"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Britney Spears | ||||
from the album Oops!... I Did It Again | ||||
Released | March 12, 2001 | |||
Recorded | December 1999 | |||
Studio | La Tour-de-Peilz (Switzerland) | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:50 | |||
Label | Jive | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Robert John "Mutt" Lange | |||
Britney Spears singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" on YouTube |
"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).
"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who considered it a good break from the album's genre and praised Spears' vocals, comparing them to those of Twain and Stevie Wonder. The song attained moderate commercial success, reaching number one in Romania, and peaking inside the top ten in Austria, Europe and Switzerland, while reaching top twenty positions in many European countries. "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was only released for mainstream radio in the United States; therefore, it failed to appear on any major music chart in the country.
An accompanying music video, directed by Herb Ritts, portrays Spears in love scenes with her on-screen boyfriend, played by French model Brice Durand. The singer's real-life boyfriend at the time Justin Timberlake, however, was said to be annoyed at the kissing scenes, while Spears' mother, Lynne, objected to the explicit sexuality of the original cut of the video. Parts of the video were edited before its release to the public on March 2, 2001. As part of promotion for the song, Spears performed it at TRL , Saturday Night Live , and The View . It has also been included on four of her concert tours. "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was nominated at 2002 Kids' Choice Awards for "Favorite Song". Spears has named "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" one of her favorite songs from her career. [1]
In 1999, Spears began work on her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), in Sweden and Switzerland. [2] [3] After meeting with Robert Lange in Switzerland, the singer started to record several songs for the album, including "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know". After finishing the track, Spears revealed in an interview with Billboard that "with the first album, I didn't get to show my voice off. The songs were great, but they weren't very challenging. This song is incredible. It's going to surprise people in the best way." [3] "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was written and produced by Robert Lange, while additional lyrics were written by his then-wife Shania Twain and Keith Scott. [4] Spears recorded her vocals for the song between November and December 1999 at Robert Lange's and Shania Twain's chateau in La-Tour-de Peilz, Switzerland, and it was later mixed by Nigel Green and programmed by Cory Churko, Kevin Churko and Richard Meyer. [4] During a live concert at Hawaii, included on her second home video release Live and More! (2000), Spears said the song was one of her favorites on Oops!... I Did It Again. [5] "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was released on January 17, 2001 as the final single from the album. [6] [7]
"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" is a pop ballad that lasts for three minutes and 51 seconds. [4] [10] The song is composed in the key of E major [11] and is set in the time signature of common time with a tempo of 76 beats per minute, and Spears' vocal range spans from the low note of F♯3 to the high key of D♯5. [10] A NME staff reviewer said that the song takes the riff of David Bowie and Iggy Pop's "China Girl" (1983) and "puts it over schmaltzy cocktail-hour bass and love film strings". [8] Tom Terrell of MTV, however, compared the riff to the one of A Taste of Honey's cover of "Sukiyaki" (1981). Terrell further commented that the "Eagles-esque chorus" features "an '80s hair band power ballad groove" where "Britney soul-maxes with a vocal that channels both Stevie Wonder (via "Knocks Me Off My Feet") and Shania herself." [12]
Stephanie McGrath of Jam! said the song is "a nice break from the 'baby babys', 'yeah yeahs' and insistent drum beats that pepper the other songs" of Oops![ sic ]. [9] David Veitch of the Calgary Sun compared the backing vocals to "nicely old-fashioned shoo-be-doo-doos". [13] Lyrically, "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" alludes to how Spears wants to hear her boyfriend say he needs her all the way and that he loves her. [12] Spears considered it a "pure and delicate" song. "It's just one of those songs that pull you in. That's why I like it, and I like singing it as well", she continued. "I think they wrote it 'specially for me, because the lyrics of the song, if you really listen... they're more of what I can relate to, 'cause they're kind of young lyrics, I think. I don't think Shania would probably sing some of the words that I'm saying." [14]
"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" received mostly positive reviews from contemporary critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic deemed it "sweetly sentimental" and akin to the other ballads on Oops!... I Did It Again, [15] while a Rhapsody review considered them "perfectly constructed ballads". [16] Stephanie McGrath of Jam! called the song "the best showcase of Spears' talents". [9] A NME staff reviewer considered the track "absolutely frightening", [8] with Tracy E. Hopkins of Barnes & Noble deeming "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" a "polished ballad", and praising Shania Twain for the songwriting. [17] Billboard journalist Michael Paoletta noted that Spears may not have the vocal range of "colleagues Jessica Simpson and Christina Aguilera, but she does have an instantly recognizable style-and Oops!... indicates that she's developing a soulful edge and emotional depth that can't be conjured with a glass-shattering note", further commenting that this can be confirmed "on the hitworthy, Shania Twain-penned ballad 'Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know'". [18]
While reviewing 2011's Femme Fatale Tour, Jocelyn Vena of MTV considered the song, along with "Toxic", "old-school jams". [19] Bustle 's Alex Kristelis highlighted its "epic" chorus while the staff from Entertainment Weekly called it "a pretty mid tempo melody", and placed it at number 84 on their ranking of Spears' songs. [20] [21] For Pink News ' Mayer Nissim, "it's not that Britney can't do slow tracks, but her vocals don't always have the energy to push them", citing "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" as an example. [22] Nicholas Hautman, from Us Weekly , concluded that "Spears showcases her soulful, unwavering vocals on this well-executed ballad". [23] "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was nominated at Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for "Favorite Song" in 2002. [24]
"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was not commercially available in the United States, and was sent only to mainstream radio on April 2, 2001. [25] Therefore, the track failed to appear on any major music chart in the United States. However, "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was successful in Europe, debuting and peaking at number nine on the European Hot 100 Singles on the chart issue dated April 14, 2001. [26] The song was also able to reach the top ten in Austria and Switzerland, while attaining top 20 positions in Belgium (Flanders), Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. [6] In the United Kingdom, it debuted and peaked at number 12 on April 7, 2001, exiting the UK Singles Chart after eight weeks. "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" achieved commercial success in Romania, where it reached number one and was the third best-selling single of 2001. [27] Despite reaching number 14 in Denmark, [6] the song was later certified gold by International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), for shipping over 4,000 units of the single in the country. [28] The single was not released in Australia; instead, it was included as a bonus second disc of the limited edition of Oops!... I Did It Again released in the country. [29]
The music video for "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was directed by American photographer Herb Ritts, and shot at Key Biscayne in Miami, Florida in the last week of January 2001. [32] Spears revealed she was inspired by Janet Jackson's video for "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" (1990) to select Ritts as the video's director. [33] According to Ritts, the singer "wanted to do something fresh. There was one outfit, no dancing, and that meant that it boiled down to her. She really had to act the song, and she was very impressive." [32] He also revealed that the video was set at "a funky beach shack" similar to the videos for Madonna's "Cherish" and Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" (both from 1989). [32] "The story is, pretty much, Britney longing for him to tell her the words", said Ritts, [32] who was impressed with the chemistry between the singer and her on-screen boyfriend, played by French model Brice Durand. [32] Spears' real-life boyfriend at the time Justin Timberlake, however, "was said to be miffed at Spears' kissing scenes with French model", according to Jennifer Vineyard of MTV. [30] Spears' mother, Lynne, also considered the original music video too racy at the time because it contained sexual material. [31] Parts of the video were edited before its release to the public. [34]
The music video debuted at number one on MTV's TRL on March 2, 2001. [25] [35] The video begins with Spears and her boyfriend in a hammock. Cuts of her cuddling with her love interest beside a fire are also included. We also see her and her boyfriend on the seashore doing a love scene. Inside a tiki hut, Spears exclaims the words she wants her boyfriend to know. In the second half of the video, she is seen on a tree where her boyfriend reaches for her. There are also scenes where she is running on the beach and her boyfriend is chasing after her. Spears wears only a bikini top and a pair of cutoff shorts during the whole video, going barefoot throughout. [35] The music video was considered by Spears to be "the funnest [sic] video I've ever done." [32] An alternate footage of the video can be found on the DVD of Spears' first compilation album Greatest Hits: My Prerogative (2004). [36] Vineyard described the footage as the one that "makes the most use of Britney's body of work, with the spaceman from "Oops!... I Did It Again", an opening door from "My Prerogative" and one love interest from "Toxic" all making cameos". [36]
The first performance of "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was on March 8, 2000, during the Crazy 2k Tour in Pensacola, Florida, where Spears appeared onstage sitting on a magic carpet and flew over the audience while singing the song. [37] [38] After releasing her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again, Spears performed the song on the American music show TRL , [39] on Saturday Night Live [5] and on The View . [40] She also performed the song live on the Oops!... I Did It Again Tour. After performing "Sometimes", she climbed the staircase and briefly spoke to the audience before moving into the performance of the song, for which she wore a long white dress trimmed with boa feathers. [38] [41] "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was performed also on the Dream Within a Dream Tour in 2001 and 2002. The performance consisted of Spears singing the song on an elevated platform wearing an evening gown with artificial snow falling from the ceiling, while two of her dancers performed a routine. [42] [43]
Almost ten years later, "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was performed by Spears at select dates of the Femme Fatale Tour, in 2011. [44] The performance consists of Spears sitting on a swing singing the song, whilst a male dancer dances beneath her, at one point attaching himself by his feet to the swing whilst midair. [45] Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter named it one of the best performances of the show along with "Piece of Me" and "3", stating that "ironically enough, [they] were the ones with fewest frills." [46] In a review of the special broadcast by American premium television channel Epix of the tour, Jocelyn Vena of MTV summarized her thoughts about the performance saying, "It's rare these days to see Britney Spears show her soft side, but she takes a break from the nonstop, fist-pumping music during the spectacle that is the Femme Fatale Tour and kicks it old-school, showing us she still has the heart and soul to bust out a power ballad." [47]
|
|
Credits for "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" are adapted from Oops!... I Did It Again liner notes. [4]
Technical
Personnel
|
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Belgium (BEA) [75] | Gold | 25,000* |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [28] | Gold | 4,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Germany | March 12, 2001 | Maxi CD | BMG | |
United Kingdom | March 26, 2001 | Rough Trade | ||
France | March 27, 2001 | CD | Virgin | |
United States | April 3, 2001 | Contemporary hit radio | Jive | |
Japan | April 4, 2001 | Maxi CD | Avex Trax |
Britney Jean Spears is an American singer. 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 videos earned her the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
Britney is the third studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on October 31, 2001, by Jive Records.
"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.
"...Baby One More Time" is the debut single by American singer Britney Spears from her debut studio album of the same title (1999). It was written by Max Martin and produced by Martin and Rami. Released on September 29, 1998, by Jive Records, the song became a worldwide hit, topping the charts in at least 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it earned triple-platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and was the country's best-selling single of 1999. The song is one of the best-selling singles of all time, with over 10 million copies sold.
"From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time (1999). It was released on December 14, 1999, by Jive Records as the fifth and final single from the album. After Spears recorded an unused song from Toni Braxton and sent it through Larry Rudolph to several labels, executives from Jive Records commented that it was very rare to hear someone so young who could deliver emotional content and commercial appeal, appointing the singer to work with producer Eric Foster White. The teen pop ballad was written and produced by White, and features Spears singing about the loss of a first love and how breaking up can be hard.
"Oops!... I Did It Again" is a pop song recorded by American singer Britney Spears from her second studio album of the same name. It was released on April 11, 2000, by Jive Records as the lead single from the album, and her sixth single overall. It was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami Yacoub. The lyrics refer to a woman who views love as a game, and she decides to use that to her advantage by playing with the emotions of a boy who likes her. Its bridge features spoken dialogue which references the hit 1997 film Titanic.
"Lucky" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000). It was released on July 25, 2000, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After meeting with producers Max Martin and Rami Yacoub in Sweden, the singer recorded numerous songs for the album, including "Lucky". The song's narrative follows the story of the eponymous famous actress, who, despite seemingly having it all – fame, wealth, beauty – is truly lonely and unhappy on the inside. It received critical acclaim, with critics praising its melody and rhythm, and Spears' vocals.
"Stronger" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000). It was released on October 31, 2000, by Jive Records as the third single from the album. After meeting with producers Max Martin and Rami in Sweden, Spears recorded several songs for the album, including "Stronger". The dance-pop, synth-pop and teen pop song features self-empowerment lyrics about a girl who is tired of her cheating boyfriend and decides to move on without him. It received acclaim from music critics, who described the song as being both musically and lyrically innovative, with some deeming it the best track on Oops!... I Did It Again.
"Overprotected" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her third studio album, Britney (2001). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami. The song was released on December 10, 2001, by Jive Records as the second international single from Britney. "Overprotected" is a dance-pop song about a girl who is tired of being overprotected and just wants to be herself. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Its remixed R&B form, produced by Darkchild, was released as the third US single from Britney on April 2, 2002.
"Anticipating" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her eponymous third studio album (2001). It was written by Spears alongside the song's producers Brian Kierulf and Josh Schwartz. The song was released on June 25, 2002, by Jive Records, as the fourth single from the album, exclusive to France. "Anticipating" is a disco and dance-pop song, influenced by R&B. Lyrically, the song is about friendship and camaraderie between women. It was met with critical praise, with reviewers complimenting its lyrics and comparing it to the 1980s compositions of Madonna, Rick Astley and Janet Jackson's "All for You".
American singer Britney Spears has released nine studio albums, eight compilation albums, nine box sets, three extended plays (EPs), 50 singles, 11 promotional singles, two charity singles, and has made three guest appearances. In 1997, Spears signed a recording contract with American record label Jive Records in order to launch her career.
The Britney Spears doll is a celebrity doll made in the likeness of American pop singer Britney Spears. Several versions of the doll were released. Each doll is dressed in costumes that resemble the clothing Spears had worn in concerts, appearances, and music videos. The Britney Spears doll was the first doll produced by Play Along Toys.
The (You Drive Me) Crazy Tour was the second concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears, launched in support of her first and second studio albums, ...Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), respectively. The tour was formulated as a continuation of the ...Baby One More Time Tour (1999) and as a prelude to the then-upcoming Oops!... I Did It Again Tour (2000). It was sponsored by Got Milk? and Polaroid.
The Oops!... I Did It Again Tour was the third concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It supported her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), and visited North America and Europe. The tour was announced in February 2000, while Spears was in the midst of the Crazy 2k Tour. The stage was much more elaborative than her previous tours and featured video screens, fireworks and moving platforms. The setlist was composed by songs from her first two studio albums, ...Baby One More Time and Oops!... I Did It Again as well as a few covers. Showco was the sound company, who used the PRISM system to adapt the show to each venue. Spears used a handheld microphone and a headset during the shows, while an ADAT was used to replace her voice during energetic dance routines.
Wayne Isham is an American film director and music video director who has directed films and music videos of many popular artists.
Richard Meyer, also known as Swayd, is a record producer and songwriter of pop music and electronic music.
Oops!... I Did It Again is the second studio album by American singer Britney Spears released on May 3, 2000, by Jive Records. Following the enormous commercial success of her debut studio album ...Baby One More Time (1999) and the completion of its accompanying concert tour of the same title, Spears began recording material for her second studio album in September 1999. Pressured to duplicate the success of ...Baby One More Time, she collaborated with a wide range of producers, including Max Martin, Rami Yacoub, Per Magnusson, David Kreuger, Kristian Lundin, Jake Schulze, Darkchild, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange for Oops!... I Did It Again. The final result was a pop, dance-pop and teen pop record exceedingly in the vein of ...Baby One More Time, but incorporating funk and R&B. The production, sonic quality, and Spears' vocal performance received critical acclaim upon the album's release.
"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.
"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.
"Perfume" is a song by American singer Britney Spears, taken from her eighth studio album, Britney Jean (2013). It was written by Spears, Sia and Christopher Braide, while the song was produced by will.i.am and co-produced by Keith Harris and Braide. The song was released as the second single from the album on November 3, 2013 by RCA Records. "Perfume" is a synth-pop, power ballad, which is influenced by music of the 1980s. Lyrically, the song is built around themes of jealousy and suspicion in a relationship. Spears revealed that the song was about her split with her ex-fiancé, Jason Trawick, in early 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)