“I'm a Slave 4 U”
Single by Britney Spears from the album Britney
B-side	"Intimidated"
Released	October 23, 2001 October 8, 2001
Format	CD single 12" single
Recorded	2001
Genre	Urban Pop
Length	3:24
Label	Jive
Writer(s)	Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo
Producer	The Neptunes
Certification	Silver (France) Gold (Australia, Norway, Sweden)
Britney Spears singles chronology
"Girl In The Mirror" (2001) "I'm A Slave 4 U" (2001) "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" (2002)
Britney Spears British/Australian/European singles chronology
"Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" (2001)	"I'm a Slave 4 U" (2001)	"Overprotected" (2002)

"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. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is a Grammy Award-winning[1] American pop singer, dancer, actress, author and songwriter. ... Alternate covers Two-disc special limited edition cover Israeli special edition cover Singles from Britney Released: October 23, 2001 Released: February 5, 2002 Released: March 12, 2002 Released: August 13, 2002 Released: November 4, 2002 Released: May 22, 2002/January 2003 Released: 2003 Britney is the self - titled third studio... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... For the record label, see 12 Inch Records. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Contemporary R&B is a music genre of American popular music, the current iteration of the genre that began in the 1940s as rhythm and blues music. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Jive Records is an American record label, owned by Sony BMG, and operates as a quarter of the Zomba Label Group. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Pharrell Williams (born April 5, 1973) is an American producer, singer, rapper,and songwriter. ... For other persons named Charles Hugo, see Charles Hugo (disambiguation). ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... The Neptunes is the name for the record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who created the sound for some very successful Hip Hop, R&B and Pop artists in the late-90s and 2000s. ... “Golden record” redirects here. ... Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is a Grammy Award-winning[1] American pop singer, dancer, actress, author and songwriter. ... Im Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman is the third single released from the album Britney It was released as the second single in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2001 and the third single in countries such as Australia and the UK. The song was... Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is a Grammy Award-winning[1] American pop singer, dancer, actress, author and songwriter. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Dont Let Me Be the Last to Know is the fourth single from Pop singer Britney Spears album Oops!... I Did It Again. ... Overprotected is a pop/dance song by American pop singer Britney Spears released from the album Britney. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is a Grammy Award-winning[1] American pop singer, dancer, actress, author and songwriter. ... An album or record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public. ... Alternate covers Two-disc special limited edition cover Israeli special edition cover Singles from Britney Released: October 23, 2001 Released: February 5, 2002 Released: March 12, 2002 Released: August 13, 2002 Released: November 4, 2002 Released: May 22, 2002/January 2003 Released: 2003 Britney is the self - titled third studio... See also: 2001 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2001 Record labels established in 2001 // January 1 Comeback of Guns N Roses in House of Blues Hum disbands. ...

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 from the virginal "girl next door" to a woman cashing in on her body, an image as controversial as the former. A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... The term urban contemporary was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

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 declares her independence in the song whilst also saying how she cannot control herself around a person as she proclaims "I'm a slave for you." Still, it was considered as one of Britney's signature songs due to the fact that it was a transitional single in her career. The Neptunes is the name for the record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who created the sound for some very successful Hip Hop, R&B and Pop artists in the late-90s and 2000s. ... Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, record producer, dancer, activist, pop icon, and younger sister of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. ...

"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. Boys is the fourth single released in the U.S and UK. although the fifth single in countries such as Australia, from pop singer Britney Spearss 2001 album Britney. ... The Onyx Hotel Tour was Britney Spears’ tour in support of her fourth #1 album In the Zone. ...

"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. Boogie is swing blues rhythm (Burrows 1995, p. ... Oops!... I Did It Again is the second album from American pop music singer Britney Spears, released on May 16, 2000 on Jive Records. ...

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. Francis Lawrence (born in Vienna) is a popular music video director, having worked for stars like Britney Spears, Aerosmith, Jennifer Lopez, Destinys Child, Garbage and Missy Elliot. ... Universal City is the name for the property of Universal Studios, a motion picture company, in Los Angeles County, California, including its studio facilities and an area around the studio site. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ... TRL redirects here. ... Im Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman is the third single released from the album Britney It was released as the second single in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2001 and the third single in countries such as Australia and the UK. The song was... The MTV Video Music Awards were established in 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

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 behind, and in front of a wall of bright lights. Wade Jeremy Robson (born September 17, 1982) was born in Australia and has become one of the most successful pop choreographers and producers. ... For the music festival in Finland, see Sauna Open Air Metal Festival. ...

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, in a similar fashion that is done to an artist at concerts when they jump into the crowd.

Acclaimed choreographer and dance 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.

Chart performance

"I'm a Slave 4 U" proved to be a success internationally. It reached #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track also became a top twenty hit on the Hot 100 Airplay, but just barely made into the top fifty of the Hot 100 Singles Sales. 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. “Hot 100” redirects here. ... The Hot 100 Airplay is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. ... The Hot 100 Singles Sales (also known as Singles Sales) is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. ... For the record label, see 12 Inch Records. ... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... A millennium (pl. ...

"Slave" became her first Dance hit, reaching #4 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. "Slave" was Spears' first and only song to appear on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number seventy-three. For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... Billboards Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart is a weekly national survey of what songs are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ... Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly known by various names including Hot Soul Singles, Hot Black Singles, and Hot R&B Singles (before the hip-hop term was added in the late 1990s), is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. ...

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.^[1] The single gained 2,926,000 points worldwide in 2001 only, but it continued charting for the first 7 weeks of 2002.^[2] It's also Britney's most famous song in Brazil.

Certifications

The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. ... Media Control GfK International is an enterprise which represents recording industry in Germany. ... Hot100Brasil is an online publisher of various Brazilian music charts. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Dutch Top 40 (Dutch: Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart, which started as the Veronica Top 40, because the pirate radio channel Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. ... Media Control GfK International is an enterprise which represents recording industry in Germany. ... The Irish Singles Chart is the Irish music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. ... FIMI Federazione dellindustria musicale italiana (Federation of the Italian music industry) is an umbella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italian. ... The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists in New Zealand. ... Media Control GfK International is an enterprise which represents recording industry in Germany. ... J-Wave is a Japanese FM radio station based in Tokyo, Japan. ... “British Hit Singles” redirects here. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... Billboard magazines Hot Dance Club Play chart (also known as Club Play Singles, and formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play and Hot Dance/Disco) is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ... Top 40 Mainstream (often also called Mainstream Top 40) is an airplay format from Billboard Magazine. ... The United World Chart is a worldwide chart issued every week by Media Traffic, using both sales (digital and physical) and airplay to determine the most popular albums and singles worldwide. ...

Formats and track listings

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

Official Mixes

• Album Version — 3:23
• Instrumental — 3:23
• A Cappella — 3:23
• Bloodshy Lost Mix — 4:30
• 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
• Boys & I'm A Slave 4 U (Medley Mix)— 3:16
• Boys & I'm A Slave 4 U (Medley Mix Jungle Edit)— 3:43

References

is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... For other uses, see June (disambiguation). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

External links

• Britney Spears — Official Web Site