| "Gimme More" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBritney Spears | ||||
| from the albumBlackout | ||||
| Released | August 31, 2007 (2007-08-31) | |||
| Recorded | August–October 2006 | |||
| Studio | Conway (Los Angeles)[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:11 | |||
| Label | Jive | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Danja | |||
| Britney Spears singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Gimme More" onYouTube | ||||
"Gimme More" is a song by American singerBritney Spears from her fifth studio album,Blackout (2007). It was released on August 31, 2007, byJive Records, as thelead single from the album. "Gimme More" was recorded in 2006 during Spears' second pregnancy and was one of the first solo productions byDanja. The song opens with an intro in which Spears utters the phrase, "It's Britney, bitch." Musically, "Gimme More" is a song with elements fromdance-pop,electropop andEDM using breathy vocals. The track closes with a speak-singoutro by Danja.
The song received critical acclaim and peaked at number three on the USBillboard Hot 100, becoming Spears' second highest-peaking single at the time. It also peaked at the top of the charts in Canada, also charting with top-five positions in 14 countries. The accompanying music video, which premiered on October 5, 2007, portrays Spears as astripper and features a break from Spears's highly choreographed music videos. The video received mixed to negative reviews from critics, who panned Spears'spole dancing as well as the lack of storyline. An alternative cut was leaked on July 18, 2011.
Spears first performed "Gimme More" at the2007 MTV Video Music Awards on September 9, 2007, wearing a black, jewel-encrusted bikini. The performance was panned by many critics, who commented extensively on her singing, dancing and wardrobe, with one deeming it as "one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards". On September 10, 2007,Cara Cunningham (then known as Chris Crocker) uploaded a video onYouTube in response to the criticism titled "Leave Britney Alone!", which made her anInternet celebrity and attracted attention from the media. Spears has also performed "Gimme More" at theFemme Fatale Tour (2011) andBritney: Piece of Me (2013–2017). "Gimme More" has been covered and sampled by many artists, includingMiley Cyrus,Sia,will.i.am, andMarié Digby.
"Gimme More" was co-written byJim Beanz,Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica,Nate "Danja" Hills andKeri Hilson, and was also produced by Danja.[2] Spears started working with Danja in July 2006. He explained that the creative process was not difficult at first since he was "left to do pretty much whatever I wanted to", and "if she felt it, she was gonna ride with it. If she didn't, you'd see it in her face."[3] Hilson said that she wrote the song with Spears in mind after Danja played her theinstrumental, adding, "I just started singing, 'Give me, Give me,' and added a little more in and just having fun and messing around really."[4] Spears began recording the track in Las Vegas in August 2006, while she was seven months pregnant with her second child, Jayden James. Recording continued at Spears' house inLos Angeles, California, three weeks after she gave birth. Hilson commented that "She gave 150 percent...I don't know any other mother that would do that."[4] In an interview withRhapsody, Danja commented that he added a speak-sing outro to "stake [his] claim", since "Gimme More" was one of his first solo productions. "There's a lot riding on my future, because people think I'm around because ofTim and they don't really know what I'm capable of", he said.[3] The song wasmixed by Ms. Lago at Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles.Background vocals were provided by Hilson and Beanz.[2] "Gimme More" was released as the album's lead single and premiered onNew York City-based radio stationZ100's web site.[5] A remix featuring rapperLil' Kim (titled the "Kimme More" remix) was also made available for digital download.[6]
"Gimme More" is a song incorporating elements fromdance-pop,electropop,EDM, andpop.[5][7][8] It is set in a moderate dancegroove at a tempo of 113beats per minute, with Spearsvocal range spanning from F♯3 to C6. The song was composed in thekey ofF♯ minor, though the key of the final recording is sharp by aquarter tone.[9] Themelody incorporates "low electronic lines" whereas thebeat has been described by Bill Lamb ofAbout.com as "disco-ish".[5][10] Nick Levine ofDigital Spy compared Spears's vocals to those of her single "I'm a Slave 4 U" (2001).[11] Lamb described them as "teasing...backed by moaning and heavy breathing" reminiscent ofDonna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" (1975).[10] Sal Cinquemani ofSlant Magazine felt the song was reminiscent ofSabrina's "Boys (Summertime Love)" (1987).[12]
"Gimme More" is constructed in the commonverse-chorus form. The song opens with a spokenintro in which Spears says the line "It's Britney, bitch".[13] The chorus consists of the repetition of the hookline "Gimme gimme", that ends with a constantlypitch-shifted "More". The song closes with a speak-singoutro by Danja in which he says the lines "Bet you didn't see this one coming / The Incredible Lago, the legendary Ms. Britney Spears / and the unstoppable Danja".[13]
"Gimme More" garnered universal acclaim from music critics. Dennis Lim ofBlender named the song one of the highlights of the album, calling it "hypnotic pole-dance pop".[7]Alexis Petridis ofThe Guardian called the song "futuristic and thrilling".[14] Nick Levine ofDigital Spy said that "somehow, out of personal chaos, pop greatness has emerged. [Danja] melds tack-sharp beats and a deliciously scuzzy bassline to create a dancefloor throb that feels devilishly sexy".[11] While reviewingThe Singles Collection, Evan Sawdey ofPopMatters called "Gimme More" "the bestdance track she has done since 'Toxic'".[15]Kelefa Sanneh ofThe New York Times said the track set the mood forBlackout, adding that "the electronic beats and bass lines are as thick as Ms. Spears's voice is thin...she delivers almost nothing but slithery come-ons and defiant invitations tonightclub decadence".[5]New Musical Express compared Spears's vocals to "a sex addict's cry for help".[16]Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic said some of the songs ofBlackout, "really show off the skills of the producers", exemplifying "Gimme More", "Radar", "Break the Ice", "Heaven on Earth" and "Hot as Ice".[17]
Bill Lamb ofAbout.com gave the song three and a half stars and commented, "It does seem that Britney's bump-and-grind singing style that we first heard 8 years ago on '...Baby One More Time' is still intact, and the 'It's Britney, bitch' announcement that opens the song implies a significant amount of fire remains. The opening alone bumps the song's rating up by half a star".[10] BloggerRoger Friedman ofFox News dubbed the line as "cocky and fun".[18] Eric R. Danton ofThe Hartford Courant wrote, "The comedy starts right away, when she plays the role of your drunk friend calling at 3 a.m., slurring, 'It's Britney, bitch'".[13] Mike Schiller ofPopMatters called the opening line "real value...kind of hilarious" and added that the "inserted "more" syllables in the chorus only add to the feel that this is a genetically engineered sort of dancefloor banger".[19]Popjustice named "Gimme More" the tenth best song of 2007.[20]The StarPhoenix listed it as the second most infectious song of the year.[21]
It didn't bother me until nine months down the line. I was like, 'I wish she could've really nailed that [VMA] performance 'cause that really would have set it off.' It was still top five [on theBillboard] Hot 100...It definitely weighed on me. At one particular point last year, I felt like, 'Man, I did all this work, and it ain't pop like it's supposed to pop.' I was down for a little bit...You could put your all into the music, and it's some executive decision that ruined it...Every producer, songwriter or arranger on that record did their thing. The record label did their thing. That was just something uncontrollable on her part.
On September 22, 2007, "Gimme More" debuted at number 85 on the USBillboard Hot 100.[22] On October 13, 2007, the song peaked at number three on the chart. The same week, it also peaked at number one on theBillboardHot Digital Songs, due to digital sales of 179,000 downloads. It became her fifth top ten hit in the Hot 100, as well as her highest peaking since "...Baby One More Time".[23] On February 13, 2008, the single was certifiedplatinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) selling 1,000,000 copies.[24] On December 15, 2007, it peaked at number one on theBillboardHot Dance Club Songs.[25] As of July 2016, "Gimme More" has sold 1,840,000 digital downloads in the United States.[26] It is her seventh best-selling digital single in the country.[26] In Canada, the song debuted at number 53 on September 22, 2007.[27] On October 13, 2007, it peaked at number one and climbed from number 42, becoming the chart's "Greatest Gainer".[28] It was certified two times platinum by theCanadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for sales of 160,000 copies.[29]
In Australia, the single debuted at number three on theAustralian Singles Chart on October 15, 2007.[30] It received a gold certification by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments over 35,000 units.[31] In New Zealand, it debuted at number 24 on October 1, 2007.[32] The following week, it peaked at number 15.[33] "Gimme More" was also successful in Europe, peaking at number two in theEuropean Hot 100 Singles.[25] In the United Kingdom, "Gimme More" debuted and peaked at number three on October 21, 2007 (for the week ending date October 27, 2007).[34] According to theOfficial Charts Company, "Gimme More" has sold 596,000 copies there, as of August 2022.[35] It also reached the top five in Belgium, Czech Republic, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Norway and Sweden and peaking inside the top ten in Austria and Finland.[36]
The music video for "Gimme More" was filmed on July 19, 2007, at a warehouse in downtownLos Angeles, California, with additional scenes later being filmed on August 7, 2007, in the same location.[37][38] It was directed by Jake Sarfaty, who was handpicked by Spears. According toPeople, the production was Spears's "concept and vision".[37] Despite this, according to Mikal Sky, who worked as the makeup artist for the video, Spears "sabotaged the director by refusing to perform and follow the script" for unknown reasons.[39] During filming, Spears was spotted wearing a short black dress, black boots and a black hat.[38] On September 13, 2007, it was reported byThe New York Times that the music video was being "tweaked with input from her advisers" since "[the] gritty, stripper-themed clip...may jolt fans who are more accustomed to the slick, tightly choreographed videos that made her anMTV staple".[40] The music video premiered exclusively in theiTunes Store on October 5, 2007, and in all other outlets, includingTRL on October 8, 2007, and onBET's106 & Park on October 10, 2007.[38]
The video begins with a blonde Spears sitting and laughing in a bar with two female friends, but stops to look at a brunette Spears calling out to her on a small stage in front of them, wearing a leather vest, a studded belt, panties and fishnet stockings while sporting atattoo on her biceps. She dances erotically around apole and up against a mirror. Throughout the video, she continues to dance and flip her hair while special effects lights flash around her as the camera moves slightly in and out of focus to the beat of the song. The video's light systems change from black and white with aura-like blue and pink hues to full-blown color. Around the middle of the video, she is joined by twoalter egos of her female friends, who also dance around the pole.[37] The blonde Spears and her friends, while watching the dancing, later draw their attention to an attractive man sitting with his friends at a table across the bar.
The music video received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Michael Slezak ofEntertainment Weekly said "The moral of the story is, if you're going to build an entire video around a stripper pole, then you better work said pole like a nine-to-five. Drop it like it's hot...Alas, in the case of "Gimme More," I've seen sexier pole work during an afternoon of fly-fishing".[41] Andrei Harmsworth ofMetro commented "To her credit, the video is slightly less disappointing than her mimed performance of the track at theVideo Music Awards last month but it is still smeared with the same smutty hallmarks".[42]Dose said the video "sucks less than you think" and added "Spears appears lucid, sometimes happy, and awards-worthy editing makes her appear to be standing upright competently throughout".[43] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine said the lighting effects anddigital body enhancement of the video "indicate a predilection toward maintaining an image that no longer reflects reality. It doesn't point to an artist who refuses to evolve, but rather one who doesn't know how—or isn't being allowed to."[12]IGN writer Sketch Longwood called it one of Spears' hottest videos, adding that she "proves to be quite skilled in the art of teasingly slinking around."[44] While reviewing the alternate version of the video in July 2011, Becky Bain ofIdolator stated that "Spears's last few videos — particularly the joyfully silly clip for 'I Wanna Go' — more than makeup for the travesty that was the pop star's video for 'Gimme More'... The stripper concept was a poor choice, the barely-there outfits were ill-fitting, the 'choreography' was a joke, the editing was sloppy."[45] Spears later wrote of the music video in her memoirThe Woman in Me that it was, "by far the worst video I’ve ever shot in my life. I don’t like it at all—it’s so tacky. It looks like we only spent three thousand dollars to shoot it."[46]
The video was spoofed byEminem on his music video of "We Made You".[47]
An alternative version of the video leaked online on July 18, 2011, and included new scenes, which featured Spears strutting down the street in a black outfit and laying down in a zebra-print bed with a cat. The scenes of blonde Spears were cut. Becky Bain ofIdolator said that "Neither the deleted nor added parts add or subtract anything from the experience. This video was kind of doomed no matter how it was edited together."[45]
Kicking off the show Sunday night with her new single, 'Gimme More,' Spears looked bleary and unprepared – much like her recent tabloid exploits on the streets of Los Angeles. She lazily walked through her dance moves with little enthusiasm. It appeared she had forgotten the entire art of lip-synching; and, perhaps most unforgivable given her once taut frame, she looked embarrassingly out of shape. Even the celebrity-studded audience seemed bewildered.50 Cent looked at Spears with a confused expression;Diddy, her new best friend, was expressionless. Some comeback.
After days of media speculation, it was confirmed on September 6, 2007, that Spears would open the2007 MTV Video Music Awards at the Pearl Theatre in thePalms Hotel and Casino inLas Vegas,Nevada, on September 9, 2007. It was also announced that she was going to perform "Gimme More", with a magic act from illusionistCriss Angel in some parts of the performance.[49] However, the bit is thought to have been rejected by the show's organizers at the last minute.[50] Jesse Ignjatovic, the executive producer of the 2007 VMAs, contacted Spears since she wanted to start the show in "a very big and dramatic way", and was confident that Spears would deliver and set the tone for the rest of the night. She also said Spears was excited after she was approached by MTV to perform.[49]
On September 7, 2007, Spears started rehearsing at the Pearl Theater. An exclusive video from the rehearsal was posted on MTV.com the following day.[51] The performance began with a close-up of the back of Spears's head, and continued with Spears turning to the camera andlip synching the first lines ofElvis Presley's 1958 song "Trouble": "If you're lookin' for trouble, you came to the right place / If you're lookin' for trouble, look right in my face." "Gimme More" began, and the camera panned out to reveal Spears wearing a black, jewel-encrusted bikini and black boots. She was accompanied by male and female dancers dressed in black outfits. Severalpole dancers danced in smaller stages around the audience. The backdrop videos featured images of chandeliers floating and silhouettes of women, which were compared by Gil Kaufman of MTV to thegun barrel and the title sequence of theJames Bond series. At the end of the performance, Spears smiled and thanked the audience before leaving the stage.[52]
The performance was universally panned by critics. Jeff Leeds ofThe New York Times said that "no one was prepared for Sunday night's fiasco, in which a listless Ms. Spears teetered through her dance steps and mouthed only occasional words in a wan attempt to lip-synch her new single".[5] Vinay Menon of theToronto Star commented Spears "looked hopelessly dazed. She was wearing the expression of somebody who had been deposited at the Palms Casino Resort by a tornado, one that promptly twisted away, taking her clothing and sense of purpose...[She was] lumbering, in slow motion, as if somebody had poured cement into her streetwalker boots".[53] David Willis ofBBC stated her performance would "go down in the history books as being one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards".[54]
The day after the performance, American bloggerCara Cunningham (formerly Chris Crocker) posted a video onYouTube titled "Leave Britney alone!", in which she cried and defended Spears's performance, explaining that she did not want her to spiral out of control likeAnna Nicole Smith, who had died in February 2007. Within the first 24 hours of its posting, the video accumulated over 2 million views.[55] "Leave Britney alone!" turned Cunningham aninternet celebrity, and was featured on television shows such asThe View andThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno. It was also parodied by dozens of other YouTube users, most famously by actorSeth Green.[55][56] An editor for YouTube said "the melodramatic two-minute clip made Crocker an instant YouTube star" and named it one of the top videos of 2007.[57]Wired named it the top video of 2007.[58]
During Spears's 2009 concert tourThe Circus Starring Britney Spears, the LAZRtag Remix of "Gimme More" was used in amartial arts-inspired interlude between the first and second act.[59] On March 25, 2011, Spears performed a special show atRain Nightclub in Las Vegas. Thesetlist of the show consisted of three songs from her seventh studio album,Femme Fatale, including "Hold It Against Me", "Big Fat Bass" and "Till the World Ends". During the performance of "Big Fat Bass", Spears wore a latexbodysuit and elements of "3", "Gimme More" and "I'm a Slave 4 U" were also included.[60] On March 27, 2011, "Big Fat Bass" was also performed at theBill Graham Civic Auditorium that aired onGood Morning America on March 29, 2011, and the same day, Spears performed the set atJimmy Kimmel Live!.[61][62]
Spears also performed "Gimme More" at 2011'sFemme Fatale Tour. After the performance of "If U Seek Amy", a video interlude in which a stalker talked aboutfemme fatales in history saw the beginning of the third section. Spears returned to the stage wearing a golden bikini and made her entrance in a boat whose individual parts were wheeled by dancers in Egyptian costumes.[63] Matt Kivel ofVariety said, "the crowd reacted wildly to all of it: screaming out the chorus to 'I'm a Slave 4 U,' pulsating along to the twitch of 'Gimme More' and going absolutely ballistic for the brief, two-verse rendition of '...Baby One More Time.'"[64] Craig S. Semon ofTelegram & Gazette called it the most over the top number of the show, adding "She delivered the banal, brain-numbing chorus...while her dancers (looking like extras from 'Stargate') paraded around in Egyptian garb and basked in the glow of pyrotechnic sparks."[65] Spears also performed the song at her residency show,Britney: Piece of Me (2013–2017).[66]
"Gimme More" has beencovered by many artists and a great number of amateurs.[67] In late 2007, American singer-songwriterMarié Digby posted an acoustic cover of "Gimme More" along with a cover ofRihanna's "Umbrella" in herYouTube account. Both became hits, with "Gimme More" gaining more than 300,000 views in two weeks. Shortly after, Digby became the eighth most subscribed-to artist on YouTube. She joked about the situation saying, "I could have done akaraoke video to ['Gimme More'], but I just had my stripper pole taken out the other day from my living room, and it just wouldn't have been the same".[67][68] The same year, Australian pop singerSia released an acoustic version of the song.[69] Swedish metal bandMachinae Supremacy covered the song on their third studio albumOverworld, released on February 13, 2008. Matthieu De Ronde ofArchaic Magazine commented "[it is] one of the most unexpected covers of all time...this track has been given a somewhat comical but enjoyable makeover, but who said that metal couldn't be fun?".[70] American singer-songwriter Christopher Dallman played a cover of the song during many of his concerts in 2007.[71] Two years later, he showed his version to his producer Rachel Alina, who prompted him to release anEP of Spears's covers.[72] The EP, titledSad Britney, was released on November 9, 2009, and also contained covers of "Radar", "Toxic" and "...Baby One More Time".[71] It became Dallman's first record to chart oniTunes.[72] He also released a music video for "Gimme More", which was criticized by Spears's fans who thought Dallman was making fun of her. He explained, "There have been a few folks who have misinterpreted what I was doing and thought that I was somehow making fun of her, which really isn't the case. I have such a place in my heart for Britney".[71] American singerSlayyyter released an unauthorized remix of the song on April 25, 2020.[73]
"Gimme More" has been sampled in many songs, includingGirl Talk's "Give Me a Beat" (2008) andCharles Hamilton's "Devil in a Light Pink Dress" (2009).[74][75] In the episode "Michael Scott Paper Company" of the television seriesThe Office, the character ofMichael Scott is driving his convertible listening toLady Gaga's "Just Dance" (2008). When he stops the car, he looks into the camera and says "It's Britney, bitch", mistaking Gaga for Spears.[76] During an episode of the television seriesKath & Kim, the character ofBrett Craig screams thecatch phrase before starting a fight in a bar.[77] During a skit in a 2008 episode ofThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, in whichEllen DeGeneres and Spears sangChristmas carols through a neighborhood, DeGeneres said the catch phrase when knocking on a door.[78] "It's Britney, bitch" was also included in a video backdrop during the performance of "Human Nature" (1995) inMadonna's 2008–09Sticky & Sweet Tour. In the video, Spears was trapped in an elevator and tried to get out. At the end of the performance, the doors opened to reveal Spears saying the catch phrase.[79] On November 6, 2008, in the Los Angeles show atDodger Stadium, Spears joined Madonna onstage halfway through the performance.[80] In 2012, "Gimme More" was covered onGlee during its second Britney Spears tribute episode. "Britney 2.0" features "Gimme More" which is performed byHeather Morris and heavily parodies Spears's infamous2007 MTV Music Video Awards performance.[81][82] Spears andwill.i.am's single "Scream & Shout" samples the phrase "Britney, bitch!". RapperJay-Z sampled the line "It's Britney, bitch!" in "BBC", a song on his 2013 albumMagna Carta Holy Grail. The song appears in the 2019 American crime drama filmHustlers[83] and appears as part of the track list forJust Dance 2024 Edition.[84][85] The song also appeared as a soundtrack onGrand Theft Auto V on the radio stationNon Stop Pop FM.[citation needed]
Australian CD single[86]
European CD single[87]
Remix EP[88]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[151] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[152] | Gold | 20,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[152] Mastertone | 2× Platinum | 80,000* |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[153] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| France | — | 48,870[154] |
| Germany (BVMI)[155] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[156] (since 2009) | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[157] | 2× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[158] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[159] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[160] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000‡ |
| Streaming | ||
| Greece (IFPI Greece)[161] | Platinum | 2,000,000† |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Version(s) | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | August 31, 2007 | "Gimme More" | Streaming | Jive | [162] |
| France | September 1, 2007 | Contemporary hit radio | Universal Music | [163] | |
| United States | September 18, 2007 | Jive | [164] | ||
| Rhythmic contemporary radio | [165] | ||||
| Luxembourg | September 24, 2007 | Digital download | Sony BMG | [166] | |
| Australia | October 6, 2007 | [167] | |||
| United States | October 12, 2007 | Digital download(EP) | Jive | [88] | |
| Norway | October 13, 2007 | Sony BMG | [168] | ||
| United Kingdom | October 15, 2007 | Digital download | RCA | [169] | |
| October 22, 2007 | CD | [170] | |||
| Austria | October 25, 2007 | Digital download(EP) | Sony BMG | [171] | |
| Germany | October 26, 2007 | Digital download | |||
| Finland | October 29, 2007 | [173] | |||
| France | CD | ||||
| Germany |
| [175][176] | |||
| Ireland | Digital download | [177] | |||
| Spain | [178] | ||||
| Sweden | October 31, 2007 | [179] | |||
| New Zealand | November 20, 2007 | Digital download(EP) | [180] | ||
| Luxembourg | December 1, 2007 | [181] | |||
| Various | January 8, 2008 | "Kimme More" | Digital download | Jive | [6] |
...heralding the introduction of EDM pop bangers (Gimme More, Piece Of Me)...
