"Sometimes" 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). Written by
Jörgen Elofsson
Kjell Åke Jörgen Elofsson (born 14 January 1962) is a Swedish songwriter.
He was one of the writers of the songwriter-team at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm (along with Denniz PoP, Max Martin, Kristian Lundin, Andreas Carlsson, Rami Yacoub, Per ...
and produced by Elofsson himself,
Per Magnusson
Per Magnusson (born 30 May 1969) is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. His musical career took off in 1994 as one of the original team members of the now-legendary Cheiron Productions, meeting great international success working with Boyzo ...
and
David Kreuger
David Kreuger is a Swedish people, Swedish songwriter and music producer.
Career
David Kreuger began at Cheiron Studios in the spring of 1993. During the period 1993-1997, he worked with Per Magnusson on several projects. Together, they produce ...
, the song was released as Spears' second single on April 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 ...
. "Sometimes" is a
bubblegum pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
ballad that alludes to a relationship where a shy girl is reserved on expressing feelings to her lover. The song received generally favorable reviews from contemporary critics.
"Sometimes" attained worldwide success, peaking inside the top ten in multiple countries. In the United States, the song peaked at number 21 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song reached number one in Belgium (Flanders), Netherlands and New Zealand, while reaching number two in Australia. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number three, and is also Spears' third best-selling single in the country. An accompanying music video, directed by
Nigel Dick
Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is a British music video and film director, writer and musician from Catterick, England, now based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Britney Spears videos " ...Baby One More Time" and " Oops!... I Did I ...
, was shot at the Paradise Cove in
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malibu ...
. It portrays Spears watching her love interest from afar. Spears has performed "Sometimes" in four of her concert tours: the
...Baby One More Time Tour (1999), the
(You Drive Me) Crazy Tour (2000), the
Oops!... I Did It Again Tour (2000–01), and the
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 ...
(2001–02).
Background
Before recording her debut album, Spears had originally envisioned it in the 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 ...
in 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 the spring of 1998, with producers , 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. "Sometimes" was written by Jörgen Elofsson
Kjell Åke Jörgen Elofsson (born 14 January 1962) is a Swedish songwriter.
He was one of the writers of the songwriter-team at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm (along with Denniz PoP, Max Martin, Kristian Lundin, Andreas Carlsson, Rami Yacoub, Per ...
, and produced by Per Magnusson
Per Magnusson (born 30 May 1969) is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. His musical career took off in 1994 as one of the original team members of the now-legendary Cheiron Productions, meeting great international success working with Boyzo ...
and David Kreuger
David Kreuger is a Swedish people, Swedish songwriter and music producer.
Career
David Kreuger began at Cheiron Studios in the spring of 1993. During the period 1993-1997, he worked with Per Magnusson on several projects. Together, they produce ...
. Spears recorded the vocals for the song in May 1998, at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropoli ...
. It was also mixed at Cheiron Studios by Martin. Esbjörn Öhrwall played the acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
, while 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 ...
was done by Thomas Lindberg. 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 Kreuger, and additional keyboards by Magnusson. 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 Anders von Hoffsten.[ Spears also co-wrote and recorded a track called "I'm So Curious", produced by Eric Foster White, that was released as a ]B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
to "Sometimes".[ The track was recorded in 1997 at 4MW East Studios in ]New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
.[''Sometimes'' single 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) "Sometimes" was released as the second single from '' ...Baby One More Time'' on April 30, 1999.
Songwriting controversy
The song created controversy over the writing credits. Steve Wallace, an Indiana songwriter, claimed he wrote "Sometimes" in 1990, but did not copyright it until 2003, four years after Spears registered the song's copyright. Wallace claimed Spears confessed he wrote the song, by showing to the court a possible e-mail from the singer, which said, "I now know for a fact that you wrote Sometimes' But there's nothing I can do about it. That's all I can say about it." The e-mail was considered fake and the lawsuit was dismissed on October 31, 2005, when Judge John D. Tinder
John Daniel Tinder (born 1950) is a retired United States federal judge, United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Background
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1950, Tinder attended Brebeuf Jesuit ...
ruled that the singer did not steal the song.
Composition
"Sometimes" is a romantic bubblegum pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
song, with a length of four minutes and four 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 ...
of B major
B major (or the key of B) is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its ...
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
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 96 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 ( ...
. After the bridge, it transposes to B major
B major (or the key of B) is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its ...
. Spears' vocal range spans almost two octaves from the low note F3 to the high note E5. The song has a sequence of Cm11–F7sus–B–B(9)/D–F/A–F 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 ...
. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
said that "Sometimes" and the album's other hit songs revealed 's mastery of the pop hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
, Eurodance
Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
rhythm, and memorable melody.
Lyrically, the song is a "heartbroken ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
", where Spears declares on the introduction, "You tell me you're in love with me / That you can't take your pretty eyes away from me / It's not that I don't wanna stay / But every time you come too close I move away".[ According to musicologist Melanie Lowe, "Spears shows a different side of her personality ith 'Sometimes'than she does in her other songs."][ Both of them also commented the song "lacks rhythmic drive and the backing track is fuller, with smoother and rounder synthesized instruments",][ while describing Spears' vocals as more natural when compared to " ...Baby One More Time" and " (You Drive Me) Crazy".][
]
Critical reception
A reviewer from CD Universe
CD Universe.com is an e-commerce site that sells music CDs, mp3 downloads, movies, and video games worldwide. CD Universe also offers a wide selection of miscellaneous items such as stuffed animals, jigsaw puzzles, board games, etc.
History
CD ...
commented that the song "warns a potential love of pears'need for time and patience, rolling along nicely with a slow groove and a big beat". 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 "Sometimes" a competent single, but claimed the song as unremarkable. 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 ...
said that the song "introduces the first sorta-ballad to '...Baby One More Time'', and considered it "reasonable enough, though through three songs, Spears' lyric approach appears to be entirely about guys. Like, she never stops thinking about them". Caryn Ganz 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 ...
'' called "Sometimes" a "further hit" from '' ...Baby One More Time'', along with "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 ...
" and "(You Drive Me) Crazy". Spence D. of IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
considered "Sometimes" a " ax Martinglossy grown-up pop" song, while Annabel Leathes of BBC Online
BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...
said the song "represents the innocent years when Britney annoyed and titillated in equal measure".
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 ...
'', deemed it "the epitome of bubblegum pop, a genre that unjustly got a bad rap. Its key change is what dreams are made of". ''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 Alex Kristelis called it "a perfect example of ''good'' cheese". While reviewing ''...Baby One More Time'' on its 20th anniversary, ''Billboard''s Chuck Arnold felt that "there is a wistful melancholy to this diary entry of a song that digs deeper into the doubts and insecurities below the bubbly surface of both 'Crazy
Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...
' and the title track". The staff from ''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 ...
'' placed it at number 22 on their ranking of Spears's songs and said that "not quite a ballad, not yet a banger, Sometimes'cemented Britney as pop's good girl of '99". 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 summery strings of 'Sometimes' grace your eardrums". Nayer Nissim, from ''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 ...
'', deemed it one of Spears' "more adult (but not adult) early tracks that drips with '90s singer-songwritery charm". 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 ...
'' opined that it was "cool, but mostly forgettable". During the 2000 BMI Pop Awards, "Sometimes" was honored with the award of Most Performed BMI Song. In 2017, ShortList
A short list or shortlist is a list of candidates for a job, prize, award, political position, etc., that has been reduced from a longer list of candidates (sometimes via intermediate lists known as "long lists"). The length of short lists varie ...
's Dave Fawbert listed the song as containing "one of the greatest key changes in music history".
Commercial performance
"Sometimes" achieved commercial success worldwide. The song reached number one in Belgium (Flanders), Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, and was certified Gold in the latter by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...
(RIANZ), for selling more than 7,500 physical units of the single.[ It also peaked at number two in ]Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, where it was later certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA), after shipping over 70,000 units, and number four in Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
and 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 ...
, while reaching the top ten on other five music charts. "Sometimes" was also successful in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. It entered and peaked at number three 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 ...
on June 26, 1999. According to the Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
, "Sometimes" is Spears' third best-selling single in the United Kingdom, with sales over 456,000 physical units. In the United States, the song peaked at number 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on the week of July 24, 1999, while reaching number 11 and 29 on the Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
and Adult Pop Songs
The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen B ...
charts, respectively. Even though the song enjoyed heavy airplay
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
, it was not available physically to spur album sales. It also managed to peak at number six on the Mainstream Top 40
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
chart. "Sometimes" was also 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), for sales over 250,000 units of the single in France,[ where it peaked at number 13.]
Music video
Spears started rehearsing for the music video for "Sometimes" in February 1999. However, during the rehearsals, the singer injured her knee and was forced to start sessions of physical therapy.[ A month later, Spears released in a statement: "I want to thank my wonderful fans and all of the people who have offered their love and support during this time," while revealing she wouldn't be able to shoot the music video until April 1999. The music video was later directed by ]Nigel Dick
Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is a British music video and film director, writer and musician from Catterick, England, now based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Britney Spears videos " ...Baby One More Time" and " Oops!... I Did I ...
, who also directed her previous video for Spears' 1998 debut single "...Baby One More Time".[ It was shot at the Paradise Cove in ]Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malibu ...
. The music video was released on May 6, 1999, on ''Total Request Live
''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
''.[
According to ]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 ...
, the initial concept for the music video was to portray Spears on the porch of a beachfront home watching a group of kids having fun, prompting flashbacks about her former boyfriend.[ However, the video begins with Spears, in a long sleeveless white dress, walking barefoot through a lawn to a telescope, and looking through it. The concept was later changed to a man and a dog walking on the beach, portraying the singer as the ]girl next door
The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories. She is so named because she often lives next door to the protagonist or is a childhood friend. They start out with a mutual friendship that later often ...
, watching her love interest, played by model Chad Cole, from afar.[ The beach location was kept,][ and the music video intercuts with scenes of Spears' dancing on the Paradise Cove pier with her dancers dressed all in beach-friendly white attire, then Spears sits near a car.] A writer 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 ...
'' noted the video is best known for "purifying the sexy persona Spears introduced in the '... Baby One More Time' video",[ while describing it as "a virginal Britney in a long, flowing white dress (and other demure outfits) gazing at a clean-cut boy on the beach, then she walks on the balcony with a pink ball and does some chaste choreography that features her dancers forming a heart while she sings that she only wants to "hold you tight, treat you right." Spears is sitting on a picnic blanket wishing she was there with him. She leaves alone."] On February 20, 2012, behind the scenes footage of the music video leaked online.
Track listings
*European CD single
#"Sometimes" (Radio Edit) – 3:55
#"Sometimes" (Soul Solution
Soul Solution is a house/ electronic dance music production duo from New York City formed by Bobby Guy and Ernie Lake.
Biography
As artists they made six appearances on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
Five times under the Sou ...
Mid Tempo Mix) – 3:29
*Australian and European CD maxi single
#"Sometimes" (Radio Edit) – 3:55
#"I'm So Curious" – 3:35
#"Sometimes" (Soul Solution Mid Tempo Mix) – 3:29
*UK CD maxi single
#"Sometimes" (Radio Edit) – 3:55
#"Sometimes" (Soul Solution Mid Tempo Mix) – 3:29
#"I'm So Curious" – 3:35
*Japanese CD maxi single
#"Sometimes" (Radio Edit) – 3:55
#" ...Baby One More Time" (Sharp Platinum Vocal Remix) – 8:11
#"...Baby One More Time" (Davidson Ospina Club Mix) – 5:40
*Cassette single
#"Sometimes" (Radio Edit) – 3:55
#"I'm So Curious" – 3:35
*2 × 12" vinyl promo, 33 ⅓ RPM
#"Sometimes" (Thunderpuss
Thunderpuss is the (mainly dance) remix/production team of Los Angeles-based music producers Barry Harris and Chris Cox. Harris had previously worked as part of several music groups including Kon Kan, Top Kat, Killer Bunnies and Outta Control ...
2000 Club Mix) – 8:02
#"Sometimes" (Mike Ski's Drum Dub) – 4:56
#"Sometimes" (Soul Solution Mid-Tempo Remix) – 3:29
#"Sometimes" (ThunderDUB) – 7:18
#"Sometimes" (Mike Ski's 3 AM Bass Bin Destroyer Mix) – 9:34
#"Sometimes" (Original Radio Edit) – 3:55
#"Sometimes" (Boris & Beck Roxy Dub) – 6:55
#"Sometimes" (Beats Of Thunderpuss) – 4:27
Personnel
Credits for "Sometimes" and "I'm So Curious" are taken from the single's liner notes.[
;Sometimes
* ]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 ...
– 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 ...
, 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 ...
* Jörgen Elofsson
Kjell Åke Jörgen Elofsson (born 14 January 1962) is a Swedish songwriter.
He was one of the writers of the songwriter-team at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm (along with Denniz PoP, Max Martin, Kristian Lundin, Andreas Carlsson, Rami Yacoub, Per ...
– 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 ...
* David Kreuger
David Kreuger is a Swedish people, Swedish songwriter and music producer.
Career
David Kreuger began at Cheiron Studios in the spring of 1993. During the period 1993-1997, he worked with Per Magnusson on several projects. Together, they produce ...
– producer, 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 ...
, programming
* Per Magnusson
Per Magnusson (born 30 May 1969) is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. His musical career took off in 1994 as one of the original team members of the now-legendary Cheiron Productions, meeting great international success working with Boyzo ...
– producer, keyboards
* Anders von Hoffsten – 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 – acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
, 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 ...
* Thomas Lindberg – 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, 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 ...
* – mixing
* 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 ...
;I'm So Curious
* 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 ...
– 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 ...
, 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 ...
, songwriting
* Eric Foster White – songwriting, producer, mixing, 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, 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 ...
, keyboards, programming
* Dan Petty – acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
, 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 ...
* 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
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
References
Bibliography
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sometimes (Britney Spears Song)
1990s ballads
1998 songs
1999 singles
Britney Spears songs
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
Jive Records singles
Music videos directed by Nigel Dick
Number-one singles in the Czech Republic
Number-one singles in New Zealand
Pop ballads
Songs involved in plagiarism controversies
Songs written by Jörgen Elofsson
UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles
Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders) number-one singles