The Story Behind ...Baby One More Time

It took creativity, collaboration, and humility to create a hit

Oh baby, baby…

Ready to feel old?

It’s been 23 years since Britney Spears had her first #1 single, ...Baby One More Time.

Yes, that means Britney’s loneliness was killing her all the way back in 1999 – when the world was worried about Y2K.

All it takes is the first three notes and I can picture kids dancing in the hallways.

But here’s a fun fact ...Baby One More Time (the ellipses are important) didn’t look like it would be a hit.

Read on to find out the story behind the song (and music video) that introduced the world to Ms. Britney Jean …

Swedish songwriter Max Martin had a problem.

He had written a new song – but was struggling to find an artist who wanted to record it.

Swedish singer Robyn rejected it.

So did American trio TLC.

So Jive Records decided to give the song to a new teenage artist they just signed from Louisiana named Britney Spears.

Britney recorded the song and then it was time to find a director to make the music video.

The 45-year-old British director Nigel Dick was not the obvious choice. 

He was known for his videos for Guns N’ Roses and Oasis, and many people discouraged him from the project with an unknown 16-year-old girl.

But he thought the song was ‘really, really good’ so he signed on.

He pitched an idea where Britney would be in outer space, land on Mars, and break into a dance routine.

But Britney thought it was ‘cheesy’ and said she wanted to do a video in a school with a bunch of cute boys and do some dancing.

A music video set on Mars? How cheesy! Oh wait…

“Your initial reaction to this is, I’m being told by a 16-year-old girl what I should do...This girl is 16 and I’m a grown man,” Dick said.

“But perhaps she has a better perspective on her audience than I do.”

“So I swallowed my pride.” 

But that wasn’t the only area where the director and singer collaborated.

Dick recognized that he didn’t know much about being an American teenager either.

When he suggested costumes of  ‘jeans and backpacks’ for the video, Britney countered with the schoolgirl outfit instead (all purchased at discount retailer K-Mart, adding to the authenticity).

Britney and dancers modelling K-mart’s finest…

The video Dick created was a fun romp that showcased Britney’s personality, star appeal, and talent.

Dick was proud of the final video and showed it to some people in the business. 

“They were very unimpressed by it,” he said. 

MTV didn’t give it a desirable release day either, first airing it on a Friday. 

But Britney’s presence, the video, and MTV’s youth-focused TRL program propelled ...Baby One More Time up the charts.

“On Friday you’re an idiot, and by Monday you’re a genius,” Dick said. 

 …Baby One More Time debuted on the Hot 100 chart November 21, 1998 and climbed to the top spot on January 30, 1999.

The video for …Baby One More Time reached the number one spot on MTV’s Total Request Live multiple times, and was named the number one music video of all time for TRL’s final countdown.

Not bad for a rejected song and an unknown girl.

FUN FACT: In case you were wondering about that title, it’s not about literal hitting.

The Swedish songwriter thought ‘hit me’ meant ‘hit me up on the phone.’

He was encouraged to change it, but refused.

Barry Weiss, president of Jive Records, was concerned US radio stations would not play a song called Hit Me Baby One More Time.

So he came up with adding ellipses and the …Baby One More Time title was born.

Bonus points to anyone who gets this reference

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Will Djokovic Get To Play? — This feels a bit late now, but I wrote this when the question was being asked. Australia sent him packing, but doubts over his Covid tests are still in the news. Any way you slice it, he broke the rules.

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How Can I Help?

The world is drowning in poor communication examples this year — and it’s only January!

From Boris Johnson getting ‘ambushed by a cake’ (and struggling to identify a party vs a ‘work event’) to Ted Cruz calling the January 6 riots a ‘terrorist attack’ and then backpedaling completely.

Oh, and there’s the Pabst Blue Ribbon Dry January tweets, and an energy company telling people to eat porridge and cuddle pets to stay warm as energy prices soar.

WHAT?!?

All the more evidence that people need help with communication! I help clients with communication strategy, planning, and thinking — and I do the ‘doing’, too.

I also teach people the skills to help them become better communicators and leaders through 1:1 coaching and team workshops (that are not the boring garbage they may have experienced before).

So, if you know someone who could benefit from some help (as even the highest paid and most seasoned leaders do!), please get in touch and check out my website for more information.

And if you see any communication examples (the good, the bad and the ugly) that you think are worth analyzing or sharing, please send them my way!

Keep Smiling — and Stay Curious!

-Beth