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| Recorded = [[2007]]
| Recorded = [[2007]]
| Genre = [[Electropop]], [[contemporary R&B|urban pop]]
| Genre = [[Electropop]], [[contemporary R&B|urban pop]]
| Length = 3:16
| Length = 3:16 <small>(Album version) <br> 3:37 <small>(Radio edit)</small>
| Label = [[Jive Records|Jive]]
| Label = [[Jive Records|Jive]]
| Writer = Marcella Araica, Nate "Danja" Hills, [[Keri Hilson]], James Washington
| Writer = Marcella Araica, Nate "Danja" Hills, [[Keri Hilson]], James Washington

Revision as of 02:54, 17 February 2008

Template:Future single

"Break the Ice"
Song

"Break the Ice" is a song written by Nate "Danja" Hills, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Keri Hilson and James Washington, and recorded by American singer Britney Spears. It was produced by Danja for Spears' fifth studio album Blackout (2007). It was officially confirmed as the third single on her official website, and it will be sent to the U.S. mainstream radio format on February 26 2008.[1]

Background

Spears collaborated with Hills, Araica, Hilson and Washington who were behind her comeback single "Gimme More" (2007). The production team worked on the track when Spears was pregnant with her second child.[2] They arranged the vocals in Spears' house at Beverly Hills, California, three weeks before she gave birth.[2] It was recorded at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, the same venue where Spears infamously opened the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards performing "Gimme More". It was mixed by Araica in Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles.

A demo of the song, which was known as "Been a While" to fans, leaked on the internet; it later appeared with its official title on Blackout's final tracklisting.[3]

Composition

"Break the Ice" is an uptempo-oriented electro track[4][2] that runs for three minutes and sixteen seconds. It is constructed in the common verse-chorus form. The spoken intro contains a dual meaning. She whispers "It's been a while. I know I shouldn't have kept you waiting. But I'm here now," which serves as an apology for being gone so long in the music industry, as well as away from her love interest in the song.[2] The song speaks about a girl and a boy, with the former saying: "You're a little cold. Let me warm things up and break the ice."[2] Spears' breathy vocals are layered when she sings "Hot Hot Hot - ahh" in the choruses and sound similar to that of her 2001 single "I'm a Slave 4 U." Midway through the song, she halts, "I like this part...", mimicking Janet Jackson's style.[2] The heavy drum line drops and the song finalizes in a repeated chorus, with ad-libs included by Spears.

Reception

Critical response to "Break the Ice" has been glowing. Like "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me", the song received rave reviews from music critics and was one of the most recommended songs of the album. Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times described it as a "rave-inspired flirtation."[5] All Music Guide's Stephen Thomas Erlewine referred to the song as a "stuttering electro-clip."[4] Darryl Sterdan noted in Canadian-based website Jamcanoe.ca: "...she [Spears] brought a choir and one of Madonna's old synth-pop leftovers with her."[6] Spears mouthing of "I like this part" was described by Tom Ewing of Pitchfork Media that it "sounds like spacehoppers bouncing is slow motion round in a padded cell" and concluded that the track is the "most individual of Britney records" and that "her constant surrender of identity from track to track comes over as a tactic to make individual songs more disorienting and thrilling."[7]

Chart performance

Due to strong digital sales, the single charted on the Billboard Pop 100 at seventy-two and Billboard Hot Digital Songs at seventy-five on the week which Blackout was released. It also charted on Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at nine that week.[8][9] "Break the Ice" currently sits at fifty-six on the Pop 100 chart due to its rising airplay.

Formats and track listings

Promo CD

  1. "Break the Ice" (Main) – 3:16
  2. "Break the Ice" (Instrumental) – 3:08

Official versions and remixes

  • Album/Main Version – 3:16
  • Instrumental – 3:08
  • Demo Version (Been a While) – 3:08

Charts

Chart (2007)[8][9] Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 9
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 56

Personnel and credits

References

  1. ^ a b FMQB confirmation Retrieved February 8 2008
  2. ^ a b c d e f Vineyard, Jennifer (October 12, 2007). "Britney Spears' New Album, Blackout: A Track-By-Track Report". MTV Canada. CTV Globe Media. Retrieved 2008-01-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Friedman, Roger ((October 11, 2007)). "Britney Spears' 'Blackout' Hits Internet". FOX News Network, LLC. Retrieved 2008-01-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Album review: Blackout". All Music Guide. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  5. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (October 29, 2007). "'Miss Bad Media Karma' Sings, Too". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-01-20. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Sterdan, Darryl. "BLACKOUT Britney's back with a thud". Jam Canoe. Canoe Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
  7. ^ Ewing, Tom (November 20, 2007). "Britney in the Black Lodge (Damn Fine Album)". Pitchfork Media. Pitchfork Media Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ a b Editors from All Music Guide. "Britney Spears: Billboard Singles". All Music Guide. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2008-01-20. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |SPEARS&sql= ignored (help)
  9. ^ a b Billboard Magazine. "Britney Spears: Billboard Chart". Billboard. Billboard Magazine. Retrieved 2008-01-19.


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