page_title: I'm a Slave 4 U
section_title: Critical reception
hierarchical_section_title: I'm a Slave 4 U / Critical reception
caption_attribution_description: English: I'm a slave 4 U
context_page_description: "I'm a Slave 4 U" is the lead single of American singer Britney Spears' third and eponymous studio album, Britney. The track, written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes, was released on September 24, 2001 through Jive Records as the lead single off the record.
  At the time of its release, "I'm a Slave 4 U" garnered a mixed reception from music critics. Some argued it was the singer's most mature sound at the time, compared to her previous singles, while others noticed the song's attempt to leave behind Spears' girl next door image and said her vocals were unnatural. It achieved commercial success, placing within the top ten in almost every country that it charted in. However, the song peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 85 in Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, both being the lowest chart positions of the single worldwide. As Clear Channel Entertainment, who handled Spears' previous concert tours and owned most radio stations, was outbid by Concerts West in promoting the tour, it is alleged a radio boycott ensued after Spears chose the latter for promoting the tour, which in turn affected the era's chart success in the US.
context_section_description: Ted Kessler from NME magazine stated that "...the song is funk the way God intended—hypnotic, insistent, mysterious, suggestive—and if Prince was a nineteen-year-old former Disney Club host and virgin, he'd be proud to create such a record." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic agreed that "I'm a Slave 4 U" was a step towards a more mature sound. According to Rolling Stone's Barry Walters, "...although they're not the album's most melodious cuts, The Neptunes' 'I'm a Slave 4 U' and 'Boys' could be Britney's most important." Bill Lamb from About.com listed the track at number nine on her Top 10 Songs, saying: "By the time of this single off her third album, it was obvious Britney Spears was becoming an adult. This song is a radical shift from the "not quite innocent" 16-year-old schoolgirl of Britney's first album. Slinky and sexy have crept into the Britney Spears style".
  "I'm a Slave 4 U" received several comparisons to Janet Jackson's songs, with one critic noting, "Spears’ main musical and visual influence has not been Madonna but Janet Jackson." "But Jackson’s not the only influence to appear on “Slave: ”...The Neptunes’ minimal, electronic production and Spears’ breathy, cooing delivery create a track that smacks of Prince." "Spears, on the other hand, became more and more interesting – and enjoyable – as she continued to explore elements of Janet Jackson and Prince throughout her career." Lyndsey Parker of Yahoo! Music wrote, "'Slave,' written and produced by the Neptunes and originally intended for OG pop bombshell Janet Jackson, evoked the old-school sexcapades of Prince and his protégés Vanity 6—and in many ways, it was a real artistic leap."
caption: Britney performing "I'm a Slave 4 U" on the Britney: Piece of Me show in 2014.
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