This Day in Pop: will.i.am releases 'Scream & Shout' single featuring Britney Spears in 2012 (November 20)

[PokemonSpears]

 

On November 20, 2012, will.i.am released Scream & Shout featuring Britney Spears, the second official single off his fourth studio album #willpower. The song, which had already leaked online on November 17, was written by will.i.am, Jef Martens, Tulisa, Jean Baptiste and it was produced by Martens (also known as Basto) under the alias of Lazy Jay. The club banger references Britney's 2007 Gimme More with the phrase "Britney, *****!"

The song went #1 in 24 countries, and it was at least top 5 in almost every other country it charted. In the UK, this was will.i.am's second consecutive #1, and for Britney, it would be her first #1 since Everytime (2004). In the United States, the electropop track peaked at #3 on the BBH100 but it became the first #1 song on the newly created Dance/Electronic Songs chart in January 2013.
 

Britney and will.i.am had already collaborated in 2011 on the song Big Fat Bass, from her Femme Fatale album. In 2012, while Britney was working as a judge on the second season of The X Factor, will.i.am joined her as a guest during the Judge's house stage of the competition. In August she confirmed she had been recording on will's new single. In 2013 they would collaborate again, when will.i.am produced Britney's eighth studio album, Britney Jean, where he also appears as a featured artist on the track It Should Be Easy.
 

At first, the track was rumored to be titled "**** ****" and it was confirmed to be part of will's new album, which was supposed to come out in October. However he pushed the release after several of the tracks leaked online.

 

 

A music video for the song was shot in October, directed by Ben Mor, and it was released on November 28.

 

will.i.am and Britney have never performed the song live together. However, will.i.am has done it by himself, including a notable performance with French singer Alizée.
 

 

 

Britney on the other hand, included the song as an interlude on her Piece of Me show in Las Vegas with will.i.am appearing on the backdrop.
 

 

In January 2013, a remix was released featuring Waka Flocka Flame, Hit-Boy, and rappers Diddy and Lil Wayne, but this version was more urban, and significantly different as to chart separately on the Billboard Hot 100.
 

In 2018, singer Tulisa won a lawsuit she had filed since 2012 against will.i.am. It turns out, she co-wrote with Jean Baptiste the original version of the song for her debut album, and recorded it as "I Don't Give a ****". The producer of the song didn't give one either, and decided to pass it to will.i.am who re-wrote it as a Britney duet.
 

Despite her vocals appearing on the final track with Britney, she was not credited, thus the lawsuit. After she won, she's now entitled to 10% of the royalties of the song.

[Brat]

Alize biiatch? 

November must be Britney’s fav 

[ObsessedBritFan1]

This track always made me like the **** at the clubs, regrettably lol

[Peachy]

I thought that whole era of music was MEH.. so I'm happy it did well 

[blackoutbixxh]

I was just listening to this on my way to work tonight 

We stan British-ney 

[BUWYGF]

I was happy the song charted well but I hated it  I still do  Its so overproduced and robotic

[sibode]

Why isn't the S&S REMIX on Spotify?? 
I love it!

[Blackout2006]

Her last "big" hit

 

[BUWYGF]

2 minutes ago, Blackout2006 said:

Her last "big" hit

 

Work ***** did moderately well, though not as huge as S&S

[Blackout2006]

5 minutes ago, BUWYGF said:

Work ***** did moderately well, though not as huge as S&S

Work Work was just a "hit" but definitely was not as big as S&S once was

[Alexanda]

Shows the gp has no taste, i think this song is awful and not on Britneys level at all. All songs from here alone are better.

[Danielle1987]

Good memories 

[s&m]

I remember back then people here saying that it was gonna flop 

[joe sp]

meh

[♔ monalisaney ♚]

This song was huge, even the locals were singing it, it was wild

[MeAgainstTheMusic_]

I can honestly say I hate S+S I just never got the big deal with it. It was so generic and pointless. It anything I preferred Big Fat Bass.

I hated this whole time in her life 2011/2012 was a bad year for Britney she looked so troubled and drugged up 

[DanjaMouse]

Sorry to say but this was her last hit.

 

Work B1tch was popular but I wouldn’t say it hit the spot with the GP and everything since has only really registered with the fans. 
 

I feel like only after the conservatorship is done with, she could truly have her ‘Ray of Light’ (rolls eyes) style big come back where anyone outside of the fandom would take notice. 
 

We could call it the ‘Emancipation of BritBrit’ 🤪

 

[oliveranto]

I'm from Portugal and it was her last hit here! The song was really huge here and it was used in a Christmas commercial. 

 

[Isla]

I have such good memories of this track, I remember it leaking on my 16th birthday and rushing home to listen to it after spending the day with friends. Britney’s last UK number one hit too I like Tulisa’s version as well.

[Isla]

6 hours ago, sibode said:

Why isn't the S&S REMIX on Spotify?? 
I love it!

I noticed it was missing on Spotify a while ago. I can’t say I like that remix though, the hip hop beat is great but the rappers... ehhh. 
the TTWE remix with Nicki Minaj and Kesha is missing too which is strange as I downloaded it on iTunes at the time it came out.