Some songs you can’t imagine anyone else singing. One of those songs is “Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears. The song and accompanying music video put Spears on the map. She became an instant hit and crush for many. All thanks to that song.
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But did you know the track wasn’t originally written for Spears? In fact, it wasn’t originally written for a solo artist. Let’s dive into the track’s history.
TLC
The legendary three-headed rap group, comprised of Left Eye, Chilli, and T-Boz, was given the chance to record the song first.
But they flat-out rejected it.
In an interview, the group was asked why they passed on the song, which went on to give Spears global attention. To which T-Boz replied, “I’m not saying, Hit me, baby. No, disrespect to Britney. It’s good for her. But was I going to say, Hit me baby one more time? Hell no!”
Spears
The song, written by Max Martin, came out in 1998 and became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide.
The video features Spears in high school wearing a Catholic schoolgirl’s outfit. She begins dancing around the school with students as amorous madness ensues.
The song was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards in 2000. Spears has said it’s one of her favorite songs she’s recorded.
“I had been in the studio for about six months listening to and recording material, but I hadn’t really heard a hit yet,” Spears told Billboard in a 1999 interview. “When I started working with Max Martin in Sweden, he played the demo for ‘Baby One More Time’ for me, and I knew from the start it [was one] of those songs you want to hear again and again. It just felt really right. I went into the studio and did my own thing with it, trying to give it a little more attitude than the demo. In 10 days, I never even saw Sweden. We were so busy.”
The Backstreet Boys and Five
While TLC most famously passed on the song, the track was also shown to boy band the Backstreet Boys and the English pop group, Five. Both passed, as well.
Photo by JB Lacroix/WireImage
