"Me Against the Music" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as the first single from her fourth studio album, In the Zone. It features additional vocals from American singer Madonna.
Background[]
The producers of the song, Tricky Stewart and Penelope Magnet presented Spears with the third song they had written and produced named "Pop Culture Whore" but she rejected it, telling them the song "sucked".
After bonding with Spears during a night in New York City, Stewart and Maget began working on the first version of the song; Stewart came up with the track, while Magnet developed the melody on a piano and some of the lyrics.
American producer The-Dream became involved after Stewart proposed him to work together on the track for Spears. He explained, "I was just getting into the business. I'm in Atlanta, driving home in a '92 Cadillac, and I get the call [...] I hung up and just screamed out joyous sounds." 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."
Music video[]
The music video shows Spears and Madonna playing opposites in a nightclub. A cat-and-mouse chase ensues, and Spears finds Madonna in the end, only for the latter to disappear before they kiss. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who noted it as symbolic of the sexual roles between the women. Spears' choreography was also praised, though Madonna's was questioned. filmed in July 2003.
Live performances[]
Spears performed the song in a number of live appearances, including the NFL Kickoff, Saturday Night Live, American Music Awards and TRL. She also performed remixed versions with elements of bhangra music at The Onyx Hotel Tour (2004) and The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009). The music video was later recreated on the television series Glee, which included an appearance by Spears.
Critical reception[]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic selected "Me Against the Music" as one of the 'track picks' from In the Zone. Caryn Ganz of Spin called the song "a fine specimen of Britney 4.0 – a fast-paced dance anthem, all grinding percussion shuttling through a traffic jam of synths." Dave De Sylvia of Sputnikmusic said that "Aside from numerous rather awful name-dropping passages and a disappointing chorus, the track is an ideal way to open the album. It's an up-tempo dance track with a big name attached; what else could you ask for?" Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine deemed it as "arguably one of Britney's finest moments and one of her mentor's worst". Nick Southall of Stylus Magazine said that "Madonna vamps it up (literally – her appearance here is not Sapphic but vampiric, the wizened old crone bleeding another period of forced longevity into her career like a cruenating corpse leaking plasma backwards) on 'Me Against The Music', but can't make it a bad tune." Gavin Mueller, also writing for Stylus Magazine, said that the single "benefits from a kinetic garage-inspired beat, even when a tepid Madonna threatens to spoil the fun."
Spence D. of IGN commented, "Initially catchy, it's ultimately forgettable other than it's the musical counterpart/fallout to/from the duo's lip lock publicity stunt on the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards." Jamie Gill of Yahoo! Music Radio stated that "Madonna's appearance on the brilliantly titled but deeply dreary 'Me Against The Music' was a postmodern prank designed to make all sane listeners think 'actually, American Life was pretty good, after all.'" While reviewing The Singles Collection, Mayer Nissim of Digital Spy said that "the only arguable weak link is the Madonna-featuring 'Me Against The Music', but in this context what once looked like a respectful passing of the baton now seems like an unconditional surrender of pop Queendom to its rightful heir." David Browne of Entertainment Weekly called "Me Against the Music" "the album's coy, overly busy single". Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian noted it as "the only duff track" of the album. Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone wrote, "Madonna shows up in the album's first song, 'Me Against the Music', as if endorsing Spears's foray into come-hither posing and club-land beats."
Larry Flick from The Advocate denounced the track as an "'Into the Groove' redux". He added that the song "propels the listener into Spears' collaborations with heavy-hitting producers. There's nary a hint of her pristine pop past on Kelly's hip-grinding 'Outrageous' or Perry's 'Girls & Boys'. Instead Spears swims through dark, often hip-hop hued waters with occasional forays into minor keyed electro dance terrain." Ali Fenwick of The Johns Hopkins News-Letter said, "Despite bringing out the big guns in a duet with Madonna, 'Me Against The Music' is not danceable, the measure of success in any pop tune." Linda McGee of RTÉ.ie commented that although much of the content of In the Zone is "catchy", "it is hard to see any potential singles impressing as much as 'Me Against The Music'." Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times deemed it as "an odd, overstuffed track, not so much a song as a series of party chants". Mim Udovitch of Blender called it "lackluster". While ranking Madonna's singles in honor of her 60th birthday, The Guardian's Jude Rogers placed the song at number 71, writing that "[Madonna] is usually better when she's striding alone. This duet with Britney is all raunch and no solid roots".
Original version[]
"Me Against the Music" initially featured a rap segment by Penelope Magnet, who also co-produced the song. The original version with Magnet's rap was not officially released, but several remixes of this version were released. In May 2003, Spears said: "a young girl named Penelope and she is 20 years old and she will probably sing on a couple of the songs."
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Britney Spears & Madonna]
All my people in the crowd
Grab a partner take it down
It's me against the music, uh-uh
It's just me and me
Yeah, come on
Huh, hey Britney
Are you ready? Uh-huh, are you?
Uh
[Verse 1: Britney Spears with Madonna]
And no one cares
It's whippin' my hair, it's pullin' my waist
To Hell with stares
The sweat is drippin' all over my face
And no one's there
I'm the only one dancin' up in this place
Tonight I'm here
Feel the beat of the drum, gotta keep it that bass
[Pre-Chorus: Britney Spears]
I'm up against the speaker, tryna take on the music
It's like a competition, me against the beat
I wanna get in the zone (I wanna get in the zone)
I wanna get in the zone (I wanna get in the zone)
If you really wanna battle, saddle up and get your rhythm
Tryna hit it chic-a-tah
In a minute, I'ma take you on (I'ma take you on)
I'ma take you on (I'ma take you on)
Hey, hey, hey
[Chorus: Britney Spears & Madonna, Both]
All my people on the floor
Let me see you dance
Let me see ya
All my people wantin' more
Let me see you dance
I wanna see ya
All my people 'round and 'round
Let me see you dance
Let me see ya
All my people in the crowd
Let me see you dance
I wanna see ya
[Post-Chorus: Britney Spears & Madonna, Both]
How would you like a friendly competition?
Let's take on the song
Let's take on the song, let's take on the song
It's you and me baby, we're the music
Time to party all night long
All night long, all night long
(Yeah, let's go)
[Verse 2: Britney Spears with Madonna]
We're almost there
I'm feelin' it bad and I can't explain
My soul is bare
My hips are movin' at a rapid pace
Can you feel it burn?
From the tip of my toes, runnin' through my veins
And now it's your turn
Let me see what you got, don't hesitate
[Pre-Chorus: Britney Spears]
I'm up against the speaker, tryna take on the music
It's like a competition, me against the beat
I wanna get in the zone (I wanna get in the zone)
I wanna get in the zone (I wanna get in the zone)
If you really wanna battle, saddle up and get your rhythm
Tryna hit it chic-a-tah
In a minute, I'ma take you on (I'ma take you on)
I'ma take you on (I'ma take you on)
Hey, hey, hey
[Chorus: Britney Spears & Madonna, Both]
All my people on the floor
Let me see you dance
Let me see ya
All my people wantin' more
Let me see you dance
I wanna see ya
All my people 'round and 'round
Let me see you dance
Let me see ya
All my people in the crowd
Let me see you dance
I wanna see ya
[Hook: Britney Spears & Madonna]
Get on the floor, baby, lose control (Yeah)
Just work your body (Uh-huh) and let it go (Let it go)
If you wanna party, just grab somebody
Hey Britney, we can dance all night long
[Bridge: Madonna]
Hey Britney, you say you wanna lose control
Come over here, I got something to show ya
Sexy lady, I'd rather see you bare your soul
If you think you're so hot, better show me what you got
[Chorus 2: Madonna]
All my people in the crowd, let me see you dance
Come on Britney, lose control, watch you take, take it down
[Hook: Britney Spears & Madonna]
Get on the floor, baby, lose control
Just work your body and let it go
If you wanna party, just grab somebody
Hey Britney, we can dance all night long
[Chorus: Britney Spears & Madonna, Both]
All my people on the floor
Let me see you dance
Let me see ya
All my people wantin' more
Let me see you dance
I wanna see ya
All my people 'round and 'round
Let me see you dance
Let me see ya
All my people in the crowd
Let me see you dance
I wanna see ya
[Chorus 3: Madonna]
All my people in the crowd, let me see you dance
Come on Britney, take it down, make the music dance
All my people 'round and 'round, party all night long
Come on Britney, lose control, watch you take it down
[Intro: Britney Spears, Penelope Magnet]
All my people in the crowd
Grab a partner, take it down
It's me against the music
It's just me (Ooh)
Britney
Are you ready? (Yeah)
Uh
[Verse 1: Britney Spears]
And no one cares
It's whippin' my hair, it's pullin' my waist
To hell with stares
The sweat is drippin' all over my face (To hell with stares)
And no one's there
I'm the only one dancin' up in this place (It's just me)
Tonight I'm here
Feel the beat of the drum, gotta keep it that bass
[Pre-Chorus: Britney Spears]
I'm up against the speaker, tryna take on the music
It's like a competition, me against the beat
I wanna get in the zone (I wanna get in the zone)
I wanna get in the zone (I wanna get in the zone)
If you really wanna battle, saddle up and get your rhythm
Tryna hit it chic-a-tah
In a minute, I'mma take you on (I'mma take you on)
I'mma take you on (I'mma take you on)
Hey, hey, hey
[Chorus: Britney Spears]
All my people on the floor
Let me see you dance, hey
All my people wantin' more
Let me see you dance, hey (I wanna see you dance)
All my people 'round and 'round
Let me see you dance, hey (Let me see you dance)
All my people in the crowd
Let me see you dance, hey
[Post-Chorus: Britney Spears, (Penelope Magnet)]
How would you like a friendly competition?
Let's take on the song
Let's take on the song, let's take on the song (Let's go)
It's you and me, baby, we're the music
Time to party all night long
All night long (Oh yeah, let's go)
[Verse 2: Britney Spears, (Penelope Magnet)]
We're almost there (Oh)
I'm feelin' it bad and I can't explain
My soul is bare
My hips are movin' at a rapid pace (It goes crazy, ya'll)
Can you feel it burn?
From the tip of my toes, runnin' through my veins
And now it's your turn
Let me see what you got, don't hesitate (Here we go)
[Pre-Chorus: Britney Spears, (Penelope Magnet)]
I'm up against the speaker, tryna take on the music
It's like a competition, me against the beat
I wanna get in the zone (Yeah)
I wanna get in the zone (Get in the Brit zone)
If you really wanna battle, saddle up and get your rhythm
Tryna hit it chic-a-tah
In a minute, I'mma take you on
I'mma take you on
Hey hey hey
[Chorus: Britney Spears]
All my people on the floor
Let me see you dance, hey
All my people wantin' more
Let me see you dance, hey
All my people 'round and 'round
Let me see you dance, hey
All my people in the crowd
Let me see you dance, hey
[Post-Chorus: Britney Spears]
Get on the floor, baby, lose control (Yeah)
Just work your body (Uh-huh) and let it go (Let it go)
If you wanna party, just grab somebody
Hey, baby, we can dance all night long (Dance all night)
[Bridge: Penelope Magnet]
Two red hot chicks over by the bar
Hot red zone, chick feelin' superstar
Britney, baby, bad ass
M-A-G-N-E-T mad
Ooh, you could be my boo
Got a lot more shakin' in my ass to do
Big fricks, I'mma keep 'em hard
Pop it, shake it, drop it, roll it
Big tricks (Hey, hey, hey)
[Chorus: Britney Spears & Penelope Magnet]
All my people in the crowd
Grab a partner take it down
All my people, All my people
Grab a partner take it down
All my people in the crowd
Grab a partner take it down
All my people, All my people
Grab a partner take it down
[Post-Chorus: Britney Spears]
Get on the floor, baby, lose control
Just work your body and let it go
If you wanna party, just grab somebody
Hey baby, we can dance all night long
[Chorus 2: Britney Spears & Penelope Magnet]
All my people on the floor, let me see you dance, hey
All my people wantin' more, let me see you dance, hey
All my people round and round, let me see you dance, hey
All my people in the crowd, let me see you dance, hey
[Post-Chorus: Britney Spears, Penelope Magnet]
'How would you like a friendly competition?
Let's take on the song
Let's take on the song, Let's take on the song (Let's go)
It's you and me, baby
Where the music
Turns to party all night long
All night long (Oh, dear, let's go)
[Chorus: Britney Spears]
All my people on the floor, let me see you dance, hey
All my people wantin' more, let me see you dance, hey
All my people round and round, let me see you dance, hey
All my people in the crowd, let me see you dance, hey
[Chorus 2: Britney Spears & Penelope Magnet]
All my people in the crowd, grab a partner, take it down
All my people in the crowd, grab a partner, take it down
All my people in the crowd, grab a partner, take it down
All my people, all my people, grab a partner, take it down
[Outro: Britney Spears & Penelope Magnet, Britney Spears]
All my people in the crowd
It's me against the music, music
Grab a partner, take it down
Single artwork[]
Music video[]
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References[]