Me Against The Music - Background and Writing

Background and Writing

American producers Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Penelope Magnet, known collectively as RedZone Entertainment, presented Spears with the third song they had written and produced, "Pop Culture Whore". While her management liked the track, she rejected it, telling them the song "sucked". After bonding with Spears during a night in New York City to "get in her world", as Magnet explained, it was easier to "actually write and know what she would and wouldn't say, to know where her real vibe is". Stewart and Magnet began working on the first version of the song; Stewart came up with the track, while Magnet developed the melody on a piano and some of the lyrics. American producer The-Dream became involved after Stewart proposed him to work together on the track for Spears. He explained, "I was just getting into the business. I'm in Atlanta, driving home in a '92 Cadillac, and I get the call I hung up and just screamed out joyous sounds." During the recording sessions, Stewart recalls that the studio's air-conditioning died for three days, but Spears "didn't complain or anything, and for me that shows she's where she is for a reason."

While rehearsing for their performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Spears played a finished version of "Me Against the Music" to Madonna. After Madonna commented that she liked the track, Spears asked her to do the song with her. RedZone then handed "Me Against the Music" to Madonna, who arranged and recorded her vocal additions on her own, therefore making the song a duet. Spears, who has been a Madonna fan for years, was "beyond surprised" when she heard Madonna's verse. She said "I just asked her to do a little thing, but she really went there. She did a lot of stuff to it." Jive Records hoped "Outrageous" would be released as the first single from the album, but Spears pushed for "Me Against the Music". After she performed the song for the first time at the 2003 NFL Kickoff Live, Spears refused to answer if it was the first single from the album, but said that "there are some surprises that are going to come up in the song that I'm really excited about." On September 16, 2003, it was confirmed that "Me Against the Music" would be released as the first single from In the Zone. The single was sent to radio on September 30, 2003 in the United States.