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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.
Recording and production[]
"This is the first album I have ever really written and taken my time on, so when I actually listen to the whole album, it's just that much more special. I don't know if I'm the best songwriter in the world, but I had a lot of fun doing it and hopefully I will get better and grow."[1]
For her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again, which was released in May 2000 to global commercial success, Spears collaborated with producers such as Rodney Jerkins, Rami Yacoub, and Max Martin; all of them returned for Britney. Spears additionally worked with a variety of collaborators, including her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake. She commented that she initially felt "awkward" and "nervous" working with Timberlake, saying that she was accustomed to the process being "like work". For the first time, Spears worked with hip hop producers The Neptunes. She claimed to have been inspired by "a lot of hip-hop and R&B while I was on my last tour. I was inspired by Jay-Z and the Neptunes. I told Jive I really wanted to work with [the Neptunes]. I wanted to make [Britney] nastier and funkier." Spears was additionally set to record songs with Missy Elliott and Timbaland, which never came to fruition due to scheduling conflicts.
While recording Britney, Spears 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 described herself. Spears recorded 23 tracks for the album, 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. During the sessions, Spears also worked with electronic musician BT, whose tracks were excluded from the standard edition track listing. She stated: "I was really disappointed we weren't able to use the tracks BT had done. He's a genius in whatever he does, but the type of music he ended up doing didn't fit me and what I was going for. I think they will be on some of the stuff [released] overseas." His contribution "Before the Goodbye" was included on international editions of the album.
Music and lyrics[]
Britney is a pop and R&B record with dance influences. It opens with the urban and Middle Eastern-influenced "I'm a Slave 4 U", which showcases breathy, emotive noises, and has been compared to "Nasty Girl" by Vanity 6. Spears commented that its lyrics are "about me just wanting to go out and forget who I am and dance and have a good time". Europop-styled "Overprotected" addresses a girl tired of being manipulated. Lyrically, "Lonely" sees a girl moving on from a troublesome romance after being lied to and manipulated, being considered "a teenage version" of Janet Jackson's "What About". The soft rock piano ballad "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman", co-written by English singer-songwriter Dido, details the emotional struggles girls experience during puberty. "Boys" incorporates R&B and hip hop styles, and was criticized by David Browne of Entertainment Weekly as "cut-rate '80s Janet Jackson". The disco-inspired track "Anticipating" discusses the friendship and camaraderie between women, and was described as reminiscent of Madonna's "Holiday" and "Kylie in disco mood."
Spears' cover of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", made famous by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, infuses pop rock styles into the original hard rock rendition. "Cinderella" reflects on a female protagonist who left her boyfriend after he failed to appreciate her efforts in the relationship. "Let Me Be" sees Spears ask to be trusted as an adult and be afforded her own opinions. "Bombastic Love" discusses a love in which the protagonist feels that the romance will happen "exactly like in a movie". Similarly, "That's Where You Take Me" details the joy she gets from an emotionally fulfilling relationship, amid Middle Eastern chimes and a collage of electronic beats and drum programming. On the electronica international editions bonus track "When I Found You", Spears sings about having found the "deepest love" in her soulmate who is essentially a reflection of herself. Britney closes with "What It's Like to Be Me", which was co-written and co-produced by Spears's then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake; Spears sings that a guy must "figure [her] out" to "be [her] man".
Release and promotion[]
On January 28, 2001, Spears performed at Super Bowl XXXV. Shortly after, she appeared on Total Request Live to premiere new material from Britney. On September 6, Spears premiered "I'm a Slave 4 U" at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards; the performance was criticized for her use of a yellow python as a stage prop. Four days later, she performed "I'm a Slave 4 U" on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Spears was scheduled to perform and hold a press conference in Australia on September 13; however, she cancelled the event in light of the September 11 attacks two days prior, saying that holding the conference would have been inappropriate. The following month, Spears performed at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Britney was first released in Japan on October 31, being released in the United States on November 6, by Jive Records. An accompanying video album, titled Britney: The Videos, was released two weeks later. It included a selection of her earlier music videos, behind-the-scenes footage, commercials, and notable live performances. The video peaked atop the US Top Music Videos on December 8. Spears had already begun her Dream Within a Dream Tour in Columbus, Ohio five days before Britney was released in the US; the tour ended on July 28, 2002, in Mexico City. Shortly after it began, she performed in her first HBO concert special from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas; Cher was supposed to join Spears onstage for the song "The Beat Goes On", which Spears covered on ...Baby One More Time, but was unable to do so due to scheduling conflicts.
On December 4, 2001, Spears performed at the 2001 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. On January 9, 2002, she performed "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" at the 2002 American Music Awards. Later that month, Spears gave interviews to The Frank Skinner Show in the United Kingdom and The Saturday Show in Australia. The feature film Crossroads, which starred Spears, premiered in February, allowing Spears to simultaneously promote both the film and her album. Several tracks from the album were featured in the film, and Britney was cross-promoted as the film's soundtrack. On February 2, Spears was featured as both the host and performer on Saturday Night Live. A week later, she performed "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" at the NBA All-Star Game and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Spears also appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly, The View, and the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, as well as the German talk show Wetten, dass..?.
Singles[]
"I'm a Slave 4 U" was released as the album's lead single on September 25, 2001, to critical acclaim. Due to the radio blacklist, it peaked only at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Spears' first lead single not to peak within the top ten. It fared better internationally, debuting at number four on the UK Singles Chart and peaking within the top ten in 20 countries. Its accompanying music video was directed by Francis Lawrence, and received three nominations at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
"Overprotected" was released as the second international single from Britney on December 10, 2001, and the third North American single on April 2, 2002. Its Darkchild remix peaked at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while the original version reached the top ten in Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Critically acclaimed, the song was nominated for the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards (2003). Two accompanying music videos were released–the Bille Woodruff-directed video for the original version and the Chris Applebaum-directed Darkchild remix video.
Staggered to fit the varying release dates of Crossroads internationally, "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" was released as the film's theme song and the second North American single from Britney on January 7, 2002, to critical acclaim. It peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, the Billboard Hot 100 extension chart. The song fared better internationally, peaking at number two in the UK, and within the top ten in Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden. Filmed in Arizona and at the Alstrom Point, the song's Wayne Isham-directed accompanying music video primarily consists of Spears, whilst wearing cowboy boots, performing the song whilst standing on the edge of a cliff, and inside a slot canyon.
"I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was released as the fourth international single from Britney on May 27, 2002, and the fifth and final UK single on November 4, to mixed critical reception. It reached the top ten in Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland and Slovenia, whilst peaking at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. Directed by Chris Applebaum, its accompanying music video shows Spears with her own band, a stack of speakers and flashing lights. In France, "Anticipating" was released as the fourth single instead of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" on June 25; it reached number 38 on the French Singles Chart.
The Co-Ed Remix of "Boys"–featuring Pharrell Williams–was released as the fourth North American and UK single, and the fifth and final international single from Britney on June 24, 2002, also serving as the second single from the soundtrack for Austin Powers in Goldmember, to mixed critical reception. It peaked at number 22 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, and peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. Its accompanying music video, directed by Dave Meyers, features Spears, Williams, and Mike Myers as Austin Powers at a party inside a castle, with cameo appearances from actors Jason Priestley, Justin Bruening and Taye Diggs. It was nominated for Best Video from a Film at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Eminem's "Lose Yourself".
Critical reception[]
Britney received mixed reviews from music critics, who felt the album was underdeveloped thematically and sonically. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Britney received an average score of 58, which indicates "'mixed or average reviews", based on 13 reviews. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly found Spears's increasingly provocative image to be unnatural, noting "virginal vamping in an awkward adolescence" and "a few tentative new moves". PopMatters Nikki Tranton complimented the production of the songs, but questioned if Spears was ready to establish herself as a grown woman in the music industry. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine agreed, writing that although "Britney, [the album], fills her role of guilty pleasure (the disc certainly satiates more than the stunted growth of last year's Oops!...I Did It Again), it's time for Spears to quit being such a cock-tease and cook something up that will satisfy the ever-vacillating hype-machine."
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave a positive review, feeling that the album "strives to deepen [Spears's] persona" and proves she "will know what to do when the teen-pop phenomenon of 1999–2001 passes for good". Similarly, a reviewer from Billboard commented that the project was "a nicely varied, wholly satisfying collection". Chris Heat of Dotmusic praised Spears for "us[ing] this opportunity to take the odd risk and adds a welcome edge to her sound." NME's Ted Kessler recognized the release as a "coming of age album" and joked that it "works best when making a good pop cheese and dance sandwich". By contrast, Stephen Thompson of The A.V. Club panned the album, opining that the music "just [isn't] catchy" and that "though neither a girl nor a woman, Spears inspires grown-up anger on her own". Craig Seymore of Spin recognized that she "sound[s] almost human," but criticized that "the rest of the record is as coldly anthemic as ever."
Spotify[]
Tracklisting[]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North American edition | ||||
| 1. | "I'm a Slave 4 U" | Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes | 3:23 |
| 2. | "Overprotected" | Max Martin, Rami Yacoub | Martin, Yacoub | 3:18 |
| 3. | "Lonely" | Britney Spears, Rodney Jerkins, Brian Kierulf, Josh Schwartz | Jerkins | 3:19 |
| 4. | "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" | Martin, Yacoub, Dido | Martin, Yacoub | 3:20 |
| 5. | "Boys" | Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes | 3:45 |
| 6. | "Anticipating" | Spears, Kierulf, Schwartz | Brian and Josh | 3:16 |
| 7. | "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" | Jake Hooker, Alan Merrill | Jerkins | 3:05 |
| 8. | "Cinderella" | Spears, Martin, Yacoub | Martin, Yacoub | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Let Me Be" | Spears, Kierulf, Schwartz | Jerkins | 2:51 |
| 10. | "Bombastic Love" | Martin, Yacoub | Martin, Yacoub | 3:05 |
| 11. | "That's Where You Take Me" | Spears, Kierulf, Schwartz | Kierulf, Schwartz | 3:32 |
| 12. | "What It's Like to Be Me" | Wade J. Robson, Justin Timberlake | Robson, Timberlake | 2:50 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European edition | ||||
| 12. | "When I Found You" | Jörgen Elofsson, Dan Hill | Peter Kvint | 3:36 |
| 13. | "What It's Like to Be Me" | Wade J. Robson, Justin Timberlake | Robson, Timberlake | 2:50 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European special limited edition | ||||
| 14. | "Overprotected" (Darkchild Remix Radio Edit) | Martin, Yacoub | Martin, Yacoub | 3:06 |
| 15. | "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (Metro Remix) | Martin, Yacoub, Dido | Martin, Yacoub, Metro | 5:25 |
| 16. | "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) | Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes, Thunderpuss | 3:18 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian edition | ||||
| 12. | "When I Found You" | Elofsson, Hill | Kvint | 3:36 |
| 13. | "I Run Away" | Kierulf, Schwartz | Kierulf, Schwartz | 4:05 |
| 14. | "What It's Like to Be Me" | Robson, Timberlake | Robson, Timberlake | 2:50 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian, Japanese and UK edition | ||||
| 12. | "When I Found You" | Elofsson, Dan Hill | Kvint | 3:36 |
| 15. | "Before the Goodbye" | Spears, Kierulf, Schwartz, Brian Transeau | Brian Transeau | 3:50 |
| 14. | "What It's Like to Be Me" | Wade J. Robson, Justin Timberlake | Robson, Timberlake | 2:50 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International special limited edition bonus tracks | ||||
| 15. | "Overprotected" (Darkchild Remix Radio Edit) | Martin, Yacoub | Martin, Yacoub | 3:06 |
| 16. | "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (Metro Remix) | Martin, Yacoub, Dido | Martin, Yacoub, Metro | 5:25 |
| 17. | "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) | Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams | The Neptunes, Thunderpuss | 3:18 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deluxe edition | ||||
| 12. | "When I Found You" | Elofsson, Hill | Kvint | 3:36 |
| 13. | "I Run Away" | Kierulf, Schwartz | Kierulf, Schwartz | 4:05 |
| 14. | "What It's Like to Be Me" | Robson, Timberlake | Robson, Timberlake | 2:50 |
| 15. | "Before the Goodbye" | Spears, Kierulf, Schwartz, Transeau | Transeau | 3:50 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Special limited edition (bonus DVD) | ||
| 1. | "Britney Talks Part 1" | 1:26 |
| 2. | "I'm a Slave 4 U" (music video) | 3:28 |
| 3. | "Britney Talks Part 2" | 2:00 |
| 4. | "Lights, Camera, Action - Overprotected" | 3:24 |
| 5. | "Britney Talks Part 3" | 2:58 |
| 6. | "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (music video) | 3:53 |
| 7. | "Britney Talks Part 4" | 0:59 |
| 8. | "Overprotected" (Darkchild Remix) (music video) | 3:39 |
| 9. | "Britney Talks Part 5" | 0:40 |
| 10. | "Making of Pepsi - Right Now (Taste the Victory)" | 3:13 |
| 11. | "Britney Talks Part 6" | 1:31 |
| 12. | "Britney Weblinks" | 0:30 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Special limited edition (bonus DVD) | ||
| 1. | "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (album version) | 3:53 |
| "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (Spanish Fly Remix Radio Edit) | 3:29 | |
| "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (Chocolate Puma Dub) | 7:37 | |
| "I Run Away" | 4:06 | |
| "Overprotected" (music video) | 3:54 | |
| "Crossroads US Movie Trailer" | 1:19 | |
Unreleased & unused songs[]
- Main article: Britney outtakes
Pitched songs[]
- Main article: List of Songs Pitched to Britney Spears
Original version[]
Originally, Jive pretended to release a Crossroads soundtrack album separate from Spears', that at the time was called "Shock Your Mind".[2] Due to this album being separate from the soundtrack album, the tracklist and possibly the promotion of the album would be different.
CD booklet[]
.jpg "Britney Booklet Poster (side 1).jpg (22 KB)")
.jpg "Britney Booklet Poster (side 2 - Crossroads promo).jpg (45 KB)")
Album Visualizers[]
Spotify Canvas |
Apple Music Motion Art |
Physical versions[]
Designs[]
Personnel[]
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Britney.
- John Amatiello – engineering (tracks 2 and 4), engineering assistance (tracks 8 and 10)
- Dido Armstrong – songwriting (track 4)
- James Biondolillo – string arrangement (track 6)
- BossLady – backing vocals (tracks 2 and 10)
- Sue Ann Carwell – backing vocals (track 7)
- Andrew Coleman – engineering (tracks 1 and 5)
- Tyler Collins – backing vocals (track 7)
- Tom Coyne – mastering
- Jaime Duncan – engineering assistance (track 12)
- Brian Garten – engineering (track 1 and 5)
- Stephen George – mixing (track 6)
- Serban Ghenea – mixing (tracks 1 and 5)
- Brad Gilderman – engineering (track 7)
- Albert Hall – backing vocals (track 7)
- Damion Hall – backing vocals (track 7)
- Nana Hedin – backing vocals (track 10)
- Jean-Marie Horvat – mixing (tracks 3, 7 and 9)
- Rodney Jerkins – drum programming (tracks 3 and 9), production (tracks 3, 7 and 9), songwriting (track 3)
- Richard G. Johnson – engineering assistance (track 12)
- Jennifer Karr – backing vocals (tracks 3, 6, 9 and 11)
- Steven Klein – photography
- Marc Stephen Lee – engineering assistance (track 7)
- Thomas Lindberg – bass (track 4)
- Fabian Marasciullo – engineering (tracks 3 and 7), vocal engineering (track 9)
- Max Martin – backing vocals (track 4), engineering (tracks 2, 4, 8 and 10), guitar (track 2), mixing (tracks 2, 4, 8 and 10), production (tracks 2, 4, 8 and 10)
- Charles McCrorey – engineering assistance (tracks 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12)
- Daniel Milazzo – engineering assistance (track 5)
- Pablo Munguia – engineering (track 12)
- The Neptunes – instruments (track 1 and 5), production (tracks 1 and 5), songwriting (tracks 1 and 5)
- Esbjörn Öhrwall – guitar (track 4)
- Jeanette Olsson – backing vocals (tracks 4 and 8)
- Jeff Pescetto – backing vocals (track 7)
- Tim Roberts – engineering assistance (tracks 1 and 5)
- Wade Robson – production (track 12), songwriting (track 12)
- Nile Rodgers – guitar (track 6)
- Jason Scheff – backing vocals (track 7)
- Ryan Smith – engineering assistance (track 1)
- Britney Spears – conceptualization, songwriting (tracks 3, 6, 8, 9 and 11), vocals (all tracks)
- Mark Suozzo – string arrangement (track 6)
- Rich Tapper – engineering assistance (track 11)
- Jill Tengan – engineering assistance (tracks 3, 6 and 9)
- Chris Thompson – backing vocals (track 7)
- Justin Timberlake – backing vocals (track 12), production (track 12), songwriting (track 12), vocal arrangement (track 12)
- Michael Tucker – engineering (track 2), mixing (track 11)
- Rami Yacoub – engineering (tracks 2, 4, 8 and 10), mixing (tracks 2, 4, 8 and 10), production (tracks 2, 4, 8 and 10), songwriting (tracks 2, 4, 8 and 10)
- Yasu – engineering (track 6)
