The next single from Britney Spears’ Circus is going to be the phonetically naughty Max Martin composition “If You Seek Amy,” according to Spears’ official site. And the possibility of getting FCC sanctions once some semi-clueless commissioner in Washington figures out how to really spell out the song’s title isn’t sitting well with radio stations, who, let’s face it, are cash-strapped enough already these days. From MTV:
“It’s OK to put in on an album, have fun with it, but we’re publicly owned, you know?” said Patti Marshall, program director at Cincinnati’s Q102, a pop station in a decidedly conservative Midwestern market. “We have a responsibility to the public … you put this … out and act like we’re all fuddy-duddies, like we’re trying to make moral judgments. It’s not about us. It’s about the mom in the minivan with her 8-year-old.”
Like several programmers we talked to, Marshall said she had not yet been told that “Amy” was the next single from Circus. She’s still busy playing the album’s title track, which was recently released as the second single. Asked if she would play “Amy” if it came to her as a single, Marshall said likely wouldn’t. She likened its chorus (which she has not heard) to “a little boy in sixth grade doing arm farts.”
Harsh! (Yet not totally untrue—right, Sammy?) The FCC didn’t return MTV’s requests for comment, but other program directors expressed similar reservations:
Sharon Dastur, program director at Z100 in New York, also had not yet heard the song and said she’s not sure what the station’s plans are for it. She compared its possible problems to those faced by her station in 2005 upon the release of the Black Eyed Peas single “Don’t Phunk With My Heart.”
“Listeners thought it was the other word, and so we had to change it to ‘mess,’ ” she said. That example was also the first that popped to mind for KIIS FM Los Angeles program director John Ivey, who said he knew he couldn’t play the Peas’ song as originally recorded but felt that censoring it would make it sound more nefarious, so he asked the group’s label for a new version.
“It’s a potential issue for every station,” Ivey said of the Spears single. “I’m certain that I would run it by my legal department first. My first job is to protect [the station's] license. … It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Indeed it is, especially when the possibility of one of pop’s biggest stars trying to pull one over on the stations who ignored most of the singles from her last album arises. Perhaps we can soon look forward to a digital edit of the track where the titular “amy” is replaced by, oh, I don’t know, “Blame-y”? It would sure be a neat way to cast guilt, too!
Britney Spears’ ‘If U Seek Amy’ Poses Censorship Problems For Radio [MTV]
The radio edit adds a crucial lyric to the chorus. “If You Seek Amy (Grant)” is kind of a Contemporary Christian analogue to Taylor Swift’s “Tim McGraw”. You know Britney loved “Baby, Baby” back in the day.
This songwriting stunt was also pulled off by Turbonegro: “If You See Kaye.” Check it out on the “Party Animals” album.
HOW CAN YOU BE THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT A MAJOR MARKET POP STATION AND NOT HAVE HEARD THE DAMN BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM?
Come on now.
“HOW CAN YOU BE THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT A MAJOR MARKET POP STATION AND NOT HAVE HEARD THE DAMN BRITNEY SPEARS ALBUM?”
That’s what I was thinking, except I didn’t think it in all caps.
I’m too lazy to follow the link to MTV’s site, but I’m curious to know — did MTV ask Chris Crocker for a comment on this “controversy”???
@Rob Murphy: I believe his position would be that she should be Left Alone.
@pchcowboy: see also the poster children:
Because man, nothing says “the Britney Spears train is back on the tracks!” than inciting radio programmers into open revolt against her music. Way to go, management.
I mean, I guess they miss the old, dangerous days and figure they need to keep at least a little bit of that in her brand, maybe?
If I were them, I’d play it safe, put “Kill The Lights” out there instead, and fight the good fight on the next record. But then, I’m not a millionaire, so there are clearly things I don’t know.
On two minutes’ reflection, there’s probably just gonna be a radio edit with a dramatic pause — “are beggin’ to… seek Amy” — and that’ll be that. Less exciting when you think of it that way.
@Chris N.: Sorry, I was mad.
This is probably a dumb question, but why do radio stations care what song is released as a single from an album that’s already out? They can play any song from that album at any time they like, surely.
For the record, has Spears ever had three hit songs from the same album? It might not be such a huge risk. If I recall from my one listen through, it wasn’t really that good a song. Of course, throw it up against the 8 millionth rotation of “I Want To Make Love Right Now Now Now”, and it might be a welcome respite.
@K-Rex: Her first album, there was “Hit Me Baby …”, “Sometimes”, and “Crazy” … wasn’t there a ballad, too?
If only there were some enormous online repository of information that could be easily and conveniently accessed in order to answer these questions within seconds.
@Chris N.: Oh, snap!
@bcapirigi: I thought it was just me.
honestly, what’s the problem? the album did well, they’re wanting it to do better so why not stir the pot a bit.
Kill The Lights is a much stronger single agreed, or even Unusual You but why not remind people that she’s a ‘growed up girl’ with a potty mouth.
The “mess” in place of phunk just made me resent radio more.
@Invisible Circus: shouldn’t you save your resentment for the fcc and its capricious levying of fines?