"I'm A Slave 4 U": Preliminary Classic Or Dud

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

So, Britney's new Neptunes-assisted joint, "I'm A Slave 4 U", has finally started floating around the net, and as predicted it's both hella weird and somewhat exploitative-sounding. I'll be giving it a mini-review on da blog at some point, but for now: thoughts, opinions, comments?

― Tim, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Link?

― Tom, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's crap. More meaningless pabulum. Raise your standards.

― alex in nyc, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Alex, you have probably the worst taste on ILM but at least you're consistent.

― Tom, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I *thought* I heard some Neptunes-flava up in that VMA performance. Undeniably classic.

― Dan Perry, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tom, I'll help you with that, as soon someone works out how to link to a gnutella file. Or can I give it to you for Grokepile somehow?

― Tim, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tom, you must honor the fire.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, and BTW my thoughts have been recorded here.

― Tim, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

tim, *coughs*ftp*coughs*. all i've found are fakes thus far and really bad cut & pastes of what's been available.

― fred solinger, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Fred, your request has been granted. Next two wishes?

― Tim, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

to spend eternity loving tim finney for his most noble and endearing deed, of course.

(and for an infinite number of wishes with the last. HA HA!)

― fred solinger, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i was expecting the final performance on the vmas to be a bit more climactic, but then again i read a rumor somewhere that britney was going to actually climax, a la madonna and her 'truth or dare' bed. the song? is the song even relevant? wasn't the 'oh-my-god-what- am-i-gonna-do' look that passed over britney's face while she was holding the snake at one point more of a classic pop moment?

― maura, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

she should've done what any good girl holding a snake in her hands would do. uh. (and i'd heard the same rumors about the climax.)

the song. the song! it's like what if britney were a prince protege ca. 1984. just as funky and exploitive as you'd expect, then. (wouldn't a cover of vanity's "nasty girl" be ace?) fantastic stuff.

― fred solinger, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I call no way on that Prince comparison, Fred. I can see *why* you say it, but the music is a touch too anonymous on first listen, this isn't "When Doves Cry" or "The Glamourous Life." ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The song is now also available at Grokepile .

― Tim, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What would Max Martin say!!

I could see myself playing it at Sussed.

― Tom, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What would Max Martin say!!

He'd add strings. I wouldn't myself, but he would. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No way on that Prince comparison, Fred. I can see *why* you say it...

Sure. If it were really like Prince it'd be called "I M A Slave 4 U." :)

― Nitsuh, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ah, I've got it -- if you kept her on the chorus, removed the rest of her vocals, then things would be much more interesting. *thinks* Yeah, the more I think about it, she just gets in the way.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

perhaps i should've qualified that, ned. a prince B-SIDE ca. 1982-4 (which is still pretty great stuff.) "irresistible bitch" comes to mind, in particular, the sonics of "girl" as well.

― fred solinger, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mmm, now it makes more sense. She'd probably kick his ass, though.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That was a really bad joke, sorry. It was just that the 4U was already there, so in order to Princify the title any further, you'd have to ... oh, nevermind.

By the way, I apparently haven't been watching MTV enough lately -- when did Christina Aguilera start looking sluttier than Lil' Kim? Surely there should have been an AP story about that. I think I preferred her MechaSlut 3000 look to last night's "I had a bit part in Shaft" styling.

― Nitsuh, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I must've been numb and stupified when she hit the stage, because I didn't see one bit of lip-synching while she did her thing. Maybe she's THAT GOOD that she can sing without moving her mouth...?

The song sounds damn good. If one of the most popular performers of today can take a would-be Prince-cast-off song to the top, then I'm all for it. I was happy to finally hear (and acknowledge) the Neptunes' work. However, I'm not sure it'll catch on with the kiddies. Then again, "Pop" was rather obtuse and uncatchy (given their previous track record), and *NSYNC has at least 5 million copies of _Celebrity_ (SoundScan certified) strewn across the American landscape.

― David Raposa, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You don't "see" lip synching. You "rather obviously hear it". And you could rather obviously hear that not one bit of that track was live. Watch it more closely on one of the 800,000,000 replays - listen to NSync or J-Lo, the mic level, the sound quality, the, um, breathing issues...then listen to Britney. Not to mention the studio version floating around is uncannily identical to the one "performed live". The girl just doesn't sing live. It's her perogative, but it's just plain wrong IMO.

Pop, OTOH, is still the worst song ever.

― Ally, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Pop" is just plain crap. Timberlake is smoking some pretty skanky stuff to be proud of that thing.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The song seems to lack a good chorus or bridge. (just like Mary J Blige's "Family Affair" - songwriters don't seem te bothered anymore) Britney's voice is lacking for this type of record. I wish Pharrell from the Neptunes/N*E*R*D had sung it himself. I'm sure a good video will add to the appreciation of Nu Britney, though. I like it, but it's nowhere near as good as the N*E*R*D album or the new Kelis single.

― JoB, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like this newest 'dirtification' of pop far better than the N'Sync offering. This is perhaps motivated more by the "Look What They've Done to Britney!"-factor than by pure aesthetic wuv. Still- The wierdness is complelling: it's your Gameboy running out of battery power while trying to explain what "sexy" sounds like. It certainly seems as if the Neptunes have been given free reign here. Britney's mecha-frog cooing of "slaaaave" even remind me of Lapdance's "so reeaaal". I'll be fairly suprised if it reaches "Pop"'s popularity, I think it's a good deal more obtuse.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I will put forth that even if I hated the song, which I don't, I'd be hella proud of Britney for finally releasing a dancey single that doesn't sound exactly like "Baby One More Time"

― Ally, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Best moment in "I'm A Slave 4 U" - the "baby, don't you wanna?" pre-chorus where the synths jump up into the treble zone with a neurotic jauntiness, like detuned circus music.

As with Max Martin's productions, the song's musical/songful anonymity doesn't seem to be an issue (and I'd contend its less anonymous than has been usual for the Neptunes) - all that's necessary is that provide servicable backing track for Britney's all-conquering personality.

― Tim, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

In my opinion, the mtv awards demonstrate a huge whole in the praise of pop music arguement. That being the live performances of Missy, Brittany, and N Sync were sorely lacking. Why? Because when playing live, production and mixing often gets thrown out the window. There is no Timbaland around to save them. So they either come out sounding weak in comparison to their studio work or just lip-synching with a big snake on their shoulders while desperately trying to dance sexy. That said, I quite liked Alicia Keys and Jay Z's live acts.

― bnw, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sounds like a cross between Kelis and a slowed-down form of the cheesy dance music popular on the charts in the late 80s and early 90s. There's a little bit about 10 seconds in to the song that REALLY reminds me of the backing of "Pump Up The Jam" by Technotronic (not joking).

Sounded crap on the first listen, but I hated every Britney song on the first listen.

Ten listens in: CLASSIC.

― EdwardO, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Britney's all-conquering personality

She has one? And by that I mean on this song in specific, but she always has seemed so astonishingly not there -- arguably her strong point. But like I muttered, in this case I keep wanting her to get out of the damn way of the music! It's like somebody trying too hard and as a result not having anything to show for it.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 8 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

BNW: Yes, pop music sucks live. I don't think anyone would dispute that. But, um.....so?

― Tom, Saturday, 8 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have just listened to it and my theory is that it's inspired by top Japanese horror flick 'Audition'. The outwardly servile girl in that ends up sticking needles in her sugar daddy's eyeballs to an incantation that sounds very much like the 'Kitty Kitty' bits in 'I'm A Slave 4 You'. The message: Britney may appear to exist only for your pleasure, but she will end up sawing off your feet.

― Nick, Saturday, 8 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, but the servile girl in that film (which I missed, tho' I caught another of his last year) is of course the brilliant idea of Takashi Miike, & that's what bothers me about Britney - it'd be wicked if she was actually the brains behind this image of hers - but she claims to not understand how she's perceived, yes?

― daria gray, Saturday, 8 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think it's great, the best thing she's done. I'm gonna get in trouble for saying that, I have a feeling...

― DG, Saturday, 8 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, pop music sucks live. I don't think anyone would dispute that. But, um.....so?
Just wanted to show that Pop Inc. is not infallible. Thus allowing me to remain smug in my indieness.

― bnw, Saturday, 8 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't think anyone has actually CLAIMED that Pop is infallible. However, being a reformed indie snob myself, I have to say that there's plenty to offer from Pop, Inc. that such snobbery will cause you to miss. Duh.

― David Raposa, Saturday, 8 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't know about "plenty".
Snippets here and there.

― Melissa W, Saturday, 8 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

With every listen I am becoming increasingly convinced that "Slave" is undanceable. Not a bad thing in this case. And I got my sonic reference points mixed up in the last post: the "chorus" of Slave sounds *a lot* like the one to N.E.R.D's "Brain". Try it at home.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Sunday, 9 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I have to say that there's plenty to offer from Pop, Inc. that such snobbery will cause you to miss. Duh.
I have come to praise pop, not to bury it. Still my reaction to the VMA's seems different than the majority. Rather then being all juiced up by Britney's brave new single, I saw a slew of terrible performances from artists often praised here. Perhaps there is a thread in here somwhere as to why does pop also suck live?

― bnw, Sunday, 9 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

BNW: Yes, pop music sucks live.

NOT AT ALL TRUE. If that was true, there would be no point. BNW already pointed out two pop acts that did well unto themselves at the VMAs, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. The Backstreet Boys are usually respectable live. Madonna was fantastic live. People that actually have something worth talking about besides their production values are good live. People who don't have that are shit live. Hence, Britney lip syncs nonstop, Missy is cringe-worthy, and NSync sound like they just fell out of someone's ass.

This doesn't say anything re: the quality of their singles. It DOES say something about the quality of the "artist" though and is a valid argument.

― Ally, Sunday, 9 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

you should all just download the mc solaar song from tom's 'groke'-'pile' instead, it's way better.

― ethan, Sunday, 9 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Britney's the new Donna Summer.

― Otis Wheeler, Monday, 10 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thanks Ally. I thought Tom got off pretty easy on that one.

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 10 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

owheeler@hampshire.edu...ha ha ha; I was with these two guys from Hampshire at a bar, all of a sudden one of them pulls out a hacky sack and they start playing. At a bar. It was so weird.

― Kris, Monday, 10 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd argue with pop acts that what makes them interesting beyond the records is the great big cloudy context-field surrounding them - photos, media coverage, interviews, videos, gossip, fans, live performances - and yeah 'liveness' is a part of that but not neccessarily a big part. Missy and Britney are interesting to me whether or not they can 'cut it' live - Alicia Keys and N'Sync are boring ditto.

I was hasty in saying pop sucks live, though - I've simply not seen enough of it. I was just suggesting that the "praise of pop" argument rests so much on the recorded material that saying "ah but a flaw is that they aren't good live" is a bit tangential.

― Tom, Monday, 10 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

... A bit like saying, "Ha! But indie acts don't have very expensive video clips now, DO THEY???" Which doesn't mean it's the wrong question to ask, but you're generally not going to score too many points if you use it.

― Tim Finney, Monday, 10 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Missy is quite possibly the least interesting person in all of pop music - at least be honest and state that Timbaland is interesting to you, since I can't imagine the big invisible cloud of fascinating activity that would gel for Britney is actually there for Missy, since she does absolutely nothing interesting outside of her musical output (and quite frankly it's debatable if that's interesting - certainly FT Patron Saint Aaliyah was far more interesting musically - whether or not I personally liked most of it - and she has the "mystique", so if you're going to pick one of Tim's acts, certainly she'd be the one to pick).

My point is that you can't just brush off the argument like that, "Yes, well, we know, wink wink nudge nudge" because it IS a valid argument. There are plenty of pop acts that are terrific live. There are also a lot of them that are complete bollocks, and if you're someone who appreciates live music, then you have a valid reason to dislike a band or artist who can't even come close to cutting it live, much less actually do anything worth talking about on the live stage.

The other point is that these people choose to perform live. No one put a gun to their heads forcing them to perform at the VMAs. So, clearly, they thought they had something to offer live, and if they don't, then it's fair game to point it out.

I'm not someone who is big on live music (though the Britney/Janet always lip synching thing bugs the piss out of me), but it's still a fair argument. If you don't care about live music either, good, SAY SO. Don't say, "Well, it doesn't matter anyhow" because rather obviously it does to a lot of people.

― Ally, Monday, 10 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

...and I would go so far to point out that it's nothing like the video clip question, being as the quality of a video clip has nothing to do with the musical ability of the artist in question whereas ability to actually do what the producers have tweeked you into doing on record does have something to do with one's musical ability, STATETH THE MOST ANTI-INDIE PERSON ON THE BOARD.

― Ally, Monday, 10 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Skipping 59 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Well, just let me reactivate this thread by saying it's a dud.

I wouldn't have thought in 1999-2000 I would say this, but Britney was at her best when Max Martin was writing her material.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

this is my second favourite britney song ever after 'everytime'

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

Max was good, but Andreas Carlsson/Kristian Lundin wrote the best song(Born To Make You Happy) anyways.

― MRZBW (MRZBW), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

It's still quite a marvel, this song. Also:

There's a little bit about 10 seconds in to the song that REALLY reminds me of the backing of "Pump Up The Jam" by Technotronic (not joking).

-- EdwardO (edward...), September 7th, 2001.

is an otherwise unremarked-upon yet skillful observation.

― Badrock Example (Barima), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:18 (nineteen years ago)

Unremarked upon until someone on the Pump Up The Jam thread pointed it out, thus prompting this revive.

Anyway, STILL CLASSIC, and still not even one of the best songs off "Britney". ("Anticipating", the super-brilliant bonus track "When I Found You" are miles better)

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

oh i forgot about 'before the goodbye'! that's my favourite off britney

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:29 (nineteen years ago)

You got me thinkin' 'bout 'Autumn Goodbye', one of the debut-era b-sides. That one's a keeper.

― Badrock Example (Barima), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:49 (nineteen years ago)

Back.. ooh.. 2001 I think it was, I had to do four weeks teaching practicum in a school with a grade 5 class. I was teaching them typing and basic computing skills, and asked them all to type their name, and some details about them, including favourite song. My ABSOLUTE favourite student, an adorable red-haired with a beaming smile said her favourite song was "Autumn Goodbye", and Ithought, "Aww, bless!"

The "I'm Not A Girl" b-side "I Run Away" is uber-lush too.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 14:53 (nineteen years ago)

You got me thinkin' 'bout 'Autumn Goodbye', one of the debut-era b-sides. That one's a keeper.

Agreed. I'll take it over a slew of the A-sides!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:13 (nineteen years ago)

britney singles in order of magnificence:

everytime
i'm a slave 4 u
overprotected
born to make you happy
stronger
boys (co-ed rmx)
toxic
oops! i did it again
baby one more time
me against the music
do somethin'
lucky
(you drive me) crazy
don't let me be the last to know
my prerogative
i love rock'n'roll
sometimes
i'm not a girl, not yet a woman

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:17 (nineteen years ago)

I'd have to switch "Lucky" and "Born To Make You Happy" for a start. (The bottom five is incredibly accurate.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:20 (nineteen years ago)

No way is "Do Somethin'" better than "Lucky" "You Drive Me Crazy" or "Don't Let Me Be...".

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:20 (nineteen years ago)

looking back at that list i would consider putting 'lucky' slightly higher, yes. 'crazy' and 'dlmbtlk' can stay right where they are though.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:22 (nineteen years ago)

it divides really easily into the top 9 which are IMMACULATE, and the bottom 9 which are various shades of meh.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

by 'meh' i don't mean bad or anything, only the last two are actively bad.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:24 (nineteen years ago)

Lex, do you like... dancing, or fun.. like, at all?
"Boys" is not immaculate, it features charisma vortex Pharrel on it. The original album version is fine, though.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:25 (nineteen years ago)

'boys' and 'slave' are FAR & AWAY britney's best songs to dance to!

pharrell isn't a charisma vortex at all. he's an irritant these days, but he didn't use to be, and that's not the same thing anyway.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:38 (nineteen years ago)

name one song *improved* by pharrell's vocals.

― benrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:39 (nineteen years ago)

'boys', 'frontin'...

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:41 (nineteen years ago)

At a stretch, 'I Just Wanna Love Ya' and only the "I'm a hustler, baby!" part too. And 'Brain' from In Search Of.

― Badrock Example (Barima), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:47 (nineteen years ago)

oh i'll go with 'i just wanna love u' but not the others. 'frontin' doesn't count cos it's solo. with 'boys', there are better guest rappers!

― benrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:51 (nineteen years ago)

also putting "overprotected" ahead of "baby one more time" and its two choruses of death, and "oops I did it again" with its BASSLINE OF DEATH is just being indie, innit.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:53 (nineteen years ago)

'Stronger' moves up a spot or two just for the bit which goes "I used to go with the flow" in a robot voice.

― chap who would dare to welcome our new stingray masters (chap), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:57 (nineteen years ago)

how in the world is 'overprotected' by britney spears indie?!

i love it because it is the best recorded example of MAAAEEEEYYYY.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 15:58 (nineteen years ago)

I said you are being indie by going for the plucky undersingle over the twin ~~breasts~~pinnacles of perfection.

You are right about "Stronger" though. That is the sound of subatomic explosions, and hher voice sounds like it was recorded in a shower. With the water running.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 16:00 (nineteen years ago)

forgetting that ahead of this so-called plucky undersingle there are...another no 1 hit and the lead single off her best album?

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

Fixed:

Born To Make You Happy
Baby One More Time
Oops I Did It Again
Toxic
Stronger
Everytime
I'm A Slave 4 U
Overprotected
Lucky
Boys (Co-Ed Mix)
Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know
Me Against The Music
Outrageous
From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart
Do Something
My Prerogative
Sometimes
I Love Rock 'n' Roll
I'm Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman

Also, there are heaps of songs improved by Pharell, but they all date from 2002 and earlier.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 21:21 (nineteen years ago)

"Don't Go Knocking On My Door" should have been a single, though.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 21:22 (nineteen years ago)

"I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Toxic" are so obviously her worst ever singles there's no point going any further.

Out of the Cheiron ones, most worked in a way, other than the boring "Sometimes" and to some extent the not-too-well-done "Overprotected".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 23:34 (nineteen years ago)

I was on Dissensus the other day reading the thread about hauntology and someone suggested "It's difficult to graft Derrida's concept onto pop music."

The response was: "And pointlessly fruitless."

My first thought was "Dissensus has a Geir too!"

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 23:46 (nineteen years ago)

"I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Toxic" are so obviously her worst ever singles

This is just nonsense.

― chap who would dare to welcome our new stingray masters (chap), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 23:49 (nineteen years ago)

what was that late-career single she had that sounded like kylie? "Breathe" or something?

― deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 23:52 (nineteen years ago)

"Breathe On Me" - great, but not a single I don't think.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 23:59 (nineteen years ago)

Breathe On Me was only included with the DVD she released I think.

There's a Lu Cont remix of it out there too.

― MRZBW (MRZBW), Thursday, 9 November 2006 02:24 (nineteen years ago)

Lu Cont remix on GH bonus disc.

― Marmot (marmotwolof), Thursday, 9 November 2006 02:28 (nineteen years ago)

Tim's order devastatingly similar to mine, except I rate "Baby One More Time" a notch higher than "Born To Make You Happy", would swap "Slave" and "Lucky", and also "Don't Let Me Be..." and "Boys", and move "From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart" to second bottom.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 9 November 2006 04:29 (nineteen years ago)

'from the bottom of my broken heart' and 'outrageous' were never singles over here! wasn't 'anticipating' a single...somewhere, too?

i see the max martin template as one which improved stupendously over time as it got harder and steelier, thus making 'baby one more time' to 'overprotected' an upwards slope

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 9 November 2006 09:01 (nineteen years ago)

I see no reason why it should ever be any harder or steelier than on "Oops.. I Did It Again", which remains her best moment.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 9 November 2006 09:49 (nineteen years ago)

Lex, Britn0r is one American artist - it is perfectly logical to include singles that came out, or were played - on US radio.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 9 November 2006 09:52 (nineteen years ago)

I agree with edward. I guess, unless there is a whole lot of material to choose from, an acts' greatest hits album should include both US and UK singles, but particularly it is natural to include singles from the act's own home country.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 9 November 2006 09:57 (nineteen years ago)

(and "Anticipating" was a single in France. "Someday" was a single in some places, but is shit, despite it having pretty great B-sides. "And Then We Kiss" really ought to have been a single, but wasn't really.)

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 9 November 2006 10:12 (nineteen years ago)

Britney singles that are better than the completely unremarkable "Toxic":

Baby One More Time
Oops I Did It Again
Everytime
I'm A Slave 4 U
Lucky
Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know
Me Against The Music
Sometimes

There seems to be some agreement about the greatness of "Everytime", which is nice to see.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 9 November 2006 10:23 (nineteen years ago)

haha you accuse me of being indie and you are talking of B-SIDES!

(one of my favourite britney tracks is the UNRELEASED 'over to you now' from earlier this year :o )

'anticipating' is her third best single then, it really is something v special

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 9 November 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)

There seems to be some agreement about the greatness of "Everytime", which is nice to see.

YES!

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 9 November 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)

i said somewhere else recently that when a popstar previously known for superlative dance tracks makes her First Great Ballad it is a really special moment in her career.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 9 November 2006 10:25 (nineteen years ago)

Also, there are heaps of songs improved by Pharell, but they all date from 2002 and earlier.

*Ahem*

http://cover6.cduniverse.com/msiart/0000410/0000410239.jpg

― Rodney... (R. J. Greene), Thursday, 9 November 2006 10:25 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, please, the greatness of that song comes from the fact that it has a dance you can do sitting down.

(Lex, "Over To You Now" is off the Someday single, it is not unreleased, you silly duffer.)

[Also, B-sides worship comes from singles worship, which is not indie at all]

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 9 November 2006 11:06 (nineteen years ago)

there's a difference between liking songs that pharrell happened to lent his uh pipes to and thinking his vocals are up to snuff.

― benrique (Enrique), Thursday, 9 November 2006 11:17 (nineteen years ago)

Pharrell is quite annoying on "Drop It Like It's Hot" (otherwise a good track). I do like "Let's Get Blown" but I'm not sure if that's down to Pharrell.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 9 November 2006 12:45 (nineteen years ago)

Still compiling singles list, but 'Anticipating' is a total top 2/3 shoe-in. I'm still a big fan of (non-single) 'I've Just Begun (Having My Fun)', rewrite of 'Hella Good' or not.

― Badrock Example (Barima), Thursday, 9 November 2006 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.