Analysis Of Toxic By Britney Spears

Throughout the past few decades, female artists within the music industry have become increasingly sexualised and objectified. As society’s views on women began to change during the early 20th Century, allowing them more freedom, it also brought about an increase of attention and focus within the media. Women were becoming more prominent as artists, actors, singers, and models.

By examining a popular music video by the female singer and cultural icon, Britney Spears, I aim to analyse the real intentions of the music, and the images that support it, using the themes of sex, gender, and the postmodern movement. I will then contrast it with music and videos of popular female musicians from earlier decades.

There will be many factors to consider throughout this exploration, including the social factors that surrounded the era of the video, Toxic by Britney Spears, and how they may have influenced its creation and reception. Also to be considered, is the development and rise in popularity of the Internet and social media, and how this affected the accessibility of music, specifically in the form of music videos, by the consumer. To aid in this analysis, I will be looking to theorists such as Judith Butler, who specialises in gender studies, particularly within her book, Gender Trouble.

At the forefront of my exploration on this subject, I have chosen the song and accompanying music video, Toxic by Britney Spears. This three and a half minute long piece of footage, features the singer appearing in a variety of outfits, seeing her in different situations throughout.

To begin, I will examine the song itself, and its lyrical content:

The first thing to note, is the song demonstrates Spears’ infatuation with the subject of the song, wh...

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...n a black catsuit, a style very similar to one sported by the lead actor Jennifer Garner, in the series at the time (Images 5 & 9). More influence can be noted when viewing the singer in her diamond-studded outfit, as it closely resembles Kate Bush in the 1978 video, The Man with the Child in His Eyes, appearing in a flesh-coloured outfit (Images 3 & 10).

Comparing the two, it is seems relevant to note how Spears’ portrayal is much more animalistic and seductive than Bush’s original concept, which comes across more innocent, emotionally exposed, and almost child-like – with the singer adopting the foetal position at both the beginning and end of the video (Image 11). The softer lighting and hazed effect in Kate Bush’s video means less emphasis on the details of her body, whereas in Spears’ Toxic the image is crisp, displaying a vivid picture of her naked body.