I'm a Slave 4 U

"I'm a Slave 4 U" is a song recorded by American singer <a href="/facts/Britney_Spears/uVJDxNtm">Britney Spears</a> for her third studio album, <a href="/facts/Britney_(album)/6GFP0wYJ">Britney</a> (2001). Written and produced by <a href="/facts/Chad_Hugo/SfhglsyM">Chad Hugo</a> and <a href="/facts/Pharrell_Williams/z04fEWSv">Pharrell Williams</a> of <a href="/facts/The_Neptunes/t0WAh6Xx">the Neptunes</a>, it was released on September 25, 2001, by <a href="/facts/Jive_Records/mKVpcQHj">Jive Records</a> as the <a href="/facts/Lead_single/E2tl6YFB">lead single</a> from the album. Marking a transition for Spears from the <a href="/facts/Teen_pop/MYyNLNHn">teen pop</a> sounds of her previous singles, "I'm a Slave 4 U" is an <a href="/facts/Urban_contemporary_music/J26aK3e0">urban pop</a> and <a href="/facts/Contemporary_R%2526B/rsafQLga">R&B</a> song. The lyrics describes the plea of a young woman to be liberated and feel independent.
Heralding a new, provocative image for Spears, "I'm a Slave 4 U" garnered a mixed reception from <a href="/facts/Music_critics/o9vznrwQ">music critics</a> at the time of its release. Some argued it was the singer's most mature sound at the time, compared to her previous singles, while others noticed the video and the song's attempt to leave behind Spears' <a href="/facts/Girl_next_door/EX5P66fJ">girl next door</a> image to a sexier image emulated then by many <a href="/facts/Pop_music/kgshFE5B">pop</a> idols like <a href="/facts/Christina_Aguilera/hczPtXIe">Christina Aguilera</a>. The song achieved commercial success worldwide, peaking within the top ten in almost every country that it charted in. The song peaked at number 27 on the US <a href="/facts/Billboard_Hot_100/gwKl8VL9">Billboard Hot 100</a> and number 85 on the <a href="/facts/Hot_R%2526B%2fHip-Hop_Songs/830VoC96">Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs</a>, both being the lowest chart positions of the single worldwide.
Since its release, "I'm a Slave 4 U" has become one of Spears' signature hits, as well as having been considered one of the defining songs of the early 2000s, the new millennium, and of the pop genre. The original dance <a href="/facts/Choreography/D1KQJk1R">choreography</a>, from the music video and live performances, has also been widely praised and imitated, with Spears doing little to alter it for many years after the song’s release. Her <a href="/facts/2001_MTV_Video_Music_Awards/d5DPQGIA">2001 MTV Video Music Awards</a> performance of the song is considered amongst the greatest live performances in pop music history, as well as a career highlight for Spears, on-par with iconic past performances of artists such as <a href="/facts/Madonna/kHDBUtL7">Madonna</a>, <a href="/facts/Janet_Jackson/J4ACIKyy">Janet Jackson</a> and <a href="/facts/Michael_Jackson/LLa098zX">Michael Jackson</a>. <a href="/facts/MTV/S5gxqCxh">MTV</a> summarized Spears' performance at the ceremony, saying, "draping herself in a python and slithering around a steamy garden setting – surrounded by dancers in zebra and tiger outfits – Spears created one of the most striking visuals in the 27-year history of <a href="/facts/MTV_Video_Music_Awards/F9H94We9">the show</a>." In 2021, <a href="/facts/Billboard_(magazine)/CVruQGq5">Billboard</a> ranked "I'm a Slave 4 U" at number three in its list of "The 100 Greatest Songs of 2001".

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I'm a Slave 4 U