Piece Of Me

Album: Blackout (2007)
Charted: 2 18
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Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Britney responds to the obsessive media attention she receives by listing the violations for which the American pop singer has been cited. In 2007, Spears had some very public meltdowns and provided lots of content for gossip magazines and entertainment television shows. She has a very defiant attitude in this song, explaining that she's still successful despite the constant harassment and the challenges of raising children. Despite her personal struggles, this song and the Blackout album did very well.
  • Spears did not write this song; it was co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Advant. The Swedish production duo were also behind her Grammy-winning track "Toxic" and have worked with a number of other international artists including, Kelis, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna Christina Milian, Jordin Sparks and Rachel Stevens.
  • The Swedish pop star Robyn provided backing vocals on this track. The song's other co-writer Klas Ahlund worked on some of the tracks on Robyn's 2007 album Robyn, including her UK Top 20 single "Handle Me."
  • Britney Spears won the 2008 video of the year award at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards for this song's promo. It also won awards for Best Female Video and for Best Pop Video. They were the first three awards of Spears' career and marked a major resurrection after a disastrous 2007 appearance.

    The clip was directed by Wayne Isham, who had previously worked with Spears on her "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman" promo.
  • Spears told New York radio station Z100 that her clip for this song left room for improvement - despite winning three MTV Video Music Awards. Said Britney: "It's a cool video, but I think by far I've done videos that are way better. So I was really shocked that it got the award."
  • Isham told MTV News about the video's concept, which finds Britney dancing with guys in a nightclub. He said: "You can see that she had that kind of confidence. And, literally, every take became a more and more confident take, so that she could have fun with what was going on. Not being over-the-top sarcastic, but... having a laugh at everything that was going on around her, with confidence."

    Isham added that he encouraged Spears to (literally) let her hair down in the video. "The very last dance of the piece, she had her hair up, and I go, 'Can you just do one for me with your hair down?' She dropped her hair down," he recalled. "You'll see we intercut with her hair up and her hair down. That was the last piece. She just rocked it from her heart. She choreographed that last dance at the very end. She did that on her own and said, 'Let's go for it.'"

Comments: 17

  • Moosehead from Scmy favorite by her by far!
  • Havixx from New ZealandI forgot to mention .... She has also setup The Britney Spears Foundation to help children in need, she gave $1 million to the Twin Towers fund to help children of the victims of 9/11. Britney Spears also donated $120,000 to the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. In addition, $1 of each ticket sale for her Las Vegas residency, Britney: Piece of Me, was donated to the nonprofit organization. And that's just some of the things she has done, so no one can say she doesn't help.
  • Havixx from New ZealandSeriously Bob and Blake. I think blood good on Britney and people should just leave her alone. I think Piece of Me is brilliant for getting back at the papparrazzi and the crap they put her through. Yeh sure she had some problems but hey, who hasn't. People took advantage of her when she was at her lowest but she got her s--t together, got her kids back, made more hit selling music and even got a stageshow of her own at Las Vegas. Her music is not really my taste but I must admit, most of it is quite catchy and it can't be that bad if she's still making alot of money from the sales on her albums, old and new. She never deserved the crap the media put her through, she was young and misguided. How do you think you would do at 17 Bob, all of a sudden a world-wide success with millions of dollars and literally everyone wanting a Piece of You? Not to mention the work these artists put into their music and dance routines. I think Britney did well to grow up and push through her problems, now look at her, she's a huge success and I think she will end up being a credit to the music industry.
  • Jessica from St.louis, MoI'm soooo proud of Brit for cleaning up her act!!
  • Blake from London, United KingdomWhat I meant about parenting was that she shouldn't be advertising her problems, that's basically it... I mean, when some parents have to look after these poor children that you help, her problems are measly and she should look beyond herself a little. I did not know that she was marketing perfume, but I absolutely agree with your notion! Very funny! :)
  • Bob from Hallanedale, FlHello Blake--thanks for the input and I see you do agree that Britney is pretty pathetic--all the way to the bank. I have been very busy lately and have not been on this site for a number of weeks. I am not sure what you mean about parenting--I really did not touch this issue, unless you misunderstood me about pediatrics--I only deal with very sick children in the medical arena--believe me, I don't know enough about how to teach parenting to anyone any better than Britney can sing and write--see how I got that in there? Anyway, I think she now is marketing some kind of perfume, if i am not mistaken. If her taste in perfume is anything like her music and her life in general, my next purchase will probably be a gas mask.
  • Blake from London, United KingdomHey Bob! I listen to all those artists you mention before and I still feel sorry for Britney only because she writes such bad songs, lives a terrible life, and is basically rather shallow, or so she appears to be. I mean, take this song as an example, no tune, bad bleak lyrics... I feel sorry for her because she looks for things in all the wrong places. I feel sorry for her for those reasons. I think that she brings a lot of her troubles upon herself and isn't ready to deal with them. If people want something REAL to be sorry for, they should do what you do. I think that because Britney is of such a high profile and stuff, she shouldn't be whining through bad songs, rather, she should be grateful that she has kids, has a high profile and can actually influence people. That's what I think. As for the trouble with parenting???? What is all that s**t about? I know a family with 16 kids and not a problem. I know that every family is different but I mean, come on... I guess I just feel sorry for her because she is veering off the right track.
  • Bob from Hallanedale, FlActually adelaide, you need to do your homework--firstly, in the states here, Steve Winwood did perform as backup with cream a number of times--I saw him perform with them in the late sixies. Also Blind Faith was considered "Cream" music and Winwood had a lot of influence. So don't be so damn technical! Anyway, if your not a Britney fan, what the hell do you care anyway? The point I am trying to bring out here is that this little twerp has no real problems and people should not feel sorry for her stupidity. What you need to do, Adelaide, is get a life and stop trying to out smart people on trivial technicalities. Believe me, the amount you know about real music as well as real life, is obviously limited, since you have really nothing to add except to spit out trivia that anyone can look up in Wikipedia. If you have any balls, reply!
  • Nady from Adelaide, AustraliaUh bob, hallanedale, FL, sorry to burst your bubble but Steve Winwood wasnt in Cream. Jack Bruce, Eric Calpton and Ginger Baker were the only members. I'm not really a Britney fan but please mate, do your research before you tell everyone how much you think you know about music.
  • Bob from Hallanedale, FlYou people have got to be kidding? You actually feel sorry for this mindless bimbo? Do any of you people ever listen to real music (songs from Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Lesley Gore, etc..)--have you heard of them? What about groups with amazing, talented musicians (Angus Young from AC/DC, Steve Winwood from Cream/Blind Faith)? I commented on the song Toxic, which although not bad for this silly, overrated teeny-bopper, describes what these types of self-proclaimed musicians, such as herself, are doing to the music industry--making it toxic! This "child" has no self-respect nor any dignity for herself and this is why she is in the predicament she is in most of the time. Kitty--Why do you feel sorry for her? Millions of hard-working people go through much more than she has on a daily basis. These people usually do not have the funds that she does in order to get through their problems as easy as she--she's a multi-millionaire! Believe me, this wench couldn't care less about you and would not even give you a second thought. Instead of wasting everyone's time with her BS, she should spend some of her time giving back to people instead of wanting them to feel sorry for her. Let her give a concert and donate some of her proceeds to St. Judes Hospital for poor children with cancer--many artists far better than her certainly do! I'm sorry, but being a pediatric oncologist, and seeing and dealing with children with real problems on a daily basis, I say to people like Britney Spears, "enough already"!
  • Joe from Pittsfield, Mathis song is amazing!!! and i love it! i love britney and her music
  • Christina from Karlstad, -I simply love it, whenever it get played on the radio I turn the volym up and sing and dance along to it. And i love how, Robyn is back-up singing on it ^^
  • Jamie from Richmond, VaWhen it came to britney, i kept changing how i felt about her music...first i liked it, then i hated it, then i liked it, then i hated it...but then I heard this song, and I LOVE IT. I really like how it talks about everything she is going through from having her body spread all along tabloids, to being a mom, to being in court. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT.
  • Kitty from Vancouver, Bcthis song is ok. i kinda feel sorry for britney. imagine what she is going through....
  • Brittney from Saskatoon, SkThis is an awesome song and I heart it with all my heart!
  • Mallory from Port Alberni, BcThis Is THE BEST SONG EVER!
    HAHAHAHAH! Its AWESOME
  • Andrea from Nb, Md♥this song♥
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