'3' IS THE NEW 1: As previously reported, Britney Spears' "3" rockets onto the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1. The song's arrival at the summit marks just the 15th song in the Hot 100's history to open at No. 1:
Sept. 2, 1995, "You Are Not Alone," Michael Jackson Sept. 30, 1995, "Fantasy," Mariah Carey Nov. 25, 1995, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," Whitney Houston Dec. 2, 1995, "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men June 14, 1997, "I'll Be Missing You," Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112 Sept. 13, 1997, "Honey," Mariah Carey Oct. 11, 1997, "Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight," Elton John Feb. 28, 1998, "My Heart Will Go On," Celine Dion Sept. 5, 1998, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," Aerosmith Nov. 14, 1998, "Doo Wop (That Thing)," Lauryn Hill June 28, 2003, "This Is the Night," Clay Aiken July 10, 2004, "Believe," Fantasia July 2, 2005, "Inside Your Heaven," Carrie Underwood July 1, 2006, "Do I Make You Proud," Taylor Hicks Oct. 24, 2009, "3," Britney Spears
"3" concurrently launches at No. 1 on Digital Songs and No. 49 on Radio Songs/Hot 100 Airplay. After its first week of airplay and prior to its digital release, the song debuted last week at No. 14 on the Hot 100's Bubbling Under chart (viewable at billboard.biz).
SHORT STORY: Two weeks after the Black Eyed Peas completed the longest uninterrupted stay for an act at the top (26 weeks with "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling"), Britney Spears establishes a record somewhat opposite in nature: "3" becomes the shortest title to reach the pinnacle in the Hot 100's 51-year history.
"3" passes the previous mark of three characters held by seven No. 1 titles, three of which feature vocals from Michael Jackson:
"Why," Frankie Avalon, 1959 "ABC," the Jackson 5, 1970 "War," Edwin Starr, 1970 "Ben," Michael Jackson, 1972 "Bad," Michael Jackson, 1987 "SOS," Rihanna, 2006 "Low," Flo Rida, 2008
DIGITAL SONGS: "3" is the 10th Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 whose title features at least one digit (not including titles that spell out numbers, such as Barenaked Ladies' "One Week," Roman numerals, i.e., Don McLean's "American Pie - Parts I & II," or titles with a serial notation such as Eddie Kendricks' "Keep On Truckin' (Part 1)").
Here are the 10 such songs to associate numbers with the best number of all, No. 1, on the Hot 100.
"96 Tears," ? & the Mysterians, 1966 "In the Year 2525," Zager & Evans, 1969 "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," Paul Simon, 1976 "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)," the 4 Seasons, 1976 "9 to 5," Dolly Parton, 1981 "Nothing Compares 2 U," Sinead O'Connor, 1990 "All 4 Love," Color Me Badd, 1992 "4 Seasons of Loneliness," Boyz II Men, 1997 "21 Questions," 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg, 2003 "3," Britney Spears, 2009
"3" becomes the second-highest numeral to appear solely atop the Hot 100. Sinead O'Connor retains the honor with "Nothing Compares 2 U."
'3'-SOME: "3" is, fittingly, Britney Spears' third No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
She first led with "...Baby One More Time" for two weeks beginning on the Jan. 30, 1999, chart. She scored her second No. 1, "Womanizer," a year ago this week.
"3" also instantly becomes Spears' 23rd Hot 100 chart entry and eighth top 10. Since her first appearance on the chart dated Nov. 21, 1998, Spears and Mariah Carey trail only Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana (30) for most chart appearances among women.
POP MUSIC: Britney Spears continues to dominate at her home radio format.
"3" bounds 38-25 on Pop Songs. Since she first appeared on the mainstream top 40 airplay tally 11 years ago this week, her 24 chart entries are the most among all artists.
I want to thank my fans for making ‘3’ the # 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. I am truly blessed with the greatest fans in the world. I am so happy y’all love it because I do this all for you. I can’t wait till you see the video! -Britney
PLUS A PREVIEW OF 3's MUSIC VIDEO! Click read more to see all the pics!
Britney Spears becomes the first artist in over three years to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, to be released tomorrow (Oct. 15), as "3" opens at the pinnacle of the chart. Her new track, a racy paean to the joys of three-way sex from the upcoming hits set "The Singles Collection," due Nov. 24, shifts 255,000 downloads in its first week of release, also propelling it to No. 1 on Digital Songs. The title also jumps 38-25 on the Pop Songs chart and debuts at No. 49 on Radio Songs/Hot 100 Airplay, which ranks songs based on airplay audience on all radio formats.
"3" is the first title to debut at No. 1 since Taylor Hicks' "American Idol" victory song "Do I Make You Proud" did so on the chart dated July 1, 2006. In fact, the last four songs to open at No. 1 were all "American Idol"-related. Prior to Hicks, Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" (July 2, 2005), "I Believe" by Fantasia (July 10, 2004) and Clay Aiken's "This Is The Night" each debuted at No. 1. The last non-"Idol" song to open at No. 1 was Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" on Nov. 14, 1998. "3" is Spears' third Hot 100 No. 1. Her debut single "...Baby One More Time" spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1999 and "Womanizer" spent a sole frame at the top, exactly one year ago this week, on the chart dated Oct. 25, 2008.
Britney's latest single, 3, is continuing to race up the charts. It's still number one on iTunes after 7 days, has leaped from 41 to 26 on Mediabase, premiered at #38 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart, is dominating radio station countdowns and is the most added single of the year!
Keep 3 going strong by...
1.) Buy the track again, or gift it to a friend on iTunes. 2.) Call or go online to your local radio stations and request 3. (phone numbers and website list here) 4.) Post this link: http://bit.ly/1RaWJW to your Facebook page or Twitter (or anywhere else you'd like!)- it will bring the clicker directly to iTunes. 5.) Set your IM or Facebook status message to be about requesting 3, with a link! 8.) Text or email your friends about requesting 3, and include the phone number of your radio station. 9.) Twitter a request for 3 to your radio station's Twitter.
"3's digital sales are BANANAS, her popularity bar on iTunes is nearly double that of Miley's and also 3 is the biggest airplay gainer this week. So I think we have a perfect storm for a surprise number 1.
Actually 3's potential success is even more of a triumph than Womanizer's success, considering 3 had relatively little promo. Just goes to show that Britney is NEVER to be under estimated!"
Britney only needs 250,000 to get #1 on Billboard Charts easily.
According to these recently published PDF’s on Grammy.com, Britney and her team submitted the following songs in the following categories to hopefully get some nominations:
Album of the Year Circus
Song of the Year Womanizer
Record of the Year Womanizer
Best Dance Recording Womanizer Radar
Best Short Form Music Video Womanizer If U Seek Amy Circus
Britney won her first ever Grammy at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005 for Best Dance Recording — “Toxic.”
ENJOY the SONG and the NEW LAYOUT!!! {Lyrics added!}
M.Martin/Shellback/T.Amber
1, 2, 3 Not only you and me Got one eighty degrees And I'm caught in between Countin' 1, 2, 3 Peter, Paul & Mary Gettin' down with 3P Everybody loves *** Countin'
Babe, pick a night To come out and play If it's alright What do you say?
Merrier the more Triple fun that way Twister on the floor What do you say?
Are - you in Livin' in sin is the new thing (yeah) Are - you in I am countin'!
1, 2, 3 Not only you and me Got one eighty degrees And I'm caught in between Countin' 1, 2, 3 Peter, Paul & Mary Gettin' down with 3P Everybody loves *** Countin'
Three is a charm Two is not the same I don't see the harm So are you game?
Lets' make a team Make 'em say my name Lovin' the extreme Now are you game?
Are - you in Livin' in sin is the new thing Are - you in I am countin'!
1, 2, 3 Not only you and me Got one eighty degrees And I'm caught in between Countin' 1, 2, 3 Peter, Paul & Mary Gettin' down with 3P Everybody loves ***
What we do is innocent Just for fun and nothin' meant If you don't like the company Let's just do it you and me You and me... Or three.... Or four.... - On the floor!
Britney's got a 'Singles Collection' coming out at the end of November and, in customary fashion, it contains a new track that's going to be released as a single. Two of your trusty DS reporters got to listen to it at the end of last week - 18 times, if we recall correctly - so here's what we thought.
1. It's called '3' and it's a Max Martin production.
2. We won't beat around the bush - it's about having a threesome.
3. The chorus, which has more than a hint of the playground chant about it, goes like this: "1-2-3 not only you and me / Got 180 degrees / And I'm caught in between / Counting 1-2-3 feed upon that three / Getting down with repeat / Everybody loves ohhhhh". The "ohhhhh", in case you were wondering, is a classic Britney lusty sigh.
4. Britney makes her intentions very clear elsewhere, telling us "living in sin is the new thing" on the bridge and offering this coaxing couplet on the second verse: "Three is a charm, two's not the same / "I don't see the harm, so are you game?"
5. Enough already with the lyrics! What does '3' sound like? Well, it's uptempo, quite electropoppy on the verses and a little bit ravey on the choruses.
6. '3' would fit better on Circus than Blackout - it's got that slightly cartoony quality that the more recent album sometimes has. The Britney track to which it's most closely related is probably 'If U Seek Amy', though they're more like second cousins who only see each other at family funerals and weddings than brother and sister.
7. The best bit of the song is the middle 8, on which Max Martin cools things down with some synthetic strings, a load of bassy beats kick in and Britters offers her boyfriend a get-out clause: "If you don't like the company / Let's do it just you and me..."
8. ...Before promptly changing her mind by suggesting "or three... or four on the floor". That last bit's pretty clever, because the beats she's singing over at the time could legitimately be classified as "four-on-the-floor".
9. It took us a few plays to fall for '3' - and truth be told it's no 'Gimme More' or 'Womanizer' - but as a fun, fruity newbie to round off a potentially brilliant Singles Collection, it does its job very well indeed.
10. It's premiering on US radio today, so expect to be hearing it very soon. The first UK play, in case you were wondering, will be on Radio 1 this Wednesday afternoon.
In December 2008, Circus topped the US album chart, making Britney Spears the youngest female artist in history to have five of her albums reach No.1. Before she turned 20 years old on 2 December 2001, Spears had sold an unprecedented 37 million records around the world, making her the all-time best-selling teenage artist.
Keep 3 going strong by...
