Sometimes (Britney Spears song)
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| “Sometimes” | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Britney Spears from the album ...Baby One More Time |
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| B-side | "I'm So Curious" | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Released |  June 14, 1999 June 17, 1999 June 29, 1999 |
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| Format |  CD Single Airplay only |
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| Recorded | 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Teen pop ballad | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 3:55 (Radio Edit) 4:05 (Album Version) |
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| Label | Jive | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Jörgen Elofsson | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Jörgen Elofsson P. Magnusson D. Kreuger |
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| Certification | Platinum (Australia) Gold (Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom) Silver (France) |
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| Britney Spears singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||||
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"Sometimes" is the second single from pop singer Britney Spears, released from her debut album ...Baby One More Time during the second quarter of 1999.
The song was written and primarily produced by Jörgen Elofsson; he would go on to win a BMI Pop Award in 2000 in the category of Song of the Year for composing "Sometimes." The track is a classic example of a pop ballad about love and its symptoms, as Spears declares "sometimes I run, sometimes I hide, sometimes I'm scared of you." Spears said on her Onyx Hotel Tour that she didn't like that song anyway during the last minute of "(I Got That) Boom Boom". This was taken as a joke by fans. The single was one of Britney's song or single where she hit the B5 note.[1]
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[edit] Music video
As with her previous single "...Baby One More Time", "Sometimes" was also directed by Nigel Dick. Shot at Paradise Cove in Malibu, CA, this music video for "Sometimes" is largely responsible for setting the virginal image that Britney upheld early on in her career.[original research?]
Coupled with a beach setting that aligned well with the time of year it was released, the video finds Spears watching her love interest from afar, who is played by model Chad Cole. As he plays with his dog on the sand, Britney is seen on a lookout, by the pier and on a picnic blanket wishing she was there with him. The video also includes dance scenes with Spears and several others on the pier adorned in white.
There are two edits of the video. One features mainly beauty shots during the first verse, the second edit features more dancing footage from on the pier. The radio edit of the song was used for the video, it shortenes the intro and removes an instrumental bridge towards the end of the song.
There is a mistake in the video that when they are in the heart formation, you can see the shadow of the camera at the bottom. Also, in one scene where Britney is singing while sitting on the ground in front of a car, the girl on the left can be seen scratching herself.
[edit] Chart performance
Due to its airplay only status, "Sometimes" was at a chart disadvantage from the beginning. At the time it was released, songs generally were accompanied by a CD single, being that they were still a major key in a song's commercial success. Despite this, "Sometimes" still proved to fare well on the charts, peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at number twenty-one due to its top twenty peak on the Hot 100 Airplay. The song was later ranked at number seveny-five on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End chart for 1999.
"Sometimes" also proved successful at Top 40 radio, going top ten on both the Top 40 Tracks and Mainstream Top 40 charts, as well as top ten on the Rhythmic Top 40 and, perhaps more notably, the Adult Contemporary.
The single was another international success, reaching the top five in many European nations and Australia, as well. "Sometimes" was also a huge hit in the UK ranking at forty-eight on the 1999 year-end charts selling a total of 414,000 copies.[2]
The single accumulated 3.903.000 points on the United World Chart in 1999 alone.[3]
[edit] Certifications
| Country | Certification | Sales |
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| Australia[4] | Platinum | 70,000 |
| France[5] | Silver | 100,000+ |
| New Zealand[6] | Gold | 7,500 |
| Netherlands | Gold | 15,000 |
| United Kingdom | Gold | 414,000 |
| Chart (1999)[7] | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| United World Chart | 5 |
| United World Chart Year End Chart 1999 | 21 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 2 |
| Belgian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 1 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 1 |
| French Singles Chart | 13 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Israeli Singles Chart | 2 |
| German Singles Chart | 6 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 21 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 11 |
[edit] Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Sometimes".[2]
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UK CD Single (0523202)
UK Promo 12" Vinyl (052320.0P)
Europe/Australia CD Single (0550142)
Europe 2-Track CD (0580382)
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Japan CD Single (AVCZ95121)
U.S. Promo CD (DUTCH19)
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- "Sometimes" is the fifth track on the U.S. version of Now That's What I Call Music! 3
[edit] Remixes and Other Versions
- Album Version — 04:03
- Radio Edit — 03:55
- Soul Solution Mid Tempo Mix/Drum Dub (Drum Dub is most likely a misprint and in all actuality a real version, but is not confirmed) — 03:32
- Soul Solution Extended Mix — 07:00
- Mike Ski's 3 AM Bass Bin Destroyer Mix — 09:34
- Mike Ski's Drum Dub — 04:56
- Boris & Beck Roxy Dub — 06:51
- Thunderpuss 2000 Club Mix — 08:02
- Thunderpuss 2000 Radio Mix — 03:50
- Thunderpuss Dub — 07:21
- Beats Of Thunderpuss — 04:27
- Answering Machine Message — 00:25
There is an edit going around labeled as "Promo Edit," but it's a combination of the original and the answering machine message made by Nick. Proper name is Sometimes (Short Radio Version).
A BBCH UK video of Housemates Jeremy and Emilia was made with 'Sometimes' playing in the background.
[edit] Lawsuit
In Spring 2005, Spears and her management were sued because of the writing credits on "Sometimes." Indiana native Steve Wallace pushed a $150,000 USD lawsuit, claiming he was the one who wrote the song.
[edit] A Walk for AIDS
In the Summer of 1999, Joel Whine requested and granted the rights for "Sometimes" and was used for a video that was to sponsor A Walk for AIDS, a 20 mile walk to raise money for the cure of the AIDS virus. It took place on the streets of Mystic Island, New Jersey sometime at the end of July 1999.
[edit] References
- ^ Spears, Britney Profile
- ^ a b UKBritney.tv Britney Spears — Sometimes (UK). Retrieved on May 26, 2007
- ^ Index
- ^ Australia Certification
- ^ France Certification
- ^ New Zealand Certification
- ^ Chart peak positions:
- Billboard magazine Britney spears — Billboard Singles. Retrieved on May 26, 2007
- Mariah-Charts.net Britney Spears — Chart Data. Retrieved on May 26, 2007
[edit] External links
| Preceded by "Cold" by Deep Obsession |
RIANZ (New Zealand) number one single 18 July 1999 |
Succeeded by "Swear It Again" by Westlife |
