Kanye West Wages Twitter War With Britney Spears

The following italicized article is from www.usmagazine.com:

Talk about being a poor sport!

Britney Spears' latest single has remained at the top of the iTunes charts since it debuted at midnight on Tuesday -- and Kanye West is none too pleased about it.

With his song "H.A.M. (featuring Jay-Z)" stalled in the No. 2 position behind Spears' "Hold It Against Me," the 33-year-old rapper took to Twitter get a rise out of the 29-year-old pop star.

"Yo Britney, I'm really happy for you and I'mma let you be #1, but me and Jay-Z's single is one of the best songs of all time! LOL," he wrote.

Though West later removed the tweet, that didn't stop Spears' manager Adam Leber from issuing a response on the singer's behalf.

"Thanks for 'letting' us be #1," Leber wrote sarcastically. "Much appreciated."

West later apologized, telling his followers, "On a serious note I'm truly happy for Avril Lavigne and Britney Spears. No hate in 2011...I thought LOL signified a joke."

This isn't the first time West has had beef with the "Piece of Me" singer; he reportedly had a meltdown backstage at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards when Spears replaced him as the show's opening performer.

Source: US Weekly

UK Release Date for ''Hold It Against Me'' Changed

The following italicized article is from www.digitalspy.co.uk:

Britney Spears has pushed forward the UK release date of her new single 'Hold It Against Me'.

The track, which premiered earlier this week and was immediately released in most countries, was originally due to be put out in the UK on February 20.

However, the Dr Luke and Max Martin-produced song will now be available to download on January 17 because of "overwhelming demand".

Her UK publicist tweeted: "Retweet this if you love Britney's 'hold it against me'! The UK itunes release is now monday 17th Jan due to overwhelming demand! (sic)"

The date also marks the day that the star's Glee episode is aired on E4.

'Hold It Against Me' has so far topped the download charts in 19 countries.

Source: Digital Spy

Mediabase Chart Update

''Hold It Against Me'' is burning up the charts and is currently at #23 on Mediabase with 3087 spins and 27.398 million listeners.

Click here to vote for 'Hold It Against Me' on your local radio station!

Source: Break The Ice

Mediabase Chart Update

''Hold It Against Me'' continues to race up the charts and is currently at #25 on Mediabase with 2355 spins and 21.943 million listeners.

Click here to vote for 'Hold It Against Me' on your local radio station!

Source: Break The Ice

Britney Spears: Striped Studio Stop

The following italicized article is from www.celebrity-gossip.net:

Feeling quite well about herself after dropping another top-selling single, Britney Spears was back out for another day's work in Los Angeles on Thursday (January 13).

Clad in a cute striped top, skinny jeans and high heels, the "Gimme More" crooner eased her way into a local recording studio to continue putting the final touches on her upcoming album.

See more pics here!

Source: Celebrity Gossip

Brian Talks about ''HIAM'' Video

''Hold It Against Me'' Set to Sell 400K

The following italicized article is from www.billboard.com:

Threatening the reign of Mars' "Grenade" or the return of Perry's "Firework" to No. 1 next week will be the arrival of Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me," which was released near-simultaneously at radio (Jan. 10) and exclusively at iTunes (Jan. 11). With airplay off to a blazing start and track sales set to exceed 400,000 according to industry sources, a second No. 1 debut for the pop starlet is likely. She previously started at the summit with "3" on the chart dated October 24, 2009.

Source: Billboard

Mediabase Chart Update

Britney's single 'Hold It Against Me' is currently at #29 on Mediabase with 1697 spins and 16.892 million listeners.

Click here to vote for 'Hold It Against Me' on your local radio station!

Source: Break The Ice

Britney Spears: Full Throttle Dance Duty

The following italicized article is from www.celebrity-gossip.net:

Getting into a daily dance practice routine, Britney Spears was back at the studio in West Hollywood, California on Wednesday afternoon (January 12).

Swapping in and out of two separate outfits, the pop princess worked on her moves before later heading off to a nail salon for a little pampering.

As previously reported by GossipCenter, Miss Spears' latest single “Hold It Against Me” has become the #1 on the iTunes list and is said to have broken radio records.

Thanking her fans, Brit tweeted, "Seriously, I have the best fans ever. I love you all so much!! Everything I do is for you! xoxo Brit"

See more pics here!

Source: Celebrity Gossip

Mediabase Chart Update

Godney's new evangelistic gospel 'Hold It Against Me' is currently at #34 on Mediabase with 1130 spins and 12.319 million listeners.

Click here to vote for 'Hold It Against Me' on your local radio station!

Source: Break The Ice

Britney Heads to Dance Studio

The following italicized article is from www.celebrity-gossip.net:

Fresh off of the release of the debut single from her upcoming album, Britney Spears was spotted making her way to the dance studio in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday (January 11).

Dressed casually in a pink hoodie, orange t-shirt and black tights, the 29-year-old walked alongside her staffers as she readied to work on her moves in preparation of an expected tour.

See more pics here!

Source: Celebrity Gossip

Britney Spears Will Not Perform at Grammy Awards

The following italicized article is from www.people.com:

Don't hold it against her – but Britney Spears isn't performing at this year's Grammy Awards, her label tells PEOPLE.

Contrary to reports online Tuesday, the pop star, 29, who just released her new single, "Hold It Against Me," which already rose to No. 1 on iTunes charts, has no plans to sing live on the Feb. 13 telecast.

Adds a source: "I really doubt it."

A full list of Grammy presenters and performers is expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The awards show will air live from L.A.'s Staples Center on CBS.

Source: People

Britney Spears Shatters Records with ''Hold It Against Me''

New York, NY - Perhaps USA Today sums it up best, "Spears’ new single delivers enough dizzying dance-pop ecstasy to ensure another chart-topping ride...”

Following the digital release of "Hold It Against Me" on Monday, 1/10/11, Britney Spears shatters all previous records for the most number of spins for a first or one-day at both Mediabase and BDS, according to one of the radio industry’s top analysts Kevin McCabe, founding principal of Musicrunch.

“Top 40 outlets across the country immediately put 'Hold It Against Me' in rotation and received instant-reaction airplay at America's most-influential stations including Z100 and WXRK in New York and KIIS and KAMP in Los Angeles,” states McCabe.

Sharon Dastur, program director for New York’s Z100, one of the top influential pop radio stations in the country says, "Ever since we played it yesterday, the reaction has been phenomenal. The audience loves it!"

In addition to the overwhelming fan response at radio, the sales story is also impressive; in less than a day of its release, "Hold It Against Me" is the #1 Song on iTunes.

Britney had 619 spins at Mediabase in what was only a partial day of spins for Monday, 1/10/11. At BDS, Britney had 595 first or one-day spins - also on a partial day's worth of airplay. Britney's big one-day powered her onto the BDS one-day building chart at 16* and perhaps even more impressive was her audience debut at 7*.

As expected, Spears is also a trending topic on twitter worldwide.

Source: Britney.com

Daily B: Britney to Perform at the 2011 Grammy Awards

The following italicized article is from www.muumuse.com:

I’m actually too stunned to write anything intelligible right now, but it must be said:

Britney is PERFORMING at the 2011 Grammy Awards.

According to both Perez and my own sources (you know, the same ones that led to my “Hold It Against Me” Excluusive), this is actually happening. CONFIRMED.

EDIT: Oh, so you want MOAR? Okay, I’ll give you more–but seriously, hold onto your wigs:

I’m hearing we’re getting A MEDLEY OF HITS,
plus a performance of “Hold It Against Me.”

Shaking and crying does not even slightly describe what I’m feeling right now…TREMORS AND TEARDROPS. TREMORS. AND. TEARDROPS.

DEAR GODNEY: PLEASE DON’T LET ME DIE BEFORE FEBRUARY 13.

Source: MuuMuse

Updated - Britney Spears WILL Perform At The Grammy Awards!

Sources reveal exclusively to PerezHilton.com that Britney Spears will be performing at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 13th.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

We're shocked! We didn't expect her to do much promo for this new album!

This will be Spears' first "live" TV performance in years!

Right now there are no plans for her to open the show but we're told that "she's been rehearsing for weeks and it's gonna be a truly great performance!"

We can't wait!!!!

Update: A rep for Britney Spears tells us, "We have not confirmed a performance at the Grammys at this time."

Mmmhhmmmm!

Source: Perez Hilton

''Hold It Against Me'' Continues to Break Records

The following italicized article is from www.nypost.com:

In less than 24-hours, Britney Spears has officially won the entire pop music lovin’ world back — need proof? Let's go to the numbers!

Not only did Britney’s new single “Hold It Against Me” rocket to the number one spot on iTunes' singles chart, but it got there in less than eight hours. The only other artist to claim the spot faster was Taylor Swift, with her song “Mine,” which got there in a little under six hours last August.

But Brit's appeal spans the globe as well, with the song claiming number one spots in 14 other countries. A figure that keeps rising with every additional hour the song is available for download.

In the world of radio, the track hit a record breaking 705 spins its first day, decimating Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body," which held the throne with 498 spins back in 2009.

Overall it is Britney’s most played, best selling debut to date. And the hits will keep on coming as the singer also announced that her still untitled album will drop on March 15th -- a disc that will include at least one more Max Martin produced single, titled “I I I Wanna Go."

After only being able to hold onto the iTunes top spot for a sprinkle of a moment with his song “Grenade,” we wonder how Bruno Mars feels about Brit blowing up his spot. Well, if it makes him feel any better, Megan Tonjes (our favorite acapella YouTube sensation) has put together a “Hold It Against Me/Grenade” mashup, which is officially on office repeat.

Source: NY Post

Updated - The Official Snatching Wigs & Weaves iTunes Post

#1 - New Zeeland
#1 - Spain
#1 - Mexico

#1 - Sweden
#1 - United States

#1 - France

#1 - Greece

#1 - Finland

#1 - Portugal
#1 - Australia
#1 - Italy

#1 - Canada
#1 - Norway
#1 - Denmark

#1 - Belgium

#1 - Switzerland

#3 - Luxembourg

#3 - The Netherlands

(Massive) Mediabase Chart Update

Godney's new, holy single 'Hold It Against Me' has debuted at #44 on Mediabase with 619 spins and 7.584 million listeners.

According to reports several starlets have had their wigs snatched and are currently sobbing uncontrollably in a corner while screaming: ''SHE JUST TOOK MY WEAVE! I STOOD NO CHANCE! HELP ME!''.

Click here to vote for 'Hold It Against Me' on your local radio station!

Source: Break The Ice

Feedback for ''HIAM'' Has Been 'Through-the-Roof-Positve'

The following italicized article is from www.mtv.com:

You've already heard the likes of Perez Hilton and "Jersey Shore" star Pauly D extol its virtues, but with the Monday (January 10) premiere of Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me," we figured it was time to let program directors at radio stations around the country weigh in on the track too.

After all, not only are they the ones responsible for putting the song on the air, but they're the kind of folks who know a hit the second they hear it. So do they think Brit has another smash on her hands? Not surprisingly, the answer appears to be "yes."

"When I originally heard it in December, it blew me away from the first listen, and the same thing happened when we played it on Elvis Duran's morning show [Monday]; our Facebook and Twitter pages exploded," Sharon Dastur, program director at New York's Z100, told MTV News. "People are going crazy for it. They heard the leaked version and loved it, and now they're loving the official version too. I can see it being another huge hit for her."

"We're playing it at the top of every hour, and the reaction has been great," Tommy Chuck, program director at Tampa, Florida, station 93.3 WFLZ added. "Both on Facebook and Twitter, people are glad Britney's back; [they're] thanking us for playing the song, telling us how amazing she is, and all the air staff loved it. It's a solid single, and it'll be a big hit for her."

And while that initial wave of fan enthusiasm was to be expected, what both Dastur and Chuck said would put "Hold It Against Me" over the top is the song itself, a master-class in of-the-moment pop, courtesy of the world's foremost experts on the subject, Max Martin and Dr. Luke.

"Pop radio is a tough business, and if the song is no good, it wouldn't make it beyond the initial airplay," Chuck said. "People are really responding to this song, though, commenting on the 'dub-step' element of it. It definitely sounds similar to a lot of the dance tracks you hear [on the radio by] Taio Cruz and Usher and Chris Brown. It continues that whole trend."

"[Britney's] got a great team around her, and with Dr. Luke and Max Martin, you can't go wrong," Dastur said. "The reaction [to the song] this morning was outstanding. I asked some producers about it, because sometimes, we'll play a song, and the reaction is a little one-way or the other. But this one was through-the-roof positive."

Source: MTV

Britney Spears’s New Album Will Be Released On March 15, 2011

Pink reader popazul gave me the head’s up that Sony Music‘s official website has announced a pre-order for Britney Spears‘s as-yet-untitled new album and in doing so has inadvertently revealed that the album will be released on March 15, 2011!!!
Pre-ordering the regular album or deluxe version will allow you to download the new single Hold It Against Me on January 18. I’m still reeling from the excitement over today’s release of Britney‘s HOT new single that I can’t even wrap my head around official news of the album’s release in March. Happy Days ahead, Britney fans … we are going to be treated to a LOT of amazing Britney updates leading up to March 15. Who’s excited?!

Source: Pink Is The New Blog

''Hold It Against Me'' Leaks

The first single from Britney’s seventh album, due out in March, has gone up on iTunes New Zealand a whole day ahead of it’s world premiere.

Fans in New Zealand have already successfully purchased Hold It Against Me (legally) from the iTunes store.

More news as it comes to hand, however this would suggest that Sony Music will now rush release the single in a couple of hours.

Story developing…

UPDATE#1:

The single has now leaked onto the illegal internet via links from fans on Twitter and fansites.

Sony Music are aware of the leak and are actioning.

Source: Gimme Britney

Note: I will not post the link to it however you can easily find it on YouTube.

Popjustice Reviews ''Hold It Against Me''

The following italicized article is from www.popjustice.com:

We went over to Britney's label earlier this morning. Our mission: listen to the very final no-messing-around version of Britney Spears' new single 'Hold It Against Me'.
Here is the massive RCA logo you see when you go into the label. It is a new logo. It is better than the new Britney Spears logo, but wouldn't really work as a Britney Spears logo as it says 'RCA' not 'Britney Spears'.

Sometimes labels talk about keeping music 'under lock and key'. What that usually means is that there are CDs sitting around on desks all over the building for cleaners to nick if they feel like it, and unwatermarked audio streams have only been sent to about fifty people in radio. With Britney it seems like there is Proper Security around the whole thing. There is, allegedly, only one CD in the UK and this is it.
As a 'cunning bluff' it doesn't actually say THIS IS THE NEW BRITNEY SPEARS SINGLE 'HOLD IT AGAINST' ME on it, and has been kept in a Willow Smith CD sleeve. Note the subtle 'BS' at the leftmost extremity of Willow's whipped hair.

This is what the CD looks like when it is inserted into a CD player.
As you can see, the song is three minutes and fifty two seconds long. That makes it twenty two seconds longer than the optimum pop length (established by '...Baby One More Time') of three minutes and thirty seconds, but complaining about a new Britney song going on a bit is a bit like moaning your lunch is a bit too nice.

So what's it like? Well, if you've heard the demo (which frankly isn't very good and made us worry a bit about this whole Britney comeback business) you will probably be expecting something that sounds like a halfarsed Ke$ha tribute. Fortunately, while the song's lyrics and melody aren't that different, the finished Britney version of 'Hold It Against Me' is approximately 1000 times better than the demo. It's a harder, more urgent, extremely epic statement track that sounds like the work of a superstar.

Allow us to illustrate our point piscatorially.
The big difference from the early demo that leaked last week is the presence - heralded by a classic Britney spoken word "if I said 'I want your body', would you hold it against me?" - of a fantastically ridiculous dubstep breakdown after the second chorus. After the whole song drops out it's dubstep gloomwobble-a-go-go for a full thirty seconds, with Britney throwing around some "yeah", "ow", "uh-huh" ad-libs and a new "gimme something good, don't wanna wait I want it now, drop it like a hood and show me how you work it out" line. After that there's a second middle eight (don't be surprised if certain radio programmers whip out the first one entirely) which is a hands-in-the-air smoke machine moment more in keeping with the rest of the track, and that's followed by the full chorus slamming in and taking you to the end of the track. Sudden end, no fade. Amazing.

This is neither the time or the place to fully explore the concept of delayed gratification but the effect of teasing the listener by dropping the beat out of the song's first two choruses, then plunging us into half a minute of abstract dubstep, and then only finally revealing the full-on raveochorus in the song's final moments is something very special indeed. Warning: YOU MAY SHED A TEAR OR OTHER FLUIDS.

Other bits:

1. There is lots of whooshing.

2. There's no "babaay", but there is a "hazaay".

3. The vocals are a bit treated - it's a Britney single - but it's not Auto-Tuned to fuck like we (and lots of you) feared. It's obviously Britney and it's obviously brilliant.

4. We love it and it makes us very excited - more excited than we thought we would be - for the album.

Source: Popjustice

11 Ways To Get Ready For "Hold It Against Me"

The moment we've all been waiting for is finally happening this Tuesday, 1/11/11 at 12am EST! Brit's new single "Hold It Against Me" will premiere simultaneously on radio stations and be availably immediately in the U.S. exclusively in the iTunes store.

This is going to be a VERY exciting moment, and we want to make sure that everyone is prepared for this event. Below are a some ideas we have for you all...

1. Keep on tweeting at @britneyspears about the single release, and use the hashtag #HOLDITAGAINSTME.

2. RSVP to the official "Hold It Against Me" single release event on Facebook, and invite all of your friends!

3. Make the HIAM album art your profile picture on your personal Facebook, Twitter, MyYearbook, and MySpace accounts.

4. Get the It's Britney! iPhone App, so you can keep up with Britney and the "Hold It Against Me" single release while you're on the go.

5. Tomorrow is #MusicMonday on Twitter. Make sure everyone knows that your Music Monday actually starts at Tuesday, 12am EST.

6. Update your Twitter and Facebook status with this text "If I ___________, would you #HOLDITAGAINSTME ?"

7. Suggest Britney's Facebook page to all of your friends. Just visit her page, and click on the "Suggest to Friends" link underneath her profile picture.

8. Leave a comment on the Twitpic that Brit posted with the HIAM album artwork.

9. Check out the new design on Britney's YouTube channel, and make sure you leave a comment and subscribe. You never know when a new video might pop up on there.

10. Retweet Britney's tweets about the single premiere and 1/11/11.

11. Call your local radio station and tell them you want to hear them play "Hold It Against Me" as soon as they get it!

Source: BritneySpears.com

Britney Spears Runs Errands with Jayden James

The following italicized article is from www.justjared.com:

Britney Spears runs errands with her son Jayden James on Sunday (January 9) in Woodland Hills, Calif.

The day before, the 29-year-old pop princess brought her other son Sean to a birthday party in Los Angeles. Earlier in the weekend, Brit went for a pampering session after a day at the recording studio.

Britney’s new single “Hold It Against Me” will be released at midnight on Tuesday. Are you getting excited yet??? Check out the cover art for the single!

See more pics here!

Source: Just Jared

Britney Spears: Birthday Party with Sean Preston!

The following italicized article is from www.justjared.com:

Britney Spears helps her son, Sean, out of the car as they hit up a birthday party at Bright Child on Saturday (January 8) in Los Angeles.

The 29-year-old pop princess dressed Sean, 5, in a hoodie with a sportscoat - too cute!

Tuesday is a big day for Britney - her highly anticipated new single, “Hold It Against Me,” will be released! Check out the cover art if you haven’t seen it yet.

See more pics here!

Source: Just Jared