SMS (Bangerz)

Album: BANGERZ (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This Sean Garrett and Mike Will Made It produced song features Britney Spears. "She's got one of those voices that as soon as it comes on everyone in the world knows it's Britney Spears, and that's what I wanted," Cyrus explained during an appearance on the UK talk show Alan Carr's Chatty Man. "There's just a whole vibe that's around Britney Spears and what she represented, it's like too crazy."

    Cyrus added that the pair have the same manager, Larry Rudolph, so it was easy to make a collaboration happen and it all finally came together at Spears' request. "Well, we've been trying to work together, and I felt like there had to be that right time. And after 'We Can't Stop' came out, she called and said how much she loved the song," the "Wrecking Ball" singer recalled. "At first she heard the song and she didn't know it was me, and then she watched the video and just sort of fell in love with the video."
  • Cyrus told Alan Carr that Britney Spears was an icon of hers when she was a little girl. "I was obsessed with her 'I'm A Slave 4 U,' video," she recalled. "That was the first head shake I got from my dad when the video came out, as I tried to reenact the whole film."
  • The "SMS" in the song title stands for "strutting my stuff."
  • Initially this was just going to be a Miley solo track, until Mike Will Made It and Sean Garrett decided to make a collaboration out of the tune. "I'm like, 'It'll be dope if we put another female on here' and the fact that it's like a kind of rapping song, it would be doper if we put another pop chick on here that we're not used to hearing rap," Mike Will told MTV News.
  • Sean Garrett told MTV News that Britney wasn't the first person they came up with: "The first name that we tossed around was Gwen Sefani. We were talking about Gwen because you know Gwen got that edge too, but that's how God works. We were throwing around those ideas,"he added. "Nicki (Minaj), we were talking about putting Nicki on there too. That would've been nuts too, but I think that's how God works, this (Britney) was absolutely the right one."
  • According to Garrett, Mike Will looked to pioneering female rappers Salt-n-Pepa's classic 1986 single "Push It" as inspiration. "That was all Mike's opinion. He felt like he wanted to fuse that Salt-n-Pepa," Garrett told MTV News. "It's like five different things, it's hip-hop, it's the girls, it's a female anthem, Salt-n-Pepa, Britney and Miley... people didn't get that. That's what this record is; it's a celebration of pop culture, beautiful women, strong women."
  • This was going to be released as a single, but Britney injured herself filming the video and it was shelved.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Francesca Battistelli

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete BlondeSongwriter Interviews

The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock Photography

Danny Clinch: The Art of Rock PhotographySong Writing

One of rock's top photographers talks about artistry in photography, raising funds for a documentary, and enjoying a County Fair with Tom Waits.

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)Songwriter Interviews

Richie talks about producing the first two Kiss albums, recording "Brother Louie," and the newfound appreciation of his rock band, Dust.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Gavin Rossdale of Bush

Gavin Rossdale of BushSongwriter Interviews

On the "schizoid element" of his lyrics, and a famous line from "Everything Zen."