Development
After her Dream Within a Dream Tour, in support of her third studio album Britney (which was released in 2001). Spears announced she would take a break from her career for another six months. On November 5, 2002, however, she revealed that she had started working on her suivant studio album with foreign producers. On December 6, 2002, she announced she was working with American record producer Darkchild, who had worked with Spears in her cover of "I l’amour Rock 'n' Roll". While in Europe, she also met English producer William Orbit and French electronic musique duo Daft Punk about possible collaborations. When asked about the direction of the album, Spears responded "It should just happen naturally from the way toi feel. ... I'm in the studio just doing my thing and letting it flow. Whatever happens, happens". On January 2003, Spears worked on three tracks with American Fred Durst that were described as "trip-hop tracks reminiscent of Portishead and the Sneaker Pimps". She also worked with production team The Matrix on three tracks. Member Lauren Christy likened the album to Madonna's rayon, ray of Light and claimed to be impressed with Spears' vocal ability. She also a dit about the songs,
"It's not really R&B-based ou dance-based, [...] It's got a really good groove. [...] Lyrically, it's a little deeper, just a little plus grown up, but not trying to change the world ou anything. The great thing about Britney is she really knows what she wants. She knows if she's trying something on that doesn't fit right for her. She's not one to strap on some sort of fake image. [...] I think [fans]'ll be really into what's going to happen"
On July 2003, American DJ Moby talked about working with Spears, commenting that the track they worked on, "Early Mornin'", was "brooding and atmospheric. It's very simple and, for lack of a better word, sexy". Spears praised Moby saying "he's such a pure-hearted guy. He's so cool. I thought [the song] was brilliant". Other producers Spears worked on the album were 7 Aurelius, Mark Taylor and the collective RedZone, from which she a dit "[They] are the first people I've ever worked with where it's like I'm listening to it off the radio. Where I'm like, yeah, I'm jamming ... with myself. And it's weird. I've never done that before".[14] Puff Daddy also announced he had produced two songs for her and a dit about the recording sessions,
"I think she's giving toi a lot to work with. She's broke out of that just pop [style], just being a pop artist. She's being a trendsetter. She has many styles. toi don't know how she's going to come and hit toi next. [...] As a performer, as an artist, as a songwriter, she ain't no slouch. It was great working with her".
Song writer Cathy Dennis approached Spears with a song called "Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex" that implied to be an answer to Justin Timberlake's seconde single "Cry Me a River" after the media hype that the song was about Timberlake and Spears' break up, however, Spears declined to accept the song, but was later offered to Rachel Stevens for her debut solo album and eventually released as her first single.
The album's name originated from a constantly used phrase from the lead single "Me Against the Music", the phrase being "I want to get in the zone." The album's original titre was Get in the Zone, and was later shorten to In the Zone.
Tour
The Onyx Hotel Tour kicked off March 2, 2004, and continued through the spring and summer with 75 stops in major U.S., European and Asian cities. The "Britney Spears Live From Miami" concert was aired on showtime on March 28 at 9 p.m. ET. The trek's "Onyx Hotel" resembles Tommy Tune's Broadway musical "Grand Hotel," which portrayed a jour in the life of the Berlin Grand Hotel in 1928. Spears has been decked out in 1920s/1930s hairstyles in promotional pictures for the tour and her Showtime concert special, which airs live from the Miami tour stop on March 28 at 9 p.m. ET (tape-delayed on the West Coast). Spears was taken the role of hostess of the Onyx Hotel, with her dancers becoming the hotel staffers and audience members finding themselves to be the invited guests.
Singles
1."Me Against the Music" became the first single from In the Zone, when Spears appeared with Madonna at the MTV VMAs and asked her to appear on the track. Co-written par Britney with production team, RedZone, "Me Against the Music" reached #1 in Australia and became Britney's biggest hit since "I'm a Slave 4 U" in the USA, reaching No. 35 in the Billboard Hot 100, hit No. 2 in the UK Singles Charts, and went straight into the haut, retour au début 5 in many European countries.
2."Toxic" was produced par Swedish duo, Bloodshy & Avant, British songwriter, Cathy Dennis, co-wrote the infectious electropop-influenced seconde single. The track, complete with a fitting futuristic video, directed par Joseph Kahn, sold over 105,000 copies in the UK in its first week alone, as well as being huge in Europe.
3."Toxic" became Britney's biggest hit worldwide since "Oops!... I Did It Again", hitting #1 yet again in Australia and going to #9 on the USA Hot 100, and giving Britney her fourth UK No. 1 single. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, becoming Spears' first Grammy win. "(I Got That) Boom Boom", produced par Roy Hamilton, was at first set as the album's seconde single, but Spears pushed for "Toxic" and eventually won. "Boom Boom" was performed on The Onyx Hotel Tour, and also being included in other promotions for In the Zone. Spears and the Ying Yang Twins were set to perform the song on the 2004 MTV Video musique Awards, but they were unable to perform the song due to Spears' knee injury.
4."Everytime", the third single from In the Zone, showcased Britney at her most mature; a haunting piano-led ballad, with introspective, personal lyrics, written par Britney & produced par Guy Sigsworth, one half of Frou Frou. The song gave Britney her fifth No. 1 in Australia and the UK, released shortly after her sold-out The Onyx Hotel Tour, which hit Europe in May, and reached No. 15 on the USA Hot 100 (and reached No. 7 on the USA download chart), selling steadily and propelling sales of "In the Zone" worldwide.
5."Outrageous" — written and produced par R. Kelly — was contracted to be a single, so, Britney, having won the battles for the first and seconde singles, agreed that it would be the fourth single. Unfortunately, whilst shooting the video, she injured her knee on set, leaving the video incomplete. The track was still released in certain territories —North America and Japan, charting at #79 in the USA, in Japon it was released with a commercial single, backed with remixes from the likes of Junkie XL, Josh Harris and R. Kelly himself.
6."Breathe on Me" was set to have a worldwide release as In the Zone's fifth single. The plans were scrapped due to Spears' knee injury during the filming for the musique video of "Outrageous". Still, the song did have a minor release in 2004. It had a radio release across North America and Europe. "Breathe on Me" also appeared on the 2005 remix album B in the Mix: The Remixes. The song was performed on every tour since it's been released, including The Onyx Hotel Tour and The Circus Starring Britney Spears, and on the 2007 promotional House of Blues concerts. It never charted.
