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Radar (song)

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"Radar"
Song

"Radar" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant and The Clutch in November 2006 as a record that did not relate to any of her personal problems at the time. The recording sessions took place shortly after Spears filed for divorce from Kevin Federline, and members of The Clutch claimed to be surprised by her work ethic. Musically, "Radar" is a midtempo 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. Due to digital downloads, it charted in the top forty of Ireland and New Zealand, and inside the top-ten in Sweden. Its planned release was as the album's fourth single; however, the release was cancelled. "Radar" was later included as a bonus track on her sixth studio album Circus, and was released in June 2009 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 United States, "Radar" became her 21st hit on Billboard's Pop Songs chart, the most for any artist of the decade.

The single's accompanying music video was directed by Dave Meyers, and pays tribute to the music video of Madonna's "Take a Bow" (1994). In the video, Spears is an aristocratic woman involved in a love triangle with two men who are polo players. The video received mixed reviews from critics, who complimented the fashion but called the idea unoriginal. "Radar" was performed by Spears at The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009), which featured her pole dancing.

Background and recording

The main instrumentation was 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] "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][3] A promotional CD single was prepared for international airplay, after which "Radar" was included in playlists for Australian, New Zealand, European and American radio stations.[4] However, the release was scrapped when Spears began recording new material for her sixth studio album.[3] On May 7, 2009, the song was announced as the fourth single from Circus,[5] and was released worldwide to radio stations in the week of June 23, 2009.[6]

Composition

"Radar" is a midtempo electropop song running through a synthpop-oriented beat.[7][8] According to Poppy Cossins of The Sun, musically the song has "a hearty helping of electronic R&B".[9] The synthesizers are distorted, emulating sonar pulses[8] or the sound of a Doppler radar,[10] and have been compared to the synthesizers of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" (1981).[11] Spears’ vocals are autotuned and her vocal delivery in parts of the song has been described by The Michigan Daily as "so aggressive [it is] almost threatening".[12][11] The song also borrows elements from eurodisco.[8] During the outro, Spears repeats the words "da-da" in a vocodered style until the song ends.[10] 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 has.[11] During the bridge she sings "I got my eye on you / And i can't let you get away", making clear her attraction.[8]

Reception

A female blond performer. She is leaning against a pole, grabbing it with her right hand. She is wearing a black sparkly bra, high-waisted shorts and laced-up high-heeled boots with fishnet stockings.
Spears performing "Radar" at The Circus Starring Britney Spears.

Critical response

The song has received generally positive reviews. Roger Friedman of Fox News was among the first to review the song and said that, along with "Break the Ice", the song track was more “straight-ahead electronic disco” than the rest of the album and added that it “sounds like Las Vegas goes Eurodisco”.[13] 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”.[14] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic picked it as one of the album’s highlights, praising its production values.[15] Nekesa Mumbi Moody of USA Today called it “a sexy techno groove that you can't help but bounce to”.[16] Chuck Arnold of People called the song "Rihanna-esque".[17] Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun said the song sounds "like an inferior take" of Rihanna's single “SOS” (2006).[18] Poppy Cossins of The Sun said the song sounds “like the Pussycat Dolls at their most risqué”.[9] "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".[3] On July 29, 2009, "Radar" was chosen as single of the week in FHM.[19]

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.[20] 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.[21] It peaked at number thirty-two on August 5, 2008.[22] In Sweden, "Radar" peaked at number eight on July 28, 2008 and stayed in the position for two weeks.[23] 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.[23]

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.[20] On September 5, 2009, "Radar" finally entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number ninety, and peaked at number eighty-eight on the following week.[20] It became her fifth song from Circus to chart on the Hot 100, marking the first time five songs from one of her albums entered the chart. It was also her 22nd Hot 100 hit.[24] "Radar" also became her 21st hit on the Pop Songs chart, the most for any artist of the decade.[25] As of July 2010, "Radar" has sold 481,000 paid digital downloads in the United States.[26] On the same week, the song peaked at number sixty-five in Canada.[20] 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.[27] In the UK, the song peaked at number forty-six on August 2, 2009.[28]

Music video

Development

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.[29] The concept would have Spears and her friends chasing a man in different clubs.[30] However, this was scrapped along with the single’s release.[3] The music video for "Radar" from Circus was filmed on May 27 and 28, 2009, at the Bacara Resort & Spa located in 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.[31][32] Meyers claimed the video pays tribute to the music video of Madonna’s 1994 single “Take a Bow”.[7] 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".[7] 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".[31]

Concept

A blond woman looking over her shoulder in a match.
Spears in the polo match in a scene of the music video.

The video begins with Spears arriving at a polo mansion.[33] She comes out from the car wearing a vest, jeans and showing her midriff. She starts singing while her boyfriend welcomes her. 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.[33] At the end of the first chorus, her boyfriend comes and puts a studded necklace around her neck, as a surprise gift. Until the end of the second chorus, we see scenes of Spears singing and watching the polo player as he gets ready. 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.[33] 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.

Reception

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.[34] 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".[35] Peter Gicas of E! commented that the video was a nice departure from her recent more choreographed videos, such as "Womanizer" and "If U Seek Amy". He commended it for its "more straightforward approach in telling a so-called story", but felt it was "a bit too much like one of those overly dramatic fragrance commercials".[36] OK! said the video was "posh" and also noted the difference from her recent videos.[37]

Promotion

Spears performed the song during her 2009 world tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears. After the performance of "Piece of Me", there was a brief interlude in which acrobats hanging from fabric simulated a thunderstorm.[38] Spears took the stage again to perform "Radar", which featured her pole dancing. She wore a black bra encrusted with Swarovski crystals, fishnet stockings and high-heeled laced up boots, designed by Dean and Dan Caten.[39] A contest in DanceJam.com was announced to promote the song. The contestants had to upload a video of them dancing to "Radar", and Spears and Jive Records picked the winner.[40] 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".[41]

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Charts

Chart (2008/2009) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[23] 46
Brazilian Hot 100 Airplay[42] 89
Canadian Hot 100[20] 65
French Digital Singles Chart[43] 44
Irish Singles Chart[22] 32
New Zealand Singles Chart[23] 32
Slovakian IFPI Singles Chart[44] 90
Swedish Singles Chart[23] 8
UK Singles Chart[28] 46
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[20] 88
U.S. Billboard Pop Songs[20] 30
U.S. Billboard Digital Songs[20] 52

Release history

Region Date Format
Worldwide July 2008[4] Promo
United States June 23, 2009[6] Radio
Italy July 22, 2009 Digital download
Europe July 27, 2009[45][46]
United Kingdom

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 "Britney Spears – Radar review". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi Ltd. 2009-06-27. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  4. ^ a b "Britney Spears - Radar". Ultratop. ultratop.be. Retrieved 2010-02-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  5. ^ "Breaking News: Radar is Britney's fourth single". BritneySpears.com. 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  6. ^ a b "CHR/Top 40. Week Of: June 23, 2009" RadioandRecords.com. Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  7. ^ a b c 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)
  8. ^ a b c d "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.
  9. ^ a b Poppy Cossins (2008-11-28). "Britney Spears' Circus album review". The Sun. News International. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  10. ^ a b "Decent early reviews of new Britney tracks". msnbc.com. NBC Universal / Microsoft. 2007-09-12. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  11. ^ a b c Kimberly Chou (2007-09-19). "Britney? Back". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  12. ^ Hamish McBain (2008-11-28). "Britney Spears Circus". New Musical Express. Time Inc. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  13. ^ Roger Friedman (2007-07-28). "Britney Spears' Album: First Listen to New Songs". Fox News. News Corporation. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  14. ^ "We're Still Listening to Britney's album". Blender. Alpha Media Group. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  15. ^ 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)
  16. ^ Nekesa Mumbi Moody (2007-10-25). "Surprise! Britney's new CD a triumph". USA Today. Gannett Company, Inc. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  17. ^ Chuck Arnold (2007-09-11). "Sneak Preview: Britney Spears' new album details". People. Time Inc. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
  18. ^ Cameron Adams (2007-11-14). "Spears new offering Blackout a knockout". Herald Sun. News Corporation. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  19. ^ 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)
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h "Britney Spears – Radar charts". Billboard. Nielsen Media. 2007-11-17. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  21. ^ "Irish Singles Chart". Irish Recorded Music Association. acharts.us. 2008-07-15. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  22. ^ a b "Irish Singles Chart". Irish Recorded Music Association. acharts.us. 2008-08-05. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  23. ^ a b c d e "Radar in the world charts". Ultratop 50. australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  24. ^ Trust, Gary (2009-08-20). "Chart Beat Thursday: Black Eyed Peas, Jason Mraz, Miley Cyrus - Chart Beat". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2010-09-12. {{cite web}}: Text "Billboard.com" ignored (help)
  25. ^ Trust, Gary (2009-08-10). "Ask Billboard: Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Maxwell". Billboard. Nielsen Company. Retrieved 2010-09-25. {{cite web}}: Text "Billboard.com" ignored (help) [dead link]
  26. ^ Grein, Paul (2010-07-30). "Chart Watch Extra: 40 Digital Song Milestones - Chart Watch". Yahoo! Music. Yahoo!. Retrieved 2010-09-07. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  27. ^ "Australian ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA Charts. acharts.us. 2009-07-20. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  28. ^ a b "UK Singles Chart". The Official Charts Company. 2009-08-02. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  29. ^ Gordon Smart (2008-06-06). "Britney heads to London for video shoot". The Sun. News International. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  30. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2008-06-20). "Britney Spears Back in the Studio, Says Producer". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. ISSN 0035-791X. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  31. ^ a b 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)
  32. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (2004-06-01). "Britney's Catsuit May Come In Handy For Next Single, But Not For China". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2010-03-31. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  33. ^ a b c 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)
  34. ^ Kreps, Daniel (2009-07-01). "Britney Spears' "Radar" Video Barely Registers a Bleep". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. ISSN 0035-791X. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  35. ^ Nadia Mendoza (2008-07-01). "Britney is back on our Radar". The Sun. News International. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  36. ^ 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)
  37. ^ "Britney Debuts "Radar" Video". OK!. Northern & Shell. 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  38. ^ Press, Associated (2009-03-04). "Big Easy fans thrilled by Britney's 'Circus' act". msnbc.com. NBC Universal / Microsoft. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
  39. ^ Alexander, Hilary (2009-03-02). "Britney Spears kicks off Circus world tour in New Orleans". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
  40. ^ ""Get on Britney's Radar" Contest with Britney Spears". DanceJam.com. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  41. ^ Christopher Dallman (2009-11-27). "Giving thanks". Cjdmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-11-27.
  42. ^ "Brasil Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard Brasil (in Portuguese). Brazil: BPP: 81. janeiro de 2010. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  43. ^ "Radar France chart". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. lescharts.com. 2009-08-15. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  44. ^ "Slovakian IFPI Singles Chart". Ifpicr.cz. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
  45. ^ "Radar Single iTunes Release". iTunes Store. 2009-07-27. Retrieved 2009-11-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  46. ^ "Radar Single UK Release". Amazon.com. 2009-07-27. Retrieved 2009-11-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)

External links

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