"Anticipating" is a song 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 is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

from her eponymous third studio album (2001). It was written by Spears alongside the song's producers Brian Kierulf and Josh Schwartz. The song was released on June 25, 2002, by

Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, an ...

, as the fourth single from the album, exclusive to France. "Anticipating" is a

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

and

dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...

song, influenced by R&B. Lyrically, the song is about friendship and camaraderie between women. It was met with critical praise, with reviewers complimenting its lyrics and comparing it to the 1980s compositions of

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Rick Astley Richard Paul Astley (born 6 February 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and radio personality, who has been active in music for several decades. He gained worldwide fame in the 1980s, having multiple hits including his signature song "Ne ...

and

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...

's " All for You". "Anticipating" achieved minor commercial success, peaking at number 38 on the

French Singles Chart French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

. The song was promoted with a performance in the Dream Within a Dream Tour (2001–2002), where Spears wore a patched denim skirt and danced in front of giant crayon drawings. An accompanying music video, directed by

Marty Callner Marty Callner (born 1950 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American television director, who has made music videos, comedy specials, concert specials, and television shows, in a career spanning from 1977 to present day. He is the creator of HBO's '' Ha ...

, consisted of the performance from ''

Britney Spears Live from Las Vegas ''Britney Spears Live from Las Vegas'' is the fourth video album by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was released on January 22, 2002 through Jive Records. Recorded during Spears' concert during the Dream Within a Dream Tour (2001–02 ...

''. "Anticipating" was also promoted in a commercial Spears filmed for

Toyota Vios The Toyota Vios is a nameplate used for subcompact cars produced by the Japanese manufacturer Toyota, primarily for markets in Southeast Asia, China and Taiwan since 2002. Slotted below the compact Corolla, the Vios serves as the replacement ...

Background

During the Oops!... I Did It Again Tour (2000), Spears revealed she felt inspired by hip hop artists such as

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

and

the Neptunes The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos, ...

and wanted to create a record with a funkier sound. In February 2001, Spears signed a $7–8 million promotional deal with

Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...

, and released another book co-written with her mother, entitled ''

A Mother's Gift ''A Mother's Gift'' is a 2001 novel by American singer Britney Spears and her mother Lynne Spears. It is their second book together, following 2000's ''Heart-to-Heart''. The novel is loosely based on Britney's life. Popular reactions to the novel ...

''. On the same month, Spears started to record material for her third studio album,'' Britney'' liner notes.

(2001) with "Anticipating" being recorded at Rusk Sound Studios in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, the DOJO in

Jackson, New Jersey Jackson Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township population was 58,544. A portion of the township is located within the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Roughly equidistant be ...

, Sound on Sound Studios and Battery Studios in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The song was written by Spears, Brian Kierulf and Josh Schwartz while produced by Kierulf and Schwartz. It was also mixed at Battery Studios by Stephen George.

Audio engineering Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to: Sound * Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound *Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum * Digital audio, representation of sou ...

was done by Aaron Kaplan, Rich Tapper, Jill Tengan and Charles McCrorey.

Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...

played the

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

Bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

and programming was done by Kierulf. Background vocals were provided by Spears and Jennifer Karr. Her third studio album, '' Britney'', was released in November 2001. In an interview with the '' Daily Record'', Spears commented on the track, saying, "It's just a fun song that I wrote. It's just like being with your girlfriends and just dancing. I think this track also has a very Seventies' feel to it." It was released as the fourth single from the album on June 25, 2002, in France only. In other European countries, Spears' cover of "

I Love Rock 'n' Roll "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" is a rock song written by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker and first recorded by the Arrows, a British rock band, in 1975. A 1981 cover version by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, released as the first single from her album of ...

" was released as the fourth single.

Composition

"Anticipating" is a

song that lasts for three minutes and 16 seconds. Corey Moss of

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

noted the song also has a 1970s disco sound, while Joan Anderman of ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' compared it to early

tracks such as "

Holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...

" (1983). Glenn Gamboa of ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...

'' compared the song to

's " All for You", calling it "pleasant, shimmering R&B-styled pop". According to the sheet music published at musicnotes.com by

Universal Music Publishing Group Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a North American music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. It was formerly known as MCA Music Publishing until it merged with PolyGram. Universal Music Publishing is the worl ...

, the song is composed in the key of

F major F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consis ...

and is set in

time signature The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...

of common time with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 112 beats per minute. Spears vocal range spans from the low-key of F₃ to the high-note of A₄. The song has a basic sequence of B(9)–C–Dm7–B(9) as its chord progression. Lyrically, it talks about

friendship Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. In some cultures, the concept o ...

and camaraderie between women. During the bridge, Spears sings, "Gotta really let me know if you want me / You gotta turn me on and make me feel sexy". During the time of the album's release, her official site stated that "the girl-power anthem 'Anticipating' proves that Britney is, now more than ever, a force to be reckoned with."

Reception

"Anticipating" received general acclaim from music critics. Jane Stevenson of

Jam! Jam! was a Canadian website which covers entertainment news. It was part of the Canoe.com online portal, formerly owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division, and now owned by Postmedia Network. Jam! was the only media outlet ...

called "Anticipating" the strongest track in the album. ''

Yale Daily News The ''Yale Daily News'' is an independent student newspaper published by Yale University students in New Haven, Connecticut since January 28, 1878. It is the oldest college daily newspaper in the United States. The ''Yale Daily News'' has consis ...

'' writer Catherine Halaby called it a "fun, cutesy disco ballad". Nikki Tranker of ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' said it "offers Britney's fans something a little different with a simple tune beautifully underlined by a well-executed '70s disco sound". Jim Farber of the New York ''Daily News'' while reviewing the Dream Within a Dream Tour named it along with " Stronger", " wo girl-power anthems". Katie Perone of the ''Loyola Greyhound'' said " tis a fun, bubbly song that probably would have had great success on ''

Oops! Oops or OOPS is an interjection made in response to a minor mistake. It may also refer to: Television and film * "Oops" (Frasier episode), an episode of the TV sitcom ''Frasier'' * "Oops" (Family Ties episode), an episode of the TV sitcom ''Fam ...

''". Barry Walters of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' stated the song is "a euphoric

flashback,

here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a TV ...

she emotes without framing her vocals in

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

-schooled theatricality". In a list compiled by Sam Lanksy of ''

PopCrush Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...

'', "Anticipating" was ranked eight in a list of Spears' best songs. In the album review, David Browne of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' criticized "Anticipating" along with "Bombastic Love" for " elyingon enervated formulas". On July 26, 2002, the song entered at number 46 in the

. The following week, it peaked at number 38. "Anticipating" spent a total of 13 weeks on the chart.

Promotion

The song was performed at the Dream Within a Dream Tour. The performance began with a video interlude of Spears talking to her dancers. She then appeared onstage, wearing a patched

denim skirt A denim skirt, sometimes referred to as a 'jean skirt' or 'jeans skirt', is a skirt made of denim, the same material as blue jeans. Denim skirts come in a variety of styles and lengths to suit different populations and occasions. For example, fu ...

. The set was made of giant coloring book drawings of houses and cars. After the second chorus, she invited the audience to sing along with her. At the end of the song, she briefly talked to the audience before taking off the skirt and top to perform " I'm a Slave 4 U". Shaheem Reid of

noted that during the opening night of the tour in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, "Britney must've forgotten that the disco-era throwback cut was brand spanking new, because she kept encouraging everyone to sing along to the chorus ..Although the crowd clapped and bobbed to the beat, Britney had to go this one alone vocally". The music video, directed by

, consisted of footage of the tour performance from ''

''. Several effects were added, including a glittering ball and the name of the song appearing on the screen. The song was also promoted in a commercial Spears filmed for

Track listings

*CD maxi single #"Anticipating" – 3:16 #"

I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her third studio album, '' Britney'' (2001). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami, with additional writing from Dido. The song was released as the ...

" (Metro remix) – 5:25 #"

Overprotected "Overprotected" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her third studio album, '' Britney'' (2001). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami. The song was released on December 10, 2001, by Jive Records as the second inter ...

" (Darkchild remix) – 3:20 *12" vinyl (the French remixes) #"Anticipating" (remix by Alan Braxe) – 4:07 #"Anticipating" (remix by Alan Braxe) – 1:27 #"Anticipating" (Antoine Clamaran club mix) – 6:25 #"Anticipating" (Antoine Clamaran instru mix) – 6:25 #"Anticipating" (PK'Chu & RLS' sweet & sour mix) – 5:58 #"Anticipating" (PK'Chu & RLS' hard & sexy mix) – 5:43 #"Anticipating" (PK'Chy & RLS' hard & sexy dub mix) – 5:43

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from ''Britney''s liner notes. Technical *Recorded at Rusk Sound Studios in

, the DOJO in

, Sound on Sound Studios and Battery Studios in

New York City, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. *Mixed at Battery Studios in New York City, New York. Personnel *

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

songwriting A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

*Brian Kierulf – songwriting,

producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, programming *Josh Schwartz – songwriting, producer * Jennifer Karr – background vocals * Stephen George – mixing *

–

*Aaron Kaplan –

audio engineering Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to: Sound * Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound *Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum * Digital audio, representation of sou ...

*Rich Tapper – audio engineering *Jill Tengan – audio engineering *Charles McCrorey – audio engineering

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anticipating 2001 songs 2002 singles Britney Spears songs American disco songs Jive Records singles Music videos directed by Marty Callner Song recordings produced by Brian Kierulf Song recordings produced by Josh Schwartz Songs written by Brian Kierulf Songs written by Britney Spears Songs written by Josh Schwartz