"Till the World Ends" | ||||
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Single by Britney Spears | ||||
from the album Femme Fatale | ||||
Released | March 4, 2011 | |||
Recorded | 2010 | |||
Studio | Conway Recording, Los Angeles | |||
Genre | [1] | |||
Length | 3:58 | |||
Label | Jive | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Britney Spears singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Till the World Ends" on YouTube |
"Till the World Ends" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It was written by Kesha, Dr. Luke, Alexander Kronlund, and Max Martin, while the production was handled by Luke, Martin and Billboard. It was released as the second single from the album on March 4, 2011 by Jive Records. "Till the World Ends" is an uptempo dance-pop, electropop and Eurodance song with an electro beat. It opens with sirens, and has elements of trance and Eurodance. The song features a chant-like chorus, and lyrics in which Spears sings about dancing until the end of the world. "Till the World Ends" received universal acclaim from critics, who deemed it a catchy dance track and complimented its anthemic nature.
"Till the World Ends" was treated with different remixes, most notably the Femme Fatale Remix, featuring rapper Nicki Minaj and Kesha, which was released on April 25, 2011. The remix adds a rap verse by Minaj at the beginning, new vocals by Kesha, and a dubstep breakdown. The Femme Fatale Remix received positive reviews from critics, with most complimenting the diversity of the group and Minaj's rap. "Till the World Ends" attained international success, charted on the top-ten in several major music markets, including Australia, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland. Spears's solo version reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The Femme Fatale Remix propelled the single to the top five on the Canadian Hot 100 and the US Billboard Hot 100.
An accompanying music video for the "Till the World Ends" was released on April 6, 2011. It portrays Spears in an underground dance party set on December 21, 2012. Critics noted the similarities with the music video for "I'm a Slave 4 U" (2001), and predominantly gave positive reviews for it. A choreography cut was released on April 15, 2011. The video was also nominated for two categories at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, and went on to win Best Pop Video. Spears has performed "Till the World Ends" on television shows Good Morning America and Jimmy Kimmel Live! , and performed it with Minaj at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards. She has also performed the song as the encore of the Femme Fatale Tour (2011), Britney: Piece of Me (2013–2017), Britney: Live in Concert (2017) and Piece of Me Tour (2018).
"Till the World Ends" was written and produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin, with additional writing by American recording artist Kesha and Alexander Kronlund, and additional production by Billboard. [2] In an interview for Spin on February 11, 2011, Kesha announced she had co-written the song with Luke and Martin for Spears's then-upcoming album Femme Fatale , explaining it was inspired by "me imagining [Spears] and any female musician touring the world. When you go out, and you're having an amazing, magical night and you don't want to go to sleep and you want it to last until the world ends." [3] She further elaborated for Vulture :
"I've never been more proud of anything in my career... It really solidifies me as a songwriter in the pop music world, which is what I consider myself first and foremost. So it actually is really, really exciting for me when I hear [Britney] sing it. Like, when I hear my own songs on the radio I have to kind of turn it down or change the radio or whatever. When I hear that, I fucking blow the speakers out and I order everybody to dance." [4]
On March 2, 2011, the single's cover art, in which Spears appears sitting on a couch in a sweater and heels, was posted on Deezer. This was followed by a 30-second snippet of the song, which appeared on German Amazon. [5] "Till the World Ends" leaked online on March 3, 2011, which prompted Spears to post hours later on her Twitter account, "Looks like the cat's out of the bag..." [6] [7] She formally premiered the single at On Air with Ryan Seacrest , on March 4, 2011, at 10:00 EST (15:00 UTC). [8] "Till the World Ends" was made available on iTunes the same day, several days earlier than originally planned. [9] Following the announcement, Kesha spoke to MTV News stating that "I consider myself a songwriter before and above everything else, so it's an honor to write for one of pop music's biggest icons." [10] During an interview with Seacrest, Spears described "Till the World Ends" as "fun. I like it. It's good energy. [...] I'm a vibe person, and I think I love good-mood songs, and if it puts me in a good mood, it clicks for me." [11]
"Till the World Ends" is an uptempo dance-pop and electropop song, [13] [14] with an electro beat and elements of trance and Eurodance. [6] [12] [1] The song opens with sirens and a "sizzling" bassline. [15] [16] Spears delivers confident and breathy vocals, in lyrics such as "If you want this good shit / Sicker than the remix / Baby let me blow your mind tonight." [6] [17] In the chorus, the song slows down while Spears sings "I can't take it take it take no more / Never felt like felt like this before / Come on get me get me on the floor / DJ what you what you waiting for?". The melody's 4:3 cross-rhythm continues into a chant-like segment, in which "whoa-oh-oh-oh" is repeated. [16] [17] The bit was compared by Scott Shettler of AOL to the "rapid word repetition" of Kesha. [6] [17] Keith Caulfield of Billboard said the chorus "comes on hard like it's the sexy spawn" of American recording artist Usher's "OMG" (2010) and Italian band Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy" (1985). [18]
Gerrick Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times stated that like her previous single "Hold It Against Me", "Spears's main intention with her new single seems to be keeping the dance floor pulsating with sweaty bodies". [19] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard said the song recalls past hits by English recording artist Taio Cruz, Swedish recording artist Robyn and Spanish recording artist Enrique Iglesias. [7] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post felt the song was comparable to Iglesias' "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" (2010). [20] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine and a reviewer from Popjustice compared it to Kesha's "Blow" (2011). [21] [22] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Kobalt Music Publishing Inc., "Till the World Ends" is set in the simple quadruple meter time signature, with a moderate dance beat infused metronome of 132 beats per minute. [23] It is composed in the key of C minor; Spears' vocals range from the low-key of Bb3 to the high-note of C5. [23] Lyrically, the song talks about dancing until the end of the world. [14]
The song received universal acclaim from critics. [14] Ryan Brockington of the New York Post called it "amazing". [24] Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone gave the song three and a half out of five stars, stating, "You want a party song, call a partier" and describing it as "sky-sucking synth streaks, a beat that sounds like blimps fucking and a thousand shirtless drunken sailors chanting along on the chorus." [25] Gerrick Kennedy of the Los Angeles Times called the song "catchy [...] [it] makes you want to grab some glow sticks and hit the clubs" and added that the Femme Fatale era "already shows an undeniably more confident Spears." [19] Mike Collett-White of Reuters deemed it as a dance anthem. [14] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy said that the song is unquestionably a Dr. Luke production, but "somehow it's Brit that manages to come out on top." Copsey went on to call it her most uplifting number since "Stronger" (2000), and added that "for longtime Britney fans, is the comeback we've all been waiting for. [16]
Bill Lamb of About.com commented that the song would "sound solid on the radio and bring crowds to the dance floor," but when compared to "Hold It Against Me", it was much safer and not as innovative. [26] Jed Gottlieb of the Boston Herald gave the song a B+, saying that "pop fans always need a huge hook, catchy chorus and break-it-down-build-it-up bridge. This song’s got all three". [27] Edna Gundersen of USA Today called it "a sleek and impossibly catchy slab", and said that although the song is unmistakable Luke, Spears "holds her own with confident, kittenish vocals." [13] Allison Stewart of The Washington Post stated that the track "is Spears's most joyously danceable track in a long time." [20] Caryn Ganz of Spin named it "her first truly synapse-sizzling single since 'Toxic'." [28] Andy Gill of The Independent selected the song along with "Criminal" as the download picks of the album. [29] Kevin Ritchie of Now stated that "wannabe World Cup anthem 'Till The World Ends' kicks things off with an aura of pounding, Euro dance euphoria." [1]
David Buchanan of Consequence of Sound commented that "Till the World Ends", "Hold It Against Me" and "Inside Out" "simultaneously send Spears back to basics vocally, and into 2011 sonically." [30] Rudy Klapper of Sputnikmusic said that the song "throbs with trance-y synths, a thumping electro beat that is pure sex and a chorus that goes and goes as only the best club hits can do, sensible lyrics be damned." [12] Evan Sawdey of PopMatters said that "Till the World Ends" sets the pace of Femme Fatale, while calling it "a stadium-rocking pop anthem." [31] Keith Caulfield from Billboard said that the song has a "roof-shaking chant-chorus", but criticized the lyrics, saying that they have "been echoed incessantly over the past year in countless Hot 100 top ten hits: dance until you drop from exhaustion." [18] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine compared it to Kesha's "Blow", saying that the tracks "[are] so similar [...] that I can't decide which one I like more—or if I even like them at all." [21] A reviewer from Popjustice also compared it to "Blow", but said "Till the World Ends" was not as good. [22]
Rolling Stone named "Till the World Ends" as the third best song of 2011. The writer concluded, "Brit[ney] delivers the Apocalypse Now of Eurotrash electrotrance disco songs, as that throbbing pulse builds to a pure drop-the-bomb chorus. And that 'whoa-ho-ho' choir sounds like Cher leading an aircraft carrier full of gay sailors." [32] The song was also named as the third best single of 2011 by Billboard, and commented that it is "Britney's most immediate single since 'Toxic'." [33] Sam Lansky of PopCrush considered "Till the World Ends" the best pop song of 2011, writing, "2011 was already Year of the Spears by January, when Britney Spears' 'Hold It Against Me' topped the charts — but [Britney] had something even better up her sleeve, the crackling dancefloor barnstormer 'Till the World Ends', penned by rowdy popstrel Kesha and produced by monster hitmaker Dr. Luke. It's a gargantuan party song with provocative lyrics (“This kitten got your tongue tied in knots”, anyone?), throbbing synths, and a thrillingly euphoric hands-in-the-air chant-along chorus — and there wasn't a more exuberant pop song this year." [34] Digital Spy also considered the track as the best song of 2011, naming it "Britney's best track since 'Toxic'" and commenting, "judging from its chart position, it's also her most underrated hit." [35] The Village Voice 's Pazz & Jop annual critics' poll ranked "Till the World Ends" as the seventh best song of 2011, tied with Lana Del Rey's "Video Games". "Till the World Ends" was voted by readers as the Best Song of the 2010s on Billboard. [36]
A remixed version of "Till the World Ends", featuring pop singer Kesha and rapper Nicki Minaj, was leaked online on April 22, 2011. [37] The same day, three countdowns with lines of the song appeared on the official websites of Spears, Kesha and Minaj. [38] The Femme Fatale Remix was released on iTunes on April 25, 2011. [39] The same day, Spears uploaded a picture of the cover art to her Twitter account. [40] Kesha told MTV News, "I'm a massive fan of both the ladies I share the track with. I wrote 'TTWE' for Britney [...] and she killed it and I loved it, but I just thought a supergroup of three hot, strong women could just take over the airwaves." [41] The remix adds heavier bass during the beginning, and starts with Minaj rapping with intensity about a female hater, in lines such as "Told you they'd revive your career, but somebody lied/ I ain't talkin' poultry when I say this chicken's fried." This continues by Spears singing the first verse, after which Minaj says "It's Britney, bitch. I'm Nicki Minaj and that's Kesha!", and the first chorus is sung by the latter. Spears continues with the song and is accompanied by Kesha towards the end of the second verse and the bridge. [37] The remix also features a dubstep breakdown, reminiscent of "Hold It Against Me". [37] [38]
Tina Hart of MSN UK stated that "[Minaj] maintain[s] her ‘badass’ demeanour. Britney's familiar tones greet you on the verse and Kesha sounds perfectly at home on the chorus." [38] Wesley Case of The Baltimore Sun stated that while Spears sounds processed, "Minaj's larger-than-life performance matches the in-the-red party production" and Kesha "adds an extra layer of dirt-under-the-nails sheen." He summarized his review by saying that the remix "is the perfect example of pop's current love affair with Euro dance and add-it-all-to-the-pot rules." [42] Jordan Zakarin of The Huffington Post commented the track "has enough star power to dwarf our own sun" and added that it "puts enough of a spin on the original version to make it worth a spin on its own." [43] Samesame.com.au stated that Minaj's rap was "fantastic", and that although Kesha's verse was "a little strange", it also "works, but [...] further emphasises what a poor choice for single 'Till The World Ends' was in the first place, as the song sounds even more like a B-side to Kesha’s Cannibal EP." [44] Maura Johnston of The Village Voice highlighted the breakdown and Minaj "who seems particularly energized here, stretching and bending her voice like it's a Plasticman doll." [45] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly said that "like most remixes, we'll stick with the original". Anderson also stated that Kesha's contribution is "generally ignorable" and that Minaj's rap does not flow well with the rest of the song. [46] Pitchfork included the Femme Fatale Remix in their Top 100 Tracks of 2011 list, writing:
"'Till the World Ends' was already the best Britney single since 'Toxic', an ecstatic Euroclub floor-filler about wanting to dance until the world ends and other important matters. Then they added the Nicki Minaj verse. In her 45-second evisceration, Nicki manages to squeeze in chicken noises and the words 'poultry', 'Epsom salt', and 'Ricki Lake'-- not to mention the immortal diss 'Sniff, sniff, criiiies/ I done slayed your entire fucking liiiiife.' (Fact: In 2011, pretty much any song in the world could be made infinitely better by the addition of a Nicki Minaj verse.) Sprinkle a little bit of Kesha, the song's co-writer, on the chorus, and you've got a three-headed diva Hydra that sums up the recent changing of the femme pop guard from airbrushed and perfect to (relatively) weird and chaotic. It's the year's greatest quickie cash-in remix created to boost the chart position of a floundering single. Considering the ubiquity of the practice, that's saying something." [47]
A Bollywood version of the song was done by Indian music producer duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant, and released on DesiHits.com, a website for South Asian music and entertainment news. The remix features a Punjabi breakdown with South Asian sounding vocals and includes some added Desi flavors courtesy of dholki, dhol and tumbi beats, which are common instruments in South Asian music. Baba Kahn of the production team Culture Shock stated, "Our goal was to take Britney's smash hit single and give fans a total Desi adrenaline rush. The result is a Culture Shock musical Desi roller coaster that hopefully everyone around the world will want to join." Mark Flaherty, senior vice president of Jive Label Group, said about the remix: [48]
"We wanted to build an even greater connection between the world's biggest pop star and one of the world's largest audiences. Britney has been engaged with South Asian culture for many years. From the groundbreaking Bollywood-inspired remix of 'Me Against the Music' to her recent collaboration with Indian fashion designers Falguni and Shane Peacock on the 'Hold It Against Me' video, she has embraced the incredible sights and sounds of this vibrant community throughout her career." [48]
Michigan band Salem released a slowed-down version of the song, and made a music video featuring seemingly underage strippers and military footage. [49] A remix featuring R. Kelly was leaked online on July 4, 2011. [50] It features him singing the second verse, "Slide up in this club / This beat's got me in love / Till I just don't care / It's like I'm walking on air / It's a party right here", and a new hook, where he repeats the line "Party till the world ends". [50] [51] His vocals join those of Spears during the breakdown, and the song ends with Kelly doing runs over the chorus. [51] A reporter from Idolator said, "We'd much rather listen to Britney's original than this uninspired remix when doomsday comes." [50]
"Till the World Ends" sold 117,000 copies after its first three days of sales in the United States, debuting at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 on the week of March 19, 2011. [52] It became the fifth highest debut of her twenty-five entries on the chart. [53] It also debuted at number ten on the Hot Digital Songs chart, and at number sixty-eight on the Radio Songs chart; on the latter chart, the song debuted at number sixty-eight with 16.8 million impressions on 145 stations. [52] [53] On the issue dated March 17, 2011, "Till the World Ends" sold 158,000 downloads (up 36%), peaking at number five on the Hot Digital Songs chart. On the Hot 100, it climbed to number nine, becoming her tenth top ten hit. The song also jumped to number forty-seven on the Radio Songs chart with 26 million impressions (up 56%), and debuted at number twenty-six on the Pop Songs chart. [54] It later peaked at number four. [55] The following week, "Till the World Ends" dropped out of the top ten of the Hot 100; it returned three weeks later at number eight, on April 13, 2011. [55] Following the release of the remix featuring Nicki Minaj and Kesha, the song peaked at number three on the Hot Digital Songs chart, with combined sales of 246,000 downloads (up 102%). [56] The remix accounted for 167,000 copies (68%) of the total sales. "Till the World Ends" also peaked at number three on the Hot 100, becoming Spears's eleventh top-ten hit and her third of 2011 after "Hold It Against Me" and the "S&M" remix with Rihanna. [57] In May 2011, the song peaked at number 4 on the airplay chart, her highest-charting song on the radio in her entire career. [58] "Till the World Ends" became Spears' seventh number-one dance song when it topped the chart in May 2011. [59] On the week of July 10, 2011, the song surpassed two million downloads in the United States. [60] As of March 2015, "Till the World Ends" has sold over three million copies in the United States. [61]
The single debuted at number sixteen on the Canadian Hot 100, and climbed to number seven the next week. [62] Following the release of the remix, "Till the World Ends" peaked at number four. [63] On March 14, 2011, the song debuted at number nineteen on the ARIA Charts of Australia. It climbed to number eight on the week of April 25, 2011, where it stayed for two consecutive weeks. "Till the World Ends" stayed for sixteen weeks on the chart. [64] It has since been certified 2× Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales of 140,000 units. [65] In New Zealand, the song debuted at number ten on March 14, 2011. It stayed for seventeen weeks on the chart. [66] On March 10, 2011, "Till the World Ends" debuted at number seven on the Irish Singles Chart. In the United Kingdom, "Till the World Ends" debuted at number fifty-five on March 7, 2011, and moved to number twenty-one the following week. [67] It became her second lowest peaking single behind "Radar" (2009) and her lowest peaking second single from a studio release. [68] Across Europe, the song has peaked at number two in Norway; number four in Sweden; number six in Belgium (Wallonia) and Finland; number seven in Denmark and Switzerland; number eight in France and Slovakia; and the top twenty in Brazil, Belgium (Flanders), Czech Republic, Greece and Spain. [69]
The music video for "Till the World Ends" was directed by Ray Kay and filmed inside a basement in Los Angeles, California. [70] On March 17, 2011, Spears posted on her Twitter account, "Day 1 of the #TTWE Videoshoot. Just wrapped my first big dance number. Taking a well deserved break people!" She also tweeted a picture of her on set, wearing ripped tights, a Burberry Prorsum studded leather jacket and matching fingerless leather gloves. [71] [72] The making-of was chronicled on the special Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale, which aired on MTV on April 3, 2011, at 21:00 EST (02:00 UTC). In the special, Spears is seen watching the playback, as she later explained, "[It is] just to make sure it's right and that the costume looks right and the dancers are together and we all look in unison. It's an energy and it looks fresh. It has a certain vibe with it and it makes sense." She also went on to describe the set as "grimy and gross [...] It was sweat and it was disgusting sometimes". At a point in the shoot, Spears changed her heels to Ugg boots during the shots that did not show her feet, stating that "[Dancing in heels] hurts ... but it looks good. It wasn't a full-length shot, so a girl's about comfort when it's not showing." Spears said that she did not feel the need to top herself, saying that "I've made so many videos that I'm at the point that I genuinely want to enjoy myself, and I have such a good team of people with me. [...] I had never worked with Ray Kay before. I was really happy with the work we did." [70] The video was choreographed by Brian Friedman. [73] On April 4, 2011, it was announced that two different versions of the music video would be released, a director's cut and a choreography cut. The same day, Spears tweeted a 30-second preview of the video, announcing, "#TillTheWorldEnds video premieres THIS Wednesday on VEVO. Cant wait to share it with you guys!" [74]
The video begins with the words "December 21st, 2012" flashing on screen, the day that refers to the fulfillment of the Great Cycle, Baktun in the Mayan calendar. Spears appears strutting in an underground party wearing a studded leather jacket and stockings. Several people are seen running to a manhole and enter the sewer system to arrive to the party. This is followed by a dance routine in which Spears is wearing a sequined bodysuit and a small jacket with shoulder pads accompanied by female dancers. During the video, there are scenes of buildings burning and debris falling, as well as intercut scenes of Spears in front of an illuminated background. As the second verse begins, she dances provocatively with her male dancers. In the last chorus, the sun rises while water is sprayed through the dance floor and the earthquake and meteor shower subside. The video ends with Spears coming out of a manhole wearing the red bodysuit and smiling.
The director's cut premiered on April 6, 2011, at 03:00 EST (08:00 UTC). [74] Kevin O'Donnell of Spin compared the "Till the World Ends" video to "I'm a Slave 4 U" and added that it takes elements of classic Spears videos, such as "scantily-clad dancers, tightly executed choreography, ridonkulously sequined outfits, and pouty, overly sincere close-ups of Spears" and "places them in an apocalyptic, end-of-days scenario." [76] Jocelyn Vena of MTV also highlighted the comparisons to "I'm a Slave 4 U", explaining that "the director's cut of the video is a sexy mash-up of Spears doing what she does best: groping half-naked guys, giving the camera bedroom eyes and being sassy in a number of leather jackets and skintight bodysuits." [73] Chris Gayomali of Time stated that the video "[i]s sweaty, at times blinding, yet undeniably enjoyable, adopting many of its key elements from Britney's coming-of-age 'I'm a Slave 4 U.'" [77] Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone called it "a good, memorable video." [78] Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly said it "is exactly what you’d expect for this song, and from Britney at this point in her career", and also complimented Spears for getting rid of the product placement in the "Hold It Against Me" video. [79]
Wesley Case of The Baltimore Sun stated that video "is typical 2011 party-starter — sweaty bodies, futuristic DJ-gear, well-timed faulty sprinkler system — but it captures the track's raging mood perfectly." [80] Gina Serpe of E! Online also compared the video to "I'm a Slave 4 U", saying, "[There's] nothing wrong with a little nod to vintage Britney. Plus, sweaty dancers in tunnels pulsing and writhing in sync to the music? Seems like as good a way as any to survive the apocalypse." [81] Willa Paskin of New York commented that Spears "tries hard not to make the same mistakes as the inadvertently depressing 'Hold It Against Me'. There's more dancing — though it's still largely arm-related — and much, much more smiling." [82] The music video was nominated at the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards in the category of International Video of the Year — Artist, but lost to Lady Gaga's "Judas". [83] It also received two nominations at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in the categories of Best Pop Video and Best Choreography. [84] Spears told MTV News she was "completely flattered" by the nominations. [85] She lost Best Choreography to Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)", but won Best Pop Video. [86]
The video is similar to the director's cut, but has a few differences. The choreography cut offers lengthier shots of Spears and her dancers, and much of the apocalypse storyline is edited out. The clip's ending is also different from the original: instead of emerging from the manhole Spears just looks into the camera, apparently still hiding in the underground party and hinting at a darker ending in which the world does end. [87] On April 9, 2011, Spears tweeted that she had seen the final cut of the dance version, and was not sure which one she liked best. [88] Ray Kay tweeted on April 14, 2011, that the original version of the video was better, "but it's fun to watch the choreography too." The video, titled "DANCE Till the World Ends" premiered on April 15, 2011. [87] Leah Collins of Dose commented, "sorry, Team Britney, but if any of you were hoping to pass off Spears’ anemic performance in the original as the result of unfortunate editing, this clip isn't exactly going to bring anyone back on side." [89]
An accompanying music video for the Twister Remix of "Till the World Ends" was also directed by Ray Kay, and released on September 8, 2012. [90] For the music video, Spears sported a $20,000 sports bra and black leggins from Body Rock . [91] It begins with four girls talking and resting in a dance studio. Once Spears enters the room and starts playing Twister with the girls, the scenario changes to a stage with a colorful background, and they all start performing a dance routine to a remix of the song. After the song stops and the four girls are seen laying down tired, Spears turns around to them and say, "Way to rock the spots, ladies." [90]
Spears first performed "Till the World Ends" at Rain Nightclub in the Palms Casino Resort on March 25, 2011. After performances of "Hold It Against Me" and "Big Fat Bass", Spears appeared wearing a black latex bodysuit covered in red lights and surrounded by her dancers, while the stage was filled with ladders and LED lighting. At the end, she ascended the ladders and ended up on a platform, gyrating from above the room. As fireworks lit the stage, Spears danced and tossed her hair as the song closed. [92] She also taped performances of "Hold It Against Me", "Big Fat Bass" and "Till the World Ends" at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on March 27, 2011, that aired on Good Morning America on March 29, 2011. [93] The same day, Spears performed the set on Jimmy Kimmel Live! . [94] On May 22, 2011, she briefly performed the song at the Billboard Music Awards in the MGM Grand Garden Arena. After Minaj performed "Super Bass", she started to sing the rap verse of the Femme Fatale Remix. Spears emerged onstage for the chorus and performed alongside Minaj and her back up dancers while walking to a minor stage. [95]
Spears also performed "Till the World Ends" at the Femme Fatale Tour (2011). At the end of "Toxic", she goes below the stage and returns wearing a black sparkly bodysuit for "Till the World Ends". Halfway through the performance, Minaj appears on the backdrops rapping her verse of the Femme Fatale Remix of the song. She also joined Spears to perform the verse in select cities. After the song changes back to the original version, Spears starts flying in a platform with giant angel wings. The show ends with Spears and her dancers thanking the audience, as confetti falls and the "Femme Fatale" sign is lowered onstage. [96] Jason L. Nelson of The Beaver County Times said that "encore hits 'Toxic' and 'Till the World Ends' kept the crowd beaming." [97] Spears also performed the song as part of the encore section from her Las Vegas residency Britney: Piece of Me. At the end of the performance, Spears ascended into the back of the stage in a globe-cage. [98] Mirroring the setlist of her Las Vegas residency, "Till the World Ends" is also the encore of Britney: Live in Concert, with Spears leaving the stage after performing "(You Drive Me) Crazy" for a few minutes, and then returning to perform the song as the encore.
During the Pink Friday Tour, Nicki Minaj included "Till the World Ends" as an interlude. [99]
Kesha performed the song on select dates as part of her setlist on the Kesha and the Creepies: Fuck the World Tour in 2016, [100] as well as the Only Love Tour in 2023.
Electronicore band I See Stars covered the song as a track for the Punk Goes Pop Volume 4 compilation.
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Credits adapted from Till the World Ends liner notes. [2]
Weekly charts | Monthly charts
Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [173] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
Belgium (BEA) [174] | Gold | 15,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [175] | Gold | 15,000^ |
Italy (FIMI) [176] | Gold | 15,000* |
Mexico (AMPROFON) [177] | Gold | 30,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [178] | Gold | 7,500* |
South Korea | — | 288,307 [179] |
Sweden (GLF) [180] | 3× Platinum | 120,000‡ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [181] | Gold | 15,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [182] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [183] | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000‡ |
Streaming | ||
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [184] | Gold | 50,000† |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Version(s) | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Germany | March 4, 2011 | Original | Digital download | Sony Music | |
United Kingdom | RCA | ||||
United States | Jive | ||||
March 7, 2011 | Contemporary hit radio | ||||
Germany | April 15, 2011 | CD | Sony Music | ||
United Kingdom | April 25, 2011 | The Femme Fatale remix | Digital download | RCA | |
United States | Jive |
Britney Jean Spears is an American singer and dancer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Spears has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. She has earned numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, 15 Guinness World Records, six MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, the inaugural Radio Disney Icon Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her heavily choreographed music videos earned her the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
"I'm a Slave 4 U" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her third studio album, Britney (2001). Written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, it was released on September 25, 2001, by Jive Records as the lead single from the album. Marking a transition for Spears from the teen pop sounds of her previous singles, "I'm a Slave 4 U" is a dance-pop track with urban pop and R&B influences. The lyrics describes the plea of a young woman to be liberated and feel independent.
"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000). It was released on March 12, 2001, by Jive Records as the fourth and final single from the album. After meeting with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange in Switzerland, Spears recorded several songs for the album, including "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", which she considered one of her favorites on the album. Additional lyrics were written by guitar player Keith Scott and country pop singer Shania Twain. The pop ballad speaks of a woman wanting to hear her boyfriend say that he loves her, and is sonically similar to David Bowie and Iggy Pop's song "China Girl" (1983).
"Boys" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her third album Britney (2001). It was written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams. A version of the song titled "The Co-Ed Remix" and featuring guest vocals from Williams was released as the fifth single from Britney on June 24, 2002. The new version also served as the second single from the soundtrack of Austin Powers in Goldmember. "Boys" is a R&B and hip hop song, including funk influences. The remix carries a slower tempo than the album version, and both versions were noted by critics to be reminiscent of music by American artist Janet Jackson. Some critics praised Spears and Williams' chemistry, as well as the production on the track, while others did not think the song worked well.
"Gimme More" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout (2007). It was released on August 31, 2007, by Jive Records, as the lead single from the album. "Gimme More" was recorded in 2006 during Spears' second pregnancy and was one of the first solo productions by Danja. The song opens with an intro in which Spears utters the phrase, "It's Britney, bitch." Musically, "Gimme More" is a song with elements from dance-pop, electropop and EDM using breathy vocals. The track closes with a speak-sing outro by Danja.
"Womanizer" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus (2008). It was released on September 26, 2008, by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and written by the Outsyders, the song was re-recorded after a snippet was leaked onto the internet. "Womanizer" is an up-tempo electropop and dance-pop song. Described by Spears as a girl anthem, the song's lyrics recall a womanizing man, while the protagonist of the song makes clear she knows who he really is.
"If U Seek Amy" also broadcast on radio as "If U See Amy" or simply "Amy" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus (2008). It was released on March 10, 2009, by Jive Records as the third single of the album, chosen by a poll on Spears's official website. "If U Seek Amy" was written and produced by Swedish producer Max Martin, who also wrote previous hits for her first three albums. In the song, Spears is looking for a woman named Amy in a club, and although it appears to be about sex, it is actually about how society perceives her life. Musically, "If U Seek Amy" makes use of instruments such as keyboards and timpani.
"Scream & Shout" is a song by American musician will.i.am and American singer Britney Spears, taken from the former's fourth studio album #willpower (2012). It was released on November 20, 2012, by Interscope Records as the second single from the album, and sent to mainstream radio in the United States on November 27. The song was written by will.i.am, Jef Martens, Tulisa, Jean Baptiste and was produced by Martens under the alias Lazy Jay, with additional production by will.i.am. "Scream & Shout" is an upbeat dance pop song; its lyrics are about having a good time on a night out. It includes a reference to the lyric "Britney, bitch" from Spears' 2007 single "Gimme More".
"3" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her second greatest hits album, The Singles Collection (2009). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing from Tiffany Amber. The song was released on September 29, 2009, by Jive Records, as the only single from The Singles Collection. "3" is an uptempo electropop song that features a heavy bassline and synthesizers, and lyrics that talk about threesomes, while referencing American folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary during the chorus as sexual slang.
"Super Bass" is a song by Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj from the deluxe version of her debut studio album, Pink Friday (2010). It was sent to American rhythmic radio stations as the album's fifth single on April 5, 2011. The song was written by Minaj alongside Ester Dean, Roahn Hylton, and producers Kane Beatz and JMIKE. According to Minaj, the song's lyrics detail the story of a playful romance between her and a potential suitor. The pop rap track contains electronic influences, while Minaj raps over a hip hop beat. An accompanying music video for the single was shot in March 2011 by director Sanaa Hamri and shows Minaj playfully taunting a group of men; while making use of multiple props colored bubblegum pink.
"Hold It Against Me" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It was written and produced by Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Billboard, with additional writing by Bonnie McKee. Luke explained that he wanted "Hold It Against Me" to sound unlike his previous productions. The song was originally offered to Katy Perry, but Luke and Martin felt that it did not suit her. A demo version of the track by McKee was leaked on January 6, 2011, and the single became available for streaming on January 10, 2011. It was released for digital download the following day as the lead single from Femme Fatale by Jive Records.
Femme Fatale is the seventh studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on March 25, 2011, by Jive Records, and was her last album with the label before they shut down later in October of the same year as she was moved to RCA Records. Musically, Spears wanted to make a "fresh-sounding" and "fierce dance album", thus incorporating dance-pop, electropop, EDM and synth-pop styles with elements of dubstep, techno and electro in its sound. Spears began working on the album during the second leg of her tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009), while also contributing to her second greatest hits album The Singles Collection (2009). Spears collaborated with various producers including Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Fraser T Smith, Rodney Jerkins, Bloodshy, will.i.am, Stargate, and Travis Barker.
"I Wanna Go" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Savan Kotecha. Spears first posted on her Twitter account a link to a clip of the song in February 2011, a month prior to the album's release. Following a poll on her official website, "I Wanna Go" was chosen as the third single of the album, and Jive Records released it on June 14, 2011.
The Femme Fatale Tour was the eighth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It was officially announced in March 2011, initially with dates for North American venues revealed. The tour was originally planned as a co-headlining tour with Enrique Iglesias, but he canceled only hours after the announcement. The show was inspired by the concept of the "femme fatale" and iconic femmes fatales throughout the ages. The setlist was mostly composed of songs from the album Femme Fatale, although Spears also performed hits from her previous albums for her fans. Zaldy Goco designed the costumes. In July 2011, Spears announced her plans of a South American leg on the tour, in territories she either had never been to or had not played for over a decade. Spears has named the Femme Fatale Tour as the "best" show of her career.
"Big Fat Bass" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). It features the vocal collaboration of American rapper will.i.am. The house song was written and produced by will.i.am as a celebration to the bass and its influence on club music. The song contains a double entendre gender metaphor sung by Spears. "Big Fat Bass" received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, who deemed it an instant radio and club hit, and also considered it the most old-school work on the album. However, a few reviews considered it as an unfortunate collaboration with will.i.am, and dismissed Spears' heavily processed vocals.
"Criminal" is the fourth and final single from American singer Britney Spears' seventh studio album, Femme Fatale (2011). "Criminal" was written and produced by Max Martin and Shellback, with additional writing by Tiffany Amber. After Spears first listened to the song, she felt it was different and unlike anything she had heard before. She posted a snippet of it online on March 2, 2011, prior to the album's release. "Criminal" was chosen as a single by a poll on her Facebook page, as Spears explained it was a way to give back to her fans. The artwork for the single was released on September 14, 2011.
B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2 is the second remix album by American singer Britney Spears. The follow-up to B in the Mix: The Remixes (2005), it was released on October 7, 2011 by Jive Records. On September 9, 2011, Spears announced the release by posting the cover artwork and track listing on her Tumblr account. The album includes remixes of various tracks from her studio albums Blackout (2007), Circus (2008) and Femme Fatale (2011), as well as a remix of "3" and, exclusively in Japan, a remix of "My Prerogative". The remixes were done by disc jockeys such as Kaskade, Tiësto and Benny Benassi. The music was influenced by various subgenres of pop music, such as disco and house. The album was released the same day RCA absorbed Jive Records.
Britney Spears Live: The Femme Fatale Tour is a 2011 concert special by American entertainer Britney Spears, documenting the August 13 and 14, 2011 shows of the Femme Fatale Tour. Filmed at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, the show was shot in 2D and 3D by 3ality Digital, and premiered on Epix on November 12, 2011. BBC Worldwide attained distribution rights of the show outside the United States. The special portrays a story in which Spears is a secret agent chased by a stalker, and features guest appearances by Nicki Minaj and Sabi. Britney Spears Live: The Femme Fatale Tour received mixed reviews from critics.
"Starships" is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj. It was released on February 14, 2012, by Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Republic as the lead single from her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The song was written by Nicki Minaj, Nadir Khayat, Carl Falk, Rami Yacoub, Bilal Hajji, and Wayne Hector, and it was produced by RedOne, Yacoub, and Falk.
"Check It Out" is a song performed by American rapper will.i.am and Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. The hip hop and electropop song, written by will.i.am and Minaj, samples the 1979 hit single "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. After release, it debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at No. 78 and on the Canadian Hot 100 at No. 48. It appears on Minaj's first album, Pink Friday, though it was not released to promote the album. The special remix released in the UK features the British recording artist Cheryl Cole. The song peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. By December 2013, it has sold 780,000 digital downloads.
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