Britney Spears Promised to ‘Go Naked’ After ‘I’m a Slave 4 U’

Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U” is provocative, but it’s not the sort of song that got too many listeners up in arms. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) castigated the Princess of Pop for her most well-known performance of the song. Regardless, the performance in question changed everything for Spears.

Britney Spears said she would ‘go naked’ after the controversy surrounding ‘I’m a Slave 4 U’

Some of Spears’ early songs were suggestive, like “…Baby One More Time” and “Oops!… I Did It Again.” She took things to a new level with “I’m a Slave 4 U,” whose title alone has some hardcore masochistic ramifications. Things got even more risque when Spears performed that track while holding a phallic python and wearing a bikini top at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. The Guardian reports Spears upset PETA but not with the sexuality on display.

PETA contacted Spears, condemning the use of a snake in the performance. The group asked the “Everytime” star to consider “the plight of captive wild animals caged and forced to tolerate bright lights, crowds and frightening levels of noise.” Spears agreed to drop the snake from her act and to appear in PETA’s  “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign, which depicted celebrities in their birthday suits as a way of protesting fur clothing. Spears doesn’t appear to have followed through on the latter promise.

Oops, Britney Spears angered PETA again!

MTV News reports that PETA criticized Spears again for her 2008 comeback single “Circus.” Many animal rights activists take issue with circuses in general, but PETA critiqued Spears for using elephants in the song’s music video.

Kari Johnson, the owner of the elephants in the video, said that a representative from the American Humane Association entered the elephants were treated well on the set. “My husband, Gary, and I do indeed have a long history with elephants,” Johnson wrote. “Our love of and infatuation with elephants started for both of us in our teens, 37 years ago. To say we care about elephant welfare is an understatement.” Spears herself did not respond to PETA’s condemnation this time. 

The impact of ‘I’m a Slave 4 U’

While “I’m a Slave 4 U” has a great beat, it generally isn’t remembered for its quality as a song. It’s remembered for the way it transitioned Spears from a teen star to a more adult artist. Both the song’s steamy music video and Spears’ serpentine performance at the VMAs sent a message to the world: Spears wasn’t that innocent. While the VMAs stunt incited controversy, it also helped Spears earn a reputation as one of the best live acts in the business.

Of course, there are those who defend “I’m a Slave 4 U” on a musical level. In 2022, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone released his ranking of all the Princess of Pop’s songs. He placed “I’m a Slave 4 U” at No. 7 on his list, beating out tunes like “Till the World Ends,” “I Wanna Go,” and “Hold It Against Me” that were far more popular.

Love or hate Spears’ controversial live performance — it established her as an agent provocateur.