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Radar (song)

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"Radar"
Song

"Radar" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was recorded in late 2006 in New York City, produced and co-written by Bloodshy & Avant and The Clutch. Musically, "Radar" is an uptempo electropop song that features varied instrumentation, with a high usage of synthesizers. The lyrics of the song refer to an attraction between the protagonist and a man, while she wonders if he knows what she is feeling.

"Radar" was first included on her fifth studio album, Blackout, and received mostly positive reviews from critics. The song proved to be successful on airplay charts, and it was planned to release it as the album's fourth single; however, the release was cancelled. The song was later included as a bonus track on her sixth studio album Circus, and was released on June 23, 2009 by Jive Records as the fourth and final single from that album. The track performed poorly on the charts and did not manage to enter the top forty in most countries.

In the single's accompanying music video, Spears is an aristocratic woman, involved in a love triangle with two men, who are polo players. "Radar" was performed for the first time on The Circus Starring Britney Spears, which featured Spears pole dancing.

Background

Main instrumentation was done by Bloodshy & Avant at Bloodshy & Avant Studios, in Stockholm, Sweden.[1] Spears recorded the vocals in November 2006 with Zeke Lewis and J. Que Smith of The Clutch at Sony Music Studios in New York City.[2] Lewis commented he had been wanting to work with Spears for a long time, while Smith added about the recording sessions,

"When we went in to create the record, [...] I think the one thing we were all trying to make sure is that we didn’t touch on anything that was really dealing with all the stuff that she was dealing with. [...] Some things you really just like to hear her talking about. We went in and sat down to create a record for the Britney Spears that we know and love. When I tell you she was the best, [...] I think it caught both of us off guard because, when I tell you when she walked in the booth she stayed in the booth until the sun came up. It was absolutely nuts, and she took directions very well. I agree like I don’t know what I was expecting because we went in to cut that record the day after she filed divorce from Kevin Federline".[2]

The song was later mixed by Niklas Flyckt at Mandarine Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.[1]

Composition

"Radar" is an uptempo electropop song, composed in the key of E minor. It has 130 beats per minute and runs through a synth-pop oriented beat.[3] According to Poppy Cossins of The Sun, musically the song has "a hearty helping of electronic R&B".[4] The song features four instruments: bass guitar, drums, electric guitar and synthesizer. "Radar" opens with the synthesizer repeated four times and all four instruments are featured in the chorus.[3] The synthesizers are distorted, emulating the sound of a Doppler effect and the sirens of submarines,[3][5] and have been compared to the synthesizers of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love".[6] Spears’ vocals span from D4 to E6 and are autotuned.[3] Her vocal delivery has been described by The Michigan Daily as "so aggressive [it is] almost threatening".[6] The song also borrows elements from eurodisco.[7] During the outro, Spears repeats the words "da-da" in a vocodered style until the song ends.[5] Lyrically, "Radar" talks about sexual attraction. In the song, Spears lets the subject know he's on her radar, while she lists the qualities the man's got.[6] During the bridge she sings "I got my eye on you / And i can't let you get away", making clear her attraction.[7]

Release and reception

A female blond performer. She wears a black sequined bra, black shorts, knee-high laced-up boots and fishnet stockings. She is smiling and singing into a wireless microphone. Her left hand is extended to her back while her right hand is in the middle of her body.
Spears performing "Radar" in The Circus Starring Britney Spears at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut on May 2, 2009.

"Radar" was originally planned to be released as the third single from Blackout according to members of The Clutch.[2] "Break the Ice" was released instead and "Radar" was chosen as the fourth single.[2][8] A promotional CD single was sent off for international airplay and "Radar" was then included in playlists for Australian, New Zealand, European and American radio stations.[9] However, the release was scrapped when Spears began recording new material for her sixth studio album.[8] On May 7, 2009, the song was announced as the fourth single from Circus,[10] and was released worldwide to radio stations of June 23, 2009.[11] To promote the song, a contest in DanceJam.com was announced. The contestants had to upload a video of them dancing to "Radar", and Spears and Jive Records picked the winner.[12] A cover version of the song by American singer-songwriter Christopher Dallman was included in an EP titled Sad Britney, released in November 9, 2009, along with covers of "...Baby One More Time", "Toxic" and "Gimme More".[13]

Critical reception

The song has received generally positive reviews. Roger Friedman of Fox News was among the firsts to review the song and said that along with "Break the Ice", the tracks were more “straight-ahead electronic disco” than the rest of the album and added that it “sounds like Las Vegas goes Eurodisco”.[14] Blender gave the song four and a half stars, named it the second potential hit from the album, and called it “a bubblegum-electro dance floor jam with a hook most pop stars would kill for”.[15] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic, picked it as one of the album’s highlights.[16] Nekesa Mumbi Moody of USA Today called it “a sexy techno groove that you can't help but bounce to”.[17] Chuck Arnold of People compared Spears vocals in the track to those of Rihanna.[18] Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun also compared the song to the style of Rihanna, especially to her single “SOS”.[19] Poppy Cossins of The Sun said the song sounds “like the Pussycat Dolls at their most risqué”.[4]

"Radar" continued to receive positive reviews when released as a bonus track from Circus. Nick Levine of Digital Spy commented on the situation and said the song "still sounds pretty ace, one of the best examples of the robopop sound Blackout essentially invented, but its fresh-out-the-box sheen has long since faded".[8] On July 29, 2009, "Radar" was chosen as single of the week in FHM.[20]

Chart performance

On November 17, 2007, due to digital downloads for the Blackout release, "Radar" peaked at number fifty-two on the U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs.[21] The song also charted in several countries based on strong digital sales and airplay alone, surprisingly reaching high chart positions. In Ireland, the song debuted at number forty-seven on July 15, 2008.[22] It peaked at number thirty-two on August 5, 2008.[23] In Sweden, "Radar" peaked at number eight on July 28, 2008 and stayed in the position for two weeks.[24] The song debuted on the New Zealand charts on August 18, 2008 at number thirty-seven and peaked at number thirty-two two weeks later.[24]

After being confirmed as the fourth single from Circus, "Radar" re-entered the charts in several countries. On August 29, 2009, the song peaked at number thirty on the U.S. Billboard Pop Songs.[21] On September 5, 2009, "Radar" finally entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number ninety, and peaked at number eighty-eight on the following week.[21] On the same week, the song peaked at number sixty-five in Canada.[21] The track re-entered the ARIA Singles Chart at number forty-six on July 20, 2009 and stayed on the chart for just one week.[25] In the UK, the song peaked at number forty-six on August 2, 2009.[26]

Music video

Image of the upper bust of a blond woman. She is standing with her back to the camera, looking over her shoulder. Her mouth is open and she is wearing red lipstick. She is wearing an elaborate white hat decorated with black lace. The left side of the image is blurred.
Spears at a polo match in a scene of the music video.

When the song was planned to be released as a single from Blackout, a music video directed by Spears was to be shot in Chelsea, London.[27] The concept would have Spears and her friends chasing a man in different clubs.[28] However, this was scrapped along with the single’s release.[8]

The music video for Circus was filmed on May 27 and 28, 2009, at a private residence located just north of Santa Barbara, California. It was directed by Dave Meyers, who previously worked with Spears on her music videos for "Lucky", "Boys" and "Outrageous" as well as the Curious commercials.[29] Meyers claimed the video pays tribute to the music video of Madonna’s “Take a Bow”.[30] Meyers added, “[we were] looking for a way to take her into a contemporary, classy environment. I felt empowered by referencing Madonna's video. Britney hasn't done anything like that".[30] He would later call the video a "soap-opera romance" and further explained the concept, saying,

"She was in a really good headspace and open to trying new things, and I wanted to try some new things with her too. It kind of was a great celebration of trusting one another. Now we're sort of both seasoned in our own rights, so it's like two people coming back together, trying to do something fresh and new, seeking out an actual different technique and stylistic choices and trying to find a form to celebrate them in. I thought, 'It's not the first single [from Circus]. Let's be a little experimental and push to not have her around dancers'. I feel, I guess, that the videos are a chance for her to vocalize a sense of herself. The media tends to attack her, so I thought, 'Let's show the classy side of Britney and focus on a classy experience, very European-inspired'. And she's at the point in her career where I think this would be a nice step".[29]

The video begins with Spears arriving at a polo mansion.[31] She comes out from the car wearing a vest, jeans and showing her midriff.[31] She starts singing while her boyfriend welcomes her.[29] They walk past a barn, where a polo player is sitting. They look at each other briefly and she starts to sing in a balcony, watching the second man with a pair of binoculars.[31] At the end of the first chorus, her boyfriend comes and puts a studded necklace around her neck, as a surprise gift.[31] Until the end of the second chorus, we see scenes of Spears singing and watching the polo player as he gets ready.[29] When the bridge begins, Spears arrives at a match wearing a white dress and a large hat. She looks at the polo player over her shoulder and sings the lines "I got my eye on you / And I can’t let you get away". When the match ends, she leaves and the second man follows her.[31] They flirt inside a hallway and leave. Her boyfriend notices her absence, walks into the hallway and sees her necklace on the floor. The video ends with Spears and the second man walking into the sunset.[31]

Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone said the music video was her weakest since "Gimme More" and highlighted the comparisons with "Take a Bow", saying, "while Madonna dressed the role of a distressed aristocratic senorita in the stands, Spears’ wardrobe and giant hat mirror the elite at the Kentucky Derby". He also said the idea was unoriginal and compared it to Spears' fragances commercials.[32] Nadia Mendoza of The Sun said, "forget PVC catsuits and teeny weeny air hostess outfits. Britney Spears has gone all sophisticated on us" and positively commented on the fashion, saying "Britney dons a hat more suited to Ascot than a music video".[4] Peter Gicas of E! commented that the video was a nice departure from her recent revealing videos, such as "Womanizer" and "If U Seek Amy" and complimented it for having a strong storyline.[33] OK! said the video was "posh" and also noted the difference from her recent videos.[34]

Track listing

  • Promo CD
  1. "Radar" (Main) – 3:48
  2. "Radar" (Instrumental) – 3:48
  • Digital single
  1. "Radar" – 3:48
  2. "Radar" (Bloodshy & Avant Remix) – 5:44
  3. "Radar" (Manhattan Clique UHF Remix) – 5:53
  4. "Radar" (Tonal Club Remix) – 4:56
  5. "Radar" (Tonal Radio Remix) – 4:00
  • The Singles Collection Boxset single
  1. "Radar" – 3:48
  2. "Radar" (Bloodshy & Avant Remix) – 5:44

Charts

Chart (2008/2009) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[24] 46
Billboard Brasil Hot 100[35] 89
Canadian Hot 100[21] 65
French Digital Singles Chart[36] 44
Irish Singles Chart[23] 32
New Zealand Singles Chart[24] 32
Swedish Singles Chart[24] 8
UK Singles Chart[26] 46
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[21] 88
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs[21] 52
U.S. Billboard Pop Songs[21] 30

Release history

Region Date Format
Worldwide July 2008[37] Promo
United States June 23, 2009[11] Radio
Italy July 22, 2009[38] Digital download
Europe July 27, 2009[39][40]
United Kingdom

Credits and personnel

References

  1. ^ a b Blackout liner notes.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Clutch Talks How To Write a Hit Song". Allternatives. AllHipHop.com. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  3. ^ a b c d "Digital Sheet Music – Britney Spears Radar". Music Notes.com. Alfred Publishing Company. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  4. ^ a b c Poppy Cossins (2008-11-28). "Britney Spears' Circus album review". The Sun. News International. Retrieved 2009-11-24. Cite error: The named reference "sun" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b "Decent early reviews of new Britney tracks". msnbc.com. NBC Universal / Microsoft. 2007-09-12. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  6. ^ a b c Kimberly Chou (2007-09-19). "Britney? Back". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  7. ^ a b "Britney Spears' New Album, Track By Track – News Story, Music, Celebrity, Artist News – MTV News". MTV. MTV Networks. 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
  8. ^ a b c d "Britney Spears – Radar review". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Ltd. 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  9. ^ "Britney Spears – Radar (CD, Promo, Single)". Discogs. Zink Media, Inc. Retrieved 2009-11-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  10. ^ "Breaking News: Radar is Britney's fourth single". BritneySpears.com. 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  11. ^ a b "CHR/Top 40. Week Of: June 23, 2009" RadioandRecords.com. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  12. ^ ""Get on Britney's Radar" Contest with Britney Spears". DanceJam.com. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  13. ^ Christopher Dallman (2009-11-27). "Giving thanks". Cjdmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
  14. ^ Roger Friedman (2007-07-28). "Britney Spears' Album: First Listen to New Songs". Fox News. News Corporation. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  15. ^ "We're Still Listening to Britney's album". Blender. Alpha Media Group. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  16. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine (2007-11-12). "Blackout Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2009-11-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  17. ^ Nekesa Mumbi Moody (2007-10-25). "Surprise! Britney's new CD a triumph". USA Today. Gannett Company, Inc. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  18. ^ Chuck Arnold (2007-09-11). "Sneak Preview: Britney Spears' new album details". People. Time Inc. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
  19. ^ Cameron Adams (2007-11-14). "Spears new offering Blackout a knockout". Herald Sun. News Corporation. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  20. ^ Tom Howard (2009-07-29). britney "Britney, Fukkk Offf, Mstrkrft: this week's singles". FHM. Bauer Media. Retrieved 2009-11-24. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h "Britney Spears – Radar charts". Billboard. Nielsen Media. 2007-11-17. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  22. ^ "Irish Singles Chart". Irish Recorded Music Association. acharts.us. 2008-07-15. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  23. ^ a b "Irish Singles Chart". Irish Recorded Music Association. acharts.us. 2008-08-05. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  24. ^ a b c d e "Radar in the world charts". Ultratop 50. australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  25. ^ "Australian ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA Charts. acharts.us. 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  26. ^ a b "UK Singles Chart". The Official Charts Company. 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  27. ^ Gordon Smart (2008-06-06). "Britney heads to London for video shoot". The Sun. News International. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  28. ^ Daniel Kreps (2008-06-20). "Britney Spears Back in the Studio, Says Producer". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  29. ^ a b c d Jocelyn Vena (2009-07-14). "Britney Spears Shows 'Classy Side' In 'Radar' Video, Director Says". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2009-11-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  30. ^ a b Jocelyn Vena (2009-11-25). "Britney Spears Channeled 'Classy' Madonna In 'Radar' Video". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2009-11-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  31. ^ a b c d e f Jocelyn Vena (2009-07-01). "Britney Spears' New 'Radar' Video Leaks". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2009-11-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  32. ^ Daniel Kreps (2009-07-01). "Britney Spears' "Radar" Video Barely Registers a Bleep". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  33. ^ Peter Gicas (2009-07-01). "Britney Spears' "Radar" Finally Gets Some Video Love". E!. Comcast. Retrieved 2009-11-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  34. ^ "Britney Debuts "Radar" Video". OK!. Northern & Shell. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  35. ^ "Brasil Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard Brasil (in Portuguese). Brazil: BPP: 81. janeiro de 2010. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ "Radar France chart". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. lescharts.com. 2009-08-15. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  37. ^ "Britney Spears - Radar". Ultratop. ultratop.be. Retrieved 2010-02-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  38. ^ "Un Mondo di Musica". Web Music World. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2009-11-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  39. ^ "Radar Single iTunes Release". iTunes Store. 2009-07-27. Retrieved 2009-11-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  40. ^ "Radar Single UK Release". Amazon.com. 2009-07-27. Retrieved 2009-11-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
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