(Martin, Yacoub)
Album: Overprotected – Single / Britney
Grammy-nominated “Overprotected” (yes, you read that right) is Britney Spears and Max Martin at the height of their powers. An anthem for teen girls everywhere, this dance-pop gem has a winning combination of teen angst and a killer hook. Though Spears does not have a writing credit, she punctuates every word like she felt them deeply. This song was the second single off Britney internationally, whereas North American audiences heard a reworked version by Rodney Jerkins known as the “Darkchild Remix.” This version sheds the Europop gloss of the original production for an amped-up R&B banger. While the vocals are the same, the remixed production gives the song a less sleek, edgier vibe that was probably more in line with Spears’s post-“Slave” persona. The single also received two video treatments: the original showing Spears escaping the paparazzi to meet up with her dancers for a quick routine in an empty warehouse, and the remixed version depicting Spears and her girlfriends ditching her bodyguard for some fresh antics in a hotel, in a limo, and in the rain. When it comes to the song itself, the original vs. remix question is a bit of a draw here, but the same cannot be said for the music video. The video for “Darkchild Remix” has a fun narrative and one of her best dance breaks in any music video. Ultimately, the song stalled on the charts where a Britney radio blacklist was rumored to be underway – the alleged blacklist was supposedly retribution by a communications giant after being passed over as Spears’s tour sponsor in favor of a lucrative beverage company – but “Overprotected” is still a bonafide Britney classic and fan favorite.
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