"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" 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 has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

from her second studio album, '' Oops!... I Did It Again'' (2000). It was released on March 12, 2001, by

Jive Records Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...

as the fourth and final single from the album. After meeting with producer

Robert John "Mutt" Lange Robert John "Mutt" Lange ( ; born 11 November 1948) is a South African record producer. He is known for his work in rock music as well as co-writing and producing various songs for Shania Twain, his ex-wife. Her 1997 album ''Come On Over'', whic ...

in Switzerland, Spears recorded several songs for the album, including "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", which she considered one of her favorites on the album. Additional lyrics were written by guitar player Keith Scott and

country pop Country pop (also known as urban cowboy or even urban country) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends g ...

singer

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( ; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time and the best-sel ...

. The

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 ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

speaks of a woman wanting to hear her boyfriend say that he loves her, and is sonically similar to

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 ...

and

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

's song " China Girl" (1983). "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who considered it a good break from the album's genre and praised Spears' vocals, comparing them to those of Twain and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

. The song attained moderate commercial success, reaching number one in Romania, and peaking inside the top ten in Austria, Europe and Switzerland, while reaching top twenty positions in many European countries. "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was only released for

mainstream 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 ...

in the United States; therefore, it failed to appear on most major music charts in the country. An accompanying music video, directed by

Herb Ritts Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952 – December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on b ...

, portrays Spears in love scenes with her on-screen boyfriend, played by French model Brice Durand. The singer's real-life boyfriend at the time

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...

, however, was said to be annoyed at the kissing scenes, while Spears' mother, Lynne, objected to the explicit sexuality of the original cut of the video. Parts of the video were edited before its release to the public on March 2, 2001. As part of promotion for the song, Spears performed it on ''

Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (commonly abbreviated as ''TRL'') is an American television program that premiered on MTV on September 14, 1998. The early version of ''TRL'' featured popular music videos played during its countdown and was also used as ...

'', ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'', and ''

The View ''The View'' is an American talk show created by broadcast journalist Barbara Walters. , in its 28th season, the show has aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC as part of the network's ABC Daytime, daytime programming block since August ...

''. It has also been included on four of her concert tours. "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was nominated at

2002 Kids' Choice Awards The 15th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on April 20, 2002, at Santa Monica Airport's Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. It was aired on Nickelodeon and hosted by Rosie O'Donnell for the seventh consecutive year. A speci ...

for Favorite Song. Spears has named "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" one of her favorite songs from her career.

Background

In 1999, Britney Spears began work on her second studio album, '' Oops!... I Did It Again'' (2000), in Sweden and Switzerland. After meeting with

Robert Lange Robert John "Mutt" Lange ( ; born 11 November 1948) is a South African record producer. He is known for his work in rock music as well as co-writing and producing various songs for Shania Twain, his ex-wife. Her 1997 album ''Come On Over'', whic ...

in Switzerland, the singer started to record several songs for the album, including "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know". After finishing the track, Spears revealed in an interview with ''

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 ...

'' that "with the first album, I didn't get to show my voice off. The songs were great, but they weren't very challenging. This song is incredible. It's going to surprise people in the best way." "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was written and produced by Robert Lange, while additional lyrics were written by his then-wife and

country-pop Country pop (also known as urban cowboy or even urban country) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends g ...

titan

and Keith Scott. Spears recorded her vocals for the song between November and December 1999 at Robert Lange's and Shania Twain's chateau in La Tour-de Peilz, Switzerland, and it was later mixed by Nigel Green and programmed by Cory Churko, Kevin Churko and Richard Meyer.''Oops!... I Did It Again'' liner notes.

(2000) During a live concert at

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, included on her second home video release '' Live and More!'' (2000), Spears said the song was one of her favorites on ''Oops!... I Did It Again''.'' Live and More!'' liner notes.

(2000) "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was released on January 17, 2001 as the final single from the album.

Composition

"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" is a

that lasts for three minutes and 51 seconds. The song is composed in the key of

E major E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, F-flat maj ...

and is set in the

time signature A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...

common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...

with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...

of 76

beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

, and Spears' vocal range spans from the low note of F₃ to the high key of D₅. A ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' staff reviewer said that the song takes the

riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...

and

's " China Girl" (1983) and "puts it over schmaltzy cocktail-hour bass and love film strings". Tom Terrell of

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 ...

, however, compared the riff to the one of

A Taste of Honey ''A Taste of Honey'' is the first play by the British dramatist Shelagh Delaney, written when she was 19. It was adapted into an award-winning film of the same title in 1961. Set in Salford in North West England, it tells the story of Jo, ...

's cover of "

Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish that is prepared and served in the '' nabemono'' (Japanese hot pot) style. It consists of meat (usually thinly sliced beef) which is slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in ...

" (1981). Terrell further commented that the "Eagles-esque chorus" features "an '80s hair band power ballad groove" where "Britney soul-maxes with a vocal that channels both Stevie Wonder (via "Knocks Me Off My Feet") and Shania herself." Stephanie McGrath of

Jam! Jam! was a Canadian website which covered 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 outl ...

said the song is "a nice break from the 'baby babys', 'yeah yeahs' and insistent drum beats that pepper the other songs" of ''Oops!''. David Veitch of the ''

Calgary Sun The ''Calgary Sun'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is currently owned by Postmedia Network. First published in 1980, the tabloid-format daily newspaper replaced the long-running tabloid-size ''The Albertan'' soon ...

'' compared the backing vocals to "nicely old-fashioned shoo-be-doo-doos". Lyrically, "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" alludes to how Spears wants to hear her boyfriend say he needs her all the way and that he loves her. Spears considered it a "pure and delicate" song. "It's just one of those songs that pull you in. That's why I like it, and I like singing it as well", she continued. "I think they wrote it 'specially for me, because the lyrics of the song, if you really listen... they're more of what I can relate to, 'cause they're kind of young lyrics, I think. I don't think Shania would probably sing some of the words that I'm saying."

Critical response

"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" received mostly positive reviews from contemporary critics.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

from

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 ...

deemed it "sweetly sentimental" and akin to the other ballads on ''Oops!... I Did It Again'', while a Rhapsody review considered them "perfectly constructed ballads". Stephanie McGrath of Jam! called the song "the best showcase of Spears' talents". A ''NME'' staff reviewer considered the track "absolutely frightening", with Tracy E. Hopkins of

Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 600 retail stores across the United States. Barnes & Noble operates mainly through its B ...

deeming "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" a "polished ballad", and praising Shania Twain for the songwriting. ''Billboard'' journalist Michael Paoletta, in his review for ''Oops!... I Did It Again'', noted that Spears may not have the vocal range of "colleagues

Jessica Simpson Jessica Ann Johnson (née Simpson; born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' ...

and

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

, but she does have an instantly recognizable style-and ''Oops!...'' indicates that she's developing a soulful edge and emotional depth that can't be conjured with a glass-shattering note", further commenting that this can be confirmed "on the hitworthy, Shania Twain-penned ballad 'Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know'". Paoletta's colleague Chuck Taylor, in his single review for the song, named it Spears' "first serious bid for credibility" and that she offered a vocal performance "that's relaxed and downright sensuous compared with that of her up-tempo ditties." While reviewing 2011's

Femme Fatale Tour The Femme Fatale Tour was the eighth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale'' (2011). It was officially announced in March 2011, initially with dates for North ...

, Jocelyn Vena of MTV considered the song, along with "

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 ...

", "old-school jams". ''

Bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment or wire frame 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 skir ...

''s Alex Kristelis highlighted its "epic" chorus while the staff from ''

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

'' called it "a pretty mid tempo melody", and placed it at number 84 on their ranking of Spears' songs. For ''

Pink News ''PinkNews'' is a UK-based online newspaper marketed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning community (LGBTQ+) in the UK and worldwide. It was founded by Benjamin Cohen in July 2005, initially released in print, b ...

'' Mayer Nissim, "it's not that Britney can't do slow tracks, but her vocals don't always have the energy to push them", citing "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" as an example. Nicholas Hautman, from ''

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 ...

'', concluded that "Spears showcases her soulful, unwavering vocals on this well-executed ballad". "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was nominated at the

for Favorite Song in 2002.

Commercial performance

"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was not commercially available in the United States and was released exclusively to

on April 2, 2001. Therefore, the track received very minor success and failed to enter any ''Billboard'' charts; it did however reach number 36 on the ''

Radio & Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...

'' pop chart. However, "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was successful in Europe, debuting and peaking at number nine on the

European Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...

on the chart issue dated April 14, 2001. The song was also able to reach the top ten in

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

and

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, while attaining top 20 positions in Belgium (Flanders), Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. In the United Kingdom, it debuted and peaked at number 12 on April 7, 2001, exiting the UK Singles Chart after eight weeks. "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" achieved commercial success in Romania, where it reached number one and was the third best-selling single of 2001. Despite reaching number 14 in Denmark, the song was later certified gold by

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 1 ...

(IFPI), for shipping over 4,000 units of the single in the country. The single was not released in Australia; instead, it was included as a bonus second disc of the limited edition of ''Oops!... I Did It Again'' released in the country.

Music video

The music video for "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was directed by American photographer

, and shot at

Key Biscayne Key Biscayne () is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, located between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and sout ...

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

in the last week of January 2001. Spears revealed she was inspired by

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 choreogr ...

's video for " Love Will Never Do (Without You)" (1990) to select Ritts as the video's director. According to Ritts, the singer "wanted to do something fresh. There was one outfit, no dancing, and that meant that it boiled down to her. She really had to act the song, and she was very impressive." He also revealed that the video was set at "a funky beach shack" similar to the videos for

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 " Cherish" and

Chris Isaak Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. Noted for his reverb-laden rockabilly revivalist style and wide vocal range, he is popularly known for his breakthrough hit and sig ...

's "

Wicked Game "Wicked Game" is a song by American rock musician Chris Isaak from his third album '' Heart Shaped World'' (1989). It was released as a single to little attention in July 1989 but became a sleeper hit when Lee Chestnut, an Atlanta radio station ...

" (both from 1989). "The story is, pretty much, Britney longing for him to tell her the words", said Ritts, who was impressed with the chemistry between the singer and her on-screen boyfriend, played by French model Brice Durand. Spears' real-life boyfriend at the time

, however, "was said to be miffed at Spears' kissing scenes with French model", according to Jennifer Vineyard of MTV. Spears' mother, Lynne, also considered the original music video too racy at the time because it contained sexual material. Parts of the video were edited before its release to the public. The music video premiered on MTV's ''

'' on March 2, 2001 and peaked at number one on the countdown. The video begins with Spears and her boyfriend in a hammock. Cuts of her cuddling with her love interest beside a fire are also included. Inside a tiki hut, Spears exclaims the words she wants her boyfriend to know. In the second half of the video, she is seen on a tree where her boyfriend reaches for her. There are also scenes where she is running on the beach and her boyfriend is chasing after her. Spears wears only a bikini top and a pair of cutoff shorts during the whole video, going barefoot throughout. The music video was considered by Spears to be "the funnest 'sic''video I've ever done." An alternate footage of the video can be found on the DVD of Spears' first compilation album '' Greatest Hits: My Prerogative'' (2004). Vineyard described the footage as the one that "makes the most use of Britney's body of work, with the spaceman from " Oops!... I Did It Again", an opening door from "

My Prerogative "My Prerogative" is a song by American singer Bobby Brown from his second studio album, '' Don't Be Cruel'' (1988). It was released in 1988, as the second single from the album. After recording sessions were completed, Brown and producer Gene ...

" and one love interest from "Toxic" all making cameos". The track received a nomination at the 2001 ''Billboard'' Music Video Awards for Best Adult Contemporary Clip of the Year.

Live performances

The first performance of "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was on March 8, 2000, during the Crazy 2k Tour in

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

, where Spears appeared onstage sitting on a magic carpet and flew over the audience while singing the song. After releasing her second studio album, ''Oops!... I Did It Again'', Spears performed the song on the American music show ''TRL'', on ''

'' and on ''

''. She also performed the song live on the Oops!... I Did It Again Tour. After performing " Sometimes", she climbed the staircase and briefly spoke to the audience before moving into the performance of the song, for which she wore a long white dress trimmed with boa feathers. "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was performed also on the

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

in 2001 and 2002. The performance consisted of Spears singing the song on an elevated platform wearing an evening gown with artificial snow falling from the ceiling, while two of her dancers performed a routine. Almost ten years later, "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" was performed by Spears at select dates of the

, in 2011. The performance consists of Spears sitting on a swing singing the song, whilst a male dancer dances beneath her, at one point attaching himself by his feet to the swing whilst midair. Shirley Halperin of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' named it one of the best performances of the show along with "

Piece of Me "Piece of Me" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, '' Blackout'' (2007). It was released on November 27, 2007, by Jive Records as the second single from the album, but was actually the last song recorded. It ...

" and " 3", stating that "ironically enough,

hey Hey, HEY, or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the ...

were the ones with fewest frills." In a review of '' Britney Spears Live: The Femme Fatale Tour'', a special broadcast by American

premium television Pay television, also known as subscription television, premium television or, when referring to an individual service, a premium channel, refers to subscription-based television services, usually provided by multichannel television providers, bu ...

channel

Epix MGM+ (formerly known as Epix; pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as eᴘix), is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the MGMPlus Entertainment subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which is itself a subsidiary ...

of the tour, Jocelyn Vena of MTV summarized her thoughts about the performance saying, "It's rare these days to see Britney Spears show her soft side, but she takes a break from the nonstop, fist-pumping music during the spectacle that is the Femme Fatale Tour and kicks it old-school, showing us she still has the heart and soul to bust out a power ballad."

Track listings

* European CD single # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (album version) – 3:50 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (

Hex Hector Hex Hector (born Héctor Ortiz) is an American music producer and remixer. Early life Hector was born Héctor Ortiz in Manhattan, New York, of a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban father. Career Hex Hector's interest in music began at an early ...

Radio Mix) – 4:01 * European CD maxi single # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (album version) – 3:50 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Radio Mix) – 4:01 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Club Mix) – 10:12 # " Stronger" ( MacQuayle Mix Show Edit) – 5:21 # "Stronger" (Pablo La Rosa's Transformation) – 7:21 * French CD maxi single # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (album version) – 3:50 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Radio Mix) – 4:01 # "Stronger" (MacQuayle Mix Show Edit) – 5:21 * Japanese CD maxi single # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (album version) – 3:50 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Radio Mix) – 4:01 # " Oops!... I Did It Again" (

Rodney Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), better known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won two Grammy Awards from 19 nomi ...

Remix) – 3:07 # " Lucky" (Jack D. Elliot Radio Mix) – 3:27 # "Stronger" (

Miguel Migs Miguel Steward (born December 6, 1972) better known by his stage name Miguel Migs, is an American deep house DJ and producer and the founder of Salted Music, an independent electronic dance music record label based in San Francisco, California. ...

Vocal Edit) – 3:42 # "Oops!... I Did It Again" (Ospina's Deep Edit) – 3:24 # "Oops!... I Did It Again" (Instrumental) – 3:29 * UK CD maxi single and cassette single # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (album version) – 3:50 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Radio Mix) – 4:01 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Club Mix) – 10:12 * UK limited-edition CD maxi single # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (album version) – 3:50 # "Oops!... I Did It Again" (Riprock 'n' Alex G. Oops! We Remixed It Again!) adio Mixnbsp;– 3:54 # "Stronger" (MacQuayle Mix Show Edit) – 5:21 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" ( enhanced video) – 3:57 * 12-inch vinyl # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Club Mix) – 10:12 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Dub) – 8:00 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (

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 C ...

Club Mix) – 10:02 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Thunderpuss Dub) – 9:04 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Azza Remix) – 3:49 * 2025 Digital Single # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Album version) – 3:50 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Club Mix) – 10:14 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Club Mix - Edit) – 8:16 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Radio Mix) – 4:01 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Hex Hector Dub) – 8:01 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) – 10:06 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) – 4:24 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Thunderpuss Dub) – 9:05 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Azza Remix) – 3:52 # "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" (Instrumental) – 3:52

Credits and personnel

Credits for "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" are adapted from '' Oops!... I Did It Again'' liner notes. Technical * Recorded at Mutt Lange's and Shania Twain's chateau in

La Tour-de-Peilz La Tour-de-Peilz () is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The city is located on Lake Geneva between Montreux and Vevey (their agglomeratio ...

. * Mixed by Nigel Green for Out Of Pocket Productions, Ltd. Personnel *

– lead vocals *

– background vocals, songwriting, production *

– songwriting * Keith Scott – songwriting *

Kevin Churko Kevin Gregory Churko (born 19 January 1968) is a Canadian record producer, sound engineer and musician best known for his work with artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Papa Roach, Modern Science, Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, In This Moment, ...

–

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 ...

* Cory Churko – programming * Richard Meyer – programming * Michel Gallone – assistant recording, mix engineering * Chris Trevett – vocal engineering * Paul Oliveira – assistant vocal engineering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know 2000s ballads 2000 songs 2001 singles Britney Spears songs Jive Records singles Music video controversies Music videos directed by Herb Ritts Number-one singles in Romania Pop ballads Song recordings produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange Songs written by Robert John "Mutt" Lange Songs written by Shania Twain