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| Last single = "[[Radar (song)|Radar]]"<br />(2009)
| Last single = "[[Radar (song)|Radar]]"<br />(2009)
| This single = "'''3'''"<br />(2009)
| This single = "'''3'''"<br />(2009)
|Next single =
|Next single = "Hold It Against Me"<br />(2011)
}}
}}


Revision as of 00:57, 10 December 2010

"3"
Song

"3" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, from her second greatest hits compilation The Singles Collection. It was released on September 29, 2009, as the only single of the album by Jive Records. The song was produced by long-time collaborator Max Martin and Shellback, and recorded by Spears in July 2009 while touring Sweden. "3" is an uptempo electropop song that features a heavy bassline and synthesizers. The song's lyrics talk about threesomes, while referencing Peter, Paul & Mary during the chorus as sexual slang. "3" received positive appreciation from contemporary critics, with some reviewers calling it a classic Spears song.

The song also achieved commercial success by topping the charts in the United States and Canada, as well as reaching the top ten in many countries around the world, including Australia, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In the United States, "3" debuted at number one in the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first song to debut at the top position in over three years and the only non-American Idol artist in eleven years to do so. It was also the fifteenth song in history to debut at number one. The accompanying music video was directed by Diane Martel, who described it as sexy and playful. The video features Spears and her dancers in front of different black and white backgrounds. It received positive reviews from critics, who complimented its simplicity.

Background

In July 2009, Spears went into the studio to work with Swedish songwriter and producer Max Martin, while she was in Stockholm, during the European leg of The Circus Starring Britney Spears. They had previously collaborated on earlier hits including "...Baby One More Time", "Oops!...I Did It Again", "Stronger" and "If U Seek Amy".[1] Spears recorded the song with Martin and Shellback at Maratone Studios. Instrumental work was done by Martin and Shellback. The song was later mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia.[2] "3" was announced as the lead single along with the release of The Singles Collection, and was sent to radio stations on September 29, 2009.[3][4]

Composition

"3"
"3" has an electropop sound and features Spears singing in a high-pitched voice during the pre-chorus.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"3" is an uptempo electropop song, which opens with synths and vocal effects.[5][6] The song is written in the key of F minor and is set in time signature of common time with a tempo of 138 beats per minute. Spears' vocal range spans from the high-tome of C4 to the lower register of C5. The song has a basic sequence of Fm–E♭–B♭m–Fm as its chord progression.[7] During the middle eight, the song slows down with synthetic strings and bass beats, and the section ends with a beat similar to a four-on-the floor, a rhythm pattern popularized in 1970's disco music.[5] Throughout the song, Spears' vocals are autotuned that, according to the Daily Mail, gives the song "a futuristic, contemporary feel".[8]

The song's lyrics are about threesomes.[5] Unlike "If U Seek Amy", the song has no double entendre and it’s more straightforward lyrically. The innuendo in the lyrics such as "Merrier the more, triple fun that way" have been compared to the songs in Prince’s 1980's studio album Dirty Mind.[9] The chorus has been compared to a playground chant and closes with an extended moan.[5] During the second part of the chorus, there is a reference to the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary,[10] that in the song is used as sexual slang for a threesome.[8] Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times called the reference "the cut's biggest oddity".[11]

Critical reception

"3" received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Monica Herrera of Billboard commented that the song "builds to a climax of wildly pulsing bass that summons fans to the dancefloor" and added that "[it] will be another notch in this pop provocateur's belt".[12] On its online edition, Rolling Stone's writer Daniel Kreps praised the song for its up-tempo melody and racy lyrics, while comparing it to Flo Rida's recent work, saying that "3" "is more of a surefire dance-floor stomper than anything Brit loaded onto Blackout or Circus".[9] On the printed issue, the magazine gave the song four stars and called it an "instant Britney classic".[13] Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly called it "a fembot voice, near-seizure-inducing dance-floor frenzy".[10] While crediting the production for "elevating the song above typical dance products", the Los Angeles Times said that Spears sounded "sweetly generic".[11] While reviewing The Singles Collection, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic selected "3" as one of the "track picks" and commented, "[it is] much better than any of the three new cuts on My Prerogative".[14] Bill Lamb of About.com said that although the lyrics are controversial, "the bottom line is this is another irresistibly catchy pop confection that beats out most everything else on pop radio today". He praised the chorus and the middle section and called the track "classic Britney". The song was also compared to Madonna’s "Celebration" (2009), since they "musically present nothing particularly new, but they do manage to encapsulate many of the elements that make the singer a star".[15] A.J. Mayers of MTV picked it as the eighth best song of 2009.[16]

Chart performance

On October 8, 2009, "3" entered at number fourteen on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and at number thirty-eight on the U.S. Billboard Pop Songs, becoming Spears' twenty-fourth career entry in the latter chart, most among all artists.[17] On the following week, the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Spears’ third number-one single in the United States and breaking many of the chart records. It made Spears the first artist in over three years to debut at the top position and the only non-American Idol artist in eleven years to do so.[18] It was the sixteenth song in the chart history to debut at the top position and also the shortest title for a song reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100.[17] The song also charted at number one on the Billboard Digital Songs, selling 255,000 downloads in its first week and having the highest one week total of any song, since Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" back in April 2009.[19] As of October 2010, "3" has sold over 2,000,000 paid digital downloads in the United States.[20] In Canada, the song debuted at number eighty-six on the Canadian Hot 100 on October 17, 2009 and rose up to number one the following week.[21][22] It was certified two times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for sales over 80,000 copies.[23]

The track debuted at number fifty on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart on October 12, 2009, with only two days of digital sales.[24] The song peaked at number six on the week of October 26, 2009.[25] It has since been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) with sales of over 70,000 copies.[26] On October 12, 2009, the song debuted at number sixteen in New Zealand, making it her highest chart debut since "Womanizer". On its fifth week on the chart, "3" reached its peak position at number twelve.[27] On the UK Singles Chart, "3" debuted at number seven on November 16, 2009, becoming Spears' twentieth top ten hit on the chart.[28] The track has achieved similar success throughout Europe reaching the top ten in Belgium (Wallonia), Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Sweden as well as the top twenty in Austria, Belgium (Flanders) and Denmark.[29]

Music video

Image of five women. They are all hanging from a ballet bar placed above their heads. In the middle, a blond woman is wearing a white leotard. There are two women in each of her sides, all four wearing black leotards and sunglasses.
Spears and four female dancers wearing leotards, while hanging from a bar.

Development

The music video was filmed on October 5 and October 6, 2009 in Los Angeles, California, directed by Diane Martel and choreographed by Tone & Rich.[30] Fashion stylist GK Reid worked closely with Spears to design the fashion.[31] On October 15, 2009, images of the video were released.[30] A countdown, including images and video previews, was announced on her official website and the release date was revealed to be on October 30, 2009.[32] When asked about the video, Diane Martel said,

"I think it's her next sexy video. It's a very simple video for her – I don't think you've seen her this much under a magnifying glass. Everything's really strong and playful. We collaborated on the wardrobe and had meetings about hair and makeup people, we talked a lot on the phone and met Tone and Rich — two of the best choreographers. [..] [Spears]' so sweet and funny and so normal and down to earth. It's really fun as a director to see her in front of the camera. She's so creative with this stuff. The video is very simple, it's very, very minimal. So it's her, her, her. And she's totally engaging every second. She really knows how to work with a camera and move. I was really impressed, and I have worked almost with every female artist in the business".[33]

Concept

The video begins with Spears wearing a sparkly black dress at a dressing table, putting mascara and Circus Fantasy on.[34] Then, it cuts to her holding her hair up and singing the first lines in front of a white background. There are also black and white scenes of her wearing a white leotard behind a foggy glass.[30] She then appears wearing the leotard and glasses, while surrounded by four female dancers wearing black outfits, hanging from a raised barre.[34] The word "sin" is censored and changed for the word "this" during the pre-chorus.[35] In the chorus, she dances in front of a white wall with barcode-like light installations with six male dancers. There also scenes of her dancing provocatively with two male dancers.[30] At the bridge, there are intercut close-ups of her that end with a smirk.[34] The video concludes with Spears dancing with the two male dancers and cuts to a close-up of her looking into the camera.[34]

Reception

Rolling Stone writer Daniel Kreps compared the video with the music video of "Single Ladies" and complimented the choreography saying Spears had not danced with so much conviction since the In the Zone era.[36] Jocelyn Vena of MTV gave the video a positive review, stating that it's a "sexy, fast-paced clip" and that "there are a few moments in the video where Britney's personality shines" adding that "she smiles at the song's tongue-in-cheek lyrics, particularly when she finishes the song's bridge."[34] Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly complimented the video’s choice of wardrobe, but said that the video was "sparse", adding "there’s not much to the single besides trite, ridiculous advocation for a ménage à trois anyway, so why would the video go any deeper?".[35] The Daily Mail said the video "features Britney writhing around in scantily-clad outfits with male dancers in the best way she knows how".[8] On December 15, 2009, the director's cut version of the video leaked online. Kreps commented that the new version "offers up a slightly more NSFW edit of Martel’s dance-heavy vid that seems to find a better cadence with the music, as opposed to the original version, which was essentially filmed and edited in the matter of days to coincide with The Singles Collection release".[37]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Charts, certifications and succession

Chart precession and succession

Preceded by
"Down" by Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne
 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
October 18 - 24, 2009 		Succeeded by
"Down" by Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne
Preceded by Canadian Hot 100 number one single
October 24, 2009 		Succeeded by

Release history

Region Date Format
Worldwide September 29, 2009[4] Radio
October 2, 2009 Digital download
United States October 6, 2009[76]
Australia October 23, 2009[77]
November 2, 2009[78] CD single
United Kingdom November 8, 2009[79] Digital download
November 9, 2009[79] CD single
Germany November 13, 2009

References

  1. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (2009-09-09). "Britney Spears Releases New Single '3'". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  2. ^ The Singles Collection liner notes.
  3. ^ Staff, Jen (2009-09-23). "The Singles Collection & New Song "3"". britneyspears.com. Brandcasting Unlimited. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  4. ^ a b Herrera, Monica (2009-09-29). "Spears Debuts Racy New Single '3'". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  5. ^ a b c d Levine, Nick (2009-09-29). "Notes on the new Britney single". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  6. ^ Lawsky, David (2009-10-10). "Billboard singles reviews: Foo Fighters, Britney Spears". Thomson Reuters. Thomson Corporation. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  7. ^ "Britney Spears 3 - Digital Sheet Music". Music Notes.com. Alfred Publishing Company. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  8. ^ a b c Reporter, Daily Mail (2009-10-30). "Britney Spears gets all steamed up in new video 3". Daily Mail. Daily Mail and General Trust. Retrieved 2010-01-02. Cite error: The named reference "dmrw" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Kreps, Daniel (2009-09-29). "Britney Spears Courts Controversy as Sexy New Single "3" Hits Radio". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. ISSN 0035-791X. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  10. ^ a b Collis, Clark (2009-09-29). "Britney Spears' NSFW new single '3': What do you think?". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  11. ^ a b Martens, Todd (2009-09-29). "Britney Spears' '3': Odd lyrics, but a production seduction". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  12. ^ Herrera, Monica (2009-10-09). "Britney Spears, "3"". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  13. ^ Staff, Britanica (2009-10-14). "Rolling Stone Magazine Gives "3" Rave Review". britney.com. Zomba Group of Companies. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  14. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2009-11-20). "The Singles – Overview". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  15. ^ Lamb, Bill (2009-09-29). "Britney Spears – "3"". About.com. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  16. ^ Mayers, A.J. (2009-11-22). "Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus And Adam Lambert: 10 In 2009". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  17. ^ a b Trust, Gary (2009-10-14). "Chart Beat Wednesday: Britney By The Numbers". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  18. ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (2009-10-14). "'3' To 1: Britney Beats Odds To Debut Atop Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  19. ^ Grein, Paul (2009-10-14). "Week Ending Oct. 11, 2009: Oprah Saves The Music Industry". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  20. ^ Grein, Paul (2010-10-11). "America's Most Popular Inmate - Chart Watch". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Retrieved 2010-10-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  21. ^ "Canada Singles Top 100". Canadian Hot 100. acharts.us. 2009-10-17. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  22. ^ "Canada Singles Top 100". Canadian Hot 100. acharts.us. 2009-10-24. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  23. ^ a b "Britney Spears CRIA certifications". Canadian Recording Industry Association. cria.ca. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
  24. ^ "Australia Singles Top 50". Australian Recording Industry Association. acharts.us. 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  25. ^ "Australia Singles Top 50". Australian Recording Industry Association. acharts.us. 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  26. ^ a b "Britney Spears - 3 ARIA certification". Australian Recording Industry Association. ARIA Charts. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  27. ^ "New Zealand Singles Chart". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. acharts.us. 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
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  29. ^ "3 in the world charts". Ultratop 50. australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2009-10-30.
  30. ^ a b c d Vena, Jocelyn (2009-10-15). "Britney Spears Gives Fans '3' Video Sneak Peek". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  31. ^ New York Post, Jocelyn (2009-10-20). "Britney Spears done with junk food". New York Post. News Corporation. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
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  35. ^ a b Stransky, Tanner (2009-10-30). "Britney Spears '3' music video: Welcome to the steam room". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
  36. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2009-10-30). "Britney Spears Trades Plot for Simple, Sexy Dancing in "3″ Video". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. ISSN 0035-791X. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  37. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2009-12-15). "Britney Spears' "3 " Video Reappears as a Director's Cut". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. ISSN 0035-791X. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  38. ^ "Britney Spears – 3". Discogs. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  39. ^ "3: Britney Spears: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  40. ^ "iTunes Store - Britney Spears - 3 - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  41. ^ "3 German Single". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
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  43. ^ "Britney Spears - 3 (Mixes) (CD, Promo) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 2009-12-05.
  44. ^ "3 EP". iTunes. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  45. ^ "3 EP Remixes". iTunes. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
  46. ^ Steffen Hung. "Britney Spears - 3". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2010-08-23.
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  50. ^ "Britney Spears – 3" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
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  54. ^ "Britney Spears – 3". Tracklisten.
  55. ^ "Britney Spears: 3" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  56. ^ "lescharts.com – Français" (in French). Les classement de telechargement single.
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  58. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
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  66. ^ "Britney Spears – 3". Swiss Singles Chart.
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  71. ^ New Zealand Certifications
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  76. ^ "3 is on iTunes Now!". BritneySpears.com. 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  77. ^ "Britney Spears – 3 – Australian digital download". iTunes. 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  78. ^ "3 (Spears, Britney)". play4me.com.au. Retrieved 2009-11-13.
  79. ^ a b Staff, Britanica (2009-10-15). "New single "3" goes straight to Number 1 on the Billboard 100!". britney.com. Zomba Group of Companies. Retrieved 2010-01-04.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=3_(Britney_Spears_song)&oldid=401542297"