Why Toxic wasn't a lead single?

[Minto]

if toxic was the lead single i can't even imagine the numbers it would've performed….a BOMT level collapse 

 

[Rico Shameless v2]

43 minutes ago, dumbsparce said:

Bc they needed to start the era with massive buzz and shock value (aka a Madonna collab) after the Britney singles bombed. Only for it to bomb even harder but alas 

It definitely did not 'bomb even harder' than BRITNEY singles which didn't even chart on the H100 (besides Slave, barely Overprotected). It did exceptional globally too.

 

Also Madonna was kind of poison from American Life so it was risky to have her on the lead plus coming off the Britney ban.

[dumbsparce]

4 minutes ago, Rico Shameless v2 said:

It definitely did not 'bomb even harder' than BRITNEY singles which didn't even chart on the H100 (besides Slave, barely Overprotected). It did exceptional globally too.

 

Globally yes, all 3 singles did well. In the US, however, I do personally consider MATM an even bigger commercial disappointment than the Britney singles even if it peaked much higher. Madonna was chart poison but this was a lead single and the buzz alone should be enough to propel it to the top 20 at least. I love the song and it could only work as the lead so I'm glad they went with it even if it didn't do as well as expected.

[Ivan_brit]

Britney & Madonna kiss just happen, I like MATM as lead single 

[xTurn]

MATM didn't bomb like some peole are saying. Back in the day the music industry was different, I was a kid but everyone was talking about it. Britney image was really bad bc of Jt and his song. So get Madonna for the lead was the best option. And again back in the day singles were made to sell albums, not the single itself.

[Imagine Dragon]

Me Against the Music is a great song, so energizing. I never got the hate against it.

[lestat111]

2 hours ago, TeeJay said:

Cuz britney got madonna on me against the music, it was a big deal cuz britney loved madonna, it was the first time madonna had EVER collabed on someone elses song, the vma kiss had happened so it made sense to continue the hype from that by releasing a song with M and britney just really liked the song and she wanted it to be the lead.

Second time to be correct.

[NEX]

3 hours ago, oceans said:

fr?

 

3 hours ago, poki said:

Technically Prince has vocals on a track from Like A Prayer but in terms of official credits on a track title, yeah MATM was the first one (Missy Elliott collab came up within weeks after this)

Madonna's first feature outside of her own material was on Ricky Martin's Be Careful in 1999. MATM was the first to become a single. 

[Dante Silva]

At that time Cathy Dennis was considered to be a hot songwriter after CGYOOMH broke Kylie in the U.S. market.
 

Although "Toxic" was written for Kylie (and she rejected it), Britney's team were perched and waiting as they wanted a track with CGYOOMH levels of success for Britney and viewed Cathy as the magic ingredient.

 

In the same way Kylie failed to spot its potential and now refers to it as "the one that got away", Britney's team never saw it as special enough to be deserving of first single status.

 

The best professionals don't always spot classics in advance.

[tshwark]

5 hours ago, TeeJay said:

Cuz britney got madonna on me against the music, it was a big deal cuz britney loved madonna, it was the first time madonna had EVER collabed on someone elses song, the vma kiss had happened so it made sense to continue the hype from that by releasing a song with M and britney just really liked the song and she wanted it to be the lead.

Not the first time