"Toxic" received acclaim from critics, who praised itshook and chorus, with many deeming it among the highlights of the album. It wonBest Dance Recording at the47th Annual Grammy Awards, marking the onlyGrammy win of Spears' career. The song topped the charts in 11 countries, including Australia, Canada, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, and reached the top five in 15 countries. In the United States, it became her fourth top-ten single, peaking at number nine. The music video was directed byJoseph Kahn and includes references toBlade Runner,The Seven Year Itch andJohn Woo films. It features Spears as a secret agent who poisons her boyfriend, and includes scenes of Spears naked with diamonds on her body. Following theSuper Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy, the video was deemed too racy forMTV and was moved to late-night programming.
"Toxic" was written byCathy Dennis,Henrik Jonback,Christian Karlsson, and Pontus Winnberg from production teamBloodshy & Avant. It was produced by Karlsson and Winnberg.[3] The song was written with American singerJanet Jackson in mind,[4] but was initially offered to Australian singerKylie Minogue, who turned it down.[5] Minogue said she "listened to a snippet of it in the record-company offices and decided against it". She said she was not angry when it became a hit for Britney Spears: "It's like the fish that got away. You just have to accept it."[6]
"Toxic" was recorded atMurlyn Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, andRecord Plant in Los Angeles.[when?] It was mixed by Niklas Flyckt at Khabang Studios in Stockholm.[3] On June 5, 2017, a version of "Toxic" without the pitch-correcting softwareAuto-Tune on Spears's vocals was leaked to YouTube. Despite a general expectation that the leak would confirm suspicions of Spears' natural vocals being poor, it was positively received overall.[7][8][9]
"Toxic" is adance-pop andsynth-pop song, featuring elements ofSouth Asian music.[10][11][12][13] It features varied instrumentation, such as drums, synthesizers, violins, and high-pitchedstrings.[14][15] It also containssurf guitar, that according to Caryn Ganz ofSpin, "warps and struts like it's been fed intoThe Matrix." The music was also compared to thesoundtracks of theJames Bond film series.[14] Thehook of "Toxic"samples a portion of "Tere Mere Beech Mein", from the soundtrack of the 1981Bollywood filmEk Duuje Ke Liye.[16] However, it is not lifted verbatim from the score and mixes two different sections of the piece for the introduction section; later in the song, the cut-up sample is dropped in favor of a re-recorded string arrangement[citation needed] to improve the quality of the melody as evidenced by the multitrack recordings available on the internet.[17] Spears' vocals on the song are breathy.[15] Some of the refrains were inspired by pieces of classical music, such as "Flight of the Bumblebee", "Eine kleine Nachtmusik", and "Dumky Trio".[citation needed]NME described the song as presenting "piercing strings,hip-hop beats, eastern flavour and a dangerous escapade with temptation."[18]
According to the official sheet music on Music-Notes, "Toxic" is set in the key ofG minor, and follows a fasttempo of 143beats per minute, but the pre-chorus is based on the fourth mode of the G Harmonic Minor, the CUkrainian Dorian mode.[19] Spears's vocal range spans from the low note of F3 to the high note of G5.[20] Lyrically, "Toxic" talks about being addicted to a lover.[21] Spears refers to her addiction in the lyrics and sings lines such as "Too high / Can't come down / Losing my head / Spinning round and round" in afalsetto. A reviewer from Popdust called the verse "The most representative lyric of the song's delirious, disorienting charm."[17][22] "Toxic" ends with anoutro in which Spears sings the lines, "Intoxicate me now / With your lovin' now / I think I'm ready now."[22] Nick Southall ofStylus Magazine said the lyrics made Spears sound afraid of sex.[23]
"Toxic" received acclaim. Heather Richels ofThe Paly Voice complimented its hook and catchiness while deeming it the most appealing song onIn the Zone.[24] While reviewingThe Onyx Hotel Tour, Pamela Sitt ofThe Seattle Times called it the album's strongest single.[25] Eric Olsen ofToday stated the song could be the biggest hit off of its parent album while calling it "powerfully addicting."[26] Caryn Ganz ofSpin commented, "Spears hits pay dirt on 'Toxic'".[14]Christy Lemire ofAssociated Press stated it was one of Spears' greatest hits and deemed it "insanely catchy", remarking that the chorus alone "makes you want to forgive theAlias wannabe video that accompanies the song."[27]Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic called it along with "Showdown", "irresistible ear candy in what is surely Britney's most ambitious, adventurous album to date".[28] In a separate review of Spears' greatest hits albumGreatest Hits: My Prerogative (2004), Erlewine selected it as one of the "track picks" and described it as "a delirious, intoxicating rush".[29] Jeffrey Epstein ofOut compared the innovative sound of "Toxic" toMadonna's "Vogue".[30]
In December 2003, it was announced byMTV News that after trying to choose between "(I Got That) Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to be the second single fromIn the Zone, Spears had selected "Toxic" instead.[38] She described it as "an upbeat song. It's really different, that's why I like it so much."[39]
"Toxic" entered at number 53 on theBillboard Hot 100 on the issue dated January 31, 2004. It became the week's "Highest Debut".[40] On March 27, 2004, it peaked at number nine; it was her fourth single to reach the top-ten and became her first single to reach the top ten since "Oops!... I Did It Again" in 2000.[41][42] "Toxic" also topped both thePop Songs andHot Dance Club Songs charts.[43] As of July 2016, "Toxic" had sold 2.3 million digital downloads in the United States, according toNielsen SoundScan.[44] It is her fifth best-selling digital single in the country.[44] On October 24, 2023, the song was certified6× platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for track-equivalent sales of six million units.[45] The song also topped theCanadian Singles Chart.[46] "Toxic" debuted at the top of the Australian charts on March 15, 2004, and stayed in the position for two weeks. The song received agold certification by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments over 35,000 units.[47]
In New Zealand, "Toxic" debuted at number 38 on the issue dated February 16, 2004,[48] and peaked at number two on March 29, 2004. It stayed at the position the following week, held off from the top spot byEamon's "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)".[48][49] On March 7, 2004, "Toxic" debuted at number one on theUK Singles Chart for the week ending date March 13, 2004, selling 102,576 copies in its first week, becoming her fourth number-one hit in the United Kingdom, her first since "Oops!... I Did It Again" in 2000.[50] In April 2004, it was certified silver by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI), with sales over 200,000 copies, and was the ninth best selling single in the U.K. in 2004.[citation needed][51] According to theOfficial Charts Company, the song has sold 426,000 copies there.[52] "Toxic" also peaked inside the top-ten in every country it charted. The song topped the charts in Hungary and Norway; reached the top five in Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Portugal, Italy, France, Sweden and Switzerland; and the top ten in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Finland, and the Netherlands.[53][54][55] "Toxic" is Spears' most streamed single in the US, with over 448 million streams as of June 2020.[56] In July 2023, the song crossed one billion streams onSpotify, making it Spears' first billion-streaming song on the service. By that, she also became a member of Spotify's "Billions Club".[57][58]
"That's part of her brilliance [...] She totally understands that she's naughtyand nice, that she's thegirl next door gone bad who is constantly titillating you".
The music video for "Toxic" was filmed on a Los Angeles soundstage in December 2003. It was directed byJoseph Kahn, who had previously worked with Spears on the music video for her 2000 single "Stronger". The editor of the video wasDavid Blackburn, who later edited "Womanizer" and "Do Somethin'".Brad Rushing was the cinematographer. Spears first approached Kahn with a story sketch of a secret agent out for revenge against an ex-lover, for which Kahn created a treatment. Her concept was almost fully formed and detailed, including for example the scene in which she drops a drink on the passenger's lap. Spears said she wanted to join themile high club and be a stewardess that kissed a man in the bathroom. Kahn suggested making him a fat man, so the "common man" would feel represented. Spears also told him about a scene in which she would be naked and covered in diamonds. Kahn stated he was "not sure what I was thinking about when she told me about that scene, maybe those intros toJames Bond movies, but every video needs an iconic image to remember, and that's it." The choreography was a collaboration betweenBrian Friedman and Spears, and every scene had a completely different, strictly structured routine. After the treatment was finished, Kahn proceeded to cast his friends and acquaintances, as in most of his projects. The plane passenger on whom Spears drops a drink was played by his longtime casting director, while the fat man in the bathroom was played by the casting director's assistant. Spears's ex-boyfriend is played byMartin Henderson, who starred in Kahn's directorial debutTorque.[59]
For the naked scenes, Spears cleared the set, leaving only Kahn, Blackburn, and Rushing with her to shoot the sequence. Spears also shot scenes in which she had to dance through a hallway of imaginary lasers in front of agreen screen, something that Kahn deemed as "incredible to watch". The last few scenes of the video in which Spears murders her boyfriend concerned Kahn, who thought they would becensored. He explained, "the trick was to make it look pop at the same time" and told Henderson, "Would you like to be kissed by Britney Spears?". According to Kahn, the hint of a smile that appears on Henderson's face before Spears pours the poison into his mouth was what managed to get the shot past the censors. Although Spears was at first going to be involved in the editing process with Blackburn, she did not contact Kahn after the media scandal over her wedding to Jason Allen Alexander inLas Vegas.[59] "Toxic" was Spears's most expensive music video to that point, at the cost of $1 million.[60][59] The music video premiered exclusively onMTV'sMaking the Video on January 13, 2004.[61] The following day, Spears appeared onTotal Request Live to premiere it on regular rotation.[62] The video was first released on theBritney Spears: In the Zone video album.[63] An alternatekaraoke version featuring the diamonds scene was released on theGreatest Hits: My Prerogative DVD.[64]
Spears wears nothing but diamonds over her body in the music video for "Toxic".
The music video begins with an open shot of an airplane flying and preceded by three menacing dark birds, referencing the works of Hong Kong directorJohn Woo.[59] Spears appears with blonde hair dressed as a flight attendant, lifting the in-flight intercom as if on a phone call. After serving some of the passengers, she "accidentally" spills a drink into the lap of a seated male passenger; later beckoning a middle-aged, overweight, bespectacled male passenger to the bathroom where she seduces him.[65] She peels off the man's mask to reveal an attractive man (Matthew Felker) underneath it and steals a black pass from his pocket as they passionately kiss.[59][66] Spears then appears, completely re-dressed and with red hair, standing in a futuristic Paris, similar to the filmBlade Runner (1982),[59] and takes a ride on the back of aDucati 999, driven by a shirtless male (Tyson Beckford). She wears a tight black catsuit and sports red hair, inspired by the character ofSydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) from the television seriesAlias.[62] As they speed past a woman, the draft from the motorcycle lifts up her dress, a homage to the iconicMarilyn Monroe scene in the filmThe Seven Year Itch (1955).[59] They also pass two women, erotically frolicking in a store window.[65]
The action narrative is repeatedly intercut with scenes of Spears, on all fours on the floor, wearing only diamonds.[59] The look was compared to that ofKate Bush in the music video for her 1978 single, "The Man with the Child in His Eyes".[67] Spears then enters Toxic Industries and gains access to a vault from which she steals a vial of green poison. As she leaves, she accidentally triggers aMission: Impossible-style laser trap, which she evades with elaborate dance moves, including aback handspring. Scenes are intercut of Spears' ex-boyfriend (Henderson) making out with another woman in the shower. Spears, now dressed as a black-haired super-heroine, scales a building and enters an apartment, where her ex-boyfriend is waiting for his lover who is in the shower. She pummels him to the floor and kisses him just before pouring the poison into his mouth, killing him. Spears kisses him again and flies from the window balcony. She appears back on the plane as the flight attendant and winks at the camera. The video ends with a shot of the airplane flying off, through clouds, towards the sun, followed by five menacing screeching blackbirds, as seen at the beginning.[59]
In September 2009, the music video for "Toxic" was voted by users of the music video websiteMUZU.TV as the sexiest music video.[74] The video was also used onLife Is Pornography, a 2005video art byJubal Brown.[75] Amy Schriefer ofNPR noted that in the video, Spears was no longer trying to break away from her 1990steen pop image and style; she was comfortable and having fun, not trying to generate any type of calculated controversy.[22] Theanime music video for Spears's single "Break the Ice" (2008) was based on the secret agent character of "Toxic".[76] The video for "Womanizer" (2008) was created by Spears as a sequel to "Toxic".[77] In the 2010Gleeseason 2 episode "Britney/Brittany", the character ofBrittany Pierce (Heather Morris) danced in a diamond suit during a cover of "I'm a Slave 4 U".[78] In a 2011 poll byBillboard, the song's music video was voted the second-best music video of the 2000s, behind onlyLady Gaga's "Bad Romance" (2009). Jillian Mapes ofBillboard wrote that Spears "proved that she comes in every flavor [...] But the one role that stays constant through the dance-heavy clip: Sultry maneater."[79]Taylor Swift andKendrick Lamar's "Bad Blood" music video pays homage to the red-haired look Spears sports in the "Toxic" music video. Many comparisons were made about the similarities.[80]
"Toxic" is still widely credited for changing the face of dance-pop in the 2000s. It introduced an influx ofelectropop into the modern market, providing the blueprint for various smash hits.[81] As of 2025[update], the music video of "Toxic" has over 698 million views on YouTube.
"Toxic" was performed by Spears atBritney Spears: In the Zone, a concert special that aired onABC on November 17, 2003.[82] She also performed "Toxic" as the headliner of theJingle Ball concert on December 8, 2003, atStaples Center. It was the opening number of her set, and Spears appeared wearing a black top and a white fur cape. While the choreography was deemed as "erotic", Corey Moss of MTV commented that some of the effect was lost due to Spears'slip-synching and a stagehand fixing a prop during the song.[83] On January 24, 2004, Spears opened the 2004NRJ Music Awards with a performance of "Toxic".[84] During the ceremony, she also presented the NRJ Award of Honor for the Career to Madonna.[85] Spears performed "Toxic" as the opening number of 2004's the Onyx Hotel Tour.[86] Previous to the beginning of the tour, she deemed it as the song she was most excited to perform, along with "Everytime".[87] After an introduction in which she briefly appeared on a large video screen, Spears took the stage standing on top of a hotel bus, wearing a tight black catsuit. She was surrounded by dancers dressed as employees and columns ofLED lighting, suggesting the façade of a glitzy hotel on theVegas Strip.[86]MTV UK commented, "OK, so she doesn't so much sing than mime along with 'Toxic', [...] But what do you expect when she's simultaneously performing a vigorous dance routine, ascending moving staircases and descending fireman poles?".[88]
"Toxic" was also performed as the last song of the concert duringthe M+M's Tour. After "Do Somethin'", in which Spears wore a hot pink bra, a white fur coat, and a jean skirt, she ended the set with "Toxic", with four female dancers in aShakira-like style. Following the performance, she thanked the audience and introduced her dancers.[89] "Toxic" was also performed at 2009'sthe Circus Starring Britney Spears. Following an interlude in which the dancers showcased their individual moves, the stage was lit with greensci-fi effects, and Spears appeared over movingjungle gyms. Jerry Shriver ofUSA Today said that "fan-favorite 'Toxic' [...] succeeded because the focus was solely on the star."[90] Jane Stevenson of theToronto Sun named it one of the standout performances of the show, along with "...Baby One More Time" and "Womanizer".[91]Screen commented, "The high point of the show was the back to back performance of two of Britney's biggest hits, 'Toxic' and 'Baby One More Time' [sic], which had the crowd break out in wild applause."[92]
The song was performed at 2011'sFemme Fatale Tour. After a video intermission in which Spears finds and captures the stalker that follows her, the show continues with a martial arts-inspired remix of "Toxic", in which Spears wears akimono and battles dancingninjas. Keith Caufield ofBillboard felt the performance was comparable to Madonna's "Sky Fits Heaven" at 2001'sDrowned World Tour.[93] Shirley Halperin ofThe Hollywood Reporter stated that "[the] mid-tempo numbers [...] seemed to stall out quickly, where faster offerings like 'Womanizer,' 'I Wanna Go' and 'Toxic' had the sold-out crowd jumping in place and pumping their number twos in the air."[94] August Brown of theLos Angeles Times said, "The set's only weak spots were sonic revisions of catalog staples – the Bollywoodspy-flick vamp of 'Toxic' remains utterly groundbreaking and didn't need anIbiza-inspired revision.".[95] Spears performed the song during the last act from her 2013–17 Las Vegas residencyBritney: Piece of Me. The number begins with a ballad version of "Toxic" and Spears is seen over a giant tree. Before the chorus begins, Spears jumps from the tree in a kind ofbungee jump under a water curtain. As Spears lands in the stage, the first chords from the song starts and the performance keeps going on.[96] At the2016Billboard Music Awards, it was performed as the closing song of a greatest hits medley by Spears, with brand new choreography. The song was also included in Spears's setlist for theiHeartRadio Music Festival on September 24, 2016. Spears performed the song as part of herApple Music Festival performance in London on September 27, 2016. The song was also performed along with "Work Bitch" at Britney: Piece of Me in December, and broadcast on ABC'sDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve to a record audience of 25.6 million.[97]
"The great pop song of this century. The ultimate Britney Spears classic. A taste of a poison paradise. "Toxic" is all that and more, summing up Britney at her best and brashest. Swedish studio wizards Bloodshy and Avant prove that they're the producers who understand her better than anyone. "Toxic" is a swirl of spaced-out glam-disco kicks, spy-movie strings, surf-guitar twang, a beat that should wear a warning, and Britney's distinctive slithery drawl. She doesn't just take "a sip from the devil's cup," she guzzles that bitch and crushes the cup on her forehead, slipping under the addictive spell of music itself, the one vice she'll never give up. Intoxicate her now? She's ready now."
"Toxic" won Spears her first, and to date only, Grammy Award at the 2005 ceremony in the Best Dance Recording category and gained her credibility amongst critics.[22] The song also won Most Performed Work at the 2004Ivor Novello Awards.[99] "Toxic" was ranked at number fourteen onStylus Magazine's Top 50 Singles between 2000 and 2005.[100] In a 2005 poll conducted bySony Ericsson, "Toxic" was ranked as the world's second favorite song, only behind "We Are the Champions" byQueen. Over 700,000 people in 60 countries cast their votes.[101] The song was also included on The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born list byBlender.[102]Pitchfork listed the song on The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s. Jess Harvell commented that Spears had great pop instincts and that "Toxic" showed how "Britney always had more individualist pep than her peers, important when you're dealing with steamroller productions from the mind ofMax Martin."[103]
In 2009, NPR included "Toxic" on their Most Important Recordings of the Decade list. Amy Schriefer noted that the song's synths defined the sound of dance-pop for the rest of the decade while adding that it "still sound[s] fresh and futuristic."[22] "Toxic" was listed on several others end of the decade lists; at number forty-seven byNME, forty-four byRolling Stone and seventeen onThe Daily Telegraph.[104][105][106]NME called it the soundtrack to all of the fun of the decade, from "little girls at discos" to "gay clubs andhen nights."[104]NME critics also ranked "Toxic" at number 92 on their 500 Greatest Songs list, writing that the song "reinvented populardance music."[18] In 2010, the song was voted inRolling Stone's end of the decade readers poll as the fourth-best single of the decade.[107] In 2021, the song was ranked at number 114 on the list ofRolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.Pitchfork listed the song at number three on their Top 50 Singles of 2004 list. Bill Lamb ofAbout.com listed the song at number 27 on the Top 40 Pop Songs.[108] Evan Sawdey ofPopMatters commented that "Toxic" is a rare kind of song that transcends genre boundaries, and added that Spears delivered the track that defined her legacy.[109] In May 2010, Spears revealed via Twitter that "Toxic" is her favorite song in her catalog.[110] In 2022, in their ranking of every Spears' song,Rolling Stone ranked "Toxic" at number one.[98] In a 2024 article,Billboard's staff ranked "Toxic" at number one on their 100 Greatest Songs of 2004 list.[111]
"Toxic" was covered by several artists, including the cast fromGlee (top) in the "Britney/Brittany" episode, which was a tribute to Spears, and American singerMelanie Martinez (bottom) during her debut onThe Voice.
The song was covered on the 2010 American seriesGlee episode "Britney/Brittany" by New Directions, in aBob Fosse-inspired performance led by the character ofWill Schuester (Matthew Morrison).[78] In the United States, their version debuted at number sixteen on the Hot 100 and sold 109,000 copies on its first week, according toNielsen SoundScan.[143] It also charted at number thirty-seven in Australia, fifteen in Canada, and seventeen in Ireland.[144][145][146] The song was covered again infifth seasonGlee episode "100" byDianna Agron, Heather Morris, andNaya Rivera.
Northern Irish singer-songwriterJuliet Turner covered "Toxic" for the 2004 covers compilation,Even Better Than the Real Thing Vol. 2.[147] In 2005, Americanfolk groupChapin Sisters recorded an acoustic cover of "Toxic", which was featured onPerezHilton.com and became one of the most requested songs of the year onKCRW. Germancountry-rock bandthe BossHoss recorded a cover of "Toxic" for their debut album,Internashville Urban Hymns (2005).[148] American rock duoLocal H covered the song for their first live album,Alive '05 (2005).[148] An instrumental rendition of the song was released by Americansurf rock bandMonsters from Mars. Norwegianalternative rock bandHurra Torpedo covered "Toxic" in their fourth release,Kollossus of Makedonia (2006).[148] English DJ and producerMark Ronson recorded a hip hop cover of the song, featuring American singer-songwriter Tiggers and a posthumous verse from American rapperOl' Dirty Bastard. Ronson's version was used inseries four, episode five of British television show,Waterloo Road.[149] It was included in his second studio album,Version (2007).[150]
A cover of the song by American singer-songwriter Christopher Dallman was included in an EP titledSad Britney, released on November 9, 2009, along with covers of "...Baby One More Time", "Gimme More" and "Radar".[156] Americanacoustic trioNickel Creek covered "Toxic" at the2006 Bonnaroo Music Festival.[148] Australian singer-songwriterKate Miller-Heidke did anopera-pop version of "Toxic" during a mobile phone launch inSydney in August 2007. She dedicated it to Spears, adding, "She's going through a bit of a hard time at the moment. ... This one's for you, mate."[157] American singer-songwriterIngrid Michaelson covered "Toxic" regularly on her 2010 Everybody Tour. A cover version by The Hit Crew was used in the 2010 video gameJust Dance 2.[158][159] Michaelson's version ends with her and the band doing a dance break set to Spears' original song.[160] American pop bandSelena Gomez & the Scene performed a tribute to Spears during their 2011We Own the Night Tour. The medley of hits included "...Baby One More Time", "(You Drive Me) Crazy", "Oops!... I Did It Again", "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Toxic", mixed similar to the "Chris Cox Megamix" included inGreatest Hits: My Prerogative. They also performed a cover of "Hold It Against Me".[161] During her debut onseason 3 of American TV singing showThe Voice in 2012, American singerMelanie Martinez sang "Toxic" playing an acoustic guitar and atambourine with her foot. Three of the judges,Adam Levine,CeeLo Green, andBlake Shelton, hit the "I Want You" button for her.[162] In 2014,David J covered "Toxic" featuringSasha Grey.[163] On December 2, 2016, Madonna covered the song during a live concert broadcast throughFacebook Live.[164]
In 2021, the duo Altégo posted a snippet of amashup of "Toxic" andGinuwine's "Pony" onTikTok, that quickly went viral. In January 2022, the mashup was completed and officially released throughSony Music Entertainment under the title "Toxic Pony", being credited to Altégo, Spears and Ginuwine.[167] The mashup reached number 40 on theBillboard Pop Airplay chart.[168] English singerMabel recorded an acoustic version of "Toxic" for theApple Music edition of her second studio album,About Last Night… (2022).[169][170] In 2022, Spanish singerLola Índigo covered the song during her Teatro Eslava Madrid concert.[171] American singerBeyoncé sampled the song at the opening night of herRenaissance World Tour (2023).[172][173]
In January 2025, K-Pop singersYeji fromITZY,Giselle fromAespa and Julie fromKiss Of Life covered the song during a live performance at the 2024 MBC Music Festival.[175]
In the 2005series 1 episode "The End of the World" of the TV showDoctor Who, the character of Cassandra (Zoë Wanamaker) unveils an ancient jukebox that reproduced "Toxic" as an example of "a traditional ballad" from about 5 billion years prior.[176]NME stated that the inclusion of the song marked its cultural impact.[104] In the 2007 filmKnocked Up, the song is played when Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) and Pete (Paul Rudd) are driving to Las Vegas. DirectorJudd Apatow explained that he initially tried to use "Toxic" in the 2005 filmThe 40-Year-Old Virgin in the scene where Nicky (Leslie Mann) is drunk driving.[177] "Toxic" was also featured in the 2010 filmYou Again.[178] A string arrangement of "Toxic" was featured in the 2020 American thriller filmPromising Young Woman, with film score producer Anthony Willis saying that"'Toxic' is one of the greatest pop songs of the 2000s. It's such a fantastic track and has such an evocative lyric. And so if you hear that riff and you hear that tune, you're imagining the word 'toxic,' but you're not actually hearing it."[179] "Toxic" is featured on British soap operaEmmerdale in July 2021 whenMeena Jutla (Paige Sandhu) dances to the song after she murdersLeanna Cavanagh (Mimi Slinger).[180] "Toxic" was remixed withElvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas" by Jamieson Shaw forBaz Luhrmann'sElvis, and was released on January 6, 2023, as "Toxic Las Vegas".[181][182][183][184] "Toxic" was featured onJust Dance 2023 Edition, using the original version of the song instead of The Hit Crew's cover that was used inJust Dance 2 previously.[relevant?] The song was also featured onFortnite Festival.[185] The song played during a diner scene in 2023 superhero filmMadame Web.[186] The song was used in one of the first scenes from the first episode of the 2025Netflix' seriesApple Cider Vinegar.[187]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^The GV Music & Fashion Awards, also known as Groovevolt was an online music award established by the Groovevolt.com. The website's leading music sites with more than 7.5 million page views and more than 500,000 uniqueusers each month.[119]
^Pitchfork Staff (August 21, 2009)."The 200 Best Songs of the 2000s".Pitchfork.Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. RetrievedOctober 21, 2022....the backing track remains deeply, enjoyably weird-but-catchy: a club-tempo stepping breakbeat colored by James Bond soundtrack outtakes.
^Rolling Stone Staff (June 28, 2018)."The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far".Rolling Stone.Archived from the original on December 31, 2021. RetrievedMay 31, 2023.They pile the track high with James Bond guitars, Bollywood strings and a dash of Daft Punk vocoder sparkle, cleverly building 20th-century references into a 21st-century disco gem.
^"ASCAP 2005 Pop Music Awards". American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. April 5, 2005. Archived fromthe original on May 22, 2011. RetrievedNovember 22, 2019.
^"MTV Pilipinas". Philippine Daily Inquirer. June 17, 2004. p. A22.Archived from the original on June 3, 2024. RetrievedJune 3, 2024 – via Google Books.
^Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (2004)."New Zealand annual chart". rianz.org.nz. Archived fromthe original on November 4, 2012. RetrievedOctober 20, 2008.
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