Radar (song)

Infobox Song
Name = Radar


Artist = Britney Spears
Album = Blackout
Released =
Genre = Electropop, techno
Length = 3:49
Label = Jive
Writer = Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg, Henrik Jonback, Balewa Muhammad, Candice Nelson, Ezekiel "Zeke" Lewis, Patrick Smith
Producer = Bloodshy & Avant, The Clutch
Misc = Extra track listing
Album = Blackout
prev_track = "Piece of Me"
prev_no = 2
Type = track
this_track = "Radar"
track_no = 3
next_track = "Break the Ice"
next_no = 4

"Radar" is a song by American pop singer Britney Spears, written and recorded for her fifth studio album Blackout. It was about to be the album's fourth single. However, Spears started to work on a new album. So, Jive Records canceled the single release on June 11, 2008. Although the release was canceled, it has been playing on Australian, New Zealand, Irish and British radio stations and being included in their playlists and proving popular in their request shows. [http://www.nova100.com.au/site/new_music/playlistnovarated.aspx]

tructure and lyrics

The song is rhythmically and lyrically similar to Spears' Grammy Award-winning single, "Toxic", both of which incorporate influences of electropop, synthpop, and dance. In MTV's review of "Blackout", "Radar" was described as:

... an electro/Eurodisco approach, but keeps Spears' vocals more in the foreground. Instead of emulating a video game, she's accompanied sparingly by sonar pulses and distorted synths to keep the sound dangerous, because she's on the prowl. 'I got my eye on you.' she speaks at one point. 'And I can't let you get away.' [ [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1571813/20071012/spears_britney.jhtml Britney Spears' New Album, Track By Track - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News ] ]

Critical reception

The track received mostly positive reviews. "Blender" magazine gave the track a positive review, stating it has a hook "most pop stars would kill for." [ [http://www.blender.com/news/comments.aspx?article=10236 We're Still Listening to Britney's Album ] ] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic, an online music database, considered it "relentless," and was chosen as one of the album's highlights. [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wxfrxzlhldse~T1 allmusic ((( Blackout > Review ))) ] ] Website Digital Spy commented that "Radar" is a "rave-tinged electro blipathon on which Spears is vocodered to the point of sounding extraterrestrial, [ [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a78828/britney-spears-blackout.html Music - Album Review - Britney Spears: 'Blackout' - Digital Spy ] ] whereas British newspaper "The Guardian" criticized the song, saying it was "bending over backwards to annoy the listener." [ [http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/alexispetridis/story/0,,2198891,00.html Britney Spears, Blackout | Pop | guardian.co.uk Music ] ]

Chart performance

Mostly due to its digital download sales on the occasion of the official Blackout album release, "Radar" had a brief appearance on several U.S. "Billboard" component charts on the issue dated November 17, 2007. While its host album debuted on the Billboard 200, the song simultaneously charted at number sixty-eight on the Billboard Pop 100,cite web | author=Billboard magazine | title=Billboard Pop 100 | publisher=Billboard.com | year=November 17 2007 | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=396&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Pop+100&ci=3087941&cdi=9491676&cid=11%2F17%2F2007 | accessdate=2008-05-19] and at number fifty-two on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs.cite web | author=Billboard magazine | title=Billboard Hot Digital Songs | publisher=Billboard.com | year=November 17 2007 | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=395&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Hot+Digital+Songs&ci=3087924&cdi=9490884&cid=11%2F17%2F2007 | accessdate=2008-05-19] "Radar" was also listed on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at number seven.cite web | author=Billboard magazine | title=Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | publisher=Billboard.com | year=November 17 2007 | url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=344&cfgn=Singles&cfn=Bubbling+Under+Hot+100+Singles&ci=3087923&cdi=9490833&cid=11%2F17%2F2007 | accessdate=2008-05-19]

Although the physical release of the song was scrapped, "Radar" charted high on the Irish Singles Chart. On July 15 2008 it debuted at number forty-seven based on strong digital sales alone. It rose up to number forty-five the following week, and further to number thirty-four on July 29 2008. The song peaked at number thirty-two on August 5, 2008, and then moved down. It spent a total of six weeks on the chart. On the Irish iTunes Store it peaked at number 29, but has constantly remained in the top 35.In Sweden, "Radar" charted at number forty-six on July 21 2008 prior to strong download sales and high airplay. The following week the song jumped to number eight, surpassing the achievements of its predecessors, "Piece of Me" (number nine) and "Break the Ice" (number eleven). On August 4 2008 "Radar" spent a second week at number eight, but then moved down to number twenty. The song currently sits on number thirty-seven.In New Zealand "Radar" debuted at number thirty-seven on August 18, 2008 where is stayed for two weeks before moving up to its new peak at number thirty-two in its third week. "Radar" makes it the first time Spears has had four singles from the same album chart in New Zealand. [http://www.rianz.org.nz/rianz/chart.asp] In September 11, 2008 "Radar" became the 100th number one chart-topper in the Spanish EñE's chart, it also became Britney's fourth in a row song to hit number one just after "Gimme More", "Piece of Me", and "Break the Ice".In Australia it debuted at 92, then as the Radio Airplay got heavier it continued to peak on downloads alone eventually peaking at #57.

Music video

A proposed music video for "Radar" was to be directed by Spears herself, as she had done for "Do Somethin'" in 2005, in which " [she] and her girlfriends are going to be looking all around London trying to find a boy who she met in a club." However, it was canceled.

Personnel and credits

*Vocals: Britney Spears
*Background vocals: Candice Nelson
*Producers: Bloodshy & Avant
*Co-Producers: The Clutch
*Recording: Bloodshy & Avant, The Clutch
*Engineer: Jim Carauna
*Mixing: Niklas Flyckt
*Bass and Guitar: Henrik Jonback
*Keyboards, Programming, Additional Bass and Guitar: Bloodshy & Avant
*Recorded at: Bloodshy & Avant Studios (Stockholm, Sweden), Sony Music Studios (New York City), & Palms Resort Peal Theatre Recording Studios (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Chart positions

References

External links

* [http://www.britneyspears.com/ Britney Spears - Official Web Site]