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Music News: Britney Spears: "Circus" era discussion
Member Since: 12/6/2007
Posts: 8,865
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^ YEP
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Profanity in pop songs is old news. Hell, the chorus to Christina Aguilera's recent single, "Keeps Gettin' Better," kicks off with the phrase, "Some days I'm a super bi---." That one is easy enough for radio stations to edit out in order to avoid any fines from the FCC or threats to yank their licenses.
But what will they do with a new single from a major artist that doesn't actually contain a four-letter word, but rather spells it out in a not-so-subtle way? That dilemma is beginning to dawn on top-40 radio programmers across the country as the third single from album, "If U Seek Amy," starts to make its way to the airwaves.
The cheeky title (try saying it fast) joins the tradition of album titles like Van Halen's 1991 For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. The chorus doesn't even try to make grammatical sense of the phrase: "But all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if you seek Amy."
The spelled-out profanity puts the song into a legal gray area for radio stations.
"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."
A spokesperson for the Federal Communications Commission did not return calls for comment, and Spears' label confirmed the choice of the single but would not comment on its content or any potential issues at radio.
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."
Asked if he would recut the song to edit out the naughty bits, Ivey said he probably wouldn't because he felt the phrase was included in the song to provoke, so an alteration would change its intention. "[Spears' label, Jive,] might also be just floating it out there to see if they can stir things up a bit."
Source: MTV.com
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Member Since: 12/27/2008
Posts: 948
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and did you play the video they posted?? it's stupid, it's so unnecessary, they beeped "if u seek..." I mean, they run along the controversy, I hate mtv sometimes, well almost everytime I zap into their channels that are always full of ****
but I liked this "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."
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Member Since: 10/14/2007
Posts: 4,243
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Controversy will make the song a bigger hit.
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Member Since: 12/6/2007
Posts: 8,865
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Quote:
Originally posted by edwardokok
and did you play the video they posted?? it's stupid, it's so unnecessary, they beeped "if u seek..." I mean, they run along the controversy, I hate mtv sometimes, well almost everytime I zap into their channels that are always full of ****
but I liked this "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."
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IKR? 
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Originally posted by Fercho
Controversy will make the song a bigger hit.
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No if the song will not be played on radios
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Member Since: 12/16/2007
Posts: 7,191
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Quote:
Originally posted by musicb_/
IKR?
No if the song will not be played on radios |
it will be played
MTV +others make this bigger than it is.
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Member Since: 2/22/2008
Posts: 46,108
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FTBOMNH is so underrated  is probably my favorite britney ballad
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Member Since: 10/14/2008
Posts: 14,986
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Member Since: 2/11/2007
Posts: 2,336
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Member Since: 10/14/2007
Posts: 4,243
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Quote:
Originally posted by CarCAL22
it will be played
MTV +others make this bigger than it is.
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Of course will be played.
Controversy is what the song needs to be bigger than we think it will be.
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Member Since: 2/11/2007
Posts: 2,336
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OFFICIAL 'CIRCUS' DOWNLOAD DAY
"Steven at WorldofBritney.com came up with the fantastic idea of holding an official 'Circus' download day today. And as Britney's official site, obviously we fully support this idea. Our friend BRITannica over at Britney.com is supporting the idea, too. Head on over to iTunes to download 'Circus' now!"
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Member Since: 1/4/2009
Posts: 11,404
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Quote:
Originally posted by musicb_/
^ YEP
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This won't be a problem outside the US.
I live in Russia and my friends don't even get what does "If U Seek Amy" mean.
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Member Since: 12/6/2007
Posts: 8,865
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Quote:
Originally posted by CarCAL22
it will be played
MTV +others make this bigger than it is.
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I know it will be played, but what about the "Radio Edit"? They' re so stupid, what the hell wanna play? I think just the part when she says "la la la, la,la, la"
But hey! free promo
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Member Since: 12/6/2007
Posts: 8,865
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Quote:
Originally posted by KarlosVzla
FTBOMNH is so underrated is probably my favorite britney ballad |
DLMBTLTK over here 
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Member Since: 8/6/2003
Posts: 50,977
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Gosh MTV is so ridiculous.
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Member Since: 12/27/2008
Posts: 948
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I went back to school today and a friend gave me a ride there...she had the cd for Circus and played it all the way to school, what a better way to start
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Member Since: 10/14/2007
Posts: 4,243
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651 159 SPEARS, BRITNEY If U Seek Amy Jive/Zomba 15 1 14 0.098
SMASH on the radio 
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Member Since: 12/27/2008
Posts: 948
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^ YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
let it slowly explode
Circus is likely to jump to #10 by tomorrow....XD like like like a circus
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Banned
Member Since: 9/25/2008
Posts: 1,430
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im worried about the amy situation theyre so stupid she doesnt even say the word omg
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Banned
Member Since: 9/25/2008
Posts: 1,430
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and all thnx to that stupid ****er ..yeah the aldy that made a big deal because "her kids" (yeah right) were singing if u seek amy
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Member Since: 12/16/2007
Posts: 7,191
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stop worrying about it, it wont be released for months.
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