"Slumber Party" is a song recorded by American singer
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
for her ninth studio album, ''
Glory'' (2016). It was written by
Mattias Larsson,
Robin Fredriksson,
Julia Michaels
Julia Carin Michaels (''Birth name, née'' Cavazos; born November 13, 1993) is an American singer and songwriter. She has received six Grammy Award nominations, including twice for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, Song of the Year and Grammy A ...
and
Justin Tranter
Justin Drew Tranter (born June 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, singer, and activist. Tranter has written songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Bareilles, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, DNCE, ...
, and produced by
Mattman & Robin. The duo was also responsible for vocal production alongside
Mischke Butler
Mischke Butler is an American singer, songwriter, vocal producer, vocal coach and vocal arranger, best known for his work with Michael Jackson, The Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Keke Palmer, and Little Mix.
Career 1990s: Early career
Butler, r ...
. The song was released as the second single from the album on November 17, 2016. A remix version featuring vocals from American singer
Tinashe
Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California, as a child, where she pursued w ...
was sent to US
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
on November 22. A
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
-
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
and
R&B track, "Slumber Party" features
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...
,
marimba
The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...
,
syncopated
In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...
synths, percussion and a
horn section
A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the term ...
in its instrumentation. Lyrically, the song was described as an ode to
fornicating and making
sex tape
Amateur pornography is a category of pornography that features models, actors or non-professionals performing without pay, or actors for whom this material is not their only paid modeling work. Reality pornography is professionally made pornogra ...
s. In it, Spears evokes
one-night stand
A one-night stand is a single sexual encounter in which there is no expectation that there shall be any further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single night performanc ...
s, the ritual of sleepovers with friends and the teenage game
seven minutes in heaven
Seven minutes in heaven (or seven minutes in the closet) is a kissing party game mostly played at teenage parties. The game may also be played with a different duration.
Game
Two people are selected to go into a closet or other dark enclosed space ...
.
"Slumber Party" received positive reviews from music critics, who emphasized its sensual nature. Commercially, the song appeared on the national charts of countries such as Canada, Spain, Scotland and the United States, where it debuted and peaked at 86 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, while topping the
Dance Club Songs
The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart. A music video directed by
Colin Tilley
Colin Tilley (born June 27, 1988) is an American filmmaker, music video director, and television commercial director. Tilley is the CEO and owner of Boy in the Castle Productions. He has directed more than 300 music videos.
Tilley directed, pr ...
was shot in October 2016, and according to Spears, has an ''
Eyes Wide Shut
''Eyes Wide Shut'' is a 1999 erotic mystery psychological drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. It is based on the 1926 novella '' Dream Story'' () by Arthur Schnitzler, transferring the story's setting from earl ...
'' (1999) theme. The video was released on November 18, and features Spears and Tinashe during a sleepover-themed masquerade party in a mansion, where they are seen in rooms filled with bubbles, smoke and flashing lights. The video also features Spears's ex-husband
Sam Asghari. "Slumber Party" was added to the set list of her residency show,
Britney: Piece of Me (2013—2017), and was performed on two of her concert tours.
Background and release
In September 2014, Spears posted a picture of herself in the studio, hinting that she was recording new music. A month later, during an interview, she revealed that she was working "very slowly, but progressively" on an album.
In 2015, she continued to work on the record, and that November, Spears teased on her
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
account that she was working with songwriters
Justin Tranter
Justin Drew Tranter (born June 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, singer, and activist. Tranter has written songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Bareilles, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, DNCE, ...
and
Julia Michaels
Julia Carin Michaels (''Birth name, née'' Cavazos; born November 13, 1993) is an American singer and songwriter. She has received six Grammy Award nominations, including twice for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, Song of the Year and Grammy A ...
, by posting a picture of them looking "bemused" with the caption: "Working hard and hardly working...new album...wheeeee!" A month later, Tranter gave an interview for website ''
NewNowNext
Logo TV (often shortened to Logo, and stylized as Logo.) is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Media Networks, a division of Paramount Global. Launched in 2005, Logo was originally dedicated to lifestyle and entertainment progra ...
'' about his work with Spears, saying: "Working with Britney is a fucking dream. She is so sweet, so inspiring and a master on the mic. Me and Julia had to leave the studio one day because our screams of excitement after every take she did were distracting the producers."
In May 2016, in an interview for website ''Breathe Heavy'', he revealed: "Nobody ever talks about Britney as a writer and she's f**king great, like insane. Her concepts were bold and smart and very left of centre, in a good way. Melodically, she has melodies for days. How come no one mentions that this girl can write the f**k out of a song?.
.."We got to work with her a bunch of times. A couple
f songs
F, or f, is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet and many modern alphabets influenced by it, including the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of all other modern western European languages. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounc ...
we wrote on our own and then she wanted to write with us. She's an amazing writer."
"Slumber Party" was included as the eighth track on ''
Glory'', which released on August 26, 2016.
After releasing "
Make Me" as the lead single, Spears's team commissioned several polls to different magazines asking which song from the album should be the second single. On October 14, American singer
Tinashe
Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California, as a child, where she pursued w ...
hinted on her Instagram account that she was recording vocals on a "legendary" collaboration with the caption: "Dreams are real."
Later, on October 25, Spears posted a picture of herself with Tinashe on the set of the song's music video, with the caption: "Neighbors say we're causing a commotion...", a line from "Slumber Party". ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' confirmed the news with Spears's representatives.
Lewis Corner of
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
also announced that the collaboration was going to be released "within a matter of weeks."
Spears later commented on Tinashe, stating: "
heis so sweet. I always see my fans talking about her online, and it just made so much sense to collaborate on this song. She was amazing, and would love to find another way to work together in the future!"
The remix version was released on November 16, to digital download.
It was sent to US
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
on November 22.
During a 2022 interview on ''
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
''Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen'' (abbreviated ''WWHL'', previously named ''Watch What Happens Live!'') is an American pop culture-based late-night talk show hosted by Andy Cohen, that premiered on Bravo on July 16, 2009. It is availab ...
'', English singer
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Re ...
revealed that she was asked to be featured on the remix of "Slumber Party", but she had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts.
Recording and composition
"Slumber Party" was written by
Mattias Larsson,
Robin Fredriksson,
Julia Michaels
Julia Carin Michaels (''Birth name, née'' Cavazos; born November 13, 1993) is an American singer and songwriter. She has received six Grammy Award nominations, including twice for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, Song of the Year and Grammy A ...
and
Justin Tranter
Justin Drew Tranter (born June 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, singer, and activist. Tranter has written songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Bareilles, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, DNCE, ...
, with production done by
Mattman & Robin. Mattman & Robin were also responsible for vocal production, alongside
Mischke Butler
Mischke Butler is an American singer, songwriter, vocal producer, vocal coach and vocal arranger, best known for his work with Michael Jackson, The Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Keke Palmer, and Little Mix.
Career 1990s: Early career
Butler, r ...
, as well as
programming
Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to:
Business and management
* Program m ...
, drums, percussion, snaps, handclaps,
synths
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...
, guitars,
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
,
marimba
The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...
and
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...
. Michaels, on the other hand, provided background vocals. The song was recorded at 158 Studios in
Westlake Village
Westlake Village is a city in Los Angeles County, California, on its western border with Ventura County. Upon its incorporation in 1981, Westlake Village became the 82nd municipality of Los Angeles County.Baker, Pam (2002). ''Thousand Oaks We ...
, California, and Wolf Cousins Studios in
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden, as well as Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California.
"Slumber Party" is a
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
-
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
and
R&B track,
which lasts for three minutes and thirty-four seconds.
It has "a sinuous groove accented by brass and marimba",
syncopated
In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat (music), off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of ...
synths,
"cooing backing vocals" and percussion.
Its final chorus features "a bombastic
horn section
A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the term ...
."
For Alex Macpherson of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', the song "is reminiscent of Spears's 2003 album, ''
In the Zone
''In the Zone'' is the fourth studio album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 15, 2003, by Jive Records. Spears began writing songs during her Dream Within a Dream Tour, not knowing the direction of the record. She ...
''", both in its "stylistic ground" and "low-key approach".
Lewis Corner of Digital Spy compared its style to "
Hotline Bling
"Hotline Bling" is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake, which served as the lead single from his fourth studio album ''Views (album), Views'' (2016). The song is credited as a bonus track on the album. It was made availabl ...
" (2015),
for which ''
Gay Times
''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''GAY TIMES Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ magazine established in 1984. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company began including content for the LGBTQ+ comm ...
'' Daniel Megarry and No Ripcord's Luiza Lodder echoed.
Lyrically, "Slumber Party" talks about
sex
Sex is the biological trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing organism produces male or female gametes. During sexual reproduction, a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote, which develops into an offspring that inheri ...
.
It was considered an "ode to
fornication
Fornication generally refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two people who are not married to each other. When a married person has consensual sexual relations with one or more partners whom they are not married to, it is called adu ...
" and making
sex tape
Amateur pornography is a category of pornography that features models, actors or non-professionals performing without pay, or actors for whom this material is not their only paid modeling work. Reality pornography is professionally made pornogra ...
s.
Across the song, Spears uses a "euphemism for
one-night stand
A one-night stand is a single sexual encounter in which there is no expectation that there shall be any further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single night performanc ...
s"
while invoking the "ritual of sleepovers with friends"
and the teenage game
seven minutes in heaven
Seven minutes in heaven (or seven minutes in the closet) is a kissing party game mostly played at teenage parties. The game may also be played with a different duration.
Game
Two people are selected to go into a closet or other dark enclosed space ...
.
In the pre-chorus, she promises, "We ain't gonna sleep tonight",
while during the chorus, she sings, "We use our bodies to make our own videos/ Put on our music that makes us go fucking crazy, oh."
Critical reception
Alim Kheraj of Digital Spy praised the "delightful" syncopated synths in the chorus and "the surprising addition of a bombastic horn section in the final chorus", while remarking: "Similarly, the final chorus contains the best Britney
ad-libs
In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation.
The roughly synonymous phrase ('in acc ...
this side of 2003. Now, all they need to do is get
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
on a remix on this and we've got a smash on our hands."
Joe Pasmore of ''
Attitude
Attitude or Attitude may refer to:
Philosophy and psychology
* Attitude (psychology), a disposition or state of mind
** Attitude change
* Propositional attitude, a mental state held towards a proposition
Science and technology
* Orientation ...
'' picked "Slumber Party" as a highlight, declaring that "while sharing Britney's nostalgic flare,
tboast
modern production which brings the track firmly into 2016."
Josh Duboff of ''
Vanity Fair'' named it "a slinky, catchy jam",
and Jonathan Riggs of
Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolator or Idolater may also refer to:
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child
* ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud
* "Idolater", a ...
labeled it "reggae-licious",
while Neil McCormick of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' called it "effervescently catchy" and "a gem of slinky
TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
."
Writing for ''
Drowned in Sound'', Russell Warfield opined that the song "has a shot of being Britney's first bona fide hit since '
Womanizer' (2008)."
Michael Arceneaux of ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' simply said that the song "serves its purpose quite well", calling it danceable.
Alex Macpherson of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' noted that the song's "high-school metaphor would probably seem odder coming from a singer of that age; Spears sings it with self-awareness and a thorough commitment to the role-play scenario."
And McCormick called its sexualization of "little girl sleepovers" dubious.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
cited "Slumber Party" as a "heavy-breathing come-on that never manage
to seem sexy despite the flood of innuendo."
While Kheraj called it "dreamy and genuinely sexy, something that Britney hasn't truly been since ''
Blackout
Blackout(s), black out, or The Blackout may refer to:
Loss of lighting or communication
* Power outage, a loss of electric power
* Blackout (broadcasting), a regulatory or contractual ban on the broadcasting of an event
* Blackout (fabric), a t ...
'' (2007).
Describing it as a sultry "pop take on Drake's smash hit 'Hotline Bling'", Daniel Megarry of ''
Gay Times
''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''GAY TIMES Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ magazine established in 1984. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company began including content for the LGBTQ+ comm ...
'' remarked: "if this doesn't make your
libido
In psychology, libido (; ) is psychic drive or energy, usually conceived of as sexual in nature, but sometimes conceived of as including other forms of desire. The term ''libido'' was originally developed by Sigmund Freud, the pioneering origin ...
increase, nothing will."
John Murphy of ''
musicOMH
''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...
'' commented on its sexual lyrics, declaring that the song "still manages to possess a slightly illicit thrill."
Michael Smith of ''
Renowned for Sound
''Renowned for Sound'' is an Australian online magazine
An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print ...
'' noted that the song "starts like Britney's sexier R&B songs, like 'Blur' (2008), but spins reggae into its chorus in a way that feels much on trend after
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton ( ; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer.
Stefani rose to fame as a member and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose hit singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs", an ...
's ''
This Is What the Truth Feels Like
''This Is What the Truth Feels Like'' is the third studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani. It was released on March 18, 2016, by Interscope Records. Initially, the album was scheduled to be released in December 2014 with Stefani working w ...
'' (2016)".
Chart performance
In the United States, "Slumber Party" debuted and peaked at number 86 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, with its music video generating a weekly total of 3.8 million streams.
It also became Spears's 36th Hot 100 entry and Tinashe's fourth.
On the
Pop Songs
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the U ...
chart, the song debuted at number 39; Spears's 34th entry on the chart and Tinashe's third,
and peaking at number 27.
[ It topped the ]Dance Club Songs
The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart, becoming the second single from ''Glory'' to do so, and Spears's overall 11th number one dance song on that chart. In the United Kingdom, the single entered at number 73 on the UK Singles Sales chart. In Hungary, it charted at number 13, becoming ''Glory'' second top 20 single in the region. In Spain, the track debuted at number 39, becoming Spears's sixth consecutive top-forty entry and Tinashe's first entry. "Slumber Party" debuted at number 157 in France following the release of ''Glory'', and climbed to number 121 a week later.
Music video
Background and development
The music video for "Slumber Party" was directed by Colin Tilley
Colin Tilley (born June 27, 1988) is an American filmmaker, music video director, and television commercial director. Tilley is the CEO and owner of Boy in the Castle Productions. He has directed more than 300 music videos.
Tilley directed, pr ...
and was shot in October 2016; on October 25, Spears posted to Instagram a photo of her with Tinashe on the music video's set. Tinashe later shared the same photo, with the caption: "The face you make when the rumors are true and you collabed with your idol & basically your whole life is a dream so you keep it cute for Brit but inside you are wigless and dead." Spears also posted a photo with her backup dancers and Tilley in the purplish-blue room. Lewis Corner of Digital Spy noted that "the visual looks set to be very seductive, with dimmed blue lights and provocative outfits." During an interview with ''Extra
Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film
* The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film
Literature
* Extra (newspaper), ...
''s Mario Lopez
Mario Lopez (born October 10, 1973) is an American actor and television host. He has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway theatre, Broadway. He is known for his portrayal of A.C. Slater on ''Saved by the Bell'', ''S ...
, the singer commented that the music video would be a younger version of Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...
's film ''Eyes Wide Shut
''Eyes Wide Shut'' is a 1999 erotic mystery psychological drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. It is based on the 1926 novella '' Dream Story'' () by Arthur Schnitzler, transferring the story's setting from earl ...
'' (1999), adding: "It's a little risky. It's very sexy. It's very moody. It's fun!" During an interview with MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
for Snapchat
Snapchat is an American multimedia social media and instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of the app are that pictures and messages, known as "snaps", are usually availa ...
, Spears added: "The vibe was what you see in the video. Amazing costumes, energy, dancing, and people. We were filming a music video that portrays an incredible party, and that's what it felt like on set." The music video was released on November 18, and premiered on MTV's Snapchat Discover page shortly before being posted on Spears's official Vevo
Vevo LLC ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized in all caps until 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available ...
and YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
pages. The video featured Iranian actor Sam Asghari, who would marry and divorce Spears years later.
Synopsis
The video starts with Spears "roll ngup to a giant mansion wearing a tiny red dress. Upon entering, she's greeted by flame throwers and a slew of people ready to get their freak on", as stated by a writer from ''ET Online
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American first-run syndicated news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Paramount Streaming. Having premiered on ...
''. Later, she is "spotted by the master of the house, a guy with what appears to be a David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
-esque lightning bolt on his face", as noted by the ''Billboard'' staff. The magazine staff continued, "Tinashe appears midway through the story dressed for the slumber party, and the pair get cuddly on a couch in negligee before instigating a sexy dance sequence." They also "navigate rooms overflowing with bubbles, smoke and flashing lights." During the video, Spears "changes into a series of sexy ensembles — including black lingerie, and other puffy blue princess skirts", as well as crawls across a table and "licks up spilled milk."
Reception
Cole Delbyk, writing for ''The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'', wrote that the video "saved 2016" and compared Spears's head-twirling and body-rolling to her 2001 "I'm a Slave 4 U
"I'm a Slave 4 U" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her third studio album, ''Britney (album), Britney'' (2001). Written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, it was released on September 25, 2001 ...
" video. ''Billboard''s staff called the video "pure indulgence", while Megan French of ''Us Weekly
''Us Weekly'' is an American weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, which sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to Ameri ...
'' named it "too hot to handle." Emilee Lindner of Fuse
Fuse or FUSE may refer to:
Devices
* Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current
** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles
* Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protec ...
was extremely positive, writing: "It's hot. It's heavy. It's a Britney Spears video. It even has her recreating her 'Toxic
Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...
' (2004) moves as she crawls toward the camera on a table." Lewis Corner of Digital Spy considered it "easily one of the hottest of her career so far", adding that "the pair look absolutely flawless in the seductive visual." And Zac Johnson of ''E! News
''E! News'', previously known as ''E! News Daily'' and ''E! News Live'', is the infotainment, entertainment news operation for the cable network E! in the United States. Its former on-air weekday newscast debuted on September 1, 1991, and prima ...
'' commented on her strut, "Not since 'Boys
A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man.
Definition, etymology, and use
According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy ...
' (2002) has Britney made walking through party look like art". He also praised the chemistry between Spears and Tinashe, as well as the scene where the former is "crawling across the table and licking up spilled milk." ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' review highlighted that "director Colin Tilley peppers in salacious moments in the video wherever possible."
Cady Lang of ''Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' wrote that the "unabashedly 'pop' feel of the video brings to mind the Brit that we all knew and loved back during her heyday — that is to say that there's no shortage of body glitter, choreographed group dance routines, candy colored ensembles, and toned abs during this grown-up 'Slumber Party'." The scene where Spears crawls on a table and licks spilled milk reminded ''Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' Alexa Camp of a scene from Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
's 1989 " Express Yourself" video. Less positively, Camp continued that the "Slumber Party" video did not explore the themes in ''Eyes Wide Shut'', opting only to " mploysexuality—and homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
—purely for the benefit of the male gaze
In feminist theory, the male gaze is the act of depicting women and the world in the visual arts and in literature from a masculine, heterosexual perspective that presents and represents women as sexual objects for the pleasure of the heterosex ...
." While naming it "a fun, outrageous, and expensive-looking clip", Anna Gaca of ''Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles
* Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' opined that "it's miles better than the forced, brand-filled video for 'Make Me,' and the addition of Tinashe's vocals is enough to make you wonder why they ever released the song without her."
Live performances
Spears performed "Slumber Party" for the first time on her residency show, Britney: Piece of Me, on November 16, 2016. On December 2, Spears and Tinashe performed the song for the first time at the KIIS-FM Jingle Ball
The KIIS-FM Jingle Ball (also referred to as just Jingle Ball) is an annual concert produced by the Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM that takes place in early-to-mid December. Since 2000, the concert series has been staged at various venues ar ...
. A day later, they reprised the performance at 99.7's Triple Ho Show. "Slumber Party" was also performed on the 2017 Britney: Live in Concert Asian tour, as well as on the Piece of Me Tour
The Piece of Me Tour (also referred to as Piece of Me: Exclusive Limited Tour) was the tenth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. Although it largely mirrors her Las Vegas residency, Britney: Piece of Me, which concluded in Dece ...
in 2018, which covered North America and Europe.
Track listing
* Remix EP
# "Slumber Party" featuring Tinashe (Bad Royale
Bad Royale is an American DJ/production group consisting of Maor Levi, Bruce Karlsson, Kevin Wild and Elias Ghosn. Karlsson was also a member of the electronic duo Norin & Rad.
Career
Bad Royale was formed on the summit of a mountain in Southe ...
Remix) – 3:12
# "Slumber Party" featuring Tinashe (Marc Stout & Scott Svejda Remix) – 3:52
# "Slumber Party" featuring Tinashe (Bimbo Jones Remix) – 3:54
# "Slumber Party" featuring Tinashe (Danny Dove Remix) – 3:40
# "Slumber Party" featuring Tinashe (Misha K Remix) – 3:35
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of '' Glory''.
Recording
*Vocals recorded at 158 Studios, Westlake Village, California
Westlake Village is a city in Los Angeles County, California, on its western border with Ventura County. Upon its incorporation in 1981, Westlake Village became the 82nd municipality of Los Angeles County.Baker, Pam (2002). ''Thousand Oaks We ...
; Conway Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
; and at Wolf Cousins Studios, Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
*Mixed at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the most populous city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeastern Virginia. It is the sixth-most populous city in the ...
Personnel
*Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
– lead vocals
*Tinashe
Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena, California, as a child, where she pursued w ...
– guest vocals on remix
* Mattman & Robin – songwriter, producer, vocal production, vocal recording, programming
Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to:
Business and management
* Program m ...
, drums, percussion, snaps, handclaps, synths
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...
, guitars, bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
, marimba
The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...
, brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...
*Julia Michaels
Julia Carin Michaels (''Birth name, née'' Cavazos; born November 13, 1993) is an American singer and songwriter. She has received six Grammy Award nominations, including twice for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, Song of the Year and Grammy A ...
– songwriter, additional background vocals
*Justin Tranter
Justin Drew Tranter (born June 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, singer, and activist. Tranter has written songs for artists such as Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Linkin Park, Kelly Clarkson, Sara Bareilles, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, DNCE, ...
– songwriter
*Mischke Butler
Mischke Butler is an American singer, songwriter, vocal producer, vocal coach and vocal arranger, best known for his work with Michael Jackson, The Spice Girls, Britney Spears, Keke Palmer, and Little Mix.
Career 1990s: Early career
Butler, r ...
– vocal production
*Benjamin Rice – vocal recording
*Erik Beltz – recording assistant
*John Cranfield – engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...
*Serban Ghenea – mixing
*John Hanes – mixing engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
{{Authority control
2016 songs
2016 singles
American reggae songs
Britney Spears songs
Female vocal duets
Music videos directed by Colin Tilley
Reggae fusion songs
Song recordings produced by Mattman & Robin
Songs about parties
Songs written by Mattias Larsson
Songs written by Julia Michaels
Songs written by Justin Tranter
Songs written by Robin Fredriksson
Tinashe songs
Remix singles