3 (song)
Encyclopedia
"3" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears
, from her second greatest hits compilation The Singles Collection
. It was released on September 29, 2009, as the only single of the album by Jive Records
. The song was produced by long-time collaborator Max Martin
and Shellback
, and recorded by Spears in July 2009 while touring Sweden. "3" is an uptempo electropop song that features a heavy bassline and synthesizers, and lyrics that talk about threesome
s, while referencing American folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary
during the chorus as sexual slang
.
"3" received positive appreciation from contemporary critics, with some reviewers calling it a classic Spears song. The song achieved commercial success by topping the charts in the United States and Canada, as well as reaching the top ten in many countries around the world, including Australia, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song debuted at number one in the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming the first to debut at the top position in over three years and the only non-American Idol
artist in eleven years to do so. "3" was also the fifteenth song in the history of Billboard to debut at number one.
An accompanying music video, directed by Diane Martel
, features Spears and her dancers in front of different black and white backgrounds. Martel described it as sexy and playful, while contemporary critics gave it positive reviews, complimenting its simplicity. A director's cut was leaked on December 15, 2009. Spears has performed "3" at the Femme Fatale Tour
(2011), wearing a white fedora and trench coat.
account that she had begun recording new material, stating she was going into the studio with Swedish
songwriter and producer Max Martin
, while she was in Stockholm
during the European leg of The Circus Starring Britney Spears. They had previously collaborated on earlier hits including "...Baby One More Time
", "Oops!...I Did It Again
", "Stronger
" and "If U Seek Amy
". "3" was written and produced by Martin and Shellback, while additional writing was done by Tiffany Amber. Spears recorded her vocals for the song with the producers at Maratone Studios. John Hanes was responsible for Spears' vocal editing
on "3", which was later mixed
by Serban Ghenea
at MixStar Studios in Virginia
. On September 23, 2009, Jive Records
officially announced the release of a greatest hits titled The Singles Collection
through Spears's official website, in celebration of Spears's ten year anniversary in the music industry, also announcing the release of "3" as the lead single from the album. The artwork for the single was unveiled through Spears' official website on September 28, 2009. "3" was sent to radio stations on September 29, 2009, while being digitally released on October 2, 2009.
and is set in time signature
of common time with a tempo
of 138 beats per minute. Spears' vocal range spans from the high-tone of C4 to the lower register of C5. The song has a basic sequence of Fm–E–Bm–Fm as its chord progression
. During the middle eight, the song slows down with synthetic strings and bass
beats, and the section ends with a beat similar to a four-on-the floor, a rhythm pattern popularized in 1970's disco
music. Throughout the song, Spears' vocals are autotuned that, according to the Daily Mail
, gives the song "a futuristic, contemporary feel".
The song's lyrics are about threesome
s. Unlike "If U Seek Amy", the song has no double entendre
and it’s more straightforward lyrically. The innuendo
in the lyrics such as "Merrier the more, triple fun that way" have been compared to the songs in Prince
’s 1980's studio album Dirty Mind
. The chorus has been compared to a playground
chant and closes with an extended moan. During the second part of the chorus, there is a reference to the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, that in the song is used as sexual slang
for a threesome. Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times
called the reference "the cut's biggest oddity".
commented that the song "builds to a climax of wildly pulsing bass that summons fans to the dancefloor" and added that "[it] will be another notch in this pop provocateur's belt". On its online edition, Rolling Stone
s writer Daniel Kreps praised the song for its up-tempo melody and racy lyrics, while comparing it to Flo Rida
's recent work, saying that "3" "is more of a surefire dance-floor stomper than anything Brit loaded onto Blackout or Circus
". On the printed issue, the magazine gave the song four stars and called it an "instant Britney classic". Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly
called it "a fembot voice, near-seizure-inducing dance-floor frenzy". While crediting the production for "elevating the song above typical dance products", the Los Angeles Times said that Spears sounded "sweetly generic".
In his review of The Singles Collection, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic selected "3" as one of the "track picks" and commented, "[it is] much better than any of the three new cuts on My Prerogative
". Bill Lamb of About.com
said that although the lyrics are controversial, "the bottom line is this is another irresistibly catchy pop confection that beats out most everything else on pop radio today". He praised the chorus and the middle section and called the track "classic Britney". The song was also compared to Madonna
’s "Celebration
" (2009), since they "musically present nothing particularly new, but they do manage to encapsulate many of the elements that make the singer a star". A.J. Mayers of MTV
picked it as the eighth best song of 2009.
, becoming Spears’ third number-one single in the United States and breaking many of the chart records. It made Spears the first artist in over three years to debut at the top position and the only non-American Idol
artist in eleven years to do so. It was the fifteenth song in the chart history to debut at the top position and also the shortest title for a song reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The song also charted at number one on the Billboard Digital Songs
, selling 255,000 downloads in its first week and having the highest one week total of any song, since The Black Eyed Peas
' "Boom Boom Pow
" back in April 2009. "3" has sold 2,100,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan
. It is her third best-selling digital single in the country. In Canada, the song debuted at number eighty-six on the Canadian Hot 100
on October 17, 2009 and rose up to number one the following week. It was certified two times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA) for sales over 160,000 copies.
"3" debuted at number fifty on the Australian Singles Chart
on October 12, 2009, with only two days of digital sales. It peaked at number six on the week of October 26, 2009. "3" has been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) with sales of over 70,000 copies. On October 12, 2009, the song debuted at number sixteen in New Zealand, making it her highest chart debut since "Womanizer". On its fifth week on the chart, "3" reached its peak position at number twelve. On the UK Singles Chart
, "3" debuted at number seven on November 16, 2009, becoming Spears' twentieth top ten hit on the chart. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 145,000 copies there. "3" achieved similar success throughout Europe reaching the top ten in Belgium (Wallonia), Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Sweden as well as the top twenty in Austria, Belgium (Flanders) and Denmark.
, California
, directed by Diane Martel
and choreographed by Tone & Rich. Fashion stylist GK Reid
worked closely with Spears to design the fashion. On October 15, 2009, images of the video were released. A countdown, including images and video previews, was announced on her official website and the release date was revealed to be on October 30, 2009. When asked about the video, Diane Martel said,
The video begins with Spears wearing a sparkly black dress at a dressing table, putting mascara
and Circus Fantasy on. Then, it cuts to her holding her hair up and singing the first lines in front of a white background. There are also black and white scenes of her wearing a white leotard behind a foggy glass. She then appears wearing the leotard and glasses, while surrounded by four female dancers wearing black outfits, hanging from a raised barre. The word "sin" is censor
ed and changed for the word "this" during the pre-chorus. In the chorus, she dances in front of a white wall with barcode
-like light installations with six male dancers. There also scenes of her dancing provocatively with two male dancers. At the bridge, there are intercut close-ups of her that end with a smirk. The video concludes with Spears dancing with the two male dancers and cuts to a close-up of her looking into the camera.
Rolling Stone writer Daniel Kreps compared the video with the music video of "Single Ladies
" and complimented the choreography
saying Spears had not danced with so much conviction since the In the Zone
era. Jocelyn Vena of MTV gave the video a positive review, stating that it's a "sexy, fast-paced clip" and that "there are a few moments in the video where Britney's personality shines" adding that "she smiles at the song's tongue-in-cheek lyrics, particularly when she finishes the song's bridge." Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly complimented the video’s choice of wardrobe, but said that the video was "sparse", adding "there’s not much to the single besides trite, ridiculous advocation for a ménage à trois
anyway, so why would the video go any deeper?". The Daily Mail said the video "features Britney writhing around in scantily-clad outfits with male dancers in the best way she knows how".
On December 15, 2009, the director's cut
version of the video leaked online. Kreps commented that the new version "offers up a slightly more NSFW
edit of Martel’s dance-heavy vid that seems to find a better cadence with the music, as opposed to the original version, which was essentially filmed and edited in the matter of days to coincide with The Singles Collection release".
in Las Vegas. The setlist of the show consisted on three songs from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale
, including "Hold It Against Me
", "Big Fat Bass
" and "Till the World Ends
". During the performance of "Big Fat Bass", Spears wore a latex bodysuit
and elements of "3", "Gimme More
" and "I'm a Slave 4 U
" were also included. On March 27, 2011, "Big Fat Bass" was also performed at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
that aired on Good Morning America
on March 29, 2011, and the same day, Spears performed the set at Jimmy Kimmel Live!. "3" was performed at 2011's Femme Fatale Tour
. After "Up 'n Down", Spears put on a white fedora and trench coat and performed the song with her female dancers, dressed in a similar style. Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter
named it one of the best performances of the show along with "Piece of Me
" and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know
", stating that "ironically enough, [they] were the ones with fewest frills." Rick Florino of Artistdirect
said "'3' gave way to a massive sing-a-long" and added that it "[spoke] right to the noir
-ish connotations of the Femme Fatale tour. However, she built a one-of-a-kind space where Kim Basinger
's elegant L.A. Confidential
beauty becomes enveloped by edgy modern dance attitude."
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, from her second greatest hits compilation The Singles Collection
The Singles Collection (Britney Spears album)
The Singles Collection is the second greatest hits album from American singer Britney Spears, released in commemoration of her ten year anniversary with her record company Jive Records...
. It was released on September 29, 2009, as the only single of the album by Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
. The song was produced by long-time collaborator Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
and Shellback
Shellback (songwriter)
Karl Johan Schuster , better known by his stage name Shellback, is a songwriter, record producer and musician from Karlshamn, Sweden...
, and recorded by Spears in July 2009 while touring Sweden. "3" is an uptempo electropop song that features a heavy bassline and synthesizers, and lyrics that talk about threesome
Threesome
A threesome is a group of three engaged in the same activity. In relation to a sexual activity a threesome refer to the activity involving three people of any gender or sexual orientation...
s, while referencing American folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
during the chorus as sexual slang
Sexual slang
Sexual slang is a set of linguistic terms and phrases used to refer to sexual organs, processes, and activities; they are generally considered colloquial rather than formal or medical, and some may be seen as impolite or improper....
.
"3" received positive appreciation from contemporary critics, with some reviewers calling it a classic Spears song. The song achieved commercial success by topping the charts in the United States and Canada, as well as reaching the top ten in many countries around the world, including Australia, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song debuted at number one in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming the first to debut at the top position in over three years and the only non-American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
artist in eleven years to do so. "3" was also the fifteenth song in the history of Billboard to debut at number one.
An accompanying music video, directed by Diane Martel
Diane Martel
Diane Martel is a music video director and choreographer.-Choreographer:1989*Bloodhounds of Broadway 1991*"Shiny Happy People" - R.E.M...
, features Spears and her dancers in front of different black and white backgrounds. Martel described it as sexy and playful, while contemporary critics gave it positive reviews, complimenting its simplicity. A director's cut was leaked on December 15, 2009. Spears has performed "3" at the Femme Fatale Tour
Femme Fatale Tour
The Femme Fatale Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer Britney Spears, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was officially announced in March 2011, with dates for North American venues revealed. The tour was initially planned as a co-headlining tour with Enrique...
(2011), wearing a white fedora and trench coat.
Background
On July 12, 2009, Spears confirmed through her TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account that she had begun recording new material, stating she was going into the studio with Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
songwriter and producer Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
, while she was in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
during the European leg of The Circus Starring Britney Spears. They had previously collaborated on earlier hits including "...Baby One More Time
...Baby One More Time (song)
"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
", "Oops!...I Did It Again
Oops!... I Did It Again (song)
"Oops!... I Did It Again" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami for Spears' second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again . It was released on March 27, 2000 by Jive Records, as the first single from the album. "Oops!.....
", "Stronger
Stronger (Britney Spears song)
"Stronger" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again . It was released on November 13, 2000, by Jive Records as the third single of the album. After meeting up with producers Max Martin and Rami in Sweden, the singer recorded...
" and "If U Seek Amy
If U Seek Amy
"If U Seek Amy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on March 13, 2009 by Jive Records as the third single of the album, and was chosen by a poll on Spears's official website. "If U Seek Amy" was co-written and produced by Max...
". "3" was written and produced by Martin and Shellback, while additional writing was done by Tiffany Amber. Spears recorded her vocals for the song with the producers at Maratone Studios. John Hanes was responsible for Spears' vocal editing
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
on "3", which was later mixed
Mix engineer
A mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
by Serban Ghenea
Serban Ghenea
Serban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
at MixStar Studios in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. On September 23, 2009, Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
officially announced the release of a greatest hits titled The Singles Collection
The Singles Collection (Britney Spears album)
The Singles Collection is the second greatest hits album from American singer Britney Spears, released in commemoration of her ten year anniversary with her record company Jive Records...
through Spears's official website, in celebration of Spears's ten year anniversary in the music industry, also announcing the release of "3" as the lead single from the album. The artwork for the single was unveiled through Spears' official website on September 28, 2009. "3" was sent to radio stations on September 29, 2009, while being digitally released on October 2, 2009.
Composition
"3" is an uptempo electropop song, which opens with synths and vocal effects. The song is written in the key of F minorF minor
F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. The harmonic minor raises the E to E. Its key signature has four flats ....
and is set in time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of common time with a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 138 beats per minute. Spears' vocal range spans from the high-tone of C4 to the lower register of C5. The song has a basic sequence of Fm–E–Bm–Fm as its chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
. During the middle eight, the song slows down with synthetic strings and bass
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
beats, and the section ends with a beat similar to a four-on-the floor, a rhythm pattern popularized in 1970's disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
music. Throughout the song, Spears' vocals are autotuned that, according to the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, gives the song "a futuristic, contemporary feel".
The song's lyrics are about threesome
Threesome
A threesome is a group of three engaged in the same activity. In relation to a sexual activity a threesome refer to the activity involving three people of any gender or sexual orientation...
s. Unlike "If U Seek Amy", the song has no double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
and it’s more straightforward lyrically. The innuendo
Innuendo
An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging , that works obliquely by allusion...
in the lyrics such as "Merrier the more, triple fun that way" have been compared to the songs in Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
’s 1980's studio album Dirty Mind
Dirty Mind
Dirty Mind is the third studio album by American musician Prince, released October 8, 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. Produced, arranged and composed primarily by Prince, it contains prominently sexual lyrics and incorporates musical elements of funk, dance and rock music. The album debuted at number...
. The chorus has been compared to a playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
chant and closes with an extended moan. During the second part of the chorus, there is a reference to the folk group Peter, Paul & Mary, that in the song is used as sexual slang
Sexual slang
Sexual slang is a set of linguistic terms and phrases used to refer to sexual organs, processes, and activities; they are generally considered colloquial rather than formal or medical, and some may be seen as impolite or improper....
for a threesome. Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called the reference "the cut's biggest oddity".
Critical reception
"3" received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Monica Herrera of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
commented that the song "builds to a climax of wildly pulsing bass that summons fans to the dancefloor" and added that "[it] will be another notch in this pop provocateur's belt". On its online edition, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s writer Daniel Kreps praised the song for its up-tempo melody and racy lyrics, while comparing it to Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
's recent work, saying that "3" "is more of a surefire dance-floor stomper than anything Brit loaded onto Blackout or Circus
Circus (Britney Spears album)
Circus is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was first released on November 28, 2008 by Jive Records. Spears started work on the album in early 2008 with a range of producers including long-time producers Bloodshy & Avant and Danja...
". On the printed issue, the magazine gave the song four stars and called it an "instant Britney classic". Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called it "a fembot voice, near-seizure-inducing dance-floor frenzy". While crediting the production for "elevating the song above typical dance products", the Los Angeles Times said that Spears sounded "sweetly generic".
In his review of The Singles Collection, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic selected "3" as one of the "track picks" and commented, "[it is] much better than any of the three new cuts on My Prerogative
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative
Greatest Hits: My Prerogative is the first greatest hits album from American singer Britney Spears, released on November 1, 2004 by Jive Records. The compilation was released in two different formats, a standard edition and a limited edition containing a bonus disc with remixes. A compilation DVD...
". Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said that although the lyrics are controversial, "the bottom line is this is another irresistibly catchy pop confection that beats out most everything else on pop radio today". He praised the chorus and the middle section and called the track "classic Britney". The song was also compared to Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
’s "Celebration
Celebration (Madonna song)
"Celebration" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her third compilation album, Celebration. It was written by Madonna, Paul Oakenfold, Ciaran Gribbin and Ian Green, and produced by Madonna and Paul Oakenfold. The song was released digitally on July 31, 2009 by Warner Bros. Records....
" (2009), since they "musically present nothing particularly new, but they do manage to encapsulate many of the elements that make the singer a star". A.J. Mayers of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
picked it as the eighth best song of 2009.
Chart performance
On October 8, 2009, "3" entered at number fourteen on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and at number thirty-eight on the U.S. Billboard Pop Songs, becoming Spears' twenty-fourth career entry in the latter chart, most among all artists. The following week, the song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming Spears’ third number-one single in the United States and breaking many of the chart records. It made Spears the first artist in over three years to debut at the top position and the only non-American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
artist in eleven years to do so. It was the fifteenth song in the chart history to debut at the top position and also the shortest title for a song reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The song also charted at number one on the Billboard Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
, selling 255,000 downloads in its first week and having the highest one week total of any song, since The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' "Boom Boom Pow
Boom Boom Pow
"Boom Boom Pow" is a song by The Black Eyed Peas released as the lead single from their fifth studio album, The E.N.D. The song uses the auto-tune vocal effect, and blends the genres of Electro-rap, dance-pop, electro hop and hip hop....
" back in April 2009. "3" has sold 2,100,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. It is her third best-selling digital single in the country. In Canada, the song debuted at number eighty-six on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
on October 17, 2009 and rose up to number one the following week. It was certified two times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
(CRIA) for sales over 160,000 copies.
"3" debuted at number fifty on the Australian Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
on October 12, 2009, with only two days of digital sales. It peaked at number six on the week of October 26, 2009. "3" has been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) with sales of over 70,000 copies. On October 12, 2009, the song debuted at number sixteen in New Zealand, making it her highest chart debut since "Womanizer". On its fifth week on the chart, "3" reached its peak position at number twelve. On the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, "3" debuted at number seven on November 16, 2009, becoming Spears' twentieth top ten hit on the chart. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 145,000 copies there. "3" achieved similar success throughout Europe reaching the top ten in Belgium (Wallonia), Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Sweden as well as the top twenty in Austria, Belgium (Flanders) and Denmark.
Music video
The music video was filmed on October 5 and October 6, 2009 in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, directed by Diane Martel
Diane Martel
Diane Martel is a music video director and choreographer.-Choreographer:1989*Bloodhounds of Broadway 1991*"Shiny Happy People" - R.E.M...
and choreographed by Tone & Rich. Fashion stylist GK Reid
GK Reid
GK Reid is an American fashion stylist best known for his fashion styling work with celebrities and top fashion photographers, as well as for creating his own designs.-Career:...
worked closely with Spears to design the fashion. On October 15, 2009, images of the video were released. A countdown, including images and video previews, was announced on her official website and the release date was revealed to be on October 30, 2009. When asked about the video, Diane Martel said,
"I think it's her next sexy video. It's a very simple video for her – I don't think you've seen her this much under a magnifying glass. Everything's really strong and playful. We collaborated on the wardrobe and had meetings about hair and makeup people, we talked a lot on the phone and met Tone and Rich — two of the best choreographers. [..] [Spears]' so sweet and funny and so normal and down to earth. It's really fun as a director to see her in front of the camera. She's so creative with this stuff. The video is very simple, it's very, very minimal. So it's her, her, her. And she's totally engaging every second. She really knows how to work with a camera and move. I was really impressed, and I have worked almost with every female artist in the business".
The video begins with Spears wearing a sparkly black dress at a dressing table, putting mascara
Mascara
Mascara is a cosmetic commonly used to enhance the eyes. It may darken, thicken, lengthen, and/or define the eyelashes. Normally in one of three forms—liquid, cake, or cream—the modern mascara product has various formulas; however, all contain the same basic components of pigments, oils, waxes, and...
and Circus Fantasy on. Then, it cuts to her holding her hair up and singing the first lines in front of a white background. There are also black and white scenes of her wearing a white leotard behind a foggy glass. She then appears wearing the leotard and glasses, while surrounded by four female dancers wearing black outfits, hanging from a raised barre. The word "sin" is censor
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
ed and changed for the word "this" during the pre-chorus. In the chorus, she dances in front of a white wall with barcode
Barcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
-like light installations with six male dancers. There also scenes of her dancing provocatively with two male dancers. At the bridge, there are intercut close-ups of her that end with a smirk. The video concludes with Spears dancing with the two male dancers and cuts to a close-up of her looking into the camera.
Rolling Stone writer Daniel Kreps compared the video with the music video of "Single Ladies
Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
"Single Ladies " is a song by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce. It was released by Columbia Records on October 12, 2008 as the album's lead single, and appeared with "If I Were a Boy" as a double A-side single, demonstrating the...
" and complimented the choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
saying Spears had not danced with so much conviction since the In the Zone
In the Zone
In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears, released on November 16, 2003, by Jive Records. Following the end of the Dream Within a Dream Tour in July 2002 and her break-up with Justin Timberlake, Spears announced she would take a six-month break from her...
era. Jocelyn Vena of MTV gave the video a positive review, stating that it's a "sexy, fast-paced clip" and that "there are a few moments in the video where Britney's personality shines" adding that "she smiles at the song's tongue-in-cheek lyrics, particularly when she finishes the song's bridge." Tanner Stransky of Entertainment Weekly complimented the video’s choice of wardrobe, but said that the video was "sparse", adding "there’s not much to the single besides trite, ridiculous advocation for a ménage à trois
Ménage à trois
Ménage à trois is a French term which originally described a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household – the phrase literally translates as "household of three"...
anyway, so why would the video go any deeper?". The Daily Mail said the video "features Britney writhing around in scantily-clad outfits with male dancers in the best way she knows how".
On December 15, 2009, the director's cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
version of the video leaked online. Kreps commented that the new version "offers up a slightly more NSFW
NSFW
Not suitable/safe for work , not work-suitable/safe , or not school-suitable is Internet slang or shorthand...
edit of Martel’s dance-heavy vid that seems to find a better cadence with the music, as opposed to the original version, which was essentially filmed and edited in the matter of days to coincide with The Singles Collection release".
Live performances
On March 25, 2011, Spears performed a special show at Rain NightclubRain Nightclub
Rain Nightclub, at the Palms Casino Resort, opened in the 2001 by the N9NE Group. The club is or has been known as Rain Las Vegas and Rain in the Desert. A variety of celebrities have been spotted at Rain, including Jerry Bruckheimer, Nicky Hilton and David Katzenberg. Rain was the first mega club...
in Las Vegas. The setlist of the show consisted on three songs from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale
Femme Fatale (Britney Spears album)
Femme Fatale is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was released on March 25, 2011 by Jive Records . Recorded between 2009 and 2011, the album featured Spears working mainly alongside longtime collaborators Max Martin and Dr. Luke, who served as the...
, including "Hold It Against Me
Hold It Against Me
"Hold It Against Me" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the first single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Max Martin, Dr. Luke and Billboard, with additional writing by Bonnie McKee. Luke explained that he wanted "Hold It...
", "Big Fat Bass
Big Fat Bass
"Big Fat Bass" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by will.i.am for Spears' seventh studio album, Femme Fatale . The electropop song speaks about the bass clef and contains a double entendre gender metaphor. "Big Fat Bass" received mixed reviews...
" and "Till the World Ends
Till the World Ends
"Till the World Ends" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, released as the second single from her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was written and produced by Dr. Luke and Max Martin, with additional writing by Kesha and Alexander Kronlund, and additional production by...
". During the performance of "Big Fat Bass", Spears wore a latex bodysuit
Bodysuit
In clothing, a bodysuit, body-liner, or body is a unisex form-fitting garment that covers the torso. The bodysuit often has sleeves and varying collars. A bodysuit is distinguished from the similar leotard by the use of snaps or hooks at the crotch. A bodysuit may be worn as a top for the smooth...
and elements of "3", "Gimme More
Gimme More
"Gimme More" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was released on September 27, 2007 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. The song was written by Jim Beanz, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Nate "Danja" Hills and Keri Hilson...
" and "I'm a Slave 4 U
I'm a Slave 4 U
"I'm a Slave 4 U" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, for Spears' third studio album, Britney . It was released on September 24, 2001 by Jive Records, as the first single from the album...
" were also included. On March 27, 2011, "Big Fat Bass" was also performed at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is a multi-purpose arena in San Francisco, California, currently named after promoter Bill Graham...
that aired on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
on March 29, 2011, and the same day, Spears performed the set at Jimmy Kimmel Live!. "3" was performed at 2011's Femme Fatale Tour
Femme Fatale Tour
The Femme Fatale Tour is the seventh concert tour by American singer Britney Spears, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale. It was officially announced in March 2011, with dates for North American venues revealed. The tour was initially planned as a co-headlining tour with Enrique...
. After "Up 'n Down", Spears put on a white fedora and trench coat and performed the song with her female dancers, dressed in a similar style. Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
named it one of the best performances of the show along with "Piece of Me
Piece of Me
"Piece of Me" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was released on November 27, 2007 by Jive Records as the second single from the album...
" and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know
Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know
"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again . It was released on January 17, 2001, by Jive Records as the fourth and final single from the album...
", stating that "ironically enough, [they] were the ones with fewest frills." Rick Florino of Artistdirect
ARTISTdirect
Founded in 1994, Artistdirect, Inc. is an online digital media entertainment company. It owns several websites including Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and the Artistdirect Network...
said "'3' gave way to a massive sing-a-long" and added that it "[spoke] right to the noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
-ish connotations of the Femme Fatale tour. However, she built a one-of-a-kind space where Kim Basinger
Kim Basinger
Kimila Ann "Kim" Basinger is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for her portrayals of Domino Petachi, the Bond girl in Never Say Never Again , and Vicki Vale, the female lead in Batman . Basinger received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture...
's elegant L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential (film)
L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American film based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same title, the third book in his L.A. Quartet. Both the book and the film tell the story of a group of LAPD officers in the 1950s, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity...
beauty becomes enveloped by edgy modern dance attitude."
Track listings
- Radio Promo
- "3" – 3:33
- "3" (Instrumental) – 3:33
- "3" (A capella) – 3:33
- Digital Download
- "3" – 3:33
- Digital Download Single/Promo Single/CD Single
- "3" – 3:33
- "3" (Instrumental) – 3:33
- Remixes Promo
- "3" (Clean Radio Edit) – 3:33
- "3" (Groove Police Club Mix) – 7:08
- "3" (Groove Police Dub) – 7:09
- "3" (Groove Police Mixshow) – 5:28
- "3" (Groove Police Extended Mix) – 9:21
- "3" (Groove Police Radio Edit) – 3:57
- International Digital EP
- "3" – 3:33
- "3" (The Knocks Extended Remix) – 5:47
- "3" (DiscoTech Remix Club Edit) – 4:23
- "3" (Tonal Club Remix) – 5:04
- "3" (Trypsin Club Mix) – 7:45
- International Digital EP – The Remixes
- "3" – 3:33
- "3" (Instrumental) – 3:33
- "3" (Wolfgang Gartner Extended Club Mix) – 6:35
- "3" (Groove Police Club Mix) – 7:09
- "3" (Manhattan CliqueManhattan CliqueThe Manhattan Clique are producers, remixers and writers Philip Larsen and Chris Smith. Regular visitors to the higher reaches of the Music Week Club and Pop charts in the UK, plus the Billboard dance chart in the US, Manhattan Clique are equally at home with their more underground MHC guise as...
Remix Radio) – 3:36
- Japan - Enhanced CD EP
- "3" - 3:33
- "3" (Instrumental) -3:33
- "3" (Groove Police Mixshow) - 7:08
- "3" (Groove Police Radio Edit) - 3:57
- "3" (Enhanced Video) - 3:36
- The Singles Collection Box Set Single
- "3" – 3:33
- "3" (Groove Police Club Mix) – 7:08
Credits and personnel
- Britney Spears – lead and background vocals
- Max MartinMax MartinMartin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
– songwritingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s - ShellbackShellback (songwriter)Karl Johan Schuster , better known by his stage name Shellback, is a songwriter, record producer and musician from Karlshamn, Sweden...
– songwriting, production, keyboards, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Tim Roberts – assistant engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- John Hanes – vocal editingPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
Charts
| Chart (2009-10) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
2× Platinum |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
End of year charts
| Charts (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 59 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia) | 94 |
| Canadian Hot 100 | 71 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 87 |
| Charts (2010) | Position |
| Canadian Hot 100 | 65 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 69 |
Chart precession and succession
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | September 29, 2009 | Radio |
| October 2, 2009 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
|
| United States | October 6, 2009 | |
| Australia | October 23, 2009 | |
| November 2, 2009 | CD single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s... |
|
| United Kingdom | November 8, 2009 | Digital download |
| November 9, 2009 | CD single | |
| Germany | November 13, 2009 |