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"If U Seek Amy"
Song

"If U Seek Amy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on March 10, 2009 by Jive Records as the third single of the album, and was chosen by a poll on Spears's official website. "If U Seek Amy" was co-written and produced by Max Martin, who also wrote previous hits for her first three albums. The song's title features a homophonic name that can be interpreted as “F-U-C-K me”. In the song, Spears is ostensibly looking for a woman named Amy in a club, though with lyrics such as "Oh baby baby F-U-C-K me tonight / Oh baby baby we'll do whatever you like" even the most cursory examination reveals that the song is actually about sex. Musically, "If U Seek Amy" is a pop song with usage of kettle drums and influences of dance.

"If U Seek Amy" was a moderate success, reaching the top twenty in Australia, the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and many other countries worldwide. It was also her third single from Circus to reach the top twenty in the United States. "If U Seek Amy" was generally well-received by contemporary critics, praising Spears's confident vocals and frequently citing the song as the highlight of the album. After its release, "If U Seek Amy" caused controversy for the double entendre and lyrical content among several organizations in English-speaking countries, which caused it to be retitled as "If U See Amy" in some regions.

The music video for "If U Seek Amy" portrays Spears at a sex party that takes place at her house. Towards the end of the video, she changes into conservative housewife clothes and opens the front door with her family while paparazzi take pictures of them. Intended to make fun of American society, it was noted by critics for referencing many of her past music videos. "If U Seek Amy" was performed on The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009).

Background

The song was co-written and produced by Max Martin, who wrote hits for Spears first albums, including "…Baby One More Time" (1998) and "Oops!... I Did It Again" (2000). This marked the first time they worked together since her third studio album, Britney (2001).[1] Recording sessions took place at Conway Recording Studios and Sunset Studios in Hollywood, California.[2] Background vocals by Kinnda and Martin were recorded at Maratone Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. The recordings were mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia.[2] On December 5, 2008, a poll was added to Spears' official website to choose the third single, involving ten other songs from Circus.[3] On January 7, 2009, it was announced that "If U Seek Amy" had won, receiving 26% of the total votes.[4]

Composition

"If U Seek Amy" (2009)
A sample of Britney Spears's "If U Seek Amy" where she sings the chorus, which contains the double entendre.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"If U Seek Amy" is an uptempo pop song, with influences of electropop and usage of synthesizers.[5] The song runs through a dance-oriented beat and features many instruments, including keyboards, bass drums, electric guitars and timpani.[6][7] According to the sheet music published at musicnotes.com by Hal Leonard Corporation, the song has a beat of 130 beats per minute and is written in the key of A minor. Spears's vocal range spans from G3-C5.[8] In the song, Spears seems to be looking for a woman named Amy in a club.[9] It has been suggested that Amy is an alter ego of Spears herself.[5] The verses end with the hookline "Hahahehehahaho", that according to Poppy Cossins of The Sun, is fitting to "the album's carnivalesque overtone".[7][10] The chorus begins with the lines "Love me, hate me / Say what you want about me", a reference to the public's perception and fascination with Spears' life.[9] This presents Spears both as "an object of desire and a punching bag".[6] According to Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph, this line also hints at the public image of British singer Amy Winehouse.[10] There is a double entendre in the sentence "All of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if u seek Amy", which can be interpreted phonetically as "All of the boys and all of the girls are begging to F-U-C-K Me".[9] The double entendre was compared to the title of Van Halen's 1991 album, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, as well as a portion of James Joyce's Ulysses.[11][12]

Reception

A female blond performer. She wears a black lingerie ensemble underneath a pink fur vest. Her left hand is on her left hip while her right hand is holding a big mallet.
Spears performing "If U Seek Amy" with a pink hammer in her hand, at The Circus Starring Britney Spears.

Critical response

The song received generally positive reviews. Chris Williams of Billboard said the song is "Max Martin and Spears at their best: a stomping dance floor beat with building synths prodding the song along and the singer sounding like she's having a blast being the bad girl".[13] Rolling Stone writer Caryn Ganz called the song one of the standout tracks of the album.[14] Alexis Pretridis of The Guardian commented that her stronger and confident delivery in the chorus was noticeably lacking in the rest of the album.[15] Joey Guerra of The Houston Chronicle also said that the "more aggressive, pointed persona" Spears adopts in the song is one of the high points of the album.[16] The Emory Wheel's writer Julia Cox called it "the album’s strongest and most unorthodox song".[5] Ricardo Baca of The Denver Post named the song the most fascinating track of the album and commented on the double entendre, saying "It's trashy and clever, and it's also quite fun. And fun is exactly what Spears should be aiming for".[6] However, there were also some negative reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said the song is "a Katy Perry-styled exercise in crass commercial carnality that is at once the best and worst song here".[17] Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly called it "puerile" and added that "it'll be a middle-school sensation".[18] The Independent gave the song a negative review, writing, "If You Seek Amy [sic] is crass: the entire song is simply an excuse for Spears to sing 'All of the boys and all of the girls want to F-U-C-K me,' about as cheap as sensationalist outrage gets".[19] NME named it one of the filthiest songs of all time.[20]

Public reaction

Controversy was first reported by Australian music site Undercover.com.au on December 5, 2008, after the release of the album. Leonie Barsenbach, a housewife from Sydney, said, "I was astonished and totally taken aback when I heard my 5 and 7 year old kids walking around the house singing 'F-U-C-K' ... When I asked them what it was, they told me it was Britney Spears. I was horrified. I got them the Circus album but there was no warning on it ... It is extremely offensive. I feel deceived".[21][22] Rolling Stone writer Daniel Kreps defended Spears, arguing that parents should have been aware of the singer's musical themes.[23] After the song was announced as the third single from the album, American radio stations were unsure about playing the track due to its double entendre in the chorus.[11] Program directors of Z100 and KIIS-FM compared the issues to be faced by their radio stations to the release of the 2005 Black Eyed Peas single, "Don't Phunk with My Heart", saying that "listeners thought it was the other word, and so we had to change it to 'mess'".[11] Program director Patti Marshall of Q102 said "It's ok to put in on an album, have fun with it, but we're publicly owned, you know? [...] It's not about us. It's about the mom in the minivan with her 8-year-old".[11] WFLZ's Tommy Chuck said his station produced their own edit of the song that replaced "seek" for "see", with the station's disc jockeys referring to it as "If U See Amy".[24]

Shortly after, the Parents Television Council (PTC) threatened to file indecency complaints with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) against any station that played the song between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.[25] PTC President Tim Winter said "there is no misinterpreting the lyrics to this song, and it's certainly not about a girl named Amy. It's one thing for a song with these lyrics to be included on a CD so that fans who wish to hear it can do so, but it's an entirely different matter when this song is played over the publicly owned airwaves, especially at a time when children are likely to be in the listening audience".[26] RBR.com reported that "interestingly, Circus was reviewed by Common Sense Media, another organization whose mission is to help parents manage their children's media consumption. It rated it appropriate for age 13 and up, but made no specific mention of 'If U Seek Amy'. Even more interestingly, reputed incoming FCC Chair Julius Genachowski is a founding board member of Common Sense".[27] The threats of the PTC were later extended to cable music channels that played the music video; however, the FCC does not have control over cable.[28]

On January 23, 2009, Tom Poleman, senior vice president of programming for Clear Channel Radio, announced they planned to play an edited version.[25] Sharon Dastur of Z100 added that Spears had recorded a new version of the song and the new edit would be provided by Jive Records.[25] David Hinckley of the Daily News commented that "Clear Channel, which laid off 9% of its workforce this week, is hardly in the mood to finance an FCC fight right now".[25] Finally, a radio edit titled "If U See Amy" was released to American radio stations which changes the "seek" to "see".[22] The amended version was released in the UK in May.[22] While the song has not officially been renamed or released in Australia, some radio stations, such as those belonging to the Austereo Radio Network, play the censored version, while others continue to play the uncensored.[29] Both the music video and the international radio single remain "If U Seek Amy".[30]

Chart performance

According to Nielsen SoundScan, "If U Seek Amy" sold over 107,000 digital copies in the United States within two weeks of the album's release.[26] On April 11, 2009 the song peaked at number seventeen on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs.[31] On May 9, 2009, the song peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100, making Circus the first Spears album to have three top twenty hits since her 1999 debut, ...Baby One More Time.[31] "If U Seek Amy" has sold 1,175,000 digital copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It is her seventh best-selling digital single in the country.[32] In Canada the song debuted at eighty-eight on December 20, 2008.[33] It returned on February 14, 2009 at eighty-six before reaching the thirteenth position, where it finally peaked on April 4, 2009.[34][35]

"If U Seek Amy" debuted at number forty-nine on the ARIA Singles Chart on February 16, 2009,[36] and moved to a peak position of eleven on March 30, 2009, also becoming the chart's "greatest gainer".[37] It has since been certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) with sales of over 35,000 copies.[38] "If U Seek Amy" entered the UK Singles Chart at number forty-five on April 6, 2009 due to its rising digital sales.[39] After its physical release, it peaked at number twenty on May 10, 2009.[40] According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 105,000 copies there.[41] "If U Seek Amy" also achieved success worldwide, reaching the top ten in Belgium (Wallonia), France and Turkey, and the top twenty in Belgium (Flanders), Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden.[42]

Music video

Development

The music video for "If U Seek Amy" was filmed on February 7, 2009, at Pacific Palisades, California and was directed by Jake Nava, who previously worked with Spears for her "My Prerogative" music video.[43][44] Spears was styled by David Thomas for the video.[45] During the scenes at the party, she wears American Apparel wet-looking leggings and a black corset from London lingerie designer Bordelle with diamond-shaped holes.[45] She also wears a pair of red high-heeled Louboutins with rouced petals, that were not available for sale until a month after the video was released.[45][46] When she is dressed as a housewife, Spears has a blonde wig, wears a pale pink sweater, a white skirt from Derek Lam and a Lacoste polo shirt.[43][45] The music video premiered on March 12, 2009, on both Virgin Mobile's official website and Spears's official websites.[47]

Concept

Image of a blond woman. She is a housewife and carries a pie in her left hand. Her hair is styled in 1950's fashion. She is wearing a pink polo shirt. Surrounding her are her husband and children.
Spears dressed as housewife, during the final scenes of the music video.

The video starts with a news anchor saying the title of the song above a news banner that reads "Britney Spears song lyrics spell out obscenity in disguise". This is actually a parody of an America's Newsroom report by Megyn Kelly.[48] It then skips to a house, in which a sex party is coming to an end. Spears starts singing while sitting on the edge of a bed while the people that surround her are getting dressed.[48] She gets up and looks out the window. As the first verse ends, she picks up a pair of panties from the floor, recalling her personal struggles and the "Piece of Me" video.[47] She dances with four male dancers in the first chorus. During the second chorus, she dances with four other female dancers dressed in cheerleading outfits, while many men are watching them dance. The screen fades to white and Spears begins to change into a conservative '50s-inspired housewife outfit.[48] As the chorus begins again, she comes out of her bedroom. She walks down the stairs, with dancers surrounding her and a woman gives her a potholder, which she uses to pick up a pie.[47] After this, she walks out the front door of the house and is joined by her seemingly conservative-looking husband and children, one of them dressed with the schoolgirl outfit Spears wore in the "…Baby One More Time" video.[47] As they go down the walkway, they are surrounded by paparazzi, who have no idea what goes on behind closed doors.[48] While the kids and husband wave, Spears smiles for the camera and blows a kiss. The video then ends with the news anchor saying, "It doesn't make any sense, does it?".[47]

Reception

James Montgomery of MTV stated that the video manages to combine elements from her previous music videos, such as the style of "Everytime" and the attitude of "Stronger". He also referred to it as "a pretty amazing amalgamation of all things Brit, and a nice primer of her entire career up to this point".[47] Rolling Stone writer Daniel Kreps compared the party on the video to the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut and added that "this may be the first Spears video ever crafted strictly with the morally-lax Internet in mind, a brazen clip that doesn’t have to tone down its explicit nature lyrically and visually in order to get airplay".[48] Chris Johnson of the Daily Mail compared Spears' housewife style to one of her looks in a 2001 Pepsi commercial.[49] Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly said, "it’s kind of difficult to believe the song’s real meaning will get past even the thickest listener, the video itself is pretty tame…almost disappointingly so". The reviewer also compared the hairstyle of Spears during the housewife scenes to Marilyn Monroe.[50]

Live performance

Spears performed the song during her 2009 world tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears. After a performance of "Boys" from Britney, Spears performed a military drill with her male dancers, which ended with her putting on a faux fur vest to perform "If U Seek Amy". At the end, Spears pulled a giant pink hammer and proceeded to hit her dancers off the stage, in a similar way to Whac-A-Mole. Jerry Shriver of USA Today said in the opening night of the tour, "[the] single 'If U Seek Amy' draws a huge roar and sing-along from the crowd as Spears shakes her long blond mane".[9] Craig Rosen of The Hollywood Reporter commented, "The artist that raised the ire of parents from the beginning in her scandalous schoolgirl outfit also continues to use shock-and-awe tactics. Her latest, 'If U Seek Amy' [...] was included in the set, much to the delight of her young fans".[51]

Track listing

Credits and personnel

Charts, peaks and certifications

Release history

Region Date Format
United States March 10, 2009 Airplay
Australia March 16, 2009 CD single
Italy[60] Digital download
United Kingdom[61] May 4, 2009 CD single, digital download
Germany[62][63] May 29, 2009 CD single, digital download

References

  1. ^ Jennifer Vineyard (2008-09-15). "Britney Spears' New Album, Circus, Slated For December 2 Release". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  2. ^ a b Circus liner notes.
  3. ^ Staff Reporter (2008-12-05). "What Should Britney's Next Single Be?". BritneySpears.com. Retrieved 2009-11-28.
  4. ^ Staff Reporter (2009-01-07). "Britney Spears announces controversial third single". Access Hollywood. 3e. Retrieved 2009-11-28.
  5. ^ a b c Julia Cox (2008-12-05). "No Clowning Around on New Spears Album". The Emory Wheel. Emory University. Retrieved 2009-11-28.
  6. ^ a b c Staff Reporter (2008-12-03). "Britney comeback takes disturbing twist". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 2009-11-28. Cite error: The named reference "age" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Gordon Smart (2008-11-08). "Roll Up! Hear Brit's Circus first". The Sun. News International. Retrieved 2009-11-28.
  8. ^ "Digital Sheet Music – Britney Spears If U Seek Amy". Music Notes.com. Alfred Publishing Company. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  9. ^ a b c d Steve Jones (2008-11-26). "Britney enjoys 'Circus'". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 2009-11-28. Cite error: The named reference "usat" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Neil McCormick (2008-11-24). "Britney Spears: Circus pop CD review". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 2009-11-28.
  11. ^ a b c d Gil Kaufman (2009-02-12). "Britney Spears' 'If U Seek Amy' Poses Censorship Problems For Radio". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 2009-12-16.
  12. ^ Jesse Shieldlower (2009-03-19). "If You Seek Amy's Ancestors". Slate.com. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
  13. ^ Chris Williams (2009-04-04). "If U Seek Amy single review". Billboard. Nielsen Media. Retrieved 2009-11-28. [dead link]
  14. ^ Ganz, Caryn (2008-12-11). "Circus : Britney Spears : Review". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. ISSN 0035-791X. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
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  49. ^ Chris Johnson (2009-03-13). "Nice as pie: Britney Spears is transformed into perfect 1950s housewife for new video". Daily Mail. Daily Mail and General Trust. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
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