| "Piece of Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byBritney Spears | ||||
| from the albumBlackout | ||||
| Released | November 27, 2007 (2007-11-27) | |||
| Recorded | May–June 2007 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:32 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Bloodshy & Avant | |||
| Britney Spears singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Piece of Me" onYouTube | ||||
"Piece of Me" is a song by American singerBritney Spears from her fifth studio album,Blackout (2007). It was released on November 27, 2007, byJive Records as the secondsingle from the album, but was actually the last song recorded. It was written and produced by Swedish producersBloodshy & Avant andKlas Åhlund as a response to themedia scrutiny and sensationalism of the singer's private life, which they had witnessed firsthand after working with her over the years. The song, acting as the singer'smanifesto, has biographical lyrics retelling Spears's mishaps. It can be classified as anelectropop,dance-pop andEDM-pop song that features an "electro instrumental track" and runs through adown-tempodance beat. Spears's voice is heavilysynthesized and her pitch constantly shifts; backing vocals are provided by Bloodshy & Avant andRobyn.
"Piece of Me" garnered widespread acclaim from themusic critics with many deeming it as one of the highlights ofBlackout.Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 15 on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. It peaked at number 18 on theBillboard Hot 100 and became Spears's second single from the album to top theBillboardHot Dance Club Play chart. "Piece of Me" was a global success, topping the charts in Costa Rica and Ireland and peaking within the top ten in twelve additional countries.
Themusic video to "Piece of Me", directed byWayne Isham, portrays the state of Spears' life in 2007; it shows her and her friends disguising themselves in order to confuse thepaparazzi, which ties directly to the lyrics. Director Isham's concept was to have Spears confidently parodying her situation. It received mixed reviews from critics, most arguing her body wasdigitally altered. The video, however, was nominated and won in three separate categories at the2008 MTV Video Music Awards, includingVideo of the Year.
"Piece of Me" was performed on tour atthe Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009) and theFemme Fatale Tour (2011). The song shares its title with Spears's Las Vegas residency show,Britney: Piece of Me (2013–2017), where it was also performed. The show went on to become a world tour, retaining the name, known as thePiece of Me Tour (2018).
"Piece of Me" was co-written and produced by the Swedish duo Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, professionally known asBloodshy & Avant, along withKlas Åhlund.[1] While recording with Spears over the years, Karlsson and Winnberg often saw first-hand how her regular activities were interrupted by the paparazzi, including one experience inHamburg which Winnberg deemed "really scary". ForBlackout, Spears worked with them on "Radar", "Freakshow" and "Toy Soldier". When the album was considered to be finished, Bloodshy & Avant were persuaded by herA&RTeresa LaBarbera Whites to work on a new track. Winnberg commented that it had always been anunwritten rule not to write songs about Spears's personal life since the label rejected "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex", a response track toJustin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River". However, the duo wrote "Piece of Me" with Åhlund and sent it to Spears, who loved it.[2] Bloodshy & Avant worked on the track at Bloodshy & Avant Studios inStockholm, Sweden, and Spears recorded her vocals at Chalice Recording Studios inLos Angeles, California.[1] Winnberg stated that Spears was extremely psyched when she came to the studio, where she recorded the song in about half an hour as she had learned the lyrics by heart in her car.[2] "Piece of Me" was later mixed by Niklas Flyckt at Mandarine Studios in Stockholm.[1] On October 31, 2007, during a radio interview withRyan Seacrest, Spears talked about the song, saying,
"Wherever you go, there's a lot of people who ask questions, and sometimes you don't know their intentions and stuff like that. So, it is kind of a cute way of putting it out there. You know, like, 'You want a piece of me?', you know, in a cool, cute and clever way. It is a cute song [...] I like it".[3]
"Piece of Me" is anelectropop,[4][5]dance-pop[6] andEDM-pop[7] song backed by an "electro instrumental track" and performed in an insistentpopgroove.[8][9][10] Sheet music for the song shows thekey ofC♯ minor with atime signature incommon time.[10] Themelody runs through adown-tempodancebeat.[8]Spears's vocals span over two octaves from D♯3 to D♯5.[10] They are heavily synthesized and are constantlypitch-shifted. The track consists of over-the-top vocaldistortions, causing a splitsound effect, making it difficult to discern which voice is Spears's.[11][12]Background vocals were also provided by Swedish pop singerRobyn. Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg sing the line "Extra! Extra!" during the chorus and writer Klas Åhlund, along with Robyn, alternates the repeated "piece of me" line in robotized voices.[13] Dave De Sylvia of Sputnikmusic drew comparisons to the songs in Robyn'sRobyn (2005), specifically to her single "Handle Me".[14]
The lyrics of "Piece of Me" are written as a reaction to the scrutiny of Spears's private life in themedia. They deal withfame and living under the spotlight.[12] During the first verse, Spears sings thehookline "You want a piece of me?", that is repeated throughout the song. According toKelefa Sanneh ofThe New York Times, the line "could be an accusation or an invitation or a threat".[11] "Piece of Me" is constructed in the commonverse-chorus pattern. "Piece of Me" is written like a biography retelling Spears's mishaps, sung in a nearly spoken manner.[8] Alex Fletcher ofDigital Spy compared the lyrics toAmy Winehouse's "Rehab" (2006).[9] Bill Lamb ofAbout.com said that "Piece of Me" makesMichael Jackson's "Scream" (1995) "sound like a whimper."[8]
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"Piece of Me" received widespread acclaim from music critics, most of whom considered it the standout track fromBlackout. Alex Fletcher ofDigital Spy gave "Piece of Me" four stars, calling it "a two fingered-salute to the media hounds and an electro-thudding cry of defiance, warning us that this popstrel is not for turning. [The opening line] poops from a great height on anythingLily Allen has ever penned and reveals that it's been Spears who's been laughing hardest during her year of zany media antics".[9] Peter Robinson ofThe Observer and Margeaux Watson ofEntertainment Weekly named "Piece of Me" one of the standout tracks of the album.[15][16] Dennis Lim ofBlender called it one of the best tracks ofBlackout along with "Gimme More".[17] Laura Herbert ofBBC News said that the song is "without doubt the best track on the whole album. [...] It's a masterpiece."[18] Kelefa Sanneh ofThe New York Times said "[Bloodshy & Avant] evoke the horror, the exhilaration and (finally) the boredom of [Spears's] overexamined life. It’s brilliant".[11]
Tom Ewing ofPitchfork Media suggested that "the hypertreatment of the voice, the way it edges into the music, suggests that the price of fame isidentity erasure. We understand her through a filter, and that's how we have to hear her too. The multiple backing vox fragment identity further, turn the song more universal".[12] Dave De Sylvia of Sputnikmusic also picked it as one of the album's highlights.[14] Melissa Maerz ofRolling Stone named it the best track of the album along with "Freakshow", deeming it as a "tabloid-bashing banger".[19] Jim Abbott of theOrlando Sentinel said that "Musically, songs such as 'Piece of Me,' 'Radar' and 'Break the Ice' are one-dimensional, robotic exercises."[20]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllmusic commented that "Bloodshy & Avant try desperately to craft a defiantanthem for this tabloid fixture, as she couldn't be bothered to write one on her own".[21] Chris Wasser from theIrish Independent said the song "drowns slowly under cloggy production and a lyrical theme that for all of its close connection with the trials and tribulations Spears has had to deal with, weren't even penned by the singer who could have very easily recorded her fairly unchallenging input onBlackout in less than a week."[22] The song was later included inRolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of 2007 list, at number fifteen.[23] In 2024,Billboard's staff included "Piece of Me" on their "The 100 Greatest Songs About the Music Industry" list, ranking it at number nine.[24]
On November 17, 2007, "Piece of Me" debuted at number sixty-five on the U.S.BillboardHot 100.[25] On February 9, 2008, the song peaked at number 18.[26] It was the second consecutive single fromBlackout to reach number one on theBillboardHot Dance Club Songs chart.[27] The song shipped over 2,000,000 copies in the United States, earning aplatinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[28] As of March 2015, "Piece of Me" has sold 1.9 million digital downloads in the United States according toNielsen SoundScan.[29] It is her sixth best-selling digital single in the country.[29] In Canada, the song debuted at number 37 on theCanadian Hot 100 for the week of November 17, 2007.[30] For the week of April 26, 2008, it reached its peak position of number five.[31] "Piece of Me" was certified platinum by theCanadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for paid digital downloads of 40,000.[32]
In Australia, "Piece of Me" debuted at theARIA Singles Chart at number two on February 4, 2008 – for the week ending date February 10, 2008.[33] The song has shipped over 70,000 copies in Australia, earning a platinum certification by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[34] In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 34 on theNew Zealand Singles Chart on December 31, 2007 – for the week ending date January 6, 2008.[35] It was certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for sales over 7,500 copies.[36]
In the United Kingdom, "Piece of Me" debuted at number 69 on theUK Singles Chart on December 23, 2007 – for the week ending December 29, 2007.[37] After its physical CD release, the song peaked at number two on the chart on January 13, 2008 – for the week ending date January 19, 2008.[38] According to theOfficial Charts Company, the song has sold 276,000 copies in Britain.[39] In Ireland, the song debuted at number 27 on theIrish Singles Chart on December 14, 2007 – for the week ending date December 20, 2007.[40] It peaked at the top of the chart on January 4, 2008 – for the week ending date January 10, 2008 – where it remained for two consecutive weeks.[41] "Piece of Me" achieved similar success across continental Europe, peaking inside the top ten in theEuropean Hot 100 Singles chart,[42][43] Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden and reaching the top forty in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Czech Republic, Italy and the Netherlands.[44]
The music video for "Piece of Me" was filmed on November 27 and 28, 2007, at the nightclub and restaurant Social Hollywood inLos Angeles, California. It was directed byWayne Isham, who had previously worked with Spears on the music video of "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman".[45] In some scenes of the music video, Spears wore a purple satin dress from American designer Marina Toybina.[46] Spears reportedly arrived twelve hours late to the set, after spending the day with her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James.[45] Isham talked about the situation, saying, "She was late. People made a big thing about it, [but] how could she not be late, when you have 50, 65, 75 people running down the street chasing her car? That was a long day for the crew. It was literally a 20-hour day for the crew. She was there for the last six hours of it. She got there late, showed up and just kicked ass".[47] He also explained the concept of the music video:
"On [the music video], I really just wanted to put the mirror back onto the whole experience. You can see that she had that kind of confidence. And, literally, every take became a more and more confident take, so that she could have fun with what was going on. Not being over-the-top sarcastic, but ... having a laugh at everything that was going on around her, with confidence. [...] The very last dance of the piece, she had her hair up, and I go, 'Can you just do one for me with your hair down?' She dropped her hair down. You'll see we intercut with her hair up and her hair down. That was the last piece. She just rocked it from her heart. She choreographed that last dance at the very end. She did that on her own and said, 'Let's go for it'".[47]
The video begins with four blonde women changing their clothes, putting make up on and dancing in a bedroom. Outside, severalpaparazzi are taking pictures of the situation through the window. Spears appears in front of a multi-colored, illuminated background wearing a short brown fur vest, a sequined black bra and rippedlow-rise jeans.[48] There are also intercut scenes of Spears wearing a white fur coat tearing down tabloid covers such asIn Touch Weekly and creating positive ones, such as "It's Britney, Bitch" and "Exceptional Earner". One tabloid in particular is labeledRats Weakly, likely a pun ofStar when written backwards. During the first chorus, Spears joins the four women, all wearing matching blondbob wigs, dark sunglasses and blacktrench coats being hounded by paparazzi.[45]
Then they enter a nightclub, with Spears wearing a purple satin dress.[46] Spears starts flirting with a man and guides him into the women's bathroom, where she discovers he has a hidden camera in his chest. She writes "Sucker" in his forehead. There is a dance sequence until the song ends, in which Spears and the four women dance in the bathroom. At the end, the women are seen back at the bedroom watching an entertainment news program, in which the "Britney invasion" from earlier is reported. The final scene shows a close-up of Spears smirking.[47]
The music video received mixed reviews from critics.The Daily Telegraph commented "Britney – presumably with the help of some serious digital remastering – has turned back the clock, looking every part the young starlet that gave us 'Oops'".[49]Dose said "shockingly, it's not that bad. Well, not that bad for everyone's favourite panty protesting, deposition skipping, weave wearing pop-tard".[50] On August 17, 2008, it was announced that the video was nominated forBest Female Video,Best Pop Video andVideo of the Year at the2008 MTV Video Music Awards.[51] The ceremony was held on September 7, 2008, and Spears won all three categories.[52] On October 18, 2008, during a live interview with New York'sZ100, she explained that she was shocked when she won, saying, "It's a cool video, but I think by far I've done videos that are way better, so I was really shocked that it got [Video of the Year]. It was just inspiring, though, because now, going forward with the videos that I'm doing now, I can really go there and do something crazy and see what happens".[53]
An international version of the video was also officially released. This version is almost exactly the same as the original, with the only difference being that some of the early shots where Spears dances in front of the multicolored background are replaced by shots of Spears with a short blonde bob wig wearing a purple dress and in front of a black background with flashing lights.[54]
On November 27, 2007,MTV launched the contest "Britney Spears Wants a Piece of You", in which fans could direct a separate video for the song, using footage of interviews and performances from Spears. Using the MTV Video Remixer, fans could mix and create amash up of the footage. The winning video premiered onTRL on December 20, 2007, and MTV.Jive Records and Spears herself picked the winner. The winner also received aHaier Ibiza Rhapsody device along with a one-year subscription toRhapsody, as well as Spears' entire discography released in the United States.[55]
"Piece of Me" was performed at 2009'sthe Circus Starring Britney Spears as the second song of the show. At the end of the performance of "Circus", Spears took off her red jacket that represented aringmaster, to reveal a black corset encrusted withSwarovski crystals, fishnet stockings and high-heeled laced up boots, designed byDean and Dan Caten.[56] While smoke surrounded her, she entered a cage in the middle of the stage while "Piece of Me" began. During the performance, Spears represented aslave, that attempted to escape from her dancers.[57] "Piece of Me" was also performed at 2011'sFemme Fatale Tour. Following "3", Spears climbed into a small platform and started performing the song while floating over the stage. The male dancers below her were dressed as policemen, and took off their shirts to revealS&M bondage harnesses.[58] Shirley Halperin ofThe Hollywood Reporter named it one of the best performances of the show along with "3" and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", stating that "ironically enough, [they] were the ones with fewest frills."[59] The song was also performed live at Spears's Las Vegasresidency show,Britney: Piece of Me.[60]
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Credits and personnel are adapted from theBlackout album liner notes.[61]
Weekly charts[edit] | Year-end charts[edit]
|
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[110] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[111] Mastertone | Platinum | 40,000* |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[112] | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Germany (BVMI)[113] | Gold | 150,000‡ |
| Italy | — | 11,002[114] |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[115] | Platinum | 15,000* |
| Sweden (GLF)[116] | Gold | 10,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[118] | Gold | 427,000[117] |
| United States (RIAA)[119] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | November 27, 2007 | Contemporary hit radio | Jive | [120] |
| Spain | January 1, 2008 | Digital download(EP) | Sony BMG | [121] |
| Ireland | January 4, 2008 | Digital download | [122] | |
| Norway | [123] | |||
| Finland | January 7, 2008 | [124] | ||
| Singapore | [125] | |||
| United Kingdom | RCA | [126] | ||
| January 8, 2008 | CD | [127] | ||
| Italy | January 11, 2008 | Digital download(EP) | Sony BMG | [128] |
| Luxembourg | January 14, 2008 | Digital download | [129] | |
| Sweden | Digital download(EP) | [130] | ||
| United States | January 29, 2008 | Jive | [131] | |
| Germany | February 1, 2008 |
| Sony BMG | [132][133][134] |
| United Kingdom | February 4, 2008 | Maxi CD | RCA | [135] |
| Germany | February 29, 2008 | CD(limited edition) | Sony BMG | [136][137] |
| Japan | March 18, 2008 | CD | [138] |
[...] on the defiant electro-pop anthem "Piece of Me"...
...heralding the introduction of EDM pop bangers (Gimme More, Piece Of Me) [...]
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
