This Day in Pop: 'Break the Ice' music video premieres in 2008 (March 12)

[PokemonSpears]

 

On March 12, 2008, Britney Spears released the music video for Break the Ice, the last single off Blackout, her fifth studio album. Jive Records commissioned artist Robert Hales (who had directed other videos such as Gnarls Barkley's Crazy) to create an animated clip for the song, in the middle of Britney's personal struggles, who was placed under a conservatorship against her will around that time. Reportedly, it was Britney's idea to do the anime style video.

Previously it had been rumored that she was rehearsing for a music video of Hot as Ice. Other rumors claimed the video was Break the Ice, but the remix featuring Fabulous.

 

A special site, BlackoutBall.com, was created to premiere the videoclip. Fans had to enter the passwords "Danger" and "Victory" to move to the video page.

The invitation read: "There's a Party in the works where the lights will be down low. Miss B has got a story to tell and wants the world to know / We'll raise a glass to toast and dance until we sweat. It's Britney like you've never seen her, do we have your attention yet? / Don't mean to be a tease, but you'll be happy if you wait. It's the Legendary Britney Spears and it's time we Celebrate / To rise to the occasion and use your savvy little eye, for access past the velvet rope you'll need more than just a smile / Put on your Thursday best 2 secret words will suffice. Spread the word, come out & play. We're about to.... Break the Ice"

The sci-fi story of Break the Ice is reminiscent of her 2004 Toxic video, where Britney acts as a superheroine / spy. At the beginning, she crashes a party, literally, crashing the glass ceiling and fighting some robot henchmen to the surprise of all the guests. She then infiltrates the laboratory, breaching the security system, much like in Toxic,  where she finds a bunch of clones of herself suspended in liquid containers.

She comes close to one of them, and kisses her, then sets a time bomb on the glass of the tank. After that, she goes to where the one who seems to be the owner of the facility is, and finishes him with a kiss, again, like in Toxic, only to reveal he is a robot too. She dodges a bullet and escapes the building, right before it explodes, completing her mission. A "to be continued..." sign is shown in the end.

 

 

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[princessmimi]

I know it was during her breakdown but I really wish she could've made a real video to it.

I heard there was supposed to be a chair dance scene like in Stronger

[edamamebeans]

whoa, i totally forgot about the blackout ball thing... the memories that just resurfaced... 

[MissSpearsSaysSo]

I love this little vid, remember seeing it on TRL! I was so obsessed with the Blackout Ball website, but my family’s WiFi was so bad, I couldn’t load it!  

[CindyTheTVisLeaking]

Queen of Anime  your other faves would never 

[Nickey]

I was 10, just playing The Sims a lot 

But I saw the video, and I didn't like it cause I wanted to see our Queen in the this 

But I didn't understand what was going on.

[PokemonSpears]

39 minutes ago, MissSpearsSaysSo said:

I love this little vid, remember seeing it on TRL! I was so obsessed with the Blackout Ball website, but my family’s WiFi was so bad, I couldn’t load it!  

it was very played on Latin America too. Well, on Telehit, because I don't remember MTV playing it a lot (unlike GM and POM which I had to see like EVERY SINGLE DAY during breakfast, as if it was some sort of torture )

[Look But Don't Touch]

LET ME BREAK YOUR C CK 

[YeezusChrist]

They should really make a series out of this.

[jennyj]

1 hour ago, MissSpearsSaysSo said:

I love this little vid, remember seeing it on TRL! I was so obsessed with the Blackout Ball website, but my family’s WiFi was so bad, I couldn’t load it!  

LMFAO!!!!  Omg I thought that was only happening to me!  Her site was so poorly developed back then, it would take AGES to load.  Not just the Blackout Ball website, but the few times her site was like 99% huge images (even the paragraphs of text were in the images instead of typed out).  Then they redesigned it again for the millionth time and it finally loaded normal but all the interesting stuff was gone lol.

[mythology]

This song is amazing, the video was ok, would have preferred a live one but it was nice to see something different as well.  Blackout remains flawless

[KrisJ]

I remember being so disappointed that we got an anime video but of course it makes sense now why we did. I love that we have this video for BTI now - suits it well and something different in her videography. 
 

It’s also not her worst video - that goes to Make Me, perfume and pretty girls 💅🏼

[BritneyJeanSpearsOfficial]

Still waiting for the “to be continued” video 

 

[CHAOTIC STYLE.]

13 minutes ago, BritneyJeanSpearsOfficial said:

Still waiting for the “to be continued” video 

 

Same, but a real video with a real story line. It would be epic! I love Break The Ice! 

[hybirdfox]

I love this video! But the fact its animated makes it so underrated. The video was #1 for several weeks in my country

I remember the blackout ball, I used to go there all the time just to chat with other Britney fans. Simpler times

[CindyTheTVisLeaking]

2 hours ago, mythology said:

This song is amazing, the video was ok, would have preferred a live one but it was nice to see something different as well.  Blackout remains flawless

we live in 14 A.B. (After Blackout)

I can't believe Britney changed the course of history 

[Goten21]

2 hours ago, KrisJ said:

I remember being so disappointed that we got an anime video but of course it makes sense now why we did. I love that we have this video for BTI now - suits it well and something different in her videography. 
 

It’s also not her worst video - that goes to Make Me, perfume and pretty girls 💅🏼

it wasn't even her worst video at the time, that title goes to Born To Make You Happy honestly

[PokemonSpears]

4 hours ago, Goten21 said:

it wasn't even her worst video at the time, that title goes to Born To Make You Happy honestly

her two worst videos had literally just been released: GM and POM, they couldn't get any worse than that

[Towelney]

An iconic song and video 

[UncannyX-Man2099]

I will always stan this song, its so good. One of her bests.

 

I wish the video had a proper treatment. It's good, but it could've been epic. Same with Kill the Lights.

I'm still waiting for a Toy Soldier music video cause that song would've been as huge as toxic. Everyone I've played it for that weren't britney fans loved it and didn't even realize it was britney. The choreo could've been a slay, and the radio would've played it non stop.

#justicefortoysoldier