Womanizer (song)

"Womanizer"
Upper bust of Britney Spears. She looks into the camera over her right shoulder. She is wearing a black top with small holes. The background is composed by geometric figures in different shades of purple. The text "Britney Spears" and "Womanizer" are angled across the image in stylized print.
Single by Britney Spears
from the album Circus
ReleasedSeptember 26, 2008
Studio
  • Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank
  • Legacy Studios in New York City
  • MixStar Studios in Virginia
Genre
Length3:44
Label
Songwriter(s)The Outsyders
Producer(s)The Outsyders
Britney Spears singles chronology
"Break the Ice"
(2008)
"Womanizer"
(2008)
"Circus"
(2008)
Music video
"Womanizer" on YouTube

"Womanizer" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus (2008). It was released on September 26, 2008, by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and written by the Outsyders, the song was re-recorded after a snippet was leaked onto the internet. "Womanizer" is an up-tempo electropop and dance-pop song. Described by Spears as a girl anthem, the song's lyrics recall a womanizing man, while the protagonist of the song makes clear she knows who he really is.

"Womanizer" received critical acclaim with critics mostly praising its hook, melody and empowering lyrics. Critics also observed it as a stand-out track from the album, while some deemed it a comeback single for Spears. It became a major global success, topping the charts in twelve countries including the United States and reached the top five in every country it charted in also receiving several certifications from several countries. In the United States, "Womanizer" was her first single to reach number one since "...Baby One More Time" in 1999. The song broke the record for the highest jump to number one at a time which was later broken by Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You" in 2009. It is also her best-selling digital song in the country, having sold over 3.5 million copies.[1] The song received a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 52nd Grammy Awards, becoming her second nomination in the category.

The music video, directed by Joseph Kahn, was created by Spears as a sequel to the music video of "Toxic". It portrays Spears as a woman who disguises herself in different costumes and follows her boyfriend through his daily activities to expose him in the end. The video also contains interspersed scenes of Spears naked in a steam room, as a response to the attacks she had received over the years about her weight. The video was also nominated for two categories at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, and won for the Best Pop Video.

The song has been covered by a numerous artists from different genres, including Lily Allen, Franz Ferdinand and Girls Aloud. Spears performed "Womanizer" on several television shows including The X Factor and Good Morning America, as well as award shows such as the 2008 Bambi Awards. She has also performed the song at The Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009), the Femme Fatale Tour (2011) and Britney: Piece of Me (2013).

  1. ^ Trust, Gary (March 24, 2015). "Ask Billboard: Britney Spears's Career Sales". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2022.