Billboard: Toxic is the best song of 2004

[Neydelinska Spearsi]

#1

The addictive love that Britney Spears describes in “Toxic” could easily translate to the habit-forming song itself. “There’s no escape, I can’t wait/ I need a hit, baby, give me it”: To hear “Toxic” once is to need to hear it again — immediately.

Is it the high-pitched strings from Bloodshy & Avant? Or the venomous lyrics from the Swedish production duo alongside Cathy Dennis and Henrik Jonback? Or maybe the cheeky superspy-spoofing music video? (It’s impossible to hear this song without immediately picturing Spears in a futuristic blue flight-attendant uniform.)

Whatever it is, the In the Zone earworm infected everyone within its reach, as it topped Billboard’s Pop Airplay and Dance Club Songs charts (as well as our staff’s own Best Britney Spears Songs list). It earned Spears her first, and so far only, Grammy (for best dance recording). And even Jay-Z chose it as his favorite Britney song in a random 2013 Twitter Q&A (“jamming my G”). The song’s most enduring legacy, though, might be its whiplash-inducing range of covers, from Local H’s rocker, to The Chapin Sisters’ folk version, to Mark Ronson’s ODB-featuring hip-hop spin, to, naturally, a cappella takes from both the Pitch Perfect franchise and Glee (twice).

What all the above endorsements add up to is that “Toxic” has seemingly become Spears’ most universally beloved song, using her already-established superpowers (the unmistakable breathy vocals, her magnetic onscreen presence and flawless choreography) and adding an electronic pop sound that put a legend who could have been forever linked to the ’90s instead at the forefront of top 40’s new frontier. The results were anything but toxic, but they were still definitely lethal. – K.A.

 

 

The 100 Greatest Songs of 2004: Staff Picks

WWW.BILLBOARD.COM

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2004 songs: Staff picks for the 100 best singles.

 

 

[Kiss my]

Taste

[Gutterguppy]

As it should be 

[Neydelinska Spearsi]

57 minutes ago, Gutterguppy said:

As it should be 

 

TMZ works hard but Billboard works harder

[humstarr]

1 hour ago, Neydelinska Spearsi said:

It’s impossible to hear this song without immediately picturing Spears in a futuristic blue flight-attendant uniform

I remember listening to ITZ when it first came out w/o knowing what I was about to hear and hearing Toxic for the first time. I wasn't picturing the flight attendant lol but now I do 

[bbbsss]

Sometimes I can’t believe it’s the same person we are talking about. 

[MoodRing3]

I already made a thread about this a while ago

But anyway probably one of the biggest songs of the century 

[DollyParton]

[whenthedogscaneout]

I remember there was another song back then  that was STUCK at #1 for weeks and wouldn’t let Toxic have it. 20 years later, I can’t remember what song it was and Toxic wins song of the year.