Gimme More : Ask Biography

Home | Single | Gimme More

"Gimme More" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was released on September 27, 2007 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. The song was written by Jim Beanz, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Nate "Danja" Hills and Keri Hilson. "Gimme More" was recorded in 2006 during Spears's second pregnancy, and was one of the first solo productions by Danja. The song opens with an intro in which Spears says the phrase "It's Britney, bitch". It features racy lyrics, that although they appear to be about dance and sex, are a reference to the public's fascination with Spears's private life. Musically, "Gimme More" is an uptempo dance-pop song with breathy vocals and influences from other genres, such as electro and funk. The track closes with a speak-sing outro by Danja.

"Gimme More" received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the music but dismissed Spears's vocals. The song peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming her fifth top ten hit and also her second highest-peaking single at the time. It also peaked at the top of the charts in Canada and reached top five positions in fourteen countries. The accompanying music video premiered on October 5, 2007. It displayed Spears as a stripper and featured a break from Spears's highly choreographed music videos. It received mixed to negative reviews from critics, who panned Spears's pole dancing as well as the lack of storyline. An alternate cut was leaked on July 18, 2011.

Spears performed "Gimme More" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, wearing a black, jeweled-encrusted bikini. It began with Spears lip synching the first lines of Elvis Presley's "Trouble", and featured James Bond-inspired backdrops. The performance was panned by many critics, who commented extensively on her singing, dancing and wardrobe, with one deeming it as "one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards". Chris Crocker uploaded a video in response to the criticism titled "Leave Britney Alone!", which made him an Internet celebrity and attracted attention from the media. Spears has also performed "Gimme More" at the Femme Fatale Tour (2011). "Gimme More" has been covered and sampled by many artists, including Sia and Marié Digby. The song's opening line, "It's Britney, bitch", became a catch phrase in popular culture. It was referenced in many television shows and used during the performance of "Human Nature" on Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008-09).