"Me Against the Music" is a song by American singerBritney Spears from her fourth studio album,In the Zone (2003), featuring vocals by American singerMadonna. The singers co-wrote the song withChristopher "Tricky" Stewart, Thabiso "Tab" Nikhereanye, Penelope Magnet,Terius Nash and Gary O'Brien. It was released on October 14, 2003, byJive Records, as thelead single ofIn the Zone. It became the first single to credit Madonna as afeatured artist in her 20-year career. After bonding with Spears during a night inNew York City, Stewart and Magnet started working on the song for her. During rehearsals for the2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Spears played Madonna the track and asked her to collaborate.
"Me Against the Music" contains influences ofdance-pop,hip hop and usage offunk guitars. Spears and Madonna trade lines during the verses, and Madonna sings the bridge. Lyrically, the song talks about battling the music and the pleasures of letting go on the dancefloor. The song received generally mixed reviews from music critics. Some felt it was a strong dance track ofIn the Zone, while others referred to it as lackluster and disappointing. The song was a commercial success, peaking atop of the charts in countries such as Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland and Spain, as well as theEuropean Hot 100 Singles. It also peaked at number two in Canada, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom, and inside the top five in many other nations. The song won the "Hot Dance Single of the Year" accolade at the2004Billboard Music Awards.
The accompanying music video for "Me Against the Music" shows Spears and Madonna playing opposites in a nightclub. A cat-and-mouse chase ensues, and Spears finds Madonna in the end, only for the latter to disappear before they kiss. The video received positive reviews from critics, who noted it as symbolic of the sexual roles between the women. Spears has performed the song in a number of live appearances including the2003 NFL Kickoff Live,Saturday Night Live,2003 American Music Awards andTRL. She has also performed remixed versions with elements ofbhangra music atThe Onyx Hotel Tour (2004) andThe Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009). Spears performed the song on her Las Vegas residency showBritney: Piece of Me. "Me Against the Music" has been remixed byJustice, while the music video was recreated by television seriesGlee and included an appearance by Spears.
American producersChristopher "Tricky" Stewart and Penelope Magnet, known collectively asRedZone Entertainment, presented Spears with the third song they had written and produced, "Pop Culture Whore". While her management liked the track, she rejected it, telling them the song "sucked". After bonding with Spears during a night inNew York City to "get in her world", as Magnet explained, it was easier to "actually write and know what she would and wouldn't say, to know where her real vibe is". Stewart and Magnet began working on the first version of the song; Stewart came up with the track, while Magnet developed the melody on a piano and some of the lyrics.[1] American producerThe-Dream became involved after Stewart proposed him to work together on the track for Spears. He explained, "I was just getting into the business. I'm in Atlanta, driving home in a '92Cadillac, and I get the call [...] I hung up and just screamed out joyous sounds."[2] During the recording sessions, Stewart recalls that the studio's air-conditioning died for three days, but Spears "didn't complain or anything, and for me that shows she's where she is for a reason."[3]
While rehearsing for their performance at the2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Spears played a finished version of "Me Against the Music" toMadonna. After Madonna commented that she liked the track, Spears asked her to do the song with her.[4] RedZone then handed "Me Against the Music" to Madonna, who arranged and recorded her vocal additions on her own, therefore making the song a duet.[3] Spears, who has been a Madonna fan for years, was "beyond surprised" when she heard Madonna's verse. She said "I just asked her to do a little thing, but she really went there. She did a lot of stuff to it."[5]Jive Records hoped "Outrageous" would be released as the first single from the album, but Spears pushed for "Me Against the Music".[6] After she performed the song for the first time at the 2003 NFL Kickoff Live, Spears refused to answer if it was the first single from the album, but said that "there are some surprises that are going to come up in the song that I'm really excited about."[7] On September 16, 2003, it was confirmed that "Me Against the Music" would be released as the first single fromIn the Zone.[8]
"Me Against the Music" is adance-pop andhip hop song with "funky guitar riffs" and "rapid-fire singing".[1][3][9][10] The song features Madonna, but was constructed as a duet after she was added to the track. Spears and Madonna trade lines during the verses, and Madonna sings solo in thebridge.[3] Stewart described the sound as "half-rapping, half-singing" and "beat-driven".[1] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, "Me Against the Music" is set in a moderate dance beat, with atempo of 120beats per minute. Spears's vocal range span from the low-note of G2 to the high-note of B4.[11] Gavin Mueller ofStylus Magazine deemed Spears's vocals as "sexy and sultry" and compared them to those ofPrince.[12]
In the song, Spears and Madonna sing of the pleasures of letting go on the dancefloor, in lyrics such as "I'm up against the speaker / Trying to take on the music / It's like a competition".[3] Spears explained the concept of the song as "basically about just going to a club and letting yourself go and battling with whoever is around you and battling against the music as well."[4] Magnet continued, saying, "Like she was hearing the music and trying to out-dance the track or out-beat the drum or out-pluck the guitar. It's as if she's in the club, losing herself in the music."[1] William Shaw ofBlender stated Madonna's verse could be interpreted as her passing the baton to a new talent, as well as "a taunt from the old guard to the uptight youngster."[5]
A number of remixes were commissioned byJive Records to accompany the release. The Australian CD singles included remixes by artists suchPeter Rauhofer,Rishi Rich, Passengerz and Terminalhead.[13][14] The US CD single also contained remixes by Trak Starz,Gabriel & Dresden,Bloodshy & Avant andKanye West.[15] The Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix was later included in the track list ofIn the Zone. The remix removes the original melody of the song and adds a clatteringbackbeat andPunjabi shouts. Kelefa Sanneh ofThe New York Times called the remix "excellent", noting that it is "so frenetic you barely notice Ms. Spears and Madonna – it's odd to hear two such ubiquitous figures sounding so anonymous."[16] There are two remixes released which do not feature Madonna; Bloodshy & Avant's Chix Mix was released on Spears's first EP accompanying theBritney Spears: In the Zone video, while the DragonMan Remix appears on theDare for More Pepsi promotional CD,[17] theNew Divas 2004 compilation album and the Japan Tour edition ofGlory. Both remixes feature a rap performed by the song's co-writer Penelope Magnet in place of Madonna's bridge. Spears had also contactedOutkast to remix "Me Against the Music" but the remix was not released.[18]
"Me Against the Music" received mixed reviews from critics upon release.[19][20]Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic selected "Me Against the Music" as one of the 'track picks' fromIn the Zone.[21] Caryn Ganz ofSpin called the song "a fine specimen of Britney 4.0 – a fast-paced dance anthem, all grinding percussion shuttling through a traffic jam of synths."[22] Dave De Sylvia of Sputnikmusic said that "Aside from numerous rather awful name-dropping passages and a disappointing chorus, the track is an ideal way to open the album. It's an up-tempo dance track with a big name attached; what else could you ask for?"[23] Sal Cinquemani ofSlant Magazine deemed it as "arguably one of Britney's finest moments and one of her mentor's worst".[24] Nick Southall ofStylus Magazine said that "Madonna vamps it up (literally – her appearance here is not Sapphic but vampiric, the wizened old crone bleeding another period of forced longevity into her career like a cruenating corpse leaking plasma backwards) on 'Me Against The Music', but can't make it a bad tune."[25] Gavin Mueller, also writing forStylus Magazine, said that the single "benefits from a kinetic garage-inspired beat, even when a tepid Madonna threatens to spoil the fun."[12]
Spence D. ofIGN commented, "Initially catchy, it's ultimately forgettable other than it's the musical counterpart/fallout to/from the duo's lip lock publicity stunt on the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards."[26] Jamie Gill ofYahoo! Music Radio stated that "Madonna's appearance on the brilliantly titled but deeply dreary 'Me Against The Music' was a postmodern prank designed to make all sane listeners think 'actually,American Life was pretty good, after all.'"[27] While reviewingThe Singles Collection, Mayer Nissim ofDigital Spy said that "the only arguable weak link is the Madonna-featuring 'Me Against The Music', but in this context what once looked like a respectful passing of the baton now seems like an unconditional surrender ofpop Queendom to its rightful heir."[28] David Browne ofEntertainment Weekly called "Me Against the Music" "the album's coy, overly busy single".[29] Dorian Lynskey ofThe Guardian noted it as "the only duff track" of the album.[30] Jon Pareles ofRolling Stone wrote, "Madonna shows up in the album's first song, 'Me Against the Music', as if endorsing Spears's foray into come-hither posing and club-land beats."[31]
Larry Flick fromThe Advocate denounced the track as an "'Into the Groove' redux". He added that the song "propels the listener into Spears' collaborations with heavy-hitting producers. There's nary a hint of her pristine pop past onKelly's hip-grinding 'Outrageous' orPerry's 'Girls & Boys'. Instead Spears swims through dark, often hip-hop hued waters with occasional forays into minor keyed electro dance terrain."[32] Ali Fenwick ofThe Johns Hopkins News-Letter said, "Despite bringing out the big guns in a duet with Madonna, 'Me Against The Music' is not danceable, the measure of success in any pop tune."[33] Linda McGee ofRTÉ.ie commented that although much of the content ofIn the Zone is "catchy", "it is hard to see any potential singles impressing as much as 'Me Against The Music'."[34] Kelefa Sanneh ofThe New York Times deemed it as "an odd, overstuffed track, not so much a song as a series of party chants".[16] Mim Udovitch ofBlender called it "lackluster".[35] While ranking Madonna's singles in honor of her 60th birthday,The Guardian'sJude Rogers placed the song at number 71, writing that "[Madonna] is usually better when she's striding alone. This duet with Britney is all raunch and no solid roots".[36] In 2023,Billboard's staff placed "Me Against the Music" at the 19th position on their 'The 100 Greatest Songs of 2003' list.[37]
Spears performing "Me Against the Music" at the 2003 NFL Kickoff Live
On October 25, 2003, "Me Against the Music" debuted at number 50 on theBillboard Hot 100. It was Spears' 10th chart hit, as well as the first of her entries that she had co-written. "Me Against the Music" was incidentally Madonna's 50th chart entry, 20 years after her first appearance on the Hot 100 with "Holiday" the week of October 29, 1983. It was also the first song in chart history to credit Madonna as a featured artist, and her first chart entry not produced by her since "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" in 1996.[38] On the issue dated November 29, 2003, "Me Against the Music" peaked at number 35.[39] On the component charts, the song peaked at the top ofHot Dance Club Songs, becoming her first song to do so, and at number 11 onPop Songs.[40][41] It won the "Hot Dance Single of the Year" accolade at the2004Billboard Music Awards.[42] In June 2012,Nielsen Soundscan reported that "Me Against the Music" sold 60,000 physical copies and 281,000 digital downloads in the US.[43] "Me Against the Music" also peaked at number two on theCanadian Singles Chart.[44]
In Australia, "Me Against the Music" debuted at number one on November 17, 2003, replacingKylie Minogue's "Slow", and remained at the top for two weeks.[45] It was certifiedplatinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 70,000 units.[46] On November 24, 2003, the song debuted at number 13 in New Zealand.[47] "Me Against the Music" debuted in the United Kingdom at number two, on the week of November 16, 2003. It was blocked from ascending the top spot byBusted's "Crashed the Wedding". The song became Spears' most successful single since "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" in April 2002.[48] According to theOfficial Charts Company, the song has sold 240,000 copies there.[49] "Me Against the Music" also topped theEurochart Hot 100 Singles chart for three consecutive weeks.[50] The song topped the charts in Denmark, Hungary and Ireland; reached number two in Italy and Norway; the top five in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands. "Me Against the Music" also charted in the top 20 of Austria and France.[51]
The music video for "Me Against the Music" was filmed over three days in October 2003, atSilvercup Studios inLong Island City, New York.[52] It was directed byPaul Hunter, who revealed that the concept was setting Spears and Madonna apart, hence Spears wore a black outfit whereas Madonna sported a white suit.[4]Kevin Tancharoen was the choreographer of the video.[53] The vehicle used in the video, aMazda RX-8, was autographed by Spears on the hood and auctioned off to benefit the Britney Spears Foundation.[54] In 2009, Hunter talked toMTV News about the video, saying, "Madonna is an icon of an earlier generation, and then Britney of the newer generation. She was at her peak at that point [...] So it was a challenge to kind of bring both of the worlds together. I wanted it to be a bit of acat-and-mouse sort of game and a little bit of a foreplay between Britney and Madonna and just sort of tease the audience."[4]
The video starts with Spears parking a silverMazda RX-8 and going into a New York nightclub.[55] She enters a wooden room populated with 'cool kids' flaunting pink and purple hair while taking whiffs from an oxygen tank. Madonna, who is in a room filled with men smoking cigars, observes her from television monitors throughout the club.[55] She wears a white trouser suit and carries a cane, signifying a position of moneyed power. Her suit is also notably fitted, especially in the waistcoat, revealingMadonna's body to be female and not masculine.[56] Although the areas are separated by a wall, Spears and Madonna sense their presences throughextrasensory perception and dance in synchronicity.[55] Julie Andsager inSex in consumer culture (2006) noted that the video hints at asame-sex relationship between the two.[57]
This is followed with Spears performing a dance routine inside ablacklight paint graffiti room, and the two women dancing around a metal bedframe.[58] Spears then begins chasing Madonna in a wooden-like maze, and the latter enters a room covered with fallen leaves and stands in a swing. Once Spears finds the room, Madonna is nowhere to be found.[55] Throughout the video, Madonna gradually loses her symbolic power, paralleled by her disposing the cane and jacket, becoming less phallic and more noticeably female biologically and more feminine socially. Although it ultimately seems that Spears becomes the dominant figure, Madonna recovers her phallic power in the form of a cigar from an onlooking male.[56] Spears appears in Madonna's room and throws her against the wall, and Madonna vanishes just as they are about to kiss. The video ends as Madonna's laugh is heard in the background.[58]
The video premiered on television onMaking the Video on October 21, 2003, at 23:00EDT.[55] Its online premiere was onYahoo! Music. It was viewed more than two million times in its first five days.[59] The video reached number one on theAOL Music Top Video chart in November 2003, with 3,356,007 millionstreams.[60] In January 2004, the video topped the same chart again with 1,198,920 million streams.[61] Jocelyn Vena ofMTV said, "It was the changing of the guard – or at least the meeting of two of the most influential pop musicians of all time. [...] The superstars tantalize the audience (and each other) throughout the flirty video."[4]
Julie Andsager stated the 'fantasy-fulfillment' strategy of Spears continued with the Madonna kiss and the "Me Against the Music" video, but added that "she has, perhaps, taken her sexuality to its extreme – for network television, at least – at the age of 21".[57] Laurenz Volkmann said that it showcases an entire range of different female roles between 'older' and 'younger' sign systems.[62] Author Judith Ann Peraino commented, "In 1963,Judy Garland presentedBarbra Streisand as her protégée as songstress andgay icon; in 2003, Madonna instated Spears as her protégée in same-sex erotica and icon of polymorphous sexuality."[63] The music video received a nomination for the Outstanding Achievement in Choreography at the 10thAmerican Choreography Awards.[64]
Spears performing "Me Against the Music" at theCircus Tour
Spears performed "Me Against the Music" for the first time at the2003 NFL Kickoff Live on September 4, 2003, at theNational Mall.[65] She sported a shoulder-length blond wig and was dressed in black football pants, a black-and-white referee halter top and boots fromReebok.[65] The performance segued into a medley of "...Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U", which included pyrotechnics.[7][54][66] Her outfit was later auctioned off to benefit the Britney Spears Foundation.[54] On September 14, 2003, Spears played a surprise concert atRain Nightclub in thePalms Casino Resort, and "Me Against the Music" was the first song in the set.[67] On October 18, 2003, the song was performed by Spears during thetwenty-ninth season episode ofSaturday Night Live hosted byHalle Berry.[68] William Shaw ofBlender stated, "Dancing and singing, Spears is in her element. She drips song-and-dance confidence. Within a few seconds, her shiny hat falls off, sending her blond hair everywhere, but Spears doesn't miss a step. When it comes to Madonna's verse, she can't help mouthing along to the words."[5] Spears opened the2003 American Music Awards telecast with a performance of "Me Against the Music". She floated down on a wire from the rafters in a gold overcoat, which she quickly shed to reveal a pink bustier, black vinyl thigh-high boots and black hot pants. She was accompanied by a troupe of brightly dressed faux punk rock dancers and a dizzying set that featured shooting flames,Vegas-style neon signs and a massive video screen.[69]
It was also performed by Spears atBritney Spears: In the Zone, a concert special that aired inABC on November 17, 2003.[70] The following day, she performed on the American music showTRL atTimes Square, wearing afedora and her signature half-shirt.[71][72] "Me Against the Music" was also performed on American late-night showThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno and American morning showLive with Regis and Kelly on November 17 and 24, 2003.[72] She performed the song as the headliner of theJingle Ball on December 8, 2003, at theStaples Center.[73] The Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix of "Me Against the Music" was performed as the encore number of 2004'sThe Onyx Hotel Tour. It began with a system malfunction where a female voice counted down as the screens sketched Spears's outline, which then rose to reveal her at the top of a staircase.[74] Spears wore a red ensemble, an ended the performance on the staircase where the screen is lowered. She made her exit as a shower of confetti was shot towards the audience.[75] "Me Against the Music" was also performed on 2009'sThe Circus Starring Britney Spears, in aBollywood-inspired group dancing routine which includedmudras. Spears wore green and gold harem pants ensemble.[76] Jim Farber ofDaily News said, "In a nod to trendiness, the shows included a mock-Bollywood dance sequence during 'Me Against The Music,' eagerly riding the 'Slumdog' gravy train."[77] Spears performed the song during her Las Vegas residency showBritney: Piece of Me. During the performance, Spears is seen doing a dance routine with walls made of wood, which is a resemblance to the labyrinth scene from its music video.[78]
The music video was parodied during the 2003French & Saunders Christmas special and on an episode of the American comedy showMad TV.[79]
French electronic music duoJustice released a remix of "Me Against the Music" in 2005, and reproduced the coda of the song in their 2007 single "D.A.N.C.E.".[80]
The song is not only covered but the music video was recreated on the 2010 American seriesGlee episode "Britney/Brittany". The characters ofBrittany Pierce (Heather Morris) andSantana Lopez (Naya Rivera) are put undergeneral anesthesia during a trip to the dentist's office. They share an hallucination, in which Morris appears as Spears, whereas Rivera plays Madonna.[81] Morris explained, "The 'Me Against the Music' montage, it's literally copied exactly from the video, the shots and looks, but the choreography is made so much more for a dancer – none of it is from the video. [...] It's insane."[82] At the end of the number, Spears replaces Santana and pins Brittany against the wall, announcing to her that she is in a fantasy.[81] Spears applauded the cover, pointing out that it "looks just like the original," and adding, "Santana does a great Madonna impression."[83] The song charted at number ninety-three in Australia, fifty-four in Canada and fifty-six in the United States.[84][85][86]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Molanphy, Chris (September 27, 2019)."State of the World Edition".Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast).Slate. RetrievedOctober 15, 2023.
^Me Against the Music (Australian CD Single liner notes). Britney Spears. Jive Records. 2003. 82876 57755 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Me Against the Music (Australian CD Single liner notes). Britney Spears. Jive Records. 2003. 82876 57756 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Me Against the Music (U.S. CD Single liner notes). Britney Spears. Jive Records. 2003. 82876 58215 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
