Listening 2 Britney: I’m A Slave 4 U

Britney’s Virginia Beach Era

EPISODE 260

In the first three years of Britney Spears’ pop music career, she released annual, consecutive albums. In 1999 we got Baby One More Time – its lead single was #5 on the Billboard year-end Hot 100 chart. In 2000, Oops… I Did It Again generated multiple hits. It’s eponymous single reached the #1 spot on Top 40 radio but only ascended to #55 on the year-end chart — the single was only released on vinyl, not CD, to boost album sales. Destiny's Child, Aaliyah and Janet all outperformed “Oops” on the year end chart. CD era marketing tactics aside, these artists were harbingers of what’s to come. The sound of pop music was changing and Britney needed to change with it. So in 2001, she released her self-titled album Britney. When we hit play on our metaphorical discman, the skittering beats of “I’m A Slave 4 U” suggests a significant musical transformation. Enter Spears’ Virginia Beach era.  

Britney signaled that she’s moved beyond the Swedish-produced pop polish for an entirely new sonic identity just as she left behind the ingenue character for the first two albums. Working with the Virginia Beach-based duo The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo), on “I’m A Slave 4 U” Spears evolved her sound to sit aside the the R&B sounds of her chart peers. Now with a soundtrack of off-kilter beats and harmonic dissonance, Spears needed a new vocal approach. 

We hear this transformation in the opening line: “I know I may be young.” She begins with a breath and a half-whispered vocal. As she propels into the verse, we hear some of Britney's unforgettable tone: controlled vocal fry and rhythmic percussiveness. But there's no sign of the ballad-style singing from her earlier hits. Instead, she sing-speaks through the song. The melody is loose because as she says, “dancing’s what I love - now watch me.” This is not a sing-a-long, this is a dance song and the introduction of a whole new musical era for Spears.

Songs Discussed

Britney Spears – I’m A Slave 4 U, Overprotected, Don’t Go Knockin’ on My Door, Overprotected (Darkchild Remix), Boys

Destiny’s Child - Say My Name; Bills, Bills, Bills

Aaliyah - Try Again

Janet Jackson - Doesn’t Really Matter, Son Of A Fun

Mase, Diddy - Lookin’ at Me

Mystikal - Shake Ya Ass

JAY-Z I Just Wanna Love U

Nelly - Hot In Herre

Selena Gomez, A$AP Rocky - Good For You

Lorde - Ribs

Kesha - Die Young

FKA Twigs - Lights On