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"Kill the Lights" is a song by American pop singer Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. Produced by Danja, the song’s lyrics talk about the paparazzi, the media and the consequences of becoming a celebrity. Musically, "Kill the Lights" is an upbeat dance song.
Background
"Kill the Lights" was co-written by Danja, Marcella Araica and James Washington, who previously worked with Spears on her fifth studio album, Blackout (2007).[1] In 2008, Danja produced a number of songs for Spears at Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles, and Spears recorded them at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank. "Kill the Lights" and "Blur" were the only songs from these sessions to be included in the standard version of Circus, with "Rock Boy" becoming a bonus track in other editions.[2]
"Kill the Lights" is a dance-pop song
Critical reception
The song has received positive reviews. UK's The Sun described "Kill the Lights" as "a brilliant disco banger".[3] Caryn Ganz of Rolling Stone says "the photographer-taunting stomper 'Kill the Lights' recalls the synth crush of 2007's Blackout.[4] The New York Times' Jon Pareles said "Her sequel to 'Piece of Me', last year's attack on her co-dependent media coverage, is 'Kill the Lights'. Amid electronic blips and ominous artificial strings and horns, she alternately invites photographers closer and fends them off. 'They all wanna see', she warns prospective stars. 'Is life going to get the best of you?'"[5]. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that "Kill the Lights" was a great song, sleek and sexy. But it didn't belong on the record, and should have been on Blackout.[6]
Chart performance
On December 20, 2008, "Kill the Lights" debuted on several U.S. Billboard component charts based on digital downloads, while its host album Circus topped the U.S. Billboard 200.
Music video
Spears in the cartoon for
Kill the Lights.
An animated music video directed by PUNY debuted on July 27, 2009.[7] The video was inspired by the winner of a fan fiction contest held on Spears' website, the Argentinian Eliana Moyano. The video begins with an animated Danja, then an animated Britney Spears jumps into her rocket ship and flies to another planet. As she flies, some of the paparazzi follow her. She hides on the planet, turning lights on as she walks. Then paparazzi appear to stalk her and she avoids them, and then flies into space in her rocket ship and struck the planet maneuvering a joystick and killed all the lights on the planet. Even though the song's length was 3:59, the video is only 2:08, as the second verse and chorus is omitted. The animated video premiered on Spears' websites, and was released for purchase via iTunes on September 15.[8]
Charts
References
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