"Born to Make You Happy" 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 debut studio album, '' ...Baby One More Time'' (1999). It was released on December 6, 1999, 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 Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

from the album in Europe. Spears—whose vision for her sound differed stylistically from that of her producer's—was unhappy with the sexual overtones of the song, and the song underwent at least one re-write before its release. The singer first recorded the vocals for the track in March 1998, which were later re-recorded the same year. The

teen pop Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop" About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Teen pop incorporates different subgenres of pop music, as well as elements o ...

song alludes to a relationship that a woman desires to correct, not quite understanding what went wrong, as she comes to realize that she was "born to make er loverhappy". "Born to Make You Happy" received mixed to positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

, who praised Spears' vocals and deemed it an early classic, but criticized the song's message. The song achieved success throughout Europe, topping the charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom and reaching the top five in 15 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. An accompanying music video, directed by

Bille Woodruff Bille Woodruff is a director of film, television and music videos, noted for directing many videos for a number of R&B and hip-hop artists since the mid-1990s. These artists include Joe (singer), Joe, for whom Woodruff has directed 9 music video ...

, was released. The video portrays Spears dreaming that she is with her lover, while she sings and dances during the majority of the video. Spears has performed "Born to Make You Happy" on four

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...

Background

Before recording her debut album, Spears had originally envisioned it in style of "

Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three li ...

music, but younger ndmore adult contemporary". However, the singer agreed with her label's appointment of producers, who had the objective to reach a teen public at the time. She flew to

Cheiron Studios Cheiron Studios () was a recording studio located in the Kungsholmen district of Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 1992 by Denniz PoP and Tom Talomaa, it was famous for being the place where popular music acts of the late 1990s/early 2000s such a ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, where half of the album was recorded from May 1998, with producers

Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com known profess ...

Denniz Pop Dag Krister Volle (26 April 1963 – 30 August 1998), better known as Denniz Pop (stylized ''Denniz PoP''), was a Swedish DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He co-founded the recording studio Cheiron Studios in Stockholm in 1992. Life and car ...

and

Rami Yacoub Rami Yacoub (born 17 January 1975), also known by the mononym Rami, is a Swedish record producer and songwriter and former member of the songwriting/production houses Cheiron Studios and Maratone. Yacoub collaborated extensively with Max Martin ...

, among others. "Born to Make You Happy" was written and produced by

Kristian Lundin Kristian Lundin (born 7 May 1973) is a Swedish composer, music producer and songwriter. Biography Kristian's worked on the song " Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)" which he co-produced with Max Martin for the Backstreet Boys. He co-wrote & pro ...

, and co-written by

Andreas Carlsson Andreas Carlsson (; born 3 April 1973) is a Swedish music producer and pop songwriter. Biography Carlsson was part of the Cheiron Studios team until the studio was closed down in 2000. In January 2001, former Cheiron-members Andreas Carlsson, Kri ...

, and was the first work by the duo. Spears originally recorded the vocals for the song in 1998, at 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 ...

. They were later re-recorded in May 1998 at Cheiron Studios, and used on the album version, while the original vocals were used on the "Bonus Remix" of the song.''

Born To Make You Happy "Born to Make You Happy" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her debut studio album, ''...Baby One More Time (album), ...Baby One More Time'' (1999). It was released on December 6, 1999, by Jive Records, as the fourth Single (music) ...

'' liner notes.

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 ...

(1999) It was also mixed at Cheiron Studios by

Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com known profess ...

. Esbjörn Öhrwall 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 ...

, while

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

and programming was done by Lundin.

Background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

were provided by Carlsson and

Nana Hedin Nana Ann-Helene Hedin Pranschke, known as Nana Hedin and also known as Na Na and Nana d'Aquini (born May 24, 1968 in Eskilstuna, Södermanland, Sweden), is a Swedish singer. Career NaNa Hedin started her career in the late 1980s, and worked ...

.'' ...Baby One More Time'' liner notes.

(1999) "Born to Make You Happy" was released in Europe as the fourth single from ''...Baby One More Time'' on December 6, 1999. It was not released as a single in the United States, where "

From the Bottom of My Broken Heart "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her debut studio album, '' ...Baby One More Time'' (1999). It was released on December 14, 1999, by Jive Records as the fifth and final single from the album. A ...

" was released as the album's fourth single instead.

Composition

"Born to Make You Happy" is a

and pop song that lasts for four minutes and three seconds. The song is composed in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: : Changes neede ...

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 ...

common time 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 ...

, with a moderately slow

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 84

beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...

. Spears vocal range spans over an octave, from F₃ to B₄. The song's lyrics are about a relationship that a woman desires to correct, not quite understanding what went wrong, as she comes to realize that "I don't know how to live without your love/I was born to make you happy". Writing for ''

Pink News ''PinkNews'' is a UK-based online newspaper marketed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT) in the UK and worldwide. It was founded by Benjamin Cohen in 2005. It closely follows political progress on LGBT rights aro ...

'', Mayer Nissim described its lyrics as being about "capturing that pain, denial, and self-pitying misery right after things go south". "Born to Make You Happy" has a basic sequence of Bm–G–D–A as its

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

. David Gauntlett, author of ''Media, gender, and identity: an introduction'' (2002), noted that, despite wanting her lover next to her in the song, Spears' "fans see her as assertive, strong and confident, and an example that young women can make it on their own". The singer revealed in an interview with ''

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 ...

'', the writers had to re-write the original lyrics of the song. "I asked them to change the words to 'Born to Make You Happy.' It was a sexual song," she revealed. "I said, 'This may be a little old for me.' Because of the image thing, I don't want to go over the top. If I come out being Miss

Prima Donna In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna (; Italian for "first lady"; plural: ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage pers ...

, that wouldn't be smart. I want to have a place to grow".

Critical response

"Born to Make You Happy" received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Kyle Anderson 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 ...

considered the song's chorus more than "a little bit off-putting," saying the first lines of it "could be a sentiment that a lovelorn 16-year-old can understand, but it also sounds like Spears is in training to be a

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...

". Craig MacInnis of ''

Hamilton Spectator ''The Hamilton Spectator'', founded in 1846, is a newspaper published weekdays and Saturdays in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. One of the largest Canadian newspapers by circulation,''The Hamilton Spectator'' is owned by Torstar. History ''The Hami ...

'' said " Born to Make You Happy"verges on the sort of boy-worshipping dreck that even Tiffany would have sniffed at". Mike Ross of ''

Edmond Sun The ''Edmond Sun'' was a daily newspaper serving the Edmond and Deer Creek communities."Edmond Sun", Finder Binder: Oklahoma's Update Media Directory, 2009 Winter Issue. The ''Edmond Sun'' was owned by Community Newspaper Holdings Inc...So much for

Girl Power Girl power is a slogan that encourages and celebrates women's empowerment, independence, confidence and strength. The slogan's invention is credited to the US punk band Bikini Kill, who published a zine called ''Bikini Kill #2: Girl Power'' in 1 ...

". Amanda Murray of

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...

considered "Born to Make You Happy" a "proficient but entirely unrememberable song," while Andy Petch-Jex 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 and launched by ...

considered the song an "early classic". Christopher Rosa, from '' Glamour'', deemed it Spears' tenth best song, calling it an "euphoric slice of late nineties bubblegum, featuring some of her fullest vocals and one of her most memorable bridges". Shannon Barbour from ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'' called it a "prime stare-out-the-widow-pretending-to-be-in-an-emotional-music-video song".

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 launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

's Alim Kheraj praised "Spears' pure vocals and the dreamlike production". For Alex Macpherson from ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', it's one of the best examples of Spears' "distressing vulnerability" as well as her best song; "a determined erasure of the autonomous self ..'Born to Make You Happy' is horrifying as text and irresistible as pop, and the two are inextricable". While reviewing ''...Baby One More Time'' on its 20th anniversary, ''Billboard''s Chuck Arnold felt that "the old-fashioned sentiment of this song - that a girl is born to please her guy - feels even more antiquated 20 years later. Still, this song is a teen-pop dream". For Daniel Megarry from ''

Gay Times ''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''Gay Times Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ media brand established in 1975. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company now includes content for the LGBTQ+ commu ...

'', it was one of the "standout tracks" from ''...Baby One More Time'' and wrote that "it’s impossible not to feel nostalgia when the melancholic beats of 'Born To Make You Happy' grace your eardrums". Mayer Nissim pointed out that "on the surface the lyrics are more than a little limp and pathetic, but ..the powerful pop backing and unbreaking vocals show that Britney will more than live to fight (and love) another day". Nicholas Hautman, from ''

Us Weekly ''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...

'', said that the song "may not have aged well, but there is no question that it has some of Spears' best vocals".

Commercial performance

On January 29, 2000, "Born to Make You Happy" debuted at number one on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

becoming Spears' second UK number one. The song shipped over 400,000 copies in the United Kingdom, earning a

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

certification by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

(BPI) in February 2021. It is her sixth best-selling single in the country. In Ireland, the song also entered the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...

at number one on January 20, 2000, while peaking at number two on the European chart. In Sweden, "Born to Make You Happy" debuted at number four on December 23, 1999, peaking at number two in the following week. The song has shipped over 30,000 copies in the country, earning a platinum certification by the

International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...

(IFPI). In

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, the song earned a gold certification by The Federal Association of Music Industry (BMVI), after peaking at number three on the charts. In France, "Born to Make You Happy" reached number nine, and was certified gold by the

Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique The National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (french: Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique; SNEP) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym ...

(SNEP). The single was not released in the United States.

Promotion

Music video

Jive Records commissioned a music video for the song to be directed by

. It was produced under Geneva Films, while the choreography was created by

Wade Robson Wade, WADE, or Wades may refer to: Places in the United States * Wade, California, a former settlement * Wade, Maine, a town * Wade, Mississippi, a census-designated place * Wade, North Carolina, a town * Wade, Ohio, an unincorporated communi ...

. The video premiered on November 13, 1999. The narrative of the video shows Spears dreaming as she sleeps in her room. As the dream begins, Spears is shown in a blue and silver futuristic room with several different levels, where she sings and walks around, and puts her feet on the wall while wearing a shiny silver outfit.

news reporter Ellen Thompson considered it the sexiest moment of the music video. As the video continues, Spears is seen on top of the apartment building she lives in, performing a dance segment in a red top and black skirt with a few backup dancers. The following scenes shows the singer wearing white clothes and singing in the room in which she is sleeping, while her love interest comes into her room to see her. Together, they start a

pillow fight A pillow fight is a common game mostly played by young children (but also by teens and adults) in which they engage in mock physical conflict, using pillows as weapons. Pillow fights often occur during children's sleepovers. Since pillows a ...

that shortly ends after Spears is shown again in her room still sleeping, however, now with a smile upon her face. A longer dance segment intercalates with all the scenes during the whole video. Anna Ben Yehuda, from '' Time Out'' magazine, called it Spears' eleventh best video; "we don't know why Brit is dreaming of making someone happy by dancing on a stage in space, but we don't care, because that choreography is ''dope''". Negative criticism came from ''

Bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...

''s Kaitlin Reilly, who panned it as "patently ridiculous".

Live performances

Spears performed the song for the very first time at her L'Oreal Hair Zone Mall Tour in New York City, USA on July 1, 1998. "Born to Make You Happy" has been performed by Spears on four tours. On her first big tour, ...Baby One More Time Tour, she sang the song seated on a staircase, while on her second tour, Crazy 2k, the performance of the song included a full dance segment. On the Oops!... I Did It Again Tour, Spears performed "Born to Make You Happy" wearing pajamas and slippers, with a dance segment near the end. "Born to Make You Happy" was performed for the last time on

Dream Within a Dream Tour The Dream Within a Dream Tour was the fourth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her third studio album, '' Britney'' (2001). The tour was promoted by Concerts West, marking the first time Spears di ...

, where Spears emerged from the middle of a giant musical box on the stage as a

ballerina A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on yea ...

, to perform the song in a medley with " Lucky" and " Sometimes", right after the performance of "

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 ...

". Spears also performed "

" and "Born to Make You Happy" on ''Disney Channel in Concert'' in 1999. The performances were recorded and included on Spears' first home video release, ''

Time Out with Britney Spears ''Time Out with Britney Spears'' (stylized in letter case#All lower case, all lowercase) is the first video album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 23, 1999, by Jive Records. ''Time Out with Britney Spears'' received ...

''.''

'' liner notes.

(1999)

Track listing

*European CD #"Born to Make You Happy" (album version) – 4:03 #"Born to Make You Happy" (Bonus remix) – 3:40 *European maxi CD #"Born to Make You Happy" (album version) – 4:03 #"Born to Make You Happy" (Bonus remix) – 3:40 #" (You Drive Me) Crazy" (Jazzy Jim's hip-hop mix) – 3:40 #" ...Baby One More Time" (answering machine message) – 0:21 *UK maxi CD #"Born to Make You Happy" (radio edit) – 3:35 #"Born to Make You Happy" (Bonus remix) – 3:40 #"(You Drive Me) Crazy" (Jazzy Jim's hip-hop mix) – 3:40 *Cassette #"Born to Make You Happy" (radio edit) – 3:35 #"Born to Make You Happy" (Bonus Remix) – 3:40 #"...Baby One More Time" (answering machine message) – 0:21 *European 7" vinyl #"Born to Make You Happy" (album version) – 4:03 #"(You Drive Me) Crazy" (Jazzy Jim's hip-hop mix) – 3:40

Credits and 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 ...

, producer,

, programming *

–

background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

–

* Esbjörn Öhrwall – bass,

Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com known profess ...

– mixing * Michael Tucker – pro-tools engineer * Reza Safina – assistant engineer *

Tom Coyne Tom Coyne may refer to: * Tom Coyne (writer), American writer and professor * Tom Coyne (broadcaster) (1930–2015), British television presenter * Tom Coyne (music engineer) (1954–2017), American mastering engineer * Thomas Coyne (cricketer) ( ...

–

audio mastering Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via met ...

Source:

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Release history

References

Bibliography

* * {{Authority control 1999 songs Britney Spears songs 1999 singles 1990s ballads Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Jive Records singles Pop ballads Music videos directed by Bille Woodruff Songs written by Andreas Carlsson Songs written by Kristian Lundin UK Singles Chart number-one singles UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Scotland Songs containing the I–V-vi-IV progression