19. Oops!... I Did It Again (2000)

(Martin, Yacoub) Album: Oops!... I Did It Again – Single / Oops!... I Did It Again

Britney Spears had a lot to prove in the spring of 2000. Over a year after its release, …Baby One More Time was already one of the best selling debut albums ever, so all eyes were on her as she readied the lead single to her new album. Released in late March 2000, her new single did not disappoint. Complete with punchy synths and new taglines (you would be hard-pressed to find a human who does not understand the reference: “I’m not that innocent”), the song was another international smash. Many were first introduced to the song when the video premiered during an MTV episode of Making the Video, inextricably linking the song to an image of Britney as a Mars goddess executing some tight choreo in a now iconic red catsuit. One thing that may have resonated with the fans is just how familiar it felt. Structurally it is nearly identical to ”…Baby One More Time,” to the point where you can literally exchange the lyrics and it fits perfectly. But “Oops!” is the more explosive of the two tracks. The song also includes a skit just past the halfway point where a man (astronaut?) has retrieved the famed jewel from the 1997 blockbuster Titanic from the bottom of the ocean to win Britney’s affections.It’s cute, but very much dates what would otherwise be a timeless song.Perhaps one day we’ll get an official radio edit that substitutes this dialogue with the dance-break she performed on Saturday Night Live. And speaking of live performances, one would be remiss not to include mention of the legendary 2000 Video Music Award performance of this track. Spears sang an “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”/ “Oops!... I Did It Again” medley, starting the performance in a black suit and hat (a la Michael Jackson) and ending the song in a skin-colored two piece that had the world talking for weeks. Spears suddenly had given new meaning to the phrase “I’m not that innocent.” This seemed to mark the beginning of a decisive shift in her trajectory away from family friendly fare and toward music and imagery more suitable for the adult crowds. Her second Grammy-nominated song after …Baby One More Time, this is an undeniable classic.