This Day in Pop: Britney Spears releases 'Piece of Me' single in 2007 (November 27)

[PokemonSpears]

 

On November 27, 2007, Britney Spears released Piece of Me, the second single off Blackout. It was written by Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg (Bloodshy & Avant) along with Klas Åhlund. The electropop song talks about Britney's relationship with the media.

Despite the unwritten rule of not writing songs that talked about Britney's personal life, the producers recorded the song anyway and sent it to Britney, who loved it and decided to record it. Piece of Me was actually the last song of the album to be recorded. According to Winnberg, she learned the lyrics of the song in her car while she was heading to the studio, where she finished the song in less than half an hour.

 

Robyn, who also recorded a demo of the song, provides background vocals, alternating with Åhlund the "piece of me's" that we hear in the chorus in a robotized voice, while Bloodshy & Avant sing the "Extra! Extra!".

After the album release in October, Britney talked about the song in a small interview she had with Ryan Seacrest over the phone

Spoiler

"Wherever you go, there's a lot of people who ask questions, and sometimes you don't know their intentions and stuff like that. So, it is kind of a cute way of putting it out there. You know, like, 'You want a piece of me?', you know, in a cool, cute and clever way. It is a cute song [...] I like it"

 

The song peaked at #18 in the BBH100 but hit the #1 on the US Dance Club Songs chart. It was Top 10 and several countries, including #1 in Ireland. She's performed the song in her Circus Tour, Femme Fatale Tour, and her Vegas Residency, which was named after the track, Britney: Piece of Me.

 

 

 

 

In 2008 a Remix EP was released

 

 

The music video wasn't released until December, so we'll "celebrate" that later

 

[Roxxy]

It needed a bigger moment. And even if it won 3 moon men in 2008, I still feel like it's underrated but lowkey iconic - if that makes sense.

[Stannedforever]

I feel like this track inspired a lot of 2009-2012 pop song with overly tuned and robot-harmonized vocals 

Brilliant pop history right there 

[PokemonSpears]

1 minute ago, Roxxy said:

It needed a bigger moment. And even if it won 3 moon men in 2008, I still feel like it's underrated but lowkey iconic - if that makes sense.

never was one of my favorite songs I only got to like it after the Circus performance, then it was like then again after 4 years in Vegas was like, ok I kinda like it, but it just bores me too easily

Also, in terms of performance, I think it doesn't allow to create anything with it, like, it always has to be performed the way it is, and any other arrangement would ruin it, but that also gets tiring.

But I know you must love it for the shoutout to your country lol

[Stannedforever]

3 minutes ago, PokemonSpears said:

Also, in terms of performance, I think it doesn't allow to create anything with it, like, it always has to be performed the way it is, and any other arrangement would ruin it, but that also gets tiring.

I high-key want to hear melodramatic ballad version of piece of me tho

[PokemonSpears]

23 minutes ago, Stannedforever said:

I high-key want to hear melodramatic ballad version of piece of me tho

there is this weird cover

[Roxxy]

2 hours ago, PokemonSpears said:

never was one of my favorite songs I only got to like it after the Circus performance, then it was like then again after 4 years in Vegas was like, ok I kinda like it, but it just bores me too easily

Also, in terms of performance, I think it doesn't allow to create anything with it, like, it always has to be performed the way it is, and any other arrangement would ruin it, but that also gets tiring.

But I know you must love it for the shoutout to your country lol

I don't love it for that.  How shallow of me.

[Blackout2006]

I loved the POM performance in the Circus track

Whereas for the track, iconiquee. Paved the path for media-trashing songs such as Taylors infamous hit, Look What You Made Do

[nwonder]

This song slaps so so hard. 

I actually love it more now than I did in 2007

[Cheshire-B]

This song was everything when it came out !!!! 

 

but I never understood the femme fatale performance for it... very weird 

[Stannedforever]

1 hour ago, Cheshire-B said:

This song was everything when it came out !!!! 

 

but I never understood the femme fatale performance for it... very weird 

Femme Fatale's piece of me was the epitome of "I love her lack of energy! go girl! give us nothing!" 

[Fab britney]

If she did that circus tour performance at an award show escaping the cage earlier with more choreo? Amazing

this song is like the epitome of 2000’s tabloid culture

[CindyTheTVisLeaking]

the most stylish song out there 

[Jordan Miller]

One of the best songs off Blackout

I remember it first leaked on a video posted by Jeffree Star. I wrote a post at the time being so mad at him lol

Awesome TDIP @PokemonSpears 

[CHAOTIC STYLE.]

Her last badass single. 

I live for the braggadocious Britney 

This Britney must happen again 

A LEGENDARY SONG 

[CHAOTIC STYLE.]

Why is this thread flopping? 

[Mr. Cavill]

6 hours ago, nwonder said:

This song slaps so so hard. 

I actually love it more now than I did in 2007

Where is this gif from?! She's one of the nicest youtubers that react to music. 

[nwonder]

19 minutes ago, Geralt_of_Rivia said:

Where is this gif from?! She's one of the nicest youtubers that react to music. 

Urgh the video won’t embed but it’s here and it’s an experience lol
https://youtu.be/8Uq4JixH5-o

[blackoutbixxh]

Such an under appreciated masterpiece. Who else could serve the world a big F U while providing a catchy dance song. Piece Of Me is definitely a highlight of Britney’s discography for me 

[umr3000]

I remember listening to this song for the first time on the “Blackout” album and instantly loving it. What a follow-up to “Gimme More”.