibrate freely, but controllably. Strings may be "plain"...
and surf guitars
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
. Lyrically, "Toxic" talks about being addicted to a lover. "Outrageous
Outrageous
"Outrageous" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on July 13, 2004 by Jive Records as the fourth and final single from the album. It was written and produced by R. Kelly...
", the fourth and final single from the album, is a hip hop-inspired track that according to MTV features Spears "whisper[ing] and moan[ing] [...] with a snake charmer
Snake charming
Snake charming is the practice of pretending to hypnotise a snake by playing an instrument. A typical performance may also include handling the snakes or performing other seemingly dangerous acts, as well as other street performance staples, like juggling and sleight of hand...
melody giving the song an exotic feel." The lyrics talk about materialism and amusement, with the singer referencing in the chorus a number of things that give her pleasure. In "Touch of My Hand", which Spears felt it was comparable to 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 "That's the Way Love Goes" (1993), she sings in a lower register. The instrumentation contains elements of Middle Eastern music
Middle Eastern music
The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...
and its lyrics refer to masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
, "I will be bold/ Going to the places where I can be out of control/ Don't want to explain tonight/ All the things I try to hide."
The ninth track "The Hook Up" has a reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
feel and features Spears singing in a Jamaican Patois accent. The ballad "Shadow" talks about how reminders of a lover can still linger after he’s gone. "Brave New Girl" lyrics talk about a young woman finding her passion and losing inhibitions. Backed by choppy, electro-funk
Funktronica
Funktronica is an underground subgenre of electro music characterized by the use of recent digital mastering techniques in order to produce a sound similar in terms to its 1980s precursor...
beats, she sings in a bouncy near-rap, "She's going to find her passion, she's going to find her way, she's going to get right out of this/ She don't want New York, she don't want L.A., she's going to find that special kiss." The song incorporates elements of the music of No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
and Madonna. "Everytime" begins with a piano introduction accompanying Spears's breathy vocals, which build from soft to strong throughout the song. "Everytime" lyrics are a plea for forgiveness for inadvertently hurting a former lover. In the song, the singer explains she feels unable to continue in lines such as "Everytime I try to fly I fall / Without my wings I feel so small". During an interview with MTV, Spears said about the song, "It's about heartbreak, it's about your first love, your first true love. That's something all people can relate to, because you all have that first love that you think you're going to be with the rest of your life." When asked if "Everytime" was about Timberlake, she responded "I'll let the song speak for itself." The Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix of "Me Against the Music" removes the original melody of the song and adds a clattering backbeat and Punjabi shouts. In "The Answer", Spears sings that her lover is the answer to all her needs: "Who can hold me tight, keep me warm through the night? / Who can wipe my tears when it's wrong, make it right? / Who can give me love till I'm satisfied? / Who's the one I need in my life?". In "Don't Hang Up," she pleads on the phone for her lover to keep her satisfied long-distance.
Critical reception
In the Zone holds a score of 66 out of 100 (indicating "generally positive reviews") based on 13 critical reviews, according to the music review aggregator 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,...
. Jason Shawhan of 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....
gave a positive review, saying that while the album's vibe is sexy, the result is a personal statement from Spears. He also added, "T[here]'s another thing about Spears' new record, as none of her previous albums ever managed to produce any kind of sustained emotional response than the pleasure that comes from a good pop record. I miss 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,...
, for sure, but it feels like Ms. S. has been paying attention to La Ciccone. To put it another way, this is Britney's True Blue." Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic said that the album "[is] all club-ready, but despite some hints of neo-electro and the Neptunes, it doesn't quite sound modern—it sounds like cuts from 1993 or Madonna's Bedtime Stories
Bedtime Stories (Madonna album)
Bedtime Stories is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on October 25, 1994 by Maverick Records. Madonna collaborated with Dallas Austin, Babyface, Dave "Jam" Hall and Nellee Hooper, deciding to move into a more R&B direction...
and Ray of Light. Production-wise, these tracks are not only accomplished but much more varied than any of her previous albums." Ruth Mitchell of BBC Online called "Early Mornin'" the best track of the album, but added, "Sadly, her attempts to prove her new-found maturity are what overwhelm and cloud all that is good about In The Zone." Mim Udovitch of Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
commented, "This I’m-coming-out record is an unhesitant move from songs of the heart to songs of the groin [...] No longer a girl, freed from slavery, now fully a woman, she makes a pretty convincing mistress." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called "Brave New Girl" and "Touch of My Hand" the best and most straightforward moments of the album, but added that "On a CD intended to celebrate her lurch into adulthood, Spears remains distant and submerged. For all her freedom, she's still finding her way."
Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said, "[Spears's] voice is so processed, its physicality almost disappears. [...] In the Zone offers strip-club, 1-900 sex, accommodating and hollow. Beyond the glittering beats, Spears sounds about as intimate as a blowup doll." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
stated, "Britney's fourth album, In The Zone, finds the pop tart coming of age with a bold mix of hip-hop and dance music, wiping clean the last traces of her bubblegum-pop past. [...] For the most part, In The Zone is a big, fat, thumping love letter to the dancefloor, which makes Madonna's involvement [...] even more appropriate." Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
commented, "Unlike previous Britney albums, In the Zone has no filler and no shoddy cover versions, just 57 varieties of blue-chip hit-factory pop. There is southern hip-hop, deep house, Neptunes-style R&B, the ubiquitous Diwali beat and, most importantly, oodles of Madonna." Keleffa Sanneh of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said, "Since singing seems not to be [Spears's] main interest (or to be sure, strength), she lets the beats do most of the work. When she's not whispering or moaning, she's disfiguring her voice with electronic effects or hiding behind a pack of back-up singers." Jason King of Vibe deemed it as "A supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter." "Toxic" won Spears her first Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
in 2004.
Chart performance
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...
, In the Zone sold 609,000 during its first week of availability in the United States, debuting at the top of 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...
. The album had the second highest debut sales of 2003 by a female artist (only behind Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
's The Diary of Alicia Keys
The Diary of Alicia Keys
The Diary of Alicia Keys is the second studio album by American recording artist Alicia Keys. It was released in the United States on December 2, 2003 by J Records...
), as well as the fifth highest debut sales of the year. Spears also became the first female artist in Billboards history to have four consecutive number-one albums. By its third week, In the Zone had already sold 1 million copies in the country. The album was certified two-times platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) on December 16, 2003, for shipments of 2 million copies in the United States. It has sold 2,978,000 copies there according to Nielsen SoundScan. In Canada, the album debuted at number two in 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...
with sales of 31,000 units. It was certified three-times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
(CRIA) for shipments of 300,000 copies.
In Australia and New Zealand, In the Zone debuted at number ten and twenty-five in the official charts, respectively. It was certified platinum 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...
(ARIA) indicating shipments of 70,000 units. The album debuted at number three 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...
weekly album chart in Japan, selling around 59,128 copies. In Mexico, In the Zone was certified platinum on December 17, 2003, by the Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON) for shipments of 60,000 copies. The album was also certified platinum in Argentina by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers
The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels....
(CAPIF) for shipments of 40,000 copies in total. In the Zone debuted at number thirteen 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...
, and stayed on the chart for forty-three weeks. It was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) for shipments of 300,000 copies. The album also debuted at the top of the charts in France. In April 2004, it was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for shipments of a million copies in Europe. In the Zone was the eighth best selling album of 2003. As of November 2007, the album had sold 6 million copies worldwide.
Singles
"Me Against the MusicMe Against the Music
"Me Against the Music" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone, featuring American recording artist Madonna. It was released on October 20, 2003 as the lead single from the album by Jive Records. After bonding with Spears during a night in New York...
" was released as the lead single from In the Zone on October 20, 2003, by Jive Records. The label's choice for the first single was originally "Outrageous", but Spears convinced them to release "Me Against the Music". The song received mixed reviews from critics. Some felt it was a strong dance track of the album, while others referred to it as lackluster and disappointing. "Me Against the Music" achieved international success, peaking atop of the charts in countries such as Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland and Spain, as well as the European Hot 100 Singles. It also peaked at number two in Canada, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom, and inside the top five in many other nations. The song won the "Hot Dance Single of the Year" accolade at the 2004 Billboard Music Awards. In the song's accompanying music video, Spears chases Madonna inside a nightclub. "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" was released as the album's second single on January 12, 2004. After trying to choose between "(I Got That) Boom Boom" and "Outrageous", Spears selected "Toxic" instead. The song received positive reviews from critics.
"Toxic" attained worldwide success, reaching the top-five in fifteen countries, while topping the charts in Australia, Canada, Hungary, Norway and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it became her first single to peak inside the top ten in almost four years. The accompanying music video for the song portrays Spears as a secret agent in the search of a vial of green liquid. After she steals it, she enters an apartment and poisons her unfaithful boyfriend. The video also includes interspersed scenes of Spears naked with diamonds over her body. "Toxic" won Spears her first Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
, and its often referred to as one of her defining songs.
"Everytime
Everytime
"Everytime" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on May 17, 2004, by Jive Records as the third single from the album. After Spears ended her relationship with pop singer Justin Timberlake, she made friends with her backing...
" was the third single released from the album, on May 17, 2004. It received positive appreciation from contemporary critics. "Everytime" was a commercial success, peaking inside the top five in most countries, while reaching the top of the charts in Australia, Hungary, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The music video for "Everytime" portrays Spears as a star hounded by paparazzi, who drowns in her bathtub when she starts bleeding from a wound in her head. In the hospital, doctors fail to resuscitate her while a child is born in the next room, implying she reeincarnated. The original treatment would have had Spears killing herself from a drug overdose, but the plot was removed after it received criticism by several organizations, who perceived it as a glamorization of suicide. "Outrageous
Outrageous
"Outrageous" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on July 13, 2004 by Jive Records as the fourth and final single from the album. It was written and produced by R. Kelly...
" was the fourth and last single from the album, released on July 13, 2004. The song was finally chosen as a single after it was selected as the theme song for the 2004 film Catwoman
Catwoman (film)
Catwoman is a 2004 American superhero film and quasi-spinoff of the Batman film series directed by Pitof and released by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures on July 23, 2004....
. "Outrageous" received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised its funky sound, noting its influence from Michael
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...
and Janet Jackson, while others deemed it as "forgettable". The song only charted in the United States, entering many of Billboards component charts and peaking at number seventy-nine on the Hot 100. The music video was being shot in New York City in June 2004, when Spears hurt her knee and had to undergo arthroscopic surgery. The video was canceled, as well as The Onyx Hotel Tour and the feature in the Catwoman soundtrack.
Promotion
In November 2003, Barry Weiss spoke to Billboard and said that In the Zone was being promoted in a worldwide level, exhausting areas such as print and electronic media, TV, radio and video to raise awareness of the album's release. In addition, Jive worked with lifestyle marketer the Karpel Group to market the album to the gay communityGay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
. Other broader-based marketing efforts included a tie-in with marketing company LidRock, where after ordering a soda at Sbarro
Sbarro
Sbarro is a bankrupt chain of pizza restaurants that specializes in traditional Italian cuisine, including its most popular menu item "pizza by the slice." Its headquarters is located in Melville, Huntington, New York.- History :...
, customers received a cup featuring the artwork and a three-inch disc in the lid featuring "Brave New Girl" and songs by two other artists. In December 2003, an updated LidRock disc included a remix of "Me Against the Music" without Madonna, as well as songs by fellow Jive acts Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
and Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup
Bowling for Soup is an American pop-punk band which originally formed in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1994...
. Regal Theaters also showed a short film that included footage of the making of Spears's music videos. Two national TV advertising campaigns began on November 1, 2003, one with a teaser ad in American comedy show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
and another exclusively on MTV. No sponsored cross-marketing campaigns were planned, as Larry Rudolph explained, "[This time] it's going to be more about the music than about corporate tie-ins." In terms of international exposure, during a fourth-month period Spears was featured in seven mini TV-specials and more than one-hundred and fifty interviews outside the US.
Spears first performed "Me Against the Music" at the 2003 NFL Kickoff Live
National Football League Kickoff game
The NFL Kickoff game, and related festivities, mark the start of the National Football League season. The first game of the season is currently scheduled for the Thursday following Labor Day. A single game is held, preceded by a concert and other ceremonies. Since the 2004 season, the defending...
on September 4, 2003 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...
. The performance segued into a medley of "...Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U", which included pyrotechnics. On September 14, 2003, Spears played a surprise concert at Rain Nightclub
Rain Nightclub
Rain Nightclub, at the Palms Casino Resort, opened in the 2001 by the N9NE Group. The club is or has been known as Rain Las Vegas and Rain in the Desert. A variety of celebrities have been spotted at Rain, including Jerry Bruckheimer, Nicky Hilton and David Katzenberg. Rain was the first mega club...
in the Palms Casino Resort, and performed "Me Against the Music", "Breathe on Me" and a medley of "...Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U". On October 18, 2003, Spears performed "Me Against the Music" and "Everytime" during the twenty-ninth
Saturday Night Live (Season 29)
Saturday Night Live aired its twenty-ninth season during the 2003–04 television season on NBC. The twenty-ninth season began on October 4, 2003 and ended on May 15, 2004 with 20 episodes in all....
season of Saturday Night Live. Spears opened the 2003 American Music Awards
American Music Awards of 2003 (November)
-Pop/Rock Category:-Soul/R&B Category:-Country Category:-Rap/Hip-Hop Category:-Adult Contemporary Category:-Alternative Category:-Latin Category:-Inspirational Category:-Fan's Choice Award:-International Artist of the Year Award:...
telecast with a performance of "Me Against the Music". On November 17, 2003, a concert special titled Britney Spears: In the Zone aired in 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...
. The following day, she performed "Me Against the Music" and "(I Got That) Boom Boom" on the American music show TRL
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...
at Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. "Me Against the Music" was also performed on American late-night show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
and American morning show Live with Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
on November 17 and November 24, 2003. She performed "Toxic", "Breathe on Me" and "Me Against the Music" as the headliner of the Jingle Ball
Jingle Ball
Jingle Ball is an annual concert produced on by KIIS-FM radio station in Los Angeles. The concert series has been staged at various venues around southern California including the Shrine Auditorium and Staples Center in Los Angeles,and the Honda Center in Anaheim...
on December 8, 2003, at the Staples Center
Staples Center
Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
. On January 24, 2004, Spears opened the 2004 NRJ Music Awards
NRJ Music Awards
The NRJ Music Awards, created in 2000 by the radio station NRJ in partnership with the television network TF1 takes place every year in mid-January at Cannes as the opening of MIDEM...
with a performance of "Toxic". On August 5, 2004, Spears performed "Everytime" at the British music chart show 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...
.
The Onyx Hotel Tour
The Onyx Hotel Tour to promote In the Zone was the fourth concert tour by Britney Spears. A tour to promote the album was announced in December 2003. Its original name was the In the Zone Tour, but Spears was sued for trademark infringement and banned from using the phrase 'in the zone'. Spears felt inspired to create a show with a hotel theme which she later mixed with the concept of an onyx stone. The stage, inspired by Broadway musicals, was less elaborate than her previous tours. The setlist was composed mostly by songs from In the Zone as well as some of her past songs reworked with different elements of jazz, blues and Latin percussion. Tour promoter Clear Channel Entertainment marketed the tour to a more adult audience than her previous shows while sponsor MTV highly promoted the tour on TV shows and the network's website. The tour was divided into seven segments: Check-InCheck-in
Check-in is the process of announcing your arrival at a hotel, airport, sea port or social network service.-Airlines and airports :Check-in desks are found in the majority of commercial airports. Their main function is to take in luggage that passengers wish to, or are required to, place within the...
, Mystic Lounge
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
, Mystic Garden
Garden hotels
Many hotels converted from large private residences have gardens designed by famous garden designers or are particularly notable for their gardens. Alternative uses have had to be found for castles, palaces, monasteries, mansions and country seats which have become financially unviable as homes,...
, The Onyx Zone
Paranormal television
Paranormal television is a genre of popular reality television programming. Its scope comprises purportedly factual investigations of paranormal phenomena, rather than fictional representations found in such shows as The Ghosts of Motley Hall and Ghostbusters, or cartoon/children's series such as...
, Security Cameras, Club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
and the encore. Check-In displayed performances with dance and advanced in the hotel theme. Mystic Lounge featured an homage to Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)
Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
and other musicals, while remixing some of Spears's early hits. Mystic Garden displayed a jungle-inspired stage. The Onyx Zone displayed a ballad performance with acrobats. Security Cameras was the raciest part of the show, with Spears and her dancers emulating different sexual practices. Club displayed a performance with urban influences. The encore consisted of a system malfunction interlude and Spears performed wearing a red ensemble. The tour received mixed reviews from contemporary critics, who praised it for being an entertaining show while criticizing it for looking "more [like] a spectacle than an actual concert". The Onyx Hotel Tour was commercially successful, grossing $34 million. In March, Spears suffered a knee injury onstage which forced her to reschedule two shows. In June, Spears fell and hurt her knee again during a music video shoot. She underwent surgery and the remainder of the tour was canceled.
Legacy
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic commented, "If 2001's Britney was a transitional album, capturing Spears at the point when she wasn't a girl and not yet a womanI'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman
"I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written by Dido, with additional writing and song production by Max Martin and Rami Yacoub for Spears' third studio album, Britney . It was released on February 5, 2002 by Jive Records, as the...
, its 2003 follow-up, In the Zone, is where she has finally completed that journey and turned into Britney, the Adult Woman." Erlewine compared Spears to her peer Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, explaining that both equated maturity with transparent sexuality and the pounding sounds of nightclubs, but while Aguilera "comes across like a natural-born skank, Britney is the 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...
cutting loose at college, drinking and smoking and dancing and sexing just a little too recklessly, since this is the first time she can indulge herself." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine stated, "For a girl who's always seemed too sexed-up for her age, In The Zone finds Britney finally filling her britches, so-to-speak. Her little girl coquettishness actually works now—maybe because, at 21, she's finally a woman." Jason King of Vibe said the album showcased a transformed Spears, "no longer a girl, and all the woman any man can handle." In 2009, Amy Schriefer of NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
listed the album on The 50 Most Important Recording of the Decade list. Calling it "a primer on the sound of pop in the '00s", she deemed Spears as the ideal vehicle for a futuristic sound, since she was still trying to break away from her 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....
past. Schriefer praised "Toxic" and "Everytime", and also stated, "While the decade's history of celebrity obsession, paparazzi voyeurism and conflicted constructions of female sexuality and motherhood are written on Spears' body, the decade's history of impeccably crafted pop is written on her body of work."
Julie Andsager in Sex in consumer culture (2006) said that the music videos from In the Zone presented a different Spears, and that although the album was intended to target the gay market, the videos were clearly designed for heterosexual men. Andsager suggested that Spears took cues more directly from sexual fantasies, and that the use of sanitized images of attractive young women posed in sexual ways (lesbian chic) serves two audiences: primarily, it sought to fulfill heterosexual fantasies, but as a secondary function, it may also serve young women as a source of instruction in attracting males. From a marketing perspective, the fantasy-fullfilment purpose of the album was apparent not only on the videos, but also in the kiss between Spears at Madonna at the Video Music Awards. Finally, Andsager explained that "[Spears] has, perhaps, taken her sexuality to its extreme—for network television, at least—at the age of 22"
Track listing
Personnel
- Algozee – performing ensemble
- Ed Alton – string arrangements
- Steve Anderson – composer, instrumentation, programming
- BlackCell – background vocals
- Bloodshy & AvantBloodshy & AvantBloodshy and Avant are a music production and songwriting team from Sweden made up of Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg...
– arranger, programming, producer, engineer, digital editing, instrumentation - DaCorna Boyz – keyboards
- B.U.D. – background vocals
- Courtney Copeland – background vocals
- Tom Coyne – mastering
- Cathy DennisCathy DennisCathy Dennis is a British dance-oriented pop singer-songwriter, record producer and actress...
– composer - Kara DioGuardiKara DioGuardiKara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
– background vocals - Roxanne Estrada – background vocals
- Chris Fudurich – engineer
- Andy Gallas – engineer
- Abel Garibaldi – programming, engineer
- Roy Gartrell – banjo, guitar
- Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– mixing - Brad Gilderman – engineer
- Roy "Royalty" Hamilton – arranger, producer, background vocals, instrumentation
- John Hanes – digital editing, Pro-Tools
- Dug Hanes – Pro-Tools
- Jimmy HarryJimmy HarryJimmy Harry is a writer/producer/multi-instrumentalist who has worked with artists from all over the world, hitting the top 10 in many different countries. Jimmy began his songwriting career by penning the global hit for RuPaul, Supermodel. Jimmy is also responsible for writing the early Kylie...
– arranger, programming, producer, guitar, keyboards
- Emma Holmgren – background vocals
- Janson & Janson – conductor
- Henrik Jonback – composer, guitar
- Jennifer Karr – background vocals
- Brian KierulfBrian KierulfBrian 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...
– composer, programming, producer, engineer, vocal engineer, vocal editing, guitar, keyboards - Kyron Leslie – background vocals
- Thomas Lindberg – bass
- Steve Lunt – arranger, producer
- Donnie Lyle – guitar
- Sean Magee – engineer
- Penelope Magnet – arranger, composer, producer, vocal arrangements, vocal producer, background vocals
- MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
– composer - Sean McGhee – engineer
- Ian Mereness – programming, engineer
- C. Midnight – composer
- MobyMobyRichard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
– composer, programming, producer, engineer, instrumentation - Pablo Munguia – engineer
- Kendall D. Nesbitt – keyboards
- R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
– composer, producer, background vocals - Rishi RichRishi RichRishpal Singh Rekhi better known by his stage name Rishi Rich is a British Indian music producer born in Croydon, England and based in London...
– remixing
- Emma Roads – background vocals
- Chyna Royal – background vocals
- Joshua M. Schwartz – composer, producer, engineer, guitar
- Guy SigsworthGuy SigsworthGuy Sigsworth is a U.K. based composer, producer and songwriter. In his career to date he has worked with many famous artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian and Alanis Morissette...
– producer, instrumentationn - Sheppard SolomonSheppard SolomonSheppard Solomon is an American songwriter.-Biography:Solomon attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York citr, upon graduation he formed two bands with signed to EMI and SIRE respectively...
– producer - Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney 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...
– vocals, composer, producer - Mark "Spike" Stent – engineer, vocal engineer
- Christopher StewartChristopher Stewart (music producer)Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million...
– producer, vocal arrangements, vocal producer, arranger, composer, programming, background vocals, instrumentation - Stockholm Session Strings – strings
- Rich Tapper – engineer
- David Treahearn – engineer
- Mark TaylorMark Taylor (record producer)Mark Taylor is a Grammy Award winning British record producer and songwriter. Having sold over 50 million records, he has produced and written for artists such as Cher, Enrique Iglesias, Britney Spears, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga...
– producer, engineer - The Matrix – producer, engineer, background vocals
- Brian "B Luv" Thomas – engineer, digital editing, vocal engineer
- Mike Tucker – vocal engineer, vocal editing
- Tumbi – performing ensemble
- Peter Winnberg – composer
- P-Dub Walton – digital editing
- Wizardz of OzWizardz of OzThe Wizardz Of Oz are Andrew Bojanic and Liz Hooper. They are a multi-platinum selling producer/writers who have worked with The Cheetah Girls, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Avril Lavigne, Olivia Newton-John, Britney Spears, Krystal Meyers, Liz Phair, Krezip, Vanessa Amorosi and many others.Songs written...
– background vocals - Dan Yashiz – digital editing
- Ying Yang TwinsYing Yang TwinsThe Ying Yang Twins is an Atlanta-based American crunk rap duo consisting of Kaine and D-Roc . The group debuted in 2000 and rose to mainstream popularity in 2003 collaborating with Lil Jon in his single "Get Low"...
– background vocals
Weekly charts
| Charts (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian 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... |
10 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 10 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
7 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Wallonia) |
5 |
| 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... |
2 |
| Czech Albums Chart | 6 |
| Danish Albums Chart | 8 |
| 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... |
9 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 15 |
| French 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... |
1 |
| 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... |
2 |
| 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.... |
7 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
16 |
| Japanese 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... |
3 |
| New Zealand 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... |
25 |
| 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... |
11 |
| Polish Albums Chart OLiS OLiS is the official list of the highest selling music albums in Poland. The list exists since October 23, 2000 and is provided by ZPAV.... |
23 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa The Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa is currently the only recording industry association in Portugal. Created in 1989, it succeeded GPPFV and UNEVA .... |
11 |
| 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 .... |
8 |
| 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... |
13 |
| US 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... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Argentina Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers The Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers is an Argentine organization member of the IFPI, which represents the music industry in the country. It is a nonprofit organization integrated by multinational and independent record labels.... |
Platinum |
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Austria | Platinum |
| Belgium 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... |
Gold |
| Brazil Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
Gold |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
3× Platinum |
| Denmark | Gold |
| Europe | Platinum |
| Finland | Gold |
| France 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× Gold |
| Germany Bundesverband Musikindustrie The Bundesverband Musikindustrie or simply BVMI represents the music industry in Germany. The association represents the interests of nearly 350 labels and music industry related enterprises.... |
Gold |
| Hungary 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.... |
Gold |
| Mexico | Platinum |
| Norway | Gold |
| Russia | 2× Platinum |
| Spain | Gold |
| Sweden | Gold |
| Switzerland | Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Platinum |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
2× Platinum |
Year-end charts
| Charts (2003) | Position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Albums Chart | 84 |
| UK Albums Chart | 145 |
| Charts (2004) | Position |
| Australian Albums Chart | 49 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders) | 93 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart | 51 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 49 |
| UK Albums Chart | 51 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 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... |
U.S. Club |
AUS 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... |
AUT Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
FRA 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... |
GER 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... |
ITA Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
UK 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 ... |
||||||||||
| 2003 | "Me Against the Music Me Against the Music "Me Against the Music" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone, featuring American recording artist Madonna. It was released on October 20, 2003 as the lead single from the album by Jive Records. After bonding with Spears during a night in New York... " (featuring Madonna Madonna (entertainer) Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983... ) |
35 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
|
|||||||
| 2004 | "Toxic Toxic (song) "Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to... " |
9 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
|
|||||||
| "Everytime Everytime "Everytime" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on May 17, 2004, by Jive Records as the third single from the album. After Spears ended her relationship with pop singer Justin Timberlake, she made friends with her backing... " |
15 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | 7 | 1 |
|
||||||||
| "Outrageous Outrageous "Outrageous" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on July 13, 2004 by Jive Records as the fourth and final single from the album. It was written and produced by R. Kelly... " |
79 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released. | |||||||||||||||||||
External links
- In the Zone at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.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,...