(Dennis, Karlsson, Winnberg, Jonback)
Album: Toxic – Single / In the Zone
Spears has released an impressive number of pop classics throughout her career, but this (if you’ll excuse my language) is her fucking opus. It sounded nothing like anything else on pop radio at the time, and (though frequently emulated) has never been matched. On paper, “Toxic” sounds like it could have been a mess. A touch of bhangra, a prominent surf guitar, and a techno-pop beat is a lot to include in three minutes and nineteen seconds. Written by Bloodshy & Avant along with Cathy Dennis and Henrik Jonback, it sounds like a James Bond theme gone very, very right, and Spears plays the confident femme fatale (no pun intended). Spears had spent her career being derided and dismissed by contemporary critics, but this track made everyone stop and take notice. The opening violins and her throaty vocals became radio mainstays and launched her up the charts across the globe. While stalling at #9 on the US Billboard Hot 100, this vastly underrepresents the song’s popularity stateside and is largely due to the fact that Billboard was still months away from a rule change that allowed for the counting of digital downloads toward single sales. And “Toxic” dominated the iTunes charts. The song was paired with an equally iconic music video where Britney is a secret agent who traverses the globe, scales buildings, and does a dance routine through a hallway of laser tripwires to poison an ex-lover – which actually seems like a lot to go through to off an ex-boyfriend, but we’re totally here for it! Spears also plays the ultimate bond girl, posing completely nude save for some strategically placed diamonds – an iconic image that relegated the video to late night MTV airplay only following the Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction” backlash. “Toxic” is the type of hit every popstar dreams of having, achieving both critical acclaim and worldwide success. Today the song is viewed as a pivotal point in pop music history as the decade shifted toward club ready dance tracks. I would contend that if “Toxic” had been released by any other artist, it would have swept the Grammy Awards in 2005. However, there seems to be an unfair sense amongst critics they to praise Britney would mean to sacrifice their own credibility, a sentiment that has only recently started to shift. Alas, Britney instead netted her only Grammy to date as “Toxic” won “Best Dance Recording.” “Toxic’s” reputation has only grown with time and continues to be one of the most recognizable and celebrated songs in pop music history.
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