This Day in Pop: Britney Spears releases 'If U Seek Amy' single in 2009 (March 10)

[PokemonSpears]

 

On March 10, 2009, Britney Spears released If U Seek Amy, the third single off her sixth studio album Circus. It was written and produced by Max Martin, with additional writing by Shellback, Savan Kotecha and Alexander Kronlund. The song talks about looking for a girl named Amy who is nowhere to be found, though its title suggest a different meaning when it's rapidly pronounced during the chorus. So much, that the song received complaints from the Parents Television Council, thus leading radio to air a censored version instead, If U See Amy.

 

Notoriously, Megyn Kelly from Fox News denounced the nature of the lyrics in January; this would be then addressed with a parody in the official music video of the song, which anniversary will be celebrated in a few days.

Despite the controversy, the song peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 on the US Dance Club Songs chart, while hitting #8 on the Mainstream Top 40. It went #1 in Brazil and it was Top 20 in several other countries.

If U Seek Amy was chosen as the third single in an online poll on Britney's official website. It was announced in December 2008 as the winner with 26% of the votes, leaving behind Kill the Lights and Out from Under as the closest options.

Blur who?

The electropop song was the first time Britney collaborated with Max Martin since her third studio album Britney, released in 2001. She talked a little bit about it in an interview in 2008

 

If U Seek Amy joined the group of many other singles which never received TV promo performances. However, it's been performed live on her Circus Tour in 2009, Femme Fatale Tour in 2011 and it was incorporated to her Piece of Me show in Vegas since the revamp in 2016.

 

 

 

 

In June 2009, a remix EP for the single was released, including remixes by Junior Vasquez, Mike Rizzo, Crookers among others.

 

 

 

 

 

[NewDisplayName]

Another perfect pop song <3 

My favourite track from circus from the start 🥰

 

[MoodRingney]

The music video for this still slappppps

[Anticonformity]

I love IUSA but I was one of the 15% who voted for one of her best songs of all time...

[Blackout2006]

An iconic single which SHOOK the pop scene and her contemporaries at the time

[Blackout2006]

1 hour ago, Anticonformity said:

I love IUSA but I was one of the 15% who voted for one of her best songs of all time...

Not her "best song" in your opinion being a cover tho but go off

[Gayseus911]

Haha-Hehe-Haha-Ho!

 

 

[Korb]

That 2008 interview of her "telling us" about her songs is so painful to watch. 

Everything was just "really cool"
She was so over it

Anyway, IUSA is iconic and shook the Karens and soccer moms all over the U.S. to their core.
 We love a controversy

[Frankie8]

I still bop to this regularly. Always loved the drums and I guess it is a trumpet sound in the chorus. Hate the radio version cause it makes no sense.

[rosenotes]

love this song!!!! such an underrated classic, pushing the envelope for sure. really makes me nolstalgic of britney back in her prime controversial days.

 

although the cover is not my favorite, her bleached eyebrows just ruin it for me.

[HolyTrinity]

1 hour ago, Korb said:

Anyway, IUSA is iconic and shook the Karens and soccer moms all over the U.S. to their core.
 We love a controversy

 

 

[notjennifer]

I voted for Unusual You in that poll, so maybe it's just lingering bitterness all these years later, but If You Seek Amy is one of the few singles that I pretty consistently skip if it comes on.  I really have to be in the mood for it.  

[HolyTrinity]

Also is really funny to read the video comments on Youtube: 

 

 

ICONIC 

[Isla]

One of the first Britney songs I truly loved. Such good memories

[Haha-Hehe-Haha-Ho]

4 hours ago, Gayseus911 said:

Haha-Hehe-Haha-Ho!

I've been slayed 

 

 

[Gayseus911]

1 hour ago, Haha-Hehe-Haha-Ho said:

 

[J in the Mix]

Unpopular opinion: IUSA shouldn't have been the third single.

It's such a random song that fails to resonate with people because it's meaningless. Still a bop, but I don't think it was single-worthy in my opinion!

[J in the Mix]

2 hours ago, notjennifer said:

I voted for Unusual You in that poll, so maybe it's just lingering bitterness all these years later, but If You Seek Amy is one of the few singles that I pretty consistently skip if it comes on.  I really have to be in the mood for it.  

Agreed + Same! But I think Kill the Lights should've been Single #3. 

[notjennifer]

16 minutes ago, J in the Mix said:

Agreed + Same! But I think Kill the Lights should've been Single #3. 

My dream was Usual You for the third single, and Kill the Lights as the fourth and final single.  I thought Kill the Lights would be a nice finisher for the era. 

[Anti-Hero]

Interesting that she did promo in Japan and even said to look out for tickets, but never performed there. I wonder if she had an Asian leg of the tour planned.