In the Zone

She collaborated with artists such as Madonna and the Ying Yang Twins, while contributions came from a wide range of producers, including Bloodshy & Avant, R. Kelly, Trixster, Moby, Guy Sigsworth and the Matrix.

A global commercial success, it debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 609,000 copies, making Spears the first female artist to have her first four albums reach number one.

"Outrageous" was plagued by a lack of promotion due to Spears injuring her knee while filming its accompanying music video, and only peaked at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

"[11] On August 27, Spears opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards by performing a medley of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood" with Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott.

[13] Madonna then emerged from the cake wearing a black coat and a hat and started singing "Hollywood" before proceeding to kiss Spears and Aguilera on the lips.

[16] For In the Zone, Spears worked with hit producers such as Bloodshy & Avant, R. Kelly, Diddy, Christopher Stewart, Moby, Guy Sigsworth and the Matrix.

"[18] Christopher Stewart and Penelope Magnet, known collectively as RedZone, presented Spears with the third song they had written and produced, titled "Pop Culture Whore".

"[1] RedZone were then enlisted to work on several more songs for the album, including co-writing "Early Mornin'", recording background vocals for "Outrageous" and producing "The Hook Up".

[19] Spears talked about the overall sound of the album with Rolling Stone, saying: "I'd describe it as trance-y, kind of vibe record—something you could listen to that's no so song-structured [...] Of course I'm not doing '...Baby One More Time' and those massive hits anymore.

[29] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian deemed In the Zone "a happy collision of house, dreamy electro-pop and Britney’s lyrical preoccupations [...] which have her perched on the cusp between teen poppet and sexually confident woman.

[1][26][31] "Showdown" has "bubbly" beats and its lyrics, about "fighting and making up with carnal relations", include the lines "I don't really want to be a tease / But would you undo my zipper, please?"

[33] On the Euro trance and ambient-techno song with trip hop influences, Spears sings: "Oh, it's so hot, and I need some air / And boy, don't stop 'cause I'm halfway there" and "Just put your lips together and blow.

[34] It contains elements of hip hop, electropop, and bhangra music, and features varied instrumentation, such as drums, synthesizers, high-pitched strings and surf guitars.

"[41] The Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix of "Me Against the Music" removes the original melody of the song and adds a clattering backbeat and Punjabi shouts.

[44][45] On September 14, Spears played a surprise concert at Rain Nightclub in the Palms Casino Resort, and performed "Me Against the Music", "Breathe on Me" and a medley of "...Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U".

[53] In November 2003, Zomba Label Group president Barry Weiss had spoken to Billboard and said that In the Zone was being promoted on a global level, exhausting areas such as print and electronic media, television, radio and video to raise awareness of its release.

Other broader-based marketing efforts included a tie-in with marketing company LidRock, where after ordering a soda at Sbarro, customers received a cup featuring the artwork and a three-inch disc in the lid featuring "Brave New Girl" and songs by two other artists; in December, an updated LidRock disc was made available, including a remix of "Me Against the Music" without Madonna, as well as songs by fellow Jive acts Nick Cannon and Bowling for Soup.

[64][65] "Me Against the Music" achieved international commercial success, peaking atop of the charts in countries such as Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland and Spain, as well as the European Hot 100 Singles.

[66] Directed by Joseph Kahn, the accompanying music video for the song portrays Spears as a secret agent in the search of a vial of green liquid.

[66][75] Its accompanying music video, directed by David LaChapelle, portrays Spears as a star hounded by paparazzi, who drowns in her bathtub when she starts bleeding from a wound in her head.

[66] Directed by Dave Meyers, its accompanying music video was being filmed in New York City on June 8, when Spears injured her knee and had to undergo arthroscopic surgery.

"[64] Ruth Mitchell of the BBC called "Early Mornin'" the best track from the album, but added: "Sadly, her attempts to prove her new-found maturity are what overwhelm and cloud all that is good about In The Zone.

"[65] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly called "Brave New Girl" and "Touch of My Hand" the best and most straightforward moments of In the Zone, but added that "On a CD intended to celebrate her lurch into adulthood, Spears remains distant and submerged.

"[85] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine stated: "Britney's fourth album, In The Zone, finds the pop tart coming of age with a bold mix of hip-hop and dance music, wiping clean the last traces of her bubblegum-pop past.

"[28] Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian commented: "Unlike previous Britney albums, In the Zone has no filler and no shoddy cover versions, just 57 varieties of blue-chip hit-factory pop.

"[64] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine stated: "For a girl who's always seemed too sexed-up for her age, In the Zone finds Britney finally filling her britches, so-to-speak.

"[38] Following the abrupt conclusion of the Onyx Hotel Tour due to her knee injury, Spears embarked on a prolonged hiatus from performing,[114] and would not release another studio album until Blackout in October 2007.

"[17] Celebrating the album's 15th anniversary in 2018, Jason Lipshutz of Billboard claimed it "signaled a more mature direction for Spears as she explored electronic music and hip-hop like never before.

And the record's lyrics — which referenced her breakup with Justin Timberlake and pushed back at her critics in the media — celebrated new levels of independence and candor for the singer.

"[122] Los Angeles pop-up museum The Zone, celebrating Spears' "iconic songs, videos, and outfits through Instagram-worthy photo ops, interactive displays and personalized content activated by special RFID wristbands", was titled after the album and opened in January 2020.

Westlake Recording Studios , one of the locations where In the Zone was recorded
Distant image of a blond woman. She is sitting on a swing hanging from two pieces of fabric. Smoke surrounds her. She is wearing a dress and has her legs crossed. She is holding a microphone and grabbing the swing.
Spears performing "Shadow" during the Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004
Spears performing " Everytime " during her Las Vegas concert residency Britney: Piece of Me in 2014
Spears closing a show of the Onyx Hotel Tour by performing " Me Against the Music " in 2004
Spears performing In the Zone ' s second single " Toxic " during the Femme Fatale Tour in 2011
Image of two people kissing. In the left, the man wears underwear and boots. In the right, the blond woman wears lingerie, stockings and high heels.
Spears, flanked by one of her dancers, during the performance of "Breathe on Me" during the Onyx Hotel Tour in 2004