This Day in Pop: Britney releases 'Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know' single in 2001 (January 17)

[PokemonSpears]

On January 17, 2001, Britney Spears released Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know as the fourth and final single off her second album Oops!... I Did It Again. The song was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lunge, who co-wrote the song with his then wife, country singer Shania Twain and Keith Scott. The teen ballad talks about a woman who's waiting for her love interest to tell her that he loves her too; despite her friends telling her he's into her, she wants to hear it from him, she doesn't want to be the last to know

Despite the song receiving mostly positive reviews, it failed to make its way into any US charts, mainly because it wasn't properly released as a single, but it was sent only to radio stations. However, it did reach Top 10 and Top 20 in many other countries, mainly in Europe, including a #1 in Romania.

 

A music video was directed by Herb Ritts, but it wasn't released until March 2001.

 

Several remixes were created, the most notable being the Hex Hector Club Mix, which would later appear on B in the Mix: the Remixes.

 

The song was first performed on her Crazy 2k Tour in 2000, ahead of the release of the album.

 

 

Then it was included on her Oops!... I Did It Again Tour

 

She also performed the song in many tv shows

 

 

 

and the Dream Within a Dream Tour

 

almost 10 years later, she would bring it back for her Femme Fatale Tour in 2011

 

Britney Spears has stated in multiple occasions that Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know is one of her favorite songs. For example, in 2013 she named it her favorite song of hers:

Quote

"I would say my favorite song is probably Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know, Mutt Lunge wrote it. It's a ballad, it's just a really beautiful, soft song and I just, it's just really meaningful because he's one of my most favorite songwriters of all time, and it was really cool to have him write for me."

 

 

 

[InZone]

I love her vocals on this one. Great song, great lyrics, great unique performance by one and only. 

 

[RadicalOptimism]

Should’ve been Don’t Go Knockin’ On My Door, What U See or Can’t Make You Love Me. Maybe then we would’ve had a fifth single 

[MissSpearsSaysSo]

What a lovely song, it’s been one of my favorites for a long time. She really doesn’t sing like that in any way in any of her other music. And the video is so simple and perfect. 

[Blackout2006]

9 hours ago, PokemonSpears said:

Britney Spears released Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know as the fourth and final single off her second album Oops!... I Did It Again

Which Where Are You Now Slaying deserved

Anyways, DLMBTLTK is amazing and her vocals are  in this song

[Blackout2006]

10 minutes ago, CrazyButItFeelsAllright said:

Should’ve been Don’t Go Knockin’ On My Door, What U See or Can’t Make You Love Me. Maybe then we would’ve had a fifth single 

Don’t forget Where Are You Now

[RadicalOptimism]

2 minutes ago, Blackout2006 said:

Don’t forget Where Are You Now

For 8th single after ICGNS? 

[nwonder]

I wanna feel the way you feel. Cmon

[Blackout2006]

3 minutes ago, CrazyButItFeelsAllright said:

For 8th single after ICGNS? 

Which would technically never happen since the butthurt rock fans would make life for her hell if she ever released that song as a single (even though Rolling Stones themselves said they loved the cover Britney did)

[jordeezy river red]

You DO NOT sit down to sing a BALLAD!!!!!!!! Chile, this stresses me out. DLMBTLTK deserves more tbh. 

[jordeezy river red]

26 minutes ago, CrazyButItFeelsAllright said:

Should’ve been Don’t Go Knockin’ On My Door, What U See or Can’t Make You Love Me. Maybe then we would’ve had a fifth single 

Seriously! I know Don't Go Knocking On My Door, What U See and Can't Make You Love Me were sooooo popular at my school.  The era should have been so much longer 

[On_Mah_Raydah]

Such a beautiful song and the video dude made me even more gay

[edamamebeans]

i love this song, i was so happy when she randomly put it on ff tour 

[Hooked-On-Knee]

6 hours ago, Blackout2006 said:

Which would technically never happen since the butthurt rock fans would make life for her hell if she ever released that song as a single (even though Rolling Stones themselves said they loved the cover Britney did)

The way you always talk about non-existent rock fans while being an activist against stereotypes of pop music fans.

[bitbitboi]

One of my favorite Britney songs of all time as well! And the video? OHMAHGAH 

[Isla]

It’s a cute song but don’t think it should have been a single.

[mannequin19]

one of her best  also one of the most unique songs in her discography!

[alienatedNey]

I love this song so much and listen to it religiously. I almost died when she performed it at the FF Tour with the prerecorded vocals. 

[Frankie8]

I loved that she performed this at so many different places and tv appearances even though it flopped here in the US.  For it not to even make the Billboad pop chart was pretty bad considering she was the hottest thing around and was winding down a huge era.  I forgot she performed it at the Crazy 2k tour on the magic carpet thing.

She sounded good singing this live, but when I watch back performances I see that she is so constricted and tight in her throat and jaw that she sounds strained in parts at some performances.  I would love to hear how this would sound if she used her full voice and opened up and not be constricted.

[TheySayImCrazy18]

One of the best from the Oops! record.