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Britney is the third studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was released internationally on October 31, 2001. by Jive Records, and on the 6th in the United States. Britney is notable for Spears' increasingly prominent role in the production, and being the transition album away from her bubblegum pop sound and teen pop image from her previous two albums, and leaned increasingly toward more R&B and hip-hop, along with more sexual influences. Although the album's singles were slightly less successful than her album's previous singles, Spears assumed some creative control by co-writing five of the album's tracks.
The album Britney rose to the number one position in the Billboard 200, in which gave the Jive label its eleventh chart-topping album. The album became 2001's most successful debut by a female or female group artist. The album's success made her the first female artist in music history to have her first three studio albums to debut at the number one spot. This record, however, would later be broken by Spears herself with her fourth studio album, In the Zone, which charted in the same position. To date, the album has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
Background[]
When recording her follow-up record, Britney wanted an "older generation to pick up on it," adding that she "had to change it up and pray people think that's cool."
She stated that she chose to self-title the album because the majority of its content describes who she is.
Britney recorded twenty-three tracks for the release, several of which she co-wrote with the assistance of Brian Kierulf and Josh Schwartz.
She added that personally writing the album and developing its concept made the project "that much more special," elaborating of her intentions to "get better and grow" as a songwriter.
Britney worked with a variety of collaborators including pop colleagues Martin and her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake.
She commented that that she initially felt "awkward" and "nervous" working with Timberlake, saying that she was accustomed to the process being "like work."
She also worked with hip-hop producers The Neptunes and Rodney Jerkins, who made the record "nastier and funkier."
Spotify[]
Track Listing[]
Britney[]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm a Slave 4 U" | Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Overprotected" | Max Martin, Rami Yacoub | Max Martin, Rami Yacoub | 3:18 |
| 3. | "Lonely" | Britney Spears, Rodney Jerkins, Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz | Rodney Jerkins | 3:19 |
| 4. | "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" | Max Martin, Rami Yacoub, Dido | Max Martin, Rami Yacoub | 3:20 |
| 5. | "Boys" | Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes | 3:45 |
| 6. | "Anticipating" | Britney Spears, Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz | Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz | 3:16 |
| 7. | "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" | Jake Hooker, Alan Merrill | Rodney Jerkins | 3:05 |
| 8. | "Cinderella" | Britney Spears, Max Martin, Rami Yacoub | Max Martin, Rami Yacoub | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Let Me Be" | Britney Spears, Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz | Rodney Jerkins | 2:51 |
| 10. | "Bombastic Love" | Max Martin, Rami Yacoub | Max Martin, Rami Yacoub | 3:05 |
| 11. | "That's Where You Take Me" | Britney Spears, Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz | Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz | 3:32 |
| 12. | "When I Found You" | Jörgen Elofsson, Dan Hill | Peter Kvint | 3:36 |
| 13. | "I Run Away" | Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz | Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz | 4:05 |
| 14. | "What It's Like to Be Me" | Wade J. Robson, Justin Timberlake | Wade J. Robson, Justin Timberlake | 2:50 |
| 15. | "Before the Goodbye" | Britney Spears, Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz, Brian Transeau | Brian Transeau | 3:50 |
Notes:
- A Japanese box set was also released entitled Gift From Britney containing the Special Limited Edition of the album and a charm bracelet.
Singles[]
"I'm a Slave 4 U", the album's lead single, was a moderate success on U.S. radio, due to issues with radio company Clear Channel (it was her first lead single not to crack the U.S. top 10), but its video received frequent play on music channels. It was a big hit in Europe and Spears's first dance club hit. The performance of the song at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards caused controversy when Spears danced with a python on her shoulders.
"Overprotected", the album's second single, had similar success as "I'm a Slave 4 U", but it had mixed reviews. Two versions of the song exist, the original version and the Darkchild Remix. It talks about Britney being sick of not being independent, and critics noted the song as a way for her to "break free".
"I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman", the album's third single, received positive reviews, but it won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Original Song. It didn't chart well in the U.S., but it was a success internationally.
"Boys", the album's fourth single, was released as the second single from the soundtrack of the movie Austin Powers in Goldmember. It failed to chart high, but was very well received. The Co-Ed Remix featuring Pharrell Williams was released as the single version.
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll", the album's fifth international single, is a cover of The Arrows song of the same name. The song charted moderately on the charts.
"Anticipating", the album's sixth single (in France only), charted weakly and wasn't promoted.
Unreleased & Unused songs[]
- Main article: List of Unreleased Recorded Songs
Underlined can be found on the internet.
- "Am I a Sinner" - Leaked in 2010.
- "Baby Can't You See" - Described by Spears as a "beautiful folk song".
- "Bring Me Home" - Confirmed by Spears. Described as a "short acoustic interlude".
- "My Love Was Always There" - Performed on the Dream Within a Dream Tour. It was later later given to and recorded by Enrique Iglesias under the title "Maybe".
- "It's A Small World" - Recorded for the first Disneymania album. The tracklisting was changed and the song was omitted for unknown reasons.
- "Never Be Me" - Leaked in 2008.
- "Purple Rain" - According to an MTV article, Spears said she would like to cover the song. It is unknown if Spears recorded a take or was denied permission.
- "When I Say So" - Leaked in 2010. Described as a "break-beat track with guitars and live drums".
Original Version[]
Originally, Jive pretended to release a Crossroads soundtrack album separate from Britney's, that at the time was called "Shock Your Mind".[1] Due to this album being separate from the soundtrack album, the tracklist and possibly the promotion of the album would be different. It is believed that some of the unreleased songs of Britney would've been part of this album, such as Am I a Sinner, Bring Me Home, My Big Secret and When I Say So.
CD Booklet[]
.jpg "Britney (album).jpg (1,016 KB)")
.jpg "Britney Booklet Poster (side 1).jpg (22 KB)")
.jpg "Britney Booklet Poster (side 2 - Crossroads promo).jpg (45 KB)")
Physical Versions[]
Designs[]
- ↑ Britney/Trivia