Eltonian niche

"Me Against the Music"
Song

"Me Against the Music" is a song performed by Britney Spears featuring Madonna. The song was written by Spears and Madonna along with Chris "Tricky" Stewart, Penelope Magnet, Thabiso Nikhereanye, Terius Nash, and Gary O'Brien for Spears' fourth studio album In the Zone (2003). It became Spear's first number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, which she would also top with her next single, "Toxic", as well as all singles from Blackout (2007). "Me Against the Music" won the Billboard Music Award for Best-Selling Dance Single of the Year.

Making the song

Stewart and Magnet presented "Pop Culture Whore", the third song they had written and produced, to Spears, and though her management liked the track, Spears rejected it. After spending a day with Spears to "get in her world", the pair began working on a new track, with Magnet writing the lyrics and melody on a piano. The song was designed as a sort of battle between Spears and the song, what Magnet described as "trying to out-dance the track or out-beat the drum or out-pluck the guitar…as if she's…losing herself in the music."

Originally, this song was not planned on being the first single from In the Zone, and when it was then decided it would be the first single, a completely different version was in mind. Jive Records was planning on releasing "Outrageous" as the lead off single. They felt that it was urban enough to become a hit across most formats, and they also had to fulfill a contract with R.Kelly who produced the song, which obligated them to release the song as a single. However, Spears felt that the song wasn't strong enough to be the first single and lobbied for 'Me Against the Music'. The original version that Spears had in mind did not include Madonna on the song. When Spears finally got her way, all was set to release the single. However, during rehearsals for the 2003 Video Music Awards in which Spears would perform with Madonna and Christina Aguilera, Spears let Madonna listen to the song to get an opinion on it. Madonna took a sample of the track from Britney and recorded her vocals over the song and some others that she herself had written and then sent it back to Britney. Britney being a big fan of Madonna was thrilled that Madonna had recorded herself on the track hence why it became the first single to be released from the In the Zone album.

Music video

File:BritMadge.jpg

Madonna and Britney Spears in "Me Against the Music" video.

Directed by Paul Hunter, the music video for "Me Against the Music" starts out with Spears driving up to a club. After entering the building, she begins a short dance scene in the entranceway; at the same time, we see several video screens about the different rooms in the club. In one room with several older men is Madonna sitting in a chair being taped by a camera. Her face appears on the video screens while Spears begins a dance in another part of the club. At this point, Madonna sees Spears and is immediately intrigued to find this girl, so she leaves the room to search for her; the same scenario occurs with Spears, as she, too, is intrigued to find out who this woman appearing on the screens is. She is dressed as a policewoman.

Throughout the video, there are cuts of Spears and Madonna in a section of the club that has wooden strips covering the walls. Madonna makes her way here and begins to look for Spears. At one point, she drops her jacket, and Spears picks it up, realizing that this is the same jacket the woman on the screen (Madonna) was wearing. Cuts of Spears dancing in a room with neon lights intrude this part of the video, as do scenes of Spears and Madonna dancing together in a filthy room on an iron bedframe.

Another part of the video has Spears and Madonna in two rooms separated by the same wall. As Spears begins a dance segment on her side of the wall, Madonna craves to get on the other side to find out who this girl is. Cuts of Madonna swinging in a courtyard with leaves on the ground are also included. The climax has Spears finally finding Madonna. She pushes her up against the wall, and moves in to kiss her; this piece is obviously a play on their now-infamous lip-lock at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. However, before Spears can reach her lips, Madonna disappears, leaving Spears very confused. About a second after she disappears, Madonna's laugh can be heard, suggesting that she may have been part of Spears' imagination or a spirit sent to tease her.

The video itself reached number one on the TRL Countdown and stayed there for a record-breaking twenty consecutive days. However, the record was beaten in 2005 by Kelly Clarkson with her hit "Behind These Hazel Eyes". It was filmed from October 8-10, 2003 at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, New York.

• Director: Paul Hunter
• Producer: Veronica Zelle
• Director of Photography: Thomas Kloss
• Editor: Dustin Robertson
• Production Company: HSI/Mars Media Inc.

Parodies

• Madtv did a parody called "Me Against Madonna". It makes fun of Madonna's age more than it does Britney (played by Nicole Parker). Madonna (played by Mo Collins) turns out to be a vampire and sucks Britney's energy away. Also Madtv credited the fake director Guy Ritchie, a.k.a Madonna's husband.

Chart performance

"Me Against the Music" was marketed to become Spears' comeback single in the United States, after a year-long hiatus from the music scene and no substantial U.S. hits since 2001. While the song didn't break records of any sorts, it made Spears' musical presence known once again.

The single reached a peak of number thirty-five on the Billboard Hot 100 and it became her first top forty hit since "I'm a Slave 4 U" in 2001. On the component charts, it peaked the top of the Hot 100 Singles Sales.

"Me Against the Music" was a huge international success, reaching the top three in nearly every country in which it charted. It was a chart success in the UK making #2, however it only managed to sell a surprisingly low 126,136 copies, and it was a major hit for Spears in Australia, being her first number-one since "Oops!... I Did It Again".

The song was her fourth number-one hit on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles, it topped the chart for three consecutive week.

Certifications

Country	Certification	Sales
Australia	Platinum	102,000
United Kingdom	-	126,136

Chart (2003)	Peak position
Argentina Top 40	1
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	1
Austrian Singles Chart	7
Belgian Singles Chart	3
Brazilian Hot 100	3
Canadian Singles Chart	2
British Colombia Top 100	1
Danish Singles Chart	1
Dutch Singles Chart	3
European Billboard Hot 100 Singles	1
Finnish Singles Chart	1
French Singles Chart	11
German Singles Chart	3

Chart (2003)	Peak position
Irish Singles Chart	1
Italian FIMI Singles Chart	1
Japanese Oricon Weekly Singles Chart	38
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	13
Norwegian Singles Chart	2
Spanish Singles Chart	1
Swedish Singles Chart	3
Swiss Singles Chart	3
'Tokyo Hot 100'	1
UK Singles Chart	2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	17
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
U.S. ARC Weekly Top 40	6

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Me against the Music".

Australia CD 1 (82876 577552)

1. "Me against the Music" — 3:43
2. "Me against the Music" [Peter Rauhofer Radio Mix] — 3:42
3. "Me against the Music" [The Mad Brit Mixshow] — 5:55

Australia Limited Edition CD 2 (82876 577562)

1. "Me against the Music" [Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix] — 4:33
2. "Me against the Music" [Passengerz Vs The Club Mix] — 7:34
3. "Me against the Music" [Terminalhead Vocal Mix] — 7:07
4. "Me against the Music" [Instrumental] — 3:35

Germany Pock-It CD (82876 581272)

1. "Me against the Music" — 3:43
2. "Me against the Music" [Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix] — 4:33

Japanese Promo Remix CD (BVCQ-21009)

1. "Me against the Music" [B.E.D. Club Mix] — 3:45

UK/Europe CD Single (82876576432)

1. "Me against the Music" — 3:43
2. "Me against the Music" [Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix] — 4:33
3. "Me against the Music" [Peter Rauhofer Radio Mix] — 3:42
4. "Me against the Music" [The Mad Brit Mixshow] — 5:55

UK Promo CD (82876 571162)

1. "Me against the Music" — 3:43
2. "Me against the Music" [Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix] — 4:33

U.S. CD Single (82876 582152)

1. "Me against the Music" — 3:43
2. "Me against the Music" [Trak Starz Remix] — 3:31
3. "Me against the Music" [Gabriel & Dresden Club Mix] — 8:51
4. "Me against the Music" [Peter Rauhofer Radio Mix] — 3:43
5. "Me against the Music" [The Mad Brit Mixshow] — 5:55
6. "Me against the Music" [Bloodshy & Avant “Dubbie Style” Remix] — 5:15
7. "Me against the Music" [Kanye West Remix] — 3:43

U.S. 12" Vinyl (82876 577571)

• Side A:

1. "Me against the Music" [Peter Rauhofer's Electrohouse Mix] — 8:17
2. "Me against the Music" [The Mad Brit Mixshow] — 5:55

• Side B:

1. "Me against the Music" [Gabriel & Dresden Club Mix] — 8:51
2. "Me against the Music" [Rishi Rich's Punjabi Club Mix] — 5:34

• Side C:

1. "Me against the Music" [Peter Rauhofer's Electrohouse Dub] — 6:49
2. "Me against the Music" [Passengerz Vs The Club Mix] — 7:34

• Side D:

1. "Me against the Music" [Gabriel & Dresden Dub] — 7:14
2. "Me against the Music" [Terminalhead Vocal Mix] — 7:07

Remixes

Album Version/Video Mix 3:44 Instrumental — 3:44 Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix — 4:33 Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix [Instrumental] — 4:33 Rishi Rich's Punjabi Club Mix — 5:34 Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix (featuring Penelope Magnet) — 3:35 Gabriel & Dresden Club Mix — 8:51 Gabriel & Dresden Radio edit — 3:42 Gabriel & Dresden Dub — 7:14 Junior Vasquez Set Edit — 5:22 Junior Vasquez Mixshow — 6:31 Peter Rauhofer's Electro House Mix — 8:17 Peter Rauhofer's Electro House Dub — 6:44 Peter Rauhofer Radio Mix — 3:43

Bloodshy & Avant "Chix Mix" (featuring Penelope Magnet) — 5:16 Bloodshy & Avant "Chix Mix" [Lidrock edit] (featuring Penelope Magnet) — 3:31 Bloodshy & Avant "Dubbie Style" Remix — 5:15 Justice Remix— 4:01 [featured on B In The Mix: The Remixes] Justice Extended Remix— 4:08 (Vocal FX extended) Passengerz vs. the Club Mix — 7:34 The Mad Brit Mixshow — 5:55 The Mad Brit Radio Edit — 3:37 Josh Harris Radio Edit — 3:52 - Unreleased Spades Of J Remix — 7:16 - Unreleased Terminalhead Vocal Mix — 7:07 B.E.D. Club Mix — 3:45 Scott Storch Mix — 3:41 The Trak Starz Remix — 3:31 Dragon Man Remix (featuring Penelope Magnet) — 3:44 Dragon Man Remix (featuring Madonna) — 3:44 Confirmed by Taan Newjam Dragon Man Remix [Instrumental] — 3:41 Confirmed by Taan Newjam Kanye West Remix — 3:43

External links

• Me Against the Music by Britney Spears
• Britney Spears — Official Web Site
• Madonna — Official Web Site