(Hugo, Williams) Album: I’m a Slave 4 U – Single / Britney
On September 6, 2001, an albino Burmese python, an ex-Mouseketeer, and a Neptunes-penned bop joined forces to change pop music history forever. And this performance put the emphasis on the “EX” in ex-Mouseketeer. Britney Spears was the first artist ever to debut a new single during the Video Music Awards, having earned this right with a headline grabbing performance during the previous year’s show. Whereas the lead single to her sophomore was built using the same recipe that made her debut effort a success, “I’m a Slave 4 U” was an emphatic divergence. Originally penned for Janet Jackson, it’s pop meets R&B in the best way – a percussion led track whose hynotic beat is something one might have expected from a young Prince. Lyrically it raised a few eyebrows (Spears insists the title refers to being a “slave to the music”), but all seemed to be a calculated effort to move beyond the kid-friendly bubblegum teeny bopper image that has been known to pigeon hole many a popstar. A steamy (literally) music video with some of her best and most iconic choreography complete the post Disney Channel transition. Thus, Spears laid the blueprint many former Disney stars would soon follow. Sonically, it sounded nothing like any pop song on the radio at that time and still sounds insistently modern today. She may not have writing creds here, but Spears certainly made this her own. In fact, Spears laid down all of the vocals for this track. To date, this remains one of her most memorable and popular tracks.
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