Britney Spears Single Breaks Radio Record Set By 'N Sync
Pop princess Britney Spears hit radio one more time last week with her new single, "Oops! ... I Did It Again," the week's most-added song at pop stations, according to trade publication Radio & Records.
The single, which was added to the playlists of 155 U.S. radio stations, broke the record for most adds in a single week, according to Jive Records. The record had been set last month by 'N Sync's "Bye Bye Bye" (RealAudio excerpt).
"I think it's a very good track. I don't think it's as good as '... Baby One More Time,' but it's a good track," said Pete DeGraaff, music director at the Orlando, Fla., pop station WXXL-FM.
"Oops! ... I Did It Again" (RealAudio excerpt) sticks close to the highly produced style of Spears' breakthrough debut, last year's ... Baby One More Time.
Over a slap-and-pop bassline, synthesizer chord stabs and a mechanized beat, the 18-year-old star purrs a warning to an overeager prospective lover: "Oops, you think I'm in love/ That I'm sent from above — I'm not that innocent."
"My [new] material ... is a little bit more mature," Spears said in February. "My voice has really matured more, and I think it will probably have a little more of a hip-hop flair."
The song also breaks down for a spoken-word interlude, which some radio professionals said they found puzzling.
"The whole 'Titanic' thing in the middle is a little ridiculous," said Kid Cruz, WXXL's nighttime DJ.
Programmers said Spears was wise to keep her signature sound for the new single.
"It does have a sound from the past album, but how many albums did that one sell — 16 million?" said Dennis Martinez, music director for the Salinas, Calif., pop station KDON-FM. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Fans are responding positively to the track, according to Martinez. "It's Britney, and pop is huge," he said. "The phones are really strong from the 12-to-18-year-olds — those are the ones who really follow this music."
But staffers at WXXL said that they've detected a backlash from some fans who say they're tired of what they see as the young singer's increasingly provocative and sexualized persona. The singer drew criticism for posing for revealing photos that appeared last year in Rolling Stone, among other moves.
"She's offended part of her core audience by going out on a limb with her image," DeGraaff said. "She was very innocent when we first met her, but that changed very quickly."
Spears will mount an extensive tour of the U.S. this summer, beginning June 20 in Columbia, Md. The tour, which will end Sept. 15 in Pittsburgh, includes multiple-night stands at some venues.
Her new album, also called Oops! ... I Did It Again, includes a cover of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." It will be released May 16.
Britney Spears tour dates:
June 20; Columbia, Md.; Merriweather Post
June 21; Hartford, Conn.; Meadows Music Theatre
June 23; Darien Center, N.Y; Darien Lake Six Flags P.A.C.
June 24; Hershey, Pa.; Hersheypark Stadium
June 25; Scranton, Pa.; Montage Mountain
June 27–30; Wantagh, N.Y.; Jones Beach Amphitheatre
July 2–3; Holmdel, N.J.; PNC Bank Arts Center
July 4; Bristow, Va.; Nissan Pavilion
July 5; Camden, N.J.; Blockbuster Pavilion
July 7; Tinley Park, Ill.; New World Music Theatre
July 8; Milwaukee, Wis.; Marcus Amphitheatre
July 9; Clarkston, Mich.; Pine Knob Music Theatre
July 16; Maryland Heights, Mo.; Riverport Amphitheatre
July 17; Bonner Springs, Kansas; Sandstone Amphitheatre
July 19; Dallas, Texas; Coca-Cola Starplex
July 20; San Antonio, Texas; Alamodome
July 21; The Woodlands, Texas; Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 26; Morrison, Colo.; Red Rocks Amphitheatre
July 27; Albuquerque, N.M.; Mesa Del Sol
July 29; Phoenix, Ariz.; Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion
July 31; Los Angeles, Calif.; Hollywood Bowl
Aug. 1; Concord, Calif.; Chronicle Pavilion @ Concord
Aug. 3; San Diego, Calif.; San Diego Sports Arena
Aug. 4; Las Vegas, Nev.; MGM Grand Arena
Aug. 5; Devore, Calif.; Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion
Aug. 6; Marysville, Calif.; Sacramento Valley Amphitheatre
Aug. 8; Mountain View, Calif.; Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 10; Portland, Ore.; Rose Garden
Aug. 11; George, Wash.; The Gorge
Aug. 12; Vancouver, British Columbia; GM Place
Aug. 14; Salt Lake City, Utah; Delta Center
Aug. 21; Burkettstown, Pa.; Post-Gazette Pavilion @ Star Lake
Aug. 22; Toronto, Ontario; Molson Amphitheater
Aug. 23; Montreal, Quebec; Molson Centre
Aug. 25; Atlantic City, N.J.; Trump Taj Mahal
Aug. 28; Mansfield, Mass.; Tweeter Center For The Performing Arts
Aug. 30; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; S.P.A.C.
Aug. 31; Cleveland, Ohio; Gund Arena
Sept. 1; Knoxville, Tenn.; Thompson-Boling Arena
Sept. 2; Noblesville, Ind.; Deer Creek Music Center
Sept. 3; Columbus, Ohio; Polaris Amphitheater
Sept. 5; Antioch, Tenn.; AmSouth Amphitheatre
Sept. 6; Atlanta, Ga.; Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheatre
Sept. 9; Orlando, Fla.; TD Waterhouse Centre
Sept. 10; West Palm Beach, Fla.; Mars Music Amphitheater
Sept. 12; Raleigh, N.C.; Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek
Sept. 13; Charlotte, N.C.; Blockbuster Pavilion
Sept. 14; Virginia Beach, Va.; GTE Center
Sept. 15; Burkettstown, Pa.; Post-Gazette Pavilion @ Star Lake