How did "3" Become a No. 1 Hit?

[Million Billion]

3 minutes ago, Phonography423 said:

I just watched the video for the first time in years this weekend. Still don’t understand why people even like it. 

The song is catchy tbh, it really melodic. The lyrics are meh. When it comes to the music video it's very simple, I guess there was not so much budget but it was cool. It's not a stand out in Britney's videography but it looks good. 

[Anti-Hero]

It’s very catchy and it came off the success of her Circus album/tour

[Mannequin*]

The fact that it was competing with Bad Romance at the same time .. LMAO.. queen’s impact though

[princessmimi]

Because she was still riding off the success of her comeback.

She got a string of 1# hits in such a short time.

Too bad it ended with stupid Britney Jean 

[itsxrichiexbish]

My memories of 3... I was at work and the song came on, and one of the supervisors was talking about this guy Joel and his gf..:.. and she had the audacity to say I was prettier than his gf and I should steal him..: I think this song makes ppl feel super hot lol... but it’s the synth sounds that do it for me. It was and still a banger lol

[IStandByWhatISaid]

It's a good pop song, funny to sing, the instrumental it's danceable.... Better that anything from Femme Fatale and BJ 

[Brit52]

It was my ring tone for 3 years

[Princess Britney 007]

Because it was raunchy...

[Mattyj7883]

4 minutes ago, Brit52 said:

It was my ring tone for 3 years

[SirDylanMerlot]

I still ADORE 3. It’s so much fun to sing along to and it’s just catchy! 

[Spicechinodiva]

35 minutes ago, Million Billion said:

Maybe it was a temporary hit but it is only remembered by either britney fans or (at most) by people who are into pop music. Bad Romance came out around the same time and the difference is huuuuuuge, that's an actual hit. The fact she included it in her shows says nothing about if it was a hit or not. 

 

That was Womanizer in 2010

My bad, 3 was ineligible, but thanks to Lady gaga, they changed the rules of best new artist. 

[Spicechinodiva]

33 minutes ago, Mannequin* said:

The fact that it was competing with Bad Romance at the same time .. LMAO.. queen’s impact though

Bad Romance lost #1 to Kesha track, 3 was number one for one short week, and according to the chart run on Billboard, it fell fast. Compared to several hits at the time. 

[Lumanizer]

Notes on 3: 

- i remember randos at school here in Brazil singing that song after it came out so yeah it was hella popular and well-liked by GP at the time 

- that being said, I remember friends telling me Britney looked like a man in the video (bc of her shoulders i guess? Idk I think she looks hot, even tho her eyes are so red in it lol) 

- i personally don't like this song that much and I too don't understand why it went to number one when FKING TOXIC never even hit number 1 in its time and yet here we are 

- i live for the smirk she makes in the vid when she sings "...or three, or four, on the floor." GIF here: 

https://gfycat.com/cluelessjovialbobwhite 

[S jones]

It’s kinda sad that her last 3 number 1s are not doing well on YouTube or Spotify…I remember 3 was used in a lot of commercials as well..but the song didn’t aged well. 
 

hold it against me is so underrated. 

[S jones]

53 minutes ago, Million Billion said:

Maybe it was a temporary hit but it is only remembered by either britney fans or (at most) by people who are into pop music. Bad Romance came out around the same time and the difference is huuuuuuge, that's an actual hit. The fact she included it in her shows says nothing about if it was a hit or not. 

 

That was Womanizer in 2010

You are comparing wrong songs..Bad Romance was from lady Gaga’s first album…she was heavily promoting her albums..in 2009 people love to hate Britney. 

also 3 sold close to 3 million copies in the US. Which is a big hit in my opinion.

Honestly I only liked Gaga’s discography till BYW

[PokemonSpears]

because since the conservatorship, every new era was received as "the comeback" even if she never left in the first place, until RCA came in

it was like, Womanizer "she's baaaack!"

3 "she's baaaack!"

Hold It Against Me "she's baaaack!"

[CenterOfTheRing98]

2 hours ago, Freakshow__ said:

I was surprised it that was big with zero promo. 

I’m not surprised - it was towards the end of her big comeback tour (I believe she was in Australia at the time but had just finished her second US leg) and tied with the release of the Singles Collection. I remember hearing it on the radio quite often too. It was just really good timing, during a time when the GP was interested in her again. 

[HardToForgetYa]

Well it's catchy as hell and speaking of the MV, the director's cut is way better than the official version... I mean, look at her 

We need more of these scenes 

Also, imo this is the last time where you can see a little bit of passion in her eyes. I remember when Hold It Against Me was released and i was like: Did they let her sleep? Cause she looked half asleep through the whole video (and i knew that something wrong was happening behind the scenes, when Till The World Ends was released and she still looked half asleep)

[Body ache]

2 hours ago, Phonography423 said:

I just watched the video for the first time in years this weekend. Still don’t understand why people even like it. 

Same. For a long time I convinced myself that it was good, but she's basically just standing in from of the camera half the time. I do appreciate the dancing though. Just wish it wasn't so choppy. 

[HIM]

Has this song been 3rd on her tour set list since Circus?