The One-Track Version Of “I’m A Slave 4 U” Is Not Winning Over Anyone!

The Good: Collectible value for die-hard fans.
The Bad: Terrible use of medium, Nothing unique or original.
The Basics: A less impressive Britney Spears single, “I’m A Slave 4 U” (the one-track version) was released for radio airplay and has transitioned to the secondary market for no good reason.


In the annals of music, there is probably no poorer use of the compact disc medium than the one-track c.d. single. In the case of Britney Spears, whose music might well be take-it or leave-it anyway, a one-track single indicates a radio play single. Like most things since Ebay became a powerhouse in the world, finding the one-track version is possible as these have filtered very easily into the secondary market. And unless one is completely obsessed with getting every possible thing Britney Spears and her record companies released, there is no good reason to pick up the one-track version of her single for the song “I’m A Slave 4 U.”

The one-track version is identical to the album cut of “I’m A Slave 4 U” and tracking down this version of the single is a waste of time and money as EVERY other version of the c.d. single, save the radio-release one-track single has multiple tracks which include remixes and non-album cuts. Regardless, “I’m A Slave 4 U” was never Britney Spears’ best song and it remains memorable more for her performing the song with a bright yellow boa constrictor than anything else.

“I’m A Slave 4 U” was not written or produced by Britney Spears and she was not at all involved in engineering the instrumental accompaniment. Instead, Spears provides the lead vocals and they are pretty heavily produced.

“I’m A Slave 4 U” is a very standard pop music track with Britney Spears providing overproduced, mechanized-sounding vocals to a keyboard/synthesizer back-up. “I’m A Slave 4 U” seems to be the un-danceable version of “Toxic,” as it features similar screeches and moody movement noises, without the heavy drum track which makes it danceable. Instead, this is music to grind to and that’s about all. It does not stand out with a memorable melody.

As well, the lyrics are not terribly enlightened. This is the point when Spears sought to capitalize on her sexuality and she presents herself in “I’m A Slave 4 U” as something of a vixen. With lines like “I know I may be young / But I've got feelings, too / And I need to do what I feel like doing / So let me go and just listen / All you people look at me like I'm a little girl / Well, did you ever think it'd be okay for me to step into this world? / Always saying; little girl don't step into the club / Well, I'm just trying to find out why 'cause dancin's what I love” Spears opens the floodgates of naughty girl fantasies for a woman who tried so long to play the nice girl. This is not highbrow pop at all.

It’s also not worth picking up. Every other version of this c.d. offers more and any version that has only the title track is not giving listeners anything more than they would already have on her albums.

For other reviews of Britney Spears music, please check out my reviews of:
. . . Baby One More Time (single)
Stronger (single)
Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know (single)
Britney
Blackout
Circus
The Singles Collection

0/10

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© 2011, 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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