Break the Ice
Encyclopedia
"Break the Ice" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears
from her fifth studio album, Blackout. It was written by Nate "Danja" Hills, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Keri Hilson
, Jim Beanz
and produced by Danja. It was released on March 28, 2008 by Jive Records
as the third single of the album. "Radar
" was originally planned to be released as the third single from Blackout, but "Break the Ice" was released after it was chosen by a poll on Spears's official website. Musically, "Break the Ice" is an electro
-R&B
song with influences of rave
and crunk
. The song opens with a choir
and features synthesizer
s. Its lyrics deal with an attraction between two people. "Break the Ice" received positive reviews from music critics, who deemed it as a strong electronic track of the album.
The song was a moderate success, reaching the top ten in Belgium, Canada, Finland and Sweden and charting within the top forty in Australia, New Zealand and many European countries. In the United States, the song reached number forty-three on Billboard Hot 100
, while peaking at number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. An accompanying music video, directed by Robert Hales
, was released on March 12, 2008. The anime
video was based on the superheroine character of Spears's "Toxic
" music video, and portrays her destroying a highly secured laboratory with several clones
, including one of herself. A remix version of "Break the Ice" was used as a video interlude during The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009).
, James Washington and produced by Danja. Spears started working with Danja in July 2006. He explained that the creative process was not difficult at first since he was "left to do pretty much whatever I wanted to", and "if she felt it, she was gonna ride with it. If she didn't, you’d see it in her face." Spears began recording the track in Las Vegas in August 2006, while she was seven months pregnant with her second child, Jayden James. Recording continued at Spears' house in Los Angeles, California
, three weeks after she gave birth. Hilson commented that "She gave 150 percent. [...] I don’t know any other mother that would do that." "Radar
" was originally planned to be released as the third single from Blackout, according to Ezekiel Lewis
of The Clutch
. "Break the Ice" was chosen as a single by a poll on Spears' official Jive Records
website. On February 11, 2008, it was announced that the song had won, receiving a 39% of the total votes.
-R&B
song with influences of rave
and crunk
. It is performed in a moderate pop
groove. The song is composed in the key of F minor
and is set in time signature
of common time with a tempo
of 120 beats per minute. According to Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
, "Break the Ice" sounds similar to Nelly Furtado
's "Say It Right
" (2006). It opens with Spears singing the lines "It's been a while / I know I shouldn't keep you waiting / But I'm here now", which serve as an apology for being gone so long from the music industry as well as away from her love interest in the song. After the first line, Spears sings over a choir
. According to Chuck Arnold of People
, Spears delivers her "trademark breathy vocals
". In the first verse, synthesizers kick in and run until the end of the second chorus. After it, Spears stops the song and sings "I like this part / It feels kind of good", mimicking Janet Jackson
in "Nasty
" (1986). The music changes, as described by Tom Ewing of Pitchfork Media
, to "[something that] sounds like spacehoppers [are] bouncing in slow motion round a padded cell
". The song is constructed in the common verse-chorus form
. Lyrically, the song is about two people, in which one of them asks the other to get to know each other and break the ice.
deemed it as a "crunk-style thumper", while calling it one of the "killer tracks" off the album along with "Radar" and "Hot as Ice". Nick Levine of Digital Spy
called it "a booming slice of multi-layered electro R&B" and said that along with "Radar", "are as avant-garde
as pop gets in 2007". A reviewer from Popjustice
said "[it] is a really brilliant track", Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic said some of the songs of Blackout, "really show off the skills of the producers", exemplifying "Gimme More
", "Radar", "Break the Ice", "Heaven on Earth" and "Hot as Ice". He also referred to the song as a "stuttering electro-clip".
Jennifer Vineyard of MTV
said the song "might have been a stronger album leadoff track than 'Gimme More', [...] since [Spears] re-introduces herself at the top and apologizes for being gone for so long." Kelefe Sanneh of The New York Times
said the song was "nearly as good" as previous singles "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me
", and described it as a "rave-inspired flirtation". A reviewer from the Ottawa Citizen
said that "[t]here's also a lot to like about Break The Ice, Why Should I Be Sad and Perfect Love[r]". Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel
said that "Musically, songs such as 'Piece of Me,' 'Radar' and 'Break the Ice' are one-dimensional, robotic exercises." Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe
called it "numbing club filler."
at number one hundred on the issue dated March 15, 2008. It peaked at number forty-three on May 24, 2008. Two weeks later, it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs, becoming the third consecutive single from the album to reach the top position of the chart. As of July 2010, "Break the Ice" has sold 688,000 paid digital downloads in the United States. In Canada, the song entered the Canadian Hot 100
at number ninety-seven on March 1, 2008. On April 26, 2008, it reached its peak position of number nine. On May 5, 2008, the track debuted at number forty-one on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart
. It peaked at number twenty-three on the issue dated May 19, 2008. In New Zealand, the single debuted at number thirty-seven on April 7, 2008. It peaked at number twenty-four three weeks later. "Break the Ice" entered the UK Singles Chart
at number thirty-six on March 31, 2008. On April 20, 2008, it peaked at number fifteen. The song also had moderate success through Europe, reaching the top ten in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) and Finland, and the top twenty in Denmark and Sweden. In Denmark, it was certified gold
by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for sales over 15,000 copies.
style in South Korea
and was directed by Robert Hales
. The concept was reportedly Spears's idea, who asked Jive Records
to come up with an animated music video based on the superheroine character of the "Toxic
" music video. It premiered on March 12, 2008 at BlackoutBall.com, a website created exclusively for the premiere, in which fans could access a chat room
.
The video begins with Spears wearing a short black bodysuit and knee-high black boots, standing in the roofs of a futuristic city. As the first verse begins, she breaks into a research facility and battles with suited henchmen. Spears ends up gaining access to a highly secured laboratory and walks through aisles of clones
held in liquid cocoons. She sees that one is a clone of her, kisses her and plants a bomb on the tank. After this, Spears infiltrates the base of the apparent villain, kissing him, and then destroying him, revealing him to be a robot also. From there, she dodges a bullet and sets off a panic among the newly-arrived henchmen, meanwhile the bomb's timer runs lower and lower. Next, there is a wide shot of the building exploding, while Spears is jumping and "Victory" is depicted on the side of the structure. The video ends with the phrase "To be continued...".
A remix version of "Break the Ice" was used as a video interlude during The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009).
Source:
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 fifth studio album, Blackout. It was written by Nate "Danja" Hills, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
, Jim Beanz
Jim Beanz
James David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
and produced by Danja. It was released on March 28, 2008 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...
as the third single of the album. "Radar
Radar (song)
"Radar" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant and The Clutch in November 2006 as a record that did not relate to any of her personal problems at the time. The recording sessions took place the day after Spears filed for divorce from...
" was originally planned to be released as the third single from Blackout, but "Break the Ice" was released after it was chosen by a poll on Spears's official website. Musically, "Break the Ice" is an electro
Electro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
-R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song with influences of rave
Rave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
and crunk
Crunk
Crunk is a music style that originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1990s and gained mainstream success around 2003–2004. Performers of crunk music are sometimes referred to as crunksters. An archetypal crunk track most frequently uses a drum machine rhythm, heavy bassline, and...
. The song opens with a choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
and features synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s. Its lyrics deal with an attraction between two people. "Break the Ice" received positive reviews from music critics, who deemed it as a strong electronic track of the album.
The song was a moderate success, reaching the top ten in Belgium, Canada, Finland and Sweden and charting within the top forty in Australia, New Zealand and many European countries. In the United States, the song reached number forty-three on 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...
, while peaking at number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. An accompanying music video, directed by Robert Hales
Robert Hales (director)
Robert Hales is a graphic designer and music video director from the United Kingdom. Hales has directed music videos by artists such as Jet, The Veronicas, Fuel, Stereophonics, The Donnas, Justin Timberlake, Nine Inch Nails, Miley Cyrus, Gnarls Barkley and Crowded House...
, was released on March 12, 2008. The anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
video was based on the superheroine character of Spears's "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" music video, and portrays her destroying a highly secured laboratory with several clones
Clones
Clones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the 'border area' of the Republic of Ireland. The area is part of the Border Region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish Government due to its currently below-average economic situation...
, including one of herself. A remix version of "Break the Ice" was used as a video interlude during The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009).
Background
"Break the Ice" was written by Nate "Danja" Hills, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, Keri HilsonKeri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
, James Washington and produced by Danja. Spears started working with Danja in July 2006. He explained that the creative process was not difficult at first since he was "left to do pretty much whatever I wanted to", and "if she felt it, she was gonna ride with it. If she didn't, you’d see it in her face." Spears began recording the track in Las Vegas in August 2006, while she was seven months pregnant with her second child, Jayden James. Recording continued at Spears' house in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, three weeks after she gave birth. Hilson commented that "She gave 150 percent. [...] I don’t know any other mother that would do that." "Radar
Radar (song)
"Radar" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant and The Clutch in November 2006 as a record that did not relate to any of her personal problems at the time. The recording sessions took place the day after Spears filed for divorce from...
" was originally planned to be released as the third single from Blackout, according to Ezekiel Lewis
Ezekiel Lewis
Ezekiel "Zeke" Lewis is an award-winning American songwriter, who has written and arranged for many best selling recording artists. He is co-founder of the American songwriting/production company, The Clutch...
of The Clutch
The Clutch
The Clutch is an American collective of songwriters responsible for a series of successful singles including Omarion's "Ice Box", Ciara's "Like a Boy", Timbaland's "The Way I Are", Britney Spears' "Radar" and Raven-Symone's "Double Dutch Bus".-History:...
. "Break the Ice" was chosen as a single by a poll on Spears' official 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...
website. On February 11, 2008, it was announced that the song had won, receiving a 39% of the total votes.
Composition
"Break the Ice" is an electroElectro (music)
Electro is a genre of electronic dance music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, Moog keytar synthesizers and funk sampling...
-R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song with influences of rave
Rave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
and crunk
Crunk
Crunk is a music style that originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-to-late 1990s and gained mainstream success around 2003–2004. Performers of crunk music are sometimes referred to as crunksters. An archetypal crunk track most frequently uses a drum machine rhythm, heavy bassline, and...
. It is performed in a moderate pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
groove. The song is composed in the key of F minor
F 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 120 beats per minute. According to Leah Greenblatt 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...
, "Break the Ice" sounds similar to Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
's "Say It Right
Say It Right
"Say It Right" is a song recorded by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from her third studio album, Loose . Written by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley and Nate "Danja" Hills, the song was inspired by, as Furtado described it, the "spooky, keyboard-driven pop sound" of the band Eurythmics,...
" (2006). It opens with Spears singing the lines "It's been a while / I know I shouldn't keep you waiting / But I'm here now", which serve as an apology for being gone so long from the music industry as well as away from her love interest in the song. After the first line, Spears sings over a choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
. According to Chuck Arnold of People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, Spears delivers her "trademark breathy vocals
Breathy voice
Breathy voice is a phonation in which the vocal cords vibrate, as they do in normal voicing, but are held further apart, so that a larger volume of air escapes between them. This produces an audible noise...
". In the first verse, synthesizers kick in and run until the end of the second chorus. After it, Spears stops the song and sings "I like this part / It feels kind of good", mimicking Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
in "Nasty
Nasty (song)
"Nasty" is the second single from Janet Jackson's third studio album, Control . Released in 1986, the single peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and remains one of Jackson's signature songs. Paula Abdul choreographed the music video and appeared...
" (1986). The music changes, as described by Tom Ewing of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, to "[something that] sounds like spacehoppers [are] bouncing in slow motion round a padded cell
Padded cell
A padded cell is a cell in a mental hospital with cushions lining the walls. The padding is an attempt to prevent a patient from hurting him/herself by hitting his/her head on the hard surface of the walls...
". The song is constructed in the common verse-chorus form
Verse-chorus form
Verse-chorus form is a musical form common in popular music and predominant in rock since the 1960s. In contrast to AABA form, which is focused on the verse , in verse-chorus form the chorus is highlighted...
. Lyrically, the song is about two people, in which one of them asks the other to get to know each other and break the ice.
Critical reception
Eric R. Danton of The Hartford CourantThe Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
deemed it as a "crunk-style thumper", while calling it one of the "killer tracks" off the album along with "Radar" and "Hot as Ice". Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
called it "a booming slice of multi-layered electro R&B" and said that along with "Radar", "are as avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
as pop gets in 2007". A reviewer from Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
said "[it] is a really brilliant track", Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic said some of the songs of Blackout, "really show off the skills of the producers", exemplifying "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...
", "Radar", "Break the Ice", "Heaven on Earth" and "Hot as Ice". He also referred to the song as a "stuttering electro-clip".
Jennifer Vineyard 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....
said the song "might have been a stronger album leadoff track than 'Gimme More', [...] since [Spears] re-introduces herself at the top and apologizes for being gone for so long." Kelefe Sanneh of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said the song was "nearly as good" as previous singles "Gimme More" and "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 described it as a "rave-inspired flirtation". A reviewer from the Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Citizen
The Ottawa Citizen is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Canada. According to the Canadian Newspaper Association, the paper had a 2008 weekly circulation of 900,197.- History :...
said that "[t]here's also a lot to like about Break The Ice, Why Should I Be Sad and Perfect Love[r]". Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
said that "Musically, songs such as 'Piece of Me,' 'Radar' and 'Break the Ice' are one-dimensional, robotic exercises." Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
called it "numbing club filler."
Chart performance
In the United States, "Break the Ice" entered 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...
at number one hundred on the issue dated March 15, 2008. It peaked at number forty-three on May 24, 2008. Two weeks later, it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs, becoming the third consecutive single from the album to reach the top position of the chart. As of July 2010, "Break the Ice" has sold 688,000 paid digital downloads in the United States. In Canada, the song entered 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...
at number ninety-seven on March 1, 2008. On April 26, 2008, it reached its peak position of number nine. On May 5, 2008, the track debuted at number forty-one on the Australian ARIA 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...
. It peaked at number twenty-three on the issue dated May 19, 2008. In New Zealand, the single debuted at number thirty-seven on April 7, 2008. It peaked at number twenty-four three weeks later. "Break the Ice" entered 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 ...
at number thirty-six on March 31, 2008. On April 20, 2008, it peaked at number fifteen. The song also had moderate success through Europe, reaching the top ten in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) and Finland, and the top twenty in Denmark and Sweden. In Denmark, it was certified gold
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,...
by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for sales over 15,000 copies.
Promotion
The music video for "Break the Ice" was made in an animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
style in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and was directed by Robert Hales
Robert Hales (director)
Robert Hales is a graphic designer and music video director from the United Kingdom. Hales has directed music videos by artists such as Jet, The Veronicas, Fuel, Stereophonics, The Donnas, Justin Timberlake, Nine Inch Nails, Miley Cyrus, Gnarls Barkley and Crowded House...
. The concept was reportedly Spears's idea, who asked 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...
to come up with an animated music video based on the superheroine character of the "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" music video. It premiered on March 12, 2008 at BlackoutBall.com, a website created exclusively for the premiere, in which fans could access a chat room
Chat room
The term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
.
The video begins with Spears wearing a short black bodysuit and knee-high black boots, standing in the roofs of a futuristic city. As the first verse begins, she breaks into a research facility and battles with suited henchmen. Spears ends up gaining access to a highly secured laboratory and walks through aisles of clones
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
held in liquid cocoons. She sees that one is a clone of her, kisses her and plants a bomb on the tank. After this, Spears infiltrates the base of the apparent villain, kissing him, and then destroying him, revealing him to be a robot also. From there, she dodges a bullet and sets off a panic among the newly-arrived henchmen, meanwhile the bomb's timer runs lower and lower. Next, there is a wide shot of the building exploding, while Spears is jumping and "Victory" is depicted on the side of the structure. The video ends with the phrase "To be continued...".
A remix version of "Break the Ice" was used as a video interlude during The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009).
Track listings
- Australian CD single
- "Break the Ice" — 3:16
- "Break the Ice" (KaskadeKaskadeRyan Raddon , better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer. On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records Kaskade placed at #30...
Remix) — 5:28 - "Break the Ice" (Tracy Young Mixshow) — 6:32
- "Break the Ice" (Music Video) ― 3:21
- Digital EP
- "Break the Ice" — 3:16
- "Break the Ice" (Jason NevinsJason NevinsJason Nevins is an American DJ, producer and remixer, who is most widely known for his pop dance productions.-Career:In the early 1990s, Nevins began releasing singles under various monikers through various dance labels, but achieved global recognition in 1998 with his production of Run-DMC's...
Rock Remix) — 3:16 - "Break the Ice" (Kaskade Remix) — 5:28
- UK CD single
- "Break the Ice" — 3:16
- "Break the Ice" (Instrumental) — 3:16
- 12" Vinyl
- "Break the Ice" (Jason Nevins Extended) — 6:18
- "Break the Ice" (Jason Nevins Dub) — 6:57
- "Break the Ice" (Mike Rizzo Generation Club Mix) — 6:41
- "Break the Ice" (Mike Rizzo Generation Dub) — 7:14
- "Break the Ice" (Tracy Young Club Mix) — 8:50
- "Break the Ice" (Tracy Young Dub) — 8:28
- European CD Single/The Singles Collection Boxset Single
- "Break the Ice" — 3:16
- "Everybody" — 3:18
Credits and personnel
- Britney Spears – lead vocals
- Nate "Danja" Hills – songwriting, 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...
- Marcella AraicaMarcella AraicaMarcella Araica is an American recording and mixing engineer, who has recorded and mixed tracks for artists including Britney Spears, Madonna, Pink, Duran Duran and Keri Hilson.-Biography:...
– songwriting, instruments, programmingMusical instrumentA musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
, 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... - Keri HilsonKeri HilsonKeri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
– recordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - James Washington – songwriting
- Jim BeanzJim BeanzJames David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
– background vocals
Source:
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Music & Media) | 31 |
| US 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... |
43 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
1 |