Jump to content

I'm a Slave 4 U: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 133: Line 133:
|align="left"|[[UK Singles Chart]]<ref>{{cite web | author=Every Hit | title=UK Singles Chart (Search) | publisher=everyhit.com | year=2001 | url=http://www.everyhit.com/ | accessdate=2008-07-20}}</ref>
|align="left"|[[UK Singles Chart]]<ref>{{cite web | author=Every Hit | title=UK Singles Chart (Search) | publisher=everyhit.com | year=2001 | url=http://www.everyhit.com/ | accessdate=2008-07-20}}</ref>
|align="center"|4
|align="center"|4
|-
|align="left"|United World Chart
|align="center"|5
|-
|-
|}
|}

Revision as of 16:15, 16 August 2008

"I'm a Slave 4 U"
Song
B-side"Intimidated"

"I'm a Slave 4 U" is the first single from pop singer Britney Spears released from the album Britney during the third quarter of 2001.

It is often considered a developmental milestone in Spears' career because of the single's steamy music video, somewhat raunchy lyrics and slight urban origins. The single is probably most well-known for the aforementioned video, which more fully redefined the then 19-year-old's controversial public image transition from the virginal "girl next door" to confident woman.

Song information

"I'm a Slave 4 U" parts ways with Spears' previous singles in a number of ways. Firstly, it was written and produced by The Neptunes. The song was originally intended for Janet Jackson, who found the song to be too sultry for her vocals and unfit for her album, so The Neptunes offered it to Spears. Many therefore believe it symbolized a change in Britney's genre of music. Spears said of the song, "It's talking about me just wanting to go out and forget who I am and dance and have a good time. That's kinda where I am now right now. I love working, but at the same time, I love having a good time."[1] Still, it was considered as one of Britney's signature songs due to the fact that it was a transitional single in her career.

"I'm a Slave 4 U" was later modified as a medley with another Spears song called "Boys (The Co-Ed Remix)" and a dance break mix within "I'm A Slave 4 U" with vocals from Busta Rhymes' song "Light Your Ass On Fire." This unreleased medley was used widely in her special performances during the promotion of her succeeding album although she used the album version for the Onyx Hotel Tour. Another medley was also produced using the "Light Your Ass on Fire" remix and the song "...Baby One More Time for Spears' performance at the 2003 NFL Kickoff.

"I'm a Slave 4 U" is also featured on the video game Boogie, along with another hit single by Spears, Oops!...I Did It Again.

Music video

Spears in the "I'm a Slave 4 U" video.

Directed by Francis Lawrence in Universal City, California; the music video for "I'm a Slave 4 U" is arguably Spears's most risque ever.[original research?] Though the video debuted at #1, it became her first project ever not to retire on MTV's TRL because the video for her next single, "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman," premiered on the countdown before "Slave" had enough days to allow itself to retire (with TRL, an artist may only have one video on the countdown at a time, meaning "Slave" was knocked off in favor of the newer video). To make up for the early removal of the video from the countdown, it won an honorary retirement in 2005, beating five other near-retired videos. The video was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards in 2002, including Best Female Video, Best Dance Video and Best Choreography. It currently holds a 3.5/5 rating on iTunes based on over 110 reviews.

Much of the video was choreographed by acclaimed dancer/choreographer Wade Robson. The video was also chosen as the Most Fashionable Video of 2001 on MTV Philippines. It is shot at a sauna found within a run-down, futuristic city. We first find Spears out on a balcony, tempting viewers with her eyes and hands. She makes her way inside the building, while wearing her thong outside her jeans and sweating profusely, and begins a dance segment that continues in different cuts throughout the video. The next cuts show Britney staring into a mirror in a dirty bathroom as she shakes her bum, and in front of a wall of bright lights.

Towards the second half of the video, Spears makes her way into a different room of the sauna and puts her hands up to one of the walls. Here, she begins dancing suggestively for the people behind her saying "I want to do what you want me to". This tempts the group of people to raise Britney up and pass her around, as if she were "crowd surfing."

Acclaimed choreographer and dancer Brian Friedman appears in the video as dancer/character.

The ending of the video finds Spears sitting in the corner of the main room, sweating as hard as ever. Several people begin to crowd around her, and one even starts to lick the sweat off her face. Next, someone opens a lighter towards the ceiling sprinklers, but it doesn't let out any water. But then outside, rain begins to pour down from the sky, and the people are seen running out onto the balcony to get a taste right before the video ends.

In Spears' 2004 release Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (DVD) it contains two alternate versions of the video. One features an acapella version of the song and another features Spears and her back-up dancers from the video dancing from beginning to end. The original video contains cuts from this alternate version.

Its talking about how she is a Slave to the music, stated by Spears during MTV Making the Video.

Chart performance

"I'm a Slave 4 U" reached number twenty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100,[2] the track also became a top thirty hit on the Hot 100 Airplay,[3] but just barely made into the Hot 100 Singles Sales peaking at number seventy-three.[4] The low sales points are due mostly because of the song's 12" single release in place of that of a true CD single, but in reality, had the song been released in the CD single format, it would've made only a sparse difference in its chart peak being that the physical singles market had been in decline since the turn of the millennium. "Slave" became her first Dance hit, reaching number four on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.[2] It was also Spears' first and so far only song to appear on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number eighty-five.[2]

Internationally, the single was more successful, becoming a top ten hit in nearly every country that it charted in. In the United Kingdom "I'm a Slave 4 U" was a success, peaking within the top five and selling a total of 149,000 copies.[5] The single gained 2.9 million points worldwide in 2001 only, becoming the 33rd most successful single of 2001,[6] however, it continued charting for the first seven weeks of 2002.

Charts

Chart (2001)[7][8] Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart 7
Austrian Singles Chart 6
Belgian Singles Chart 4
Brazilian Singles Chart 1
Canadian Singles Chart[2] 8
Danish Singles Chart 8
Dutch Singles Chart 9
Finnish Singles Chart 4
French Singles Chart 8
German Singles Chart[9] 3
Irish Singles Chart[10] 6
Italian Singles Chart 4
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart 13
Norwegian Singles Chart 3
Swedish Singles Chart 7
Swiss Singles Chart 7
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] 27
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[2] 4
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[2] 85
UK Singles Chart[11] 4

Certifications

Country Certification Sales/Shipments
Australia[12] Gold 35,000
France[13] Silver 125,000
Norway[14] Gold 10,000
Sweden[15] Gold 20,000
United Kingdom[5] n/a 149,000

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "I'm a Slave 4 U".

UK CD Single

  1. "I'm a Slave 4 U" — 3:23
  2. "Intimidated" — 3:17
  3. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Instrumental] — 3:23

UK Promo CD

  1. "I'm a Slave 4 U" — 3:23

Europe/Australia CD Single

  1. "I'm a Slave 4 U" — 3:23
  2. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Instrumental] — 3:23
  3. "Intimidated" — 3:17
  4. "Britney... Interview"

U.S. Promo CD

  1. "I'm a Slave 4 U" — 3:23
  2. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Instrumental] — 3:23

U.S. 12" Vinyl

  • Side A:
  1. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Thunderpuss Club Mix] — 8:45
  2. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Thunderpuss Radio Mix] — 3:18
  • Side B:
  1. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Miguel Migs Petalpusher Vocal] — 5:30
  2. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [The Light Remix] — 8:25

U.S. Promo Remix CD

  1. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Thunderpuss Radio Mix] — 3:18
  2. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Miguel Migs Petalpusher Vocal Edit] — 3:33
  3. "I'm a Slave 4 U" — 3:23
  4. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Thunderpuss Club Mix] — 8:45
  5. "I'm a Slave 4 U" [Miguel Migs Petalpusher Vocal] — 5:30

The B-side "Intimidated" on the British edition can be found on the soundtrack to the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Official Mixes/Versions

  • Album Version — 3:23
  • Instrumental — 3:23
  • A Cappella — 3:23
  • Dave Audé Slave Driver Mix — 5:51
  • Dave Audé Slave Driver Extended Mix — 7:05 (Only available on "B in the Mix: The Remixes" Deluxe Edition)
  • Miguel Migs Petal Pusher Dub — 5:46
  • Miguel Migs Petal Pusher Vocal — 5:30
  • Miguel Migs Petal Pusher Vocal [Edit] — 3:33
  • Miguel Migs Petal Pusher Vocal [Video Edit] — 4:12
  • Thunderpuss Club Mix — 8:45
  • Thunderpuss Dark Mix — 7:13
  • Thunderpuss Dark Dub — 7:13
  • Thunderpuss Mixshow Edit — 6:15
  • Thunderpuss Radio Mix — 3:21
  • Thunderpuss Tribe-A-Pella — 5:15
  • The Light Remix — 8:25
  • "I'm A Slave 4 U" is the second track on the U.S. version of Now That's What I Call Music! 9 it also serves as the debut single to the popular compilation series from the album "Britney"

References

  1. ^ Dingwall, John (November 5, 2001), "OTR..Off the Record: Your Time Is Up, Jacko; Britney Wants Album Top Slot", Daily Record, Scotland, p. 19 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g All Music Guide (2001). "Billboard Charts". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  3. ^ Billboard magazine (December 1, 2001). "Hot 100 Airplay". billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-07-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  4. ^ Billboard magazine (November 17, 2001). "Hot Singles Sales". billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-07-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  5. ^ a b "UK Chart Data". ukbritney.tv. 2001. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  6. ^ United World Chart (2001). "2001 Countdown". mediatraffic.de. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  7. ^ Hit Parade (2001). "European Charts". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  8. ^ Mariah-Charts (2001). "International Charts". mariah-charts.net. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  9. ^ Charts-Surfer (2001). "German Singles Chart (Search)". charts-surfer.de. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  10. ^ "Irish Singles Chart (Search)". irishcharts.ie. October 18, 2001. Retrieved 2008-07-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  11. ^ Every Hit (2001). "UK Singles Chart (Search)". everyhit.com. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  12. ^ Austrian Recording Industry Association (2001). "Australian certification". aria.com.au. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  13. ^ Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique (2001). "French certification". chartsinfrance.net. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  14. ^ IFPI (2001). "Norwegian certification". ifpi.no. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  15. ^ IFPI (2001). "Swedish certification" (PDF). ifpi.se. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
Preceded by
"Distância" by Os Travessos
 Hot100Brasil number-one singles
June 15, 2002 - July 13, 2002 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=I%27m_a_Slave_4_U&oldid=232331439"