In the Zone

In October 2001, Spears released her third studio album Britney, which portrayed more mature themes. Despite selling over four million copies in the United States, it was viewed as "poor-selling" in comparison to her previous efforts.{{Cite magazine|title=Britney Busts Loose!|magazine=Blender|date=December 20, 2003|last=Shaw|first=William|issn=1534-0554}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/There-s-more-to-Britney-than-the-porn-persona-2511446.php|title=There's more to Britney than the porn persona – just listen to her wonderfully awful new album|date=November 20, 2003|access-date=April 16, 2022|last=Vaziri|first=Aidin|work=San Francisco Chronicle|archive-date=September 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920050459/https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/There-s-more-to-Britney-than-the-porn-persona-2511446.php|url-status=live}} The following year, her three-year relationship with pop singer Justin Timberlake ended after months of speculation.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1454548/britney-avoids-vice-justin-talk-at-sin-city-tour-opener/|title=Britney Avoids Vice, Justin Talk At Sin City Tour Opener|date=May 28, 2002|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Moss|first=Corey|work=MTV News|archive-date=December 9, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041209010330/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1454548/20020528/spears_britney.jhtml?headlines=true|url-status=dead}} After the Dream Within a Dream Tour in support of Britney ended in July 2002, Spears announced a six-month break. In November, she revealed that she had started working on her next studio album. She explained: "Well, actually, I just said that I wanted two or three weeks off. [....] And the whole world was like, 'Ohmigod, [sic] she's gone..."{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1458526/britney-spears-hiatus-is-history/|title=Britney Spears' Hiatus Is History|date=November 5, 2002|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Moss|first=Corey|work=MTV News|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033334/http://www.mtv.com/news/1458526/britney-spears-hiatus-is-history/|url-status=dead}}

While in Europe, Spears met with William Orbit and Daft Punk about possible collaborations, and originally confirmed previous collaborators Darkchild and the Neptunes as producers. When asked by The Hollywood Reporter about the direction of the record, Spears responded it was an organic evolution, adding: "It should just happen naturally from the way you feel. [...] Whatever happens, happens".{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1459045/britney-spears-to-work-with-rodney-jerkins-again/|title=Britney Spears To Work With Rodney Jerkins Again|date=December 6, 2002|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=D'Angelo|first=Joe|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033336/http://www.mtv.com/news/1459045/britney-spears-to-work-with-rodney-jerkins-again/|url-status=dead}} Additionally, Spears scheduled meet-and-greets with Timbaland and Missy Elliott in an effort to help evolve her sound.{{cite web|last=Gardner |first=Chris |title=Turning 21, turning it on |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1771663 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=December 2, 2002 |access-date=March 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505172155/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1771663 |archive-date=May 5, 2008 }} Elliott was enlisted in further production work with Nisan Stewart for Spears' project; however, none of the initial material was released.{{cite web|last=Renzer|first=David|title=NEWS DETAIL: UMPG Announces Major New Urban Crossover Writer/Producer Signings – Andre Harris & Vidal Davis > Nisan Stewart|url=http://www.umusicpub.com/#contentRequest=newsdetail&contentLocation=sub&contentOptions=%26articleID%3D681|work=Universal Music Publishing Group|date=November 8, 2002|access-date=March 15, 2014|archive-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027144734/https://www.umusicpub.com/#contentRequest=newsdetail&contentLocation=sub&contentOptions=%26articleID%3D681|url-status=live}} Spears also worked with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, but their work was unproductive; Murphy said: "We were both lying on the floor, head-to head, working on lyrics in a notepad. She seemed eager to please, but it went nowhere. She went to dinner and just never came back."{{cite web | last=Robinson | first=Peter | author-link=Peter Robinson (journalist) | title=The 50 most amazing moments in pop history (that never actually happened) | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/07/bowie-producing-elvis-stevie-nicks-singing-purple-rain-greatest-50-pop-moments-that-never-happened | work=The Guardian | date=April 7, 2016 | access-date=April 5, 2018 | archive-date=April 6, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406040231/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/07/bowie-producing-elvis-stevie-nicks-singing-purple-rain-greatest-50-pop-moments-that-never-happened | url-status=live }} Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst wrote and produced three trip hop tracks recorded by Spears in January 2003. However, after news of an affair between them broke, Durst told Jive Records he would not let them use the songs.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1470210/durst-dishes-alleged-britney-nookie-on-howard-stern-show/|title=Durst Dishes Alleged Britney Nookie On Howard Stern Show|date=February 27, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|work=MTV|archive-date=February 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204113921/http://www.mtv.com/news/1470210/durst-dishes-alleged-britney-nookie-on-howard-stern-show/|url-status=dead}} In March 2003, Lauren Christy from the Matrix spoke about the development of the album with MTV News, and likened their work with Spears to Madonna's album Ray of Light (1998). Scott Spock, also from the Matrix, continued comparing her to Madonna by saying:

She's taking it to the next level in her career. Madonna constantly takes what's in the club and puts what she does on top of it and makes it mainstream. I think Britney is starting to embrace that concept where she's looking to work on different stuff, instead of using the same familiar, and applying it to her. [...] I don't think [her fans] will be freaked out or upset. I think they'll be really into what's going to happen.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1470380/whos-been-hooking-up-with-britney-we-got-em-to-talk/|title=Who's Been Hooking Up With Britney? We Got 'Em To Talk|date=March 6, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last1=Moss|first1=Corey|last2=Reid|first2=Shaheem|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033335/http://www.mtv.com/news/1470380/whos-been-hooking-up-with-britney-we-got-em-to-talk/|url-status=dead}}

Spears previewed several songs to Quddus Philippe of MTV in May 2003, including "Touch of My Hand", "Brave New Girl" and "Everytime". Spears commented: "I've really been able to take my time and have creative control and make [the new album] special, special, special."{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1472181/britney-previews-lp-denies-rumors-of-cry-me-a-river-response/|title=Britney Previews LP, Denies Rumors Of 'Cry Me A River' Response|date=May 30, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last1=Vineyard|first1=Jennifer|last2=Philippe|first2=Quddus|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033335/http://www.mtv.com/news/1472181/britney-previews-lp-denies-rumors-of-cry-me-a-river-response/|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1477729/madonna-smooches-with-britney-and-christina-justin-coldplay-win-big-at-vmas/|title=Madonna Smooches With Britney And Christina; Justin, Coldplay Win Big At VMAs|last=Moss|first=Corey|date=August 23, 2003|work=MTV|access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-date=July 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704163407/http://www.mtv.com/news/1477729/madonna-smooches-with-britney-and-christina-justin-coldplay-win-big-at-vmas/|url-status=dead}} The performance started with Spears appearing on stage on top of a giant wedding cake while wearing a wedding gown and veil; she sang the first few lines of "Like a Virgin" before Aguilera appeared from behind the cake and joined her.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1477734/beyonce-50-mary-j-metallica-overshadowed-by-two-little-kisses/|title=Beyonce, 50, Mary J., Metallica Overshadowed By Two Little Kisses|last=Wiederhorn|first=Jon|date=August 29, 2003|work=MTV|access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033335/http://www.mtv.com/news/1477734/beyonce-50-mary-j-metallica-overshadowed-by-two-little-kisses/|url-status=dead}} 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. Elliott came out from a wedding chapel to sing her song "Work It" halfway through the performance.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2003/|title=MTV VMA 2003 highlights – Madonna performance video|work=MTV|access-date=January 28, 2011|archive-date=August 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828092702/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2003/|url-status=dead}} The kiss generated strong reaction from the media. The performance was listed by Blender magazine as one of the 25 sexiest music moments in television history.{{Cite magazine|title=The 25 Sexiest Music Moments in TV History!|magazine=Blender|date=February 15, 2004|last=Collis|first=Clark|issn=1534-0554}} In 2008, MTV listed the performance as the number-one opening moment in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1593419/the-top-10-opening-moments-in-vma-history-from-madonna-to-the-present/|title=The Top 10 Opening Moments In VMA History: From Madonna To The Present|last=Vena|first=Jocelyn|website=MTV|date=August 24, 2008|access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-date=May 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511105524/https://www.mtv.com/news/1593419/the-top-10-opening-moments-in-vma-history-from-madonna-to-the-present/|url-status=dead}}

File:Westlake Recording Studios.jpg, one of the locations where In the Zone was recorded]]

For In the Zone, Spears worked with hit producers such as Bloodshy & Avant, R. Kelly, Diddy, Christopher Stewart, Moby, Guy Sigsworth and the Matrix. She first started writing songs for the album during her Dream Within a Dream Tour. Spears commented about writing while touring: "The only thing that was scary to me is that I didn't know if they were good. [But] You can't trust anybody. You have to go with your feelings." Spears commented that she was an autobiographical songwriter, although not to the point she felt self-exploited. Following the end of the tour, Spears invited her friend and backing vocalist Annet Artani to her home in Los Angeles. They started writing songs at the piano, and shortly after, they traveled to Lake Como in Lombardy, Italy. Among the tracks they worked on was "Everytime", which Artani confirmed to be written as a response to Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River", as well as "Shine", written by Spears about her sister Jamie Lynn, which was left unfinished.{{cite web|url=http://www.muumuse.com/2010/02/annet-artani-from-everytime-to-alive.html#more-5249|title=Annet Artani: From "Everytime" to "Alive"|date=February 2010|access-date=April 23, 2010|last=Stern|first=Bradley|website=MuuMuse|archive-date=February 11, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211215937/http://www.muumuse.com/2010/02/annet-artani-from-everytime-to-alive.html#more-5249|url-status=live}} Earnest recording of the album began in November 2002. Spears commented that although she did not know initially what direction she wanted to go with the album, she took time to work with different producers and to find those who she had chemistry with. The first song recorded for In the Zone was "Touch of My Hand", and Spears said it "really did provide a balance for the rest of the record. We just went from there." Following the recording sessions for "Everytime" at the Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, Spears complimented Sigsworth, saying: "I just basically told him exactly how I wanted the song to sound. And he was so amazing because there's a lot of producers you tell them things and they don't get it. And you're like oh, that's not the right way. He got it just right. He was amazing."

Christopher Stewart and Penelope Magnet, known collectively as RedZone, presented Spears with the third song they had written and produced, titled "Pop Culture Whore". While her management liked the track, she rejected it, telling them the song "sucked". After bonding with Spears during a night in New York City to "get in her world", as Magnet explained, it was easier to "actually write and know what she would and wouldn't say, to know where her real vibe is". Stewart and Magnet began working on the first version of "Me Against the Music"; Stewart came up with the track, while Magnet developed the melody on a piano and some of the lyrics.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1479776/getting-aggressive-with-britney-pays-off-for-redzone/|title=Getting Aggressive With Britney Pays Off For RedZone|date=October 15, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Moss|first=Corey|work=MTV|archive-date=September 11, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911151104/http://www.mtv.com/news/1479776/getting-aggressive-with-britney-pays-off-for-redzone/|url-status=dead}} During the recording sessions, Stewart recalls that the studio's air-conditioning died for three days, but Spears "didn't complain or anything, and for me that shows she's where she is for a reason."{{Cite magazine|last=Hiatt|first=Brian|date=October 2, 2003|title=Secrets of the Madonna/Britney collaboration|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2003/10/02/secrets-madonnabritney-collaboration|url-status=live|access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317020056/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,491853,00.html|archive-date=17 March 2008}} While rehearsing for their performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Spears played a finished version of "Me Against the Music" to Madonna. After Madonna commented that she liked the track, Spears asked her to do the song with her.{{Cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1626705/britney-spears-and-madonna-tease-fans-in-me-against-the-music-video/|title=Britney Spears And Madonna 'Tease' Fans In 'Me Against The Music' Video|date=December 20, 2009|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vena|first=Jocelyn|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033335/http://www.mtv.com/news/1626705/britney-spears-and-madonna-tease-fans-in-me-against-the-music-video/|url-status=dead}} RedZone then handed "Me Against the Music" to Madonna, who arranged and recorded her vocal additions on her own, therefore making the song a duet. Spears, who had been a fan of Madonna for years, was "beyond surprised" when she heard Madonna's verse. She said "I just asked her to do a little thing, but she really went there. She did a lot of stuff to it." 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".

File:Shadow Live 2004 (cropped).jpg in 2004|alt=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.]]

The Matrix commented that after they presented songs to Spears, she tailored them to suit herself, especially the lyrics. Member Lauren Christy said: "... she really knows what she wants. She knows if she's trying something on that doesn't fit right for her. She's like, 'No, that's not me.' She's not one to strap on some sort of fake image." Christy also claimed to be impressed with Spears's vocal ability during the recording of "Shadow". Steve Anderson, Lisa Greene and Stephen Lee wrote "Breathe on Me" at Metrophonic Studios in London. Before meeting with the other writers, Anderson thought of two concepts for songs specifically for Spears: one he had worked on "for ages", and "Breathe on Me", which he drafted on the morning of the sessions. Greene and Lee did not like the first concept, and they wrote "Breathe on Me" with Anderson. The song was produced by Mark Taylor, who kept most of the programming done by Anderson. With Taylor, Spears recorded "Breathe on Me" and "And Then We Kiss", latter of which did not make the album.{{cite web|url=http://www.muumuse.com/2010/09/glitter-and-diamonds-interview-with-steve-anderson-part-one.html|title=Glitter and Diamonds: Interview with...Steve Anderson! (Part One)|last=Stern|first=Bradley|publisher=MuuMuse|date=September 2010|access-date=January 12, 2010|archive-date=December 31, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231034923/http://www.muumuse.com/2010/09/glitter-and-diamonds-interview-with-steve-anderson-part-one.html/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.muumuse.com/2011/09/britney-spears-and-then-we-kiss-original-version-leaks.html/|title=Daily B: The Original Version of 'And Then We Kiss' Surfaces|last=Stern|first=Bradley|date=2 September 2011|publisher=MuuMuse|access-date=September 5, 2011|archive-date=15 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015035046/http://www.muumuse.com/2011/09/britney-spears-and-then-we-kiss-original-version-leaks.html/|url-status=live}} Other recording locations for the album included the Battery Studios, Daddy's House Recordings and The Dojo in New York City; 3:20 Studios, Decoy Studios, Pacifique Recording Studios, Record Plant and Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles; The Chocolate Factory, in Chicago, Triangle Sound Studios in Atlanta, Olympic Studios in London, and Murlyn Studios in Stockholm. Throughout 2003, Spears started testing tracks by playing them in nightclubs such as Show in New York City. Before the album was released, Spears' manager Larry Rudolph commented that it was important for Spears to continue moving away from a traditional pop sound, citing "I'm a Slave 4 U" and "Boys" from Britney as departures from her previous music. Barry Weiss, then-president of Jive Label Group, added: "She has achieved what she set out to achieve, which was to make a mature album that didn't sound like something she would have done three years while still making a commercial album that has hit singles. [...] It's the kind of record she should be doing right now, and it came down to her to make it."

{{Listen|pos=left|filename=Britney Spears - Breathe on Me.ogg|title="Breathe on Me"|description=A 22-second sample of the song's chorus, with trip hop influences. The song was described as the most sensual of the album.|format=Ogg|filename2=Britney Spears - Touch of My Hand.ogg|title2="Touch of My Hand"|description2=A 24-second sample of the chorus of "Touch of My Hand". The instrumentation contains elements of Middle Eastern music and its lyrics refer to masturbation.}}

According to Billboard, In the Zone marked a musical departure for Spears. Instead of traditional pop, the album is darker and more dance-oriented. 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. I think this record is where I am at right now in my life. It's sensual, it's sexual. I'm probably writing about that subconsciously because I don't have that right now."{{Cite magazine|title=Sometimes It's Hard To Be a Woman|year=2003|magazine=Rolling Stone |last=Binelli|first=Mark|issn=0035-791X}} Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine described the record's sound as "bold mix of hip-hop and dance music", while Amy Schriefer of NPR stated the album "mix[es] dance, house, crunk, Diwali beats and Neptunes-style hip hop". Tom Bishop of BBC News stated that the record combines bhaṅgṛā, R&B and hip hop.{{cite web |last1=Bishop |first1=Tom |title=Bhangra Britney gets lost in music |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3268411.stm |website=BBC News |access-date=August 9, 2020 |date=November 21, 2003 |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809104538/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3268411.stm |url-status=live }} 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."{{cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Caroline |title=Britney Spears: where to start in her back catalogue |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/apr/29/britney-spears-where-to-start-in-her-back-catalogue |website=The Guardian |access-date=August 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809102833/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/apr/29/britney-spears-where-to-start-in-her-back-catalogue |archive-date=August 9, 2020 |date=April 29, 2020 |url-status=live}} According to William Shaw of Blender, the main theme of In the Zone is "Spears’s awakening to her sexuality as a single woman."

{{Quote box|width=230px|align=right|quote=

"I just think once you start being so self-serving with your music... I did a little bit of that with the last record, and I really didn't want to put myself out there that much. I understand [when musicians write about personal things]. But when everything is about you, I just think.... Like, on this record, some of the songs, like 'Brave New Girl', I can relate to that song, but It's how personal you go. This record is definitely personal, but it's not shockingly personal – put it that way."|source=— Spears talks writing about personal experiences}}

In the Zone opens with "Me Against the Music", constructed as a duet with Madonna after she was added to the track. Spears and Madonna trade lines during the verses, and Madonna sings solo in the bridge. The instrumentation in the song includes influences of hip hop and funk guitars. The song's lyrics feature Spears and Madonna singing of the pleasures of letting go on the dancefloor, in "I'm up against the speaker / Trying to take on the music / It's like a competition". The second song, "I Got That (Boom Boom)", is an Atlanta-style hip hop track featuring the Ying Yang Twins.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1479887/britney-album-preview-sex-sex-and-more-sex/|title=Britney Album Preview: Sex, Sex And More Sex|date=October 22, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=April 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412052952/http://www.mtv.com/news/1479887/britney-album-preview-sex-sex-and-more-sex/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/17/arts/music/17CHOI.html|title=Oops! It's Album Time Again, Britney|date=November 17, 2003|access-date=April 13, 2010|last=Sanneh|first=Kelefa|work=The New York Times|archive-date=March 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321035942/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/17/arts/music/17CHOI.html|url-status=live}} "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?" Rolling Stone classified the song pop-dancehall.{{cite magazine |last=Pareles |first=Jon |author-link=Jon Pareles |date=November 19, 2003 |title=In the Zone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/in-the-zone-89839/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033335/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/in-the-zone-89839/ |archive-date=April 18, 2022 |access-date=April 17, 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} "Breathe on Me" was described as the most sensual song of the record and compared to Madonna's 1992 studio album Erotica. 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."{{cite web |last1=Rosa |first1=Christopher |title=Britney Spears's 10 Best (and Worst) Songs of All Time |url=https://www.glamour.com/story/the-10-best-and-worst-britney-spears-songs-of-all-time |website=Glamour |access-date=February 25, 2020 |date=November 27, 2019 |archive-date=February 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203043143/https://www.glamour.com/story/the-10-best-and-worst-britney-spears-songs-of-all-time |url-status=live }} "Early Mornin'" depicts Spears looking for men at a club in New York City. The song has a percolating beat and featured subdued vocals from Spears, who purrs and yawns through the track. The nightclub Show is referenced. "Toxic", which Spears later named her favorite song from her career, was originally offered to Australian singer Kylie Minogue.{{cite web|url=https://www.accessonline.com/articles/britney-spears-breaks-5-million-followers-barrier-on-twitter-86177|title=Britney Spears Breaks 5 Million Followers Barrier on Twitter|date=May 30, 2010|access-date=April 17, 2022|website=Access Hollywood|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033334/https://www.accessonline.com/articles/britney-spears-breaks-5-million-followers-barrier-on-twitter-86177|url-status=live}} It contains elements of hip hop, electropop, and bhangra music, and features varied instrumentation, such as drums, synthesizers, high-pitched strings and surf guitars.{{cite web|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/34203/Britney-Spears-The-Singles-Collection/|title=Britney Spears – The Singles Collection (album review)|date=December 29, 2009|access-date=September 11, 2010|website=Sputnikmusic}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/11/16/britney-spears-greatest-hits-my-prerogative|title=Britney Spears Greatest Hits: My Prerogative|date=November 16, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=D.|first=Spence|website=IGN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622004830/http://music.ign.com/articles/566/566584p3.html|archive-date=June 22, 2011}} Lyrically, "Toxic" talks about being addicted to a lover.

"Outrageous" is a hip hop-inspired track which, according to MTV, features Spears "whisper[ing] and moan[ing] [...] with a snake charmer melody giving the song an exotic feel." The lyrics address materialism and amusement, with the singer referencing in the chorus a number of things that give her pleasure. On "Touch of My Hand", which Spears felt it was comparable to Janet Jackson's "That's the Way Love Goes" (1993), she sings in a lower register. The instrumentation contains elements of music from the Far East, particularly in its use of the Chinese instrument the erhu, and its lyrics refer to masturbation: "Into the unknown, I will be bold / I'm going to the places I can be out of control / And I don't want to explain tonight / All the things I've tried to hide." "The Hook Up" has a reggae feel and features Spears singing in a Jamaican Patois accent. The power ballad "Shadow" talks about how reminders of a lover can still linger after he's gone. The lyrics of "Brave New Girl" talk about a young woman finding her passion and losing inhibitions. Backed by choppy, electro-funk beats, she sings in a bouncy near-rap: "She's gonna pack her bags, she's going to find her way, she's going to get right out of this / She don't want New York, she don't want L.A., she's going to find that special kiss." The Eurodance and pop song was inspired by No Doubt, Blondie and Madonna. "Everytime" begins with a piano introduction accompanying Spears's breathy vocals, which build from soft to strong throughout the song. Its lyrics are a plea for forgiveness for inadvertently hurting a former lover. In the song, Spears explains she feels unable to continue in lines such as "Everytime I try to fly I fall / Without my wings I feel so small". During an interview with MTV, Spears said: "It's about heartbreak, it's about your first love, your first true love. That's something all people can relate to, because you all have that first love that you think you're going to be with the rest of your life."{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1485503/britney-checking-into-onyx-hotel-wearing-rubberlike-outfit/|title=Britney Checking Into Onyx Hotel Wearing Rubberlike Outfit|date=March 2, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=September 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907003805/http://www.mtv.com/news/1485503/britney-checking-into-onyx-hotel-wearing-rubberlike-outfit/|url-status=dead}} When asked if "Everytime" was about Justin Timberlake, she responded: "I'll let the song speak for itself."{{Cite news|url=http://www.mb.com.ph/node/226195/thi |title='This one's for you': Ex-music couples sing of their love woes |date=October 4, 2009 |access-date=May 3, 2010 |last=Sanchez |first=Rowena Joy A. |work=Manila Bulletin |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029075128/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/226195/thi |archive-date=October 29, 2009 }} 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. On the international editions bonus track "The Answer", Spears sings that her lover is the answer to all her needs: "Who can hold me tight, keep me warm through the night? / Who can wipe my tears when it's wrong, make it right? / Who can give me love till I'm satisfied? / Who's the one I need in my life?". On the Australian, Japanese and UK editions bonus track "Don't Hang Up", she pleads on the phone for her lover to keep her satisfied long-distance.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1485366/britney-spears-releasing-diddy-produced-song-on-dvd/|title=Britney Spears Releasing Diddy-Produced Song On DVD|date=February 26, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033336/http://www.mtv.com/news/1485366/britney-spears-releasing-diddy-produced-song-on-dvd/|url-status=dead}}

{{see also|The Onyx Hotel Tour}}

File:BritneyPOM14.jpg" during her Las Vegas concert residency Britney: Piece of Me in 2014]]

To promote In the Zone, Spears first performed the lead single "Me Against the Music" at the 2003 NFL Kickoff Live on September 4, 2003.{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2003/09/06/britney-fumbles-the-ball-reuters/|title=Britney fumbles the ball|last=Huhn|first=Mary|date=September 6, 2003|work=New York Post|access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-date=April 12, 2022|archive-url=https://archive.today/20220412155738/https://nypost.com/2003/09/06/britney-fumbles-the-ball-reuters/|url-status=live}} The performance segued into a medley of "...Baby One More Time" and "I'm a Slave 4 U", which included pyrotechnics.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1480648/for-the-record-quick-news-on-britney-spears-50-cent-white-stripes-beck-simple-plan-buzzcocks-more/ |title=For The Record: Quick News On Britney Spears, 50 Cent, White Stripes, Beck, Simple Plan, Buzzcocks & More |date=November 24, 2003 |access-date=April 17, 2022|work=MTV |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425134742/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1480648/20031124/spears_britney.jhtml |archive-date=April 25, 2010 }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-09-05-0309050309-story.html|title=NFL kicks off the season with sizzle|last=Ollison|first=Rashod D|date=September 5, 2003|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624044932/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-09-05-0309050309-story.html|url-status=live}} 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".{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1478233/britney-romps-on-bed-loses-her-shirt-at-surprise-vegas-show/|title=Britney Romps On Bed, Loses Her Shirt At Surprise Vegas Show|date=September 15, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=April 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412052948/http://www.mtv.com/news/1478233/britney-romps-on-bed-loses-her-shirt-at-surprise-vegas-show/|url-status=dead}} On October 18, she performed "Me Against the Music" and "Everytime" on Saturday Night Live. Spears opened the 2003 American Music Awards on November 16 with a performance of "Me Against the Music".{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1480441/50-cent-luther-vandross-take-home-multiple-amas-many-artists-skip-out/|title=50 Cent, Luther Vandross Take Home Multiple AMAs; Many Artists Skip Out|date=November 17, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|work=MTV|archive-date=April 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412051443/http://www.mtv.com/news/1480441/50-cent-luther-vandross-take-home-multiple-amas-many-artists-skip-out/|url-status=dead}} The following day, a concert special titled Britney Spears: In the Zone aired on American Broadcasting Company (ABC).{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z60cAAAAIBAJ&pg=3588,1495931|title=Britney Spears previews new album on ABC special before football|date=November 17, 2003|access-date=October 26, 2010|last=Brown|first=Joel|work=The Dispatch|archive-date=May 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502012311/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z60cAAAAIBAJ&pg=3588%2C1495931|url-status=live}} On November 18–the day In the Zone was released in the United States–she performed "Me Against the Music" and "(I Got That) Boom Boom" on Total Request Live at Times Square.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1617754/britney-spears-top-10-best-tv-performances/|title=Britney Spears' Top 10 Best TV Performances|date=August 6, 2009|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vena|first=Jocelyn|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033336/http://www.mtv.com/news/1617754/britney-spears-top-10-best-tv-performances/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA2|title=In the Zone: The highly-anticipated new album from Britney Spears|date=November 22, 2003|access-date=October 26, 2010|magazine=Billboard|volume=115|issn=0006-2510|issue=47|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223102406/https://books.google.com/books?id=OQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA2|url-status=live}} The ABC special and Total Request Live performances would later be included on video album Britney Spears: In the Zone, released on April 6, 2004. The video debuted atop the US Music Video Sales and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).{{cite magazine|title=Music Video Sales|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2004-04-24/music-video|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|access-date=5 December 2013|date=April 24, 2004|archive-date=2017-10-13|archive-url=https://archive.today/20171013120235/http://www.billboard.com/biz/charts/2004-04-24/music-video|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Britney+Spears&ti=In+the+Zone&format=Video+Longform&type=#search_section|title=American video certifications – Britney Spears – In the Zone|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America|accessdate=January 22, 2023|archive-date=January 22, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122220124/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Britney+Spears&ti=In+the+Zone&format=Video+Longform&type=#search_section|url-status=live}} "Me Against the Music" was also performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on November 17, 2003, and on Live with Regis and Kelly on November 24. She also performed "Toxic", "Breathe on Me" and "Me Against the Music" as the headliner of the Jingle Ball on December 8, at the Staples Center.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1480992/steamy-britney-set-brings-holiday-concert-to-an-anticlimax/|title=Steamy Britney Set Brings Holiday Concert To An Anticlimax|date=December 8, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Moss|first=Corey|work=MTV|archive-date=April 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412051441/http://www.mtv.com/news/1480992/steamy-britney-set-brings-holiday-concert-to-an-anticlimax/|url-status=dead}}

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. In addition, Jive worked with lifestyle marketer the Karpel Group to market the album to the gay community. 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. Regal Theaters also showed a short film that included footage of the making of Spears's music videos. Two national television advertising campaigns had begun on November 1–one with a teaser ad on Saturday Night Live and another exclusively on MTV. No sponsored cross-marketing campaigns were planned, as Larry Rudolph explained: "[This time] it's going to be more about the music than about corporate tie-ins." In terms of international exposure, during a four-month period Spears was featured in seven mini TV-specials and over 150 interviews outside the US.{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA71|title=Britney Sexes Up The Music|date=November 23, 2003|access-date=January 29, 2011|magazine=Billboard|volume=115|issn=0006-2510|issue=47|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223102441/https://books.google.com/books?id=OQ8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA71|url-status=live}} Among the international performances were Spears opening the NRJ Music Awards in France with "Toxic" on January 24, 2004,{{cite web|url=http://www.britneyspears.com/2009/01/blast-from-the-past-nrj-awards.php|title=Blast From the Past: NRJ Awards – Britney Spears|date=January 10, 2009|access-date=August 26, 2010|author=Traci|website=BritneySpears.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418033044/http://www.britneyspears.com/2009/01/blast-from-the-past-nrj-awards.php|archive-date=April 18, 2009 }} and a performance of "Everytime" on the June 25 episode of Top of the Pops in the United Kingdom, which became the final televised performance in support of the album.{{Cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-118401702.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104015934/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-118401702.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 4, 2012|title= Email: The Top Five|date=August 5, 2004|access-date=May 2, 2010|last=Sloan|first=Billy|work=Sunday Mail}}

File:MATM (cropped).jpg by performing "Me Against the Music" in 2004]]

A tour to further promote In the Zone was announced in December 2003, originally titled In the Zone Tour.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1480899/britney-spears-lines-up-tour-for-in-the-zone/|title=Britney Spears Lines Up Tour For In The Zone|date=December 2, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033338/http://www.mtv.com/news/1480899/britney-spears-lines-up-tour-for-in-the-zone/|url-status=dead}} However, Spears was sued for trademark infringement by the San Diego company Lite Breeze, Inc. and was banned from using the phrase "in the zone", hence the tour's title was changed to The Onyx Hotel Tour.{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mxAEAAAAMBAJ&q=britney+onyx&pg=PA8|title=News Line: The Week in Brief|date=April 24, 2004|access-date=December 30, 2009|last=Chang|first=Samantha|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223102416/https://books.google.com/books?id=mxAEAAAAMBAJ&q=britney+onyx&pg=PA8|url-status=live}} It commenced on March 2, 2004 at the San Diego Sports Arena. Spears felt inspired to create a show with a hotel theme which she later mixed with the concept of an onyx stone. The stage, inspired by Broadway musicals, was less elaborate than her previous tours. The setlist was composed mostly by songs from In the Zone as well as some of her past songs reworked with different elements of jazz, blues and Latin percussion. Tour promoter Clear Channel Entertainment marketed the tour to a more adult audience than her previous shows, while sponsor MTV highly promoted the tour on television shows and the network's website.{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XREEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24|title=CCE Steers Spears' Tour Towards Changing Audience|date=February 7, 2004|access-date=December 25, 2009|last=Ault|first=Susanne|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223102415/https://books.google.com/books?id=XREEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24|url-status=live}} The tour was divided into seven segments: Check-In, Mystic Lounge, Mystic Garden, The Onyx Zone, Security Cameras, Club and the encore. Check-In displayed performances with dance and advanced in the hotel theme. Mystic Lounge featured an homage to Cabaret and other musicals, while remixing some of Spears's early hits. Mystic Garden displayed a jungle-inspired stage. The Onyx Zone displayed a ballad performance with acrobats. Security Cameras was the raciest part of the show, with Spears and her dancers emulating different sexual practices. Club displayed a performance with urban influences. The encore consisted of a system malfunction interlude and Spears performed wearing a red ensemble. The tour received mixed reviews from contemporary critics, who praised it for being an entertaining show while criticizing it for looking "more [like] a spectacle than an actual concert".{{Cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2001878223_britney13.html|title=Concert Review: Britney's all flash, no substance|date=March 13, 2004|access-date=December 24, 2009|last=Sitt|first=Pamela|work=The Seattle Times|archive-date=June 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604102646/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2001878223_britney13.html|url-status=live}} The Onyx Hotel Tour was commercially successful, grossing $34 million.{{Cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/britney-spears-biography|title=Britney Spears' Biography|date=July 31, 2008|access-date=April 17, 2022|work=Fox News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005183403/https://www.foxnews.com/story/britney-spears-biography|archive-date=October 5, 2021}} In March, Spears suffered a knee injury onstage which forced her to reschedule two shows.{{Cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/britney-to-check-back-in-to-onyx-hotel/|title=Britney to Check Back In to Onyx Hotel|date=March 22, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Silverman|first=Stephen M.|work=People|archive-date=July 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720015547/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,628011,00.html}} On June 8, Spears fell and hurt her knee again while filming the accompanying music video for "Outrageous". She underwent surgery and the remainder of the tour was cancelled.

"Me Against the Music" was released as the lead single from In the Zone on October 14, 2003. Jive Records' choice for the first single was originally "Outrageous", but Spears convinced them to release "Me Against the Music".{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/02/arts/music-growing-up-britney-did-it-again.html?pagewanted=4&src=pm|title=Growing Up – Britney Did It Again|date=November 2, 2003|access-date=May 2, 2010|last=Strauss|first=Neil|work=The New York Times|archive-date=March 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321034607/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/02/arts/music-growing-up-britney-did-it-again.html?pagewanted=4&src=pm|url-status=live}} The song received mixed reviews from music critics; some felt it was a strong dance track, while others referred to it as lackluster and disappointing. "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. It also peaked at number two in Canada, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom, and inside the top five in many other countries; however, it peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100, being Spears' lowest-charting lead single.{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Britney+Spears+feat.+Madonna&titel=Me+Against+The+Music&cat=s|title=ultratop.be – Britney Spears feat. Madonna – Me Against The Music|year=2003|access-date=February 25, 2011|publisher=Ultratop 50|archive-date=March 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310232839/http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Britney+Spears+feat.+Madonna&titel=Me+Against+The+Music&cat=s|url-status=live}} The song won the Hot Dance Single of the Year award at the 2004 Billboard Music Awards.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2004/12/09/usher-dominates-billboard-music-awards|title=Usher dominates Billboard Music Awards|last=Susman|first=Gary|date=December 9, 2004|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033336/https://ew.com/article/2004/12/09/usher-dominates-billboard-music-awards/|url-status=live}} In the song's accompanying music video, directed by Paul Hunter, Spears chases Madonna inside a nightclub.

File:Britney Spears Toxic FFT Cleveland.jpg" during the Femme Fatale Tour in 2011]]

"Toxic" was released as the second single from In the Zone on January 12, 2004, to widespread critical acclaim. After trying to choose between Jive's suggestions "(I Got That) Boom Boom" and "Outrageous", Spears selected "Toxic" instead.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1480989/for-the-record-quick-news-on-britney-spears-jay-z-gwyneth-and-chris-weezer-3-doors-down-more/|title=For The Record: Quick News On Britney Spears, Jay-Z, Gwyneth And Chris, Weezer, 3 Doors Down & More|date=December 8, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033337/http://www.mtv.com/news/1480989/for-the-record-quick-news-on-britney-spears-jay-z-gwyneth-and-chris-weezer-3-doors-down-more/|url-status=dead}} It attained worldwide commercial success, reaching the top five in 15 countries, while topping the charts in Australia, Canada, Hungary, Norway and the United Kingdom.{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Britney+Spears&titel=Toxic&cat=s|title=Britney Spears – Toxic (song)|year=2004|access-date=August 20, 2010|publisher=Ultratop 50. Hung Medien|archive-date=November 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114171418/https://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Britney+Spears&titel=Toxic&cat=s|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mahasz.hu/?menu=slagerlistak&menu2=archivum|title=Archívum|publisher=Mahasz|language=hu|access-date=August 20, 2010|archive-date=August 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820114616/http://zene.slagerlistak.hu/archivum/kereso-lista-es-datum-szerint|url-status=live}} In the United States, it peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first single to peak inside the top ten since "Oops!... I Did It Again" (2000).{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/britney-spears/chart-history/|title=Britney Spears Chart History (Hot 100)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=August 20, 2010|archive-date=February 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206222006/https://www.billboard.com/artist/britney-spears/chart-history/|url-status=live}} 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. After she steals it, she enters an apartment and poisons her unfaithful boyfriend. The video also includes interspersed scenes of Spears naked with diamonds over her body.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1490554/yes-britney-really-is-naked-in-the-toxic-video-vma-lens-recap/|title=Yes, Britney Really Is Naked In The 'Toxic' Video: VMA Lens Recap|date=August 25, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|work=MTV|archive-date=March 9, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160309111315/http://www.mtv.com/news/1490554/yes-britney-really-is-naked-in-the-toxic-video-vma-lens-recap/|url-status=dead}} "Toxic" won Spears her first Grammy Award, for Best Dance Recording (2005), and is often referred to as one of her signature songs.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2009/11/13/120385043/the-decade-in-music-britney-spears-toxic-2004|title=The Decade In Music: Britney Spears' 'Toxic' (2004)|date=November 13, 2009|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Schriefer|first=Amy|work=NPR|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033336/https://www.npr.org/2009/11/13/120385043/the-decade-in-music-britney-spears-toxic-2004|url-status=live}}

"Everytime" was released as the third single from In the Zone on May 10, 2004, to critical acclaim.{{cite web|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/britney-spears/in-the-zone1.htm |title=Britney Spears – In the Zone – Review |date=November 18, 2003 |access-date=March 23, 2010 |last=Mueller |first=Gavin |magazine=Stylus Magazine |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910035026/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/britney-spears/in-the-zone1.htm |archive-date=September 10, 2012 }} A commercial success, it peaked within the top five in most countries, while reaching the top of the charts in Australia, Hungary, Ireland and the United Kingdom, and number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100.{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Britney+Spears&titel=Everytime&cat=s|title=Britney Spears – Everytime (song)|year=2004|access-date=May 4, 2010|publisher=Ultratop 50|archive-date=October 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025034138/http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Britney+Spears&titel=Everytime&cat=s|url-status=live}} 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. In the hospital, doctors fail to resuscitate her while a child is born in the next room, implying she reincarnated.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1486294/britney-says-controversial-new-video-is-about-reincarnation/|title=Britney Says Controversial New Video Is About Reincarnation|date=April 12, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=March 9, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160309132009/http://www.mtv.com/news/1486294/britney-says-controversial-new-video-is-about-reincarnation/|url-status=dead}} The original treatment would have had Spears killing herself from a drug overdose, but the plot was removed after it received criticism by several organizations, who perceived it as a glamorization of suicide.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1485729/britney-spears-removes-suicide-plot-from-everytime-video/|title=Britney Spears Removes Suicide Plot From 'Everytime' Video|date=March 12, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=March 9, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160309130556/http://www.mtv.com/news/1485729/britney-spears-removes-suicide-plot-from-everytime-video/|url-status=dead}}

"Outrageous" was released as the fourth and final single from In the Zone on July 13, 2004. The song was finally chosen as a single after it was selected as the theme song for the film Catwoman (2004).{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1488056/britneys-catsuit-may-come-in-handy-for-next-single-but-not-for-china/|title=Britney's Catsuit May Come In Handy For Next Single, But Not For China|date=June 1, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033336/http://www.mtv.com/news/1488056/britneys-catsuit-may-come-in-handy-for-next-single-but-not-for-china/|url-status=dead}} It received mixed reviews from critics, as some praised its funky sound, noting its influence from Michael and Janet Jackson, while others deemed it "forgettable". Plagued by low promotion, the song became the album's lowest-charting single, peaking at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100. 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. The video was cancelled, as well as the remainder of the Onyx Hotel Tour and the feature in the Catwoman soundtrack.{{Cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/britney-cancels-tour-due-to-bad-knee/|title=Britney Cancels Tour Due to Bad Knee|date=June 16, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Silverman|first=Stephen M.|work=People|archive-date=May 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511105524/https://people.com/celebrity/britney-cancels-tour-due-to-bad-knee/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1488285/britney-busts-knee-complicating-video-shoot-and-tour/|title=Britney Busts Knee, Complicating Video Shoot And Tour|date=June 9, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033336/http://www.mtv.com/news/1488285/britney-busts-knee-complicating-video-shoot-and-tour/|url-status=dead}}

{{Music ratings

| title = Professional ratings

| subtitle =

| MC = 66/100{{cite web|title=In The Zone by Britney Spears|website=Metacritic|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/in-the-zone/britney-spears|access-date=October 22, 2016|archive-date=September 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923020734/http://www.metacritic.com/music/in-the-zone/britney-spears|url-status=live}}

| rev1 = About.com

| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}

| rev2 = AllMusic

| rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}

| rev3 = Blender

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}

| rev4 = E!

| rev4score = B+{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/Reviews/Facts/Music/RevID/0,1107,3087,00.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031121173222/http://www.eonline.com/Reviews/Facts/Music/RevID/0,1107,3087,00.html|title=Britney Spears "In the Zone"|work=E! Online|date=November 18, 2003|archivedate=November 21, 2003|accessdate=January 24, 2023}}

| rev5 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev5score = B−

| rev7 = Rolling Stone

| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}}

| rev8 = Slant Magazine

| rev8score = {{Rating|3|5}}

| rev9 = Spin

| rev9score = B−{{cite magazine|title=Get in the Zone|last=Ganz|first=Caryn|magazine=Spin|volume=19|number=12|date=December 2003|page=130|issn=0886-3032}}

| rev6 = The Guardian

| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}

| rev10 = Vibe

| rev10score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}

}}

Upon its release, In the Zone received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66, based on 13 reviews. Jason Shawhan of About.com gave a positive review, saying that while the album's vibe is sexy, the result is a personal statement from Spears. He also added: "T[here]'s another thing about Spears' new record, as none of her previous albums ever managed to produce any kind of sustained emotional response than the pleasure that comes from a good pop record. I miss Max Martin, for sure, but it feels like Ms. S. has been paying attention to La Ciccone. To put it another way, this is Britney's True Blue."{{cite web|url=http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/reviews/fr/KylieBritney.htm|title=Kylie Minogue – Body Language and Britney Spears – In the Zone|year=2003|access-date=November 15, 2010|last=Shawhan|first=Jason|publisher=About.com. The New York Times Company|archive-date=March 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326145307/http://dancemusic.about.com/cs/reviews/fr/KylieBritney.htm|url-status=dead}} Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that the album "[is] all club-ready, but despite some hints of neo-electro and the Neptunes, it doesn't quite sound modern—it sounds like cuts from 1993 or Madonna's Bedtime Stories and Ray of Light. Production-wise, these tracks are not only accomplished but much more varied than any of her previous albums."{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-zone-r666680/review|title=In the Zone – Britney Spears|work=AllMusic|date=November 18, 2003|access-date=November 15, 2010|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|archive-date=March 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110306173136/http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-zone-r666680/review|url-status=live}} 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."{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/6x8c|title=Britney Spears In The Zone Review|date=November 17, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Mitchell|first=Ruth|publisher=BBC|archive-date=August 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220820042856/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/6x8c/|url-status=live}} Mim Udovitch of Blender commented: "This I'm-coming-out record is an unhesitant move from songs of the heart to songs of the groin [...] No longer a girl, freed from slavery, now fully a woman, she makes a pretty convincing mistress."{{Cite magazine|title=In the Zone |magazine=Blender|date=November 18, 2003|last=Udovitch|first=Mim|issn=1534-0554}}

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. For all her freedom, she's still finding her way."{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2003/11/21/zone-0|title=In the Zone|date=November 21, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Browne|first=David|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418035853/https://ew.com/article/2003/11/21/zone-0/|url-status=live}} Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone said: "[Spears'] voice is so processed, its physicality almost disappears. [...] In the Zone offers strip-club, 1-900 sex, accommodating and hollow. Beyond the glittering beats, Spears sounds about as intimate as a blowup doll."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/in-the-zone-89839/|title=In the Zone by Britney Spears|date=November 19, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Pareles|first=Jon|magazine=Rolling Stone|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418033335/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/in-the-zone-89839/|url-status=live}} 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. [...] For the most part, In The Zone is a big, fat, thumping love letter to the dancefloor, which makes Madonna's involvement [...] even more appropriate."{{cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/britney-spears-in-the-zone/|title=Review: Britney Spears, In The Zone|date=November 12, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Cinquemani|first=Sal|publisher=Slant Magazine. Keith Uhlich|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418035848/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/britney-spears-in-the-zone/|url-status=live}} 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. There is southern hip-hop, deep house, Neptunes-style R&B, the ubiquitous Diwali beat and, most importantly, oodles of Madonna."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/nov/14/popandrock.shopping5|title=CD: Britney Spears, In the Zone|date=November 14, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Lynskey|first=Dorian|work=The Guardian|location=UK|archive-date=April 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418215010/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/nov/14/popandrock.shopping5|url-status=live}} Jason King of Vibe deemed it as "A supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter."{{cite web|first=Jason |last=King|title=Britney Spears – In The Zone (Jive)|url=http://www.vibe.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=131|work=Vibe|date=January 8, 2004|accessdate=September 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040819082855/http://www.vibe.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=131|archive-date=August 19, 2004}}

{{For|the complete list of awards won by Britney Spears and the singles from In The Zone|List of awards and nominations received by Britney Spears}}

{{Awards table|5|caption=Awards and nominations for In the Zone}}

|-

! scope="row"| 2004

| Japan Gold Disc Award

| International Rock Albums of the Year

| rowspan="2"| In the Zone

| {{won}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url=http://www.riaj.or.jp/e/data/gdisc/2004.html|title=Recording Industry Association of Japan - Related Data|work=riaj.or.jp|access-date=2017-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417220128/http://www.riaj.or.jp/e/data/gdisc/2004.html|archive-date=2012-04-17|url-status=dead}}

|-

! scope="row"| 2004

| Premios Oye!

| English Album of the Year

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/111542.julieta-se-oye-muy-bien.html |title=Julieta is heard! very good |date=September 29, 2004 |website=El Siglodetorreon |publisher=Premios Oye! |language=es |access-date=December 8, 2019 |archive-date=June 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628014021/https://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/111542.julieta-se-oye-muy-bien.html |url-status=live }}

|-

! scope="row"| 2004

| Billboard Music Award

| Female Billboard 200 Album Artist of the Year

| Britney Spears

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/2004-billboard-music-awards-finalists-65464/ |title=2004 Billboard Music Awards Finalists |date=November 30, 2004 |magazine=Billboard |publisher=Billboard Media, LLC. |access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515103432/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/65464/2004-billboard-music-awards-finalists |archive-date=May 15, 2021}}

|-

! scope="row"| 2005

| Grammy Award

| Best Dance Recording

| "Toxic"

| {{won}}

| align="center"|

|}

File:Breathe on Me 2004.jpg in 2004|alt=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.]]

In the United States, In the Zone debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart dated December 6, 2003, with first-week sales of 609,000 copies.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/britney-in-her-zone-atop-billboard-200-68006/|title=Britney In Her 'Zone' Atop Billboard 200|date=November 26, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418035850/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/britney-in-her-zone-atop-billboard-200-68006/|url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2003-12-06/|title=Top 200 Albums|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-date=2022-04-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418035848/https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2003-12-06/|url-status=live}} It initially registered the highest first-week sales of 2003 for a female artist, before Alicia Keys surpassed Spears with The Diary of Alicia Keys two weeks later.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1480826/britney-moans-her-way-to-the-top-of-the-albums-chart/|title=Britney Moans Her Way To The Top Of The Albums Chart|last=Wiederhorn|first=Jon|date=August 26, 2003|work=MTV|access-date=April 17, 2022|archive-date=December 30, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234027/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1480826/britney-takes-1-slot-on-albums-chart.jhtml|url-status=dead}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/keys-unlocks-second-no-1-debut-67828/|title=Keys Unlocks Second No. 1 Debut|date=December 2, 2003|access-date=April 17, 2022|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418035851/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/keys-unlocks-second-no-1-debut-67828/|url-status=live}} Spears also became the second female artist in Billboard's history to have four consecutive number-one albums, behind Janet Jackson who had the most at the time with five. In the Zone was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in October 2023, for album-equivalent units of three million copies. It placed at number eight on the year-end Billboard 200 for 2004. As of 2016, it has sold over three million copies in the country, according to Nielsen SoundScan.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7439077/ask-billboard-britney-spears-career-sales-how-big-a-hit-will/|title=Ask Billboard: Britney Spears' Career Sales & How Big a Hit Will 'Make Me' Be?|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=July 17, 2016|magazine=Billboard|access-date=July 17, 2016|archive-date=July 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160718143046/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7439077/ask-billboard-britney-spears-career-sales-how-big-a-hit-will|url-status=live}} In Canada, the album debuted at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart, with first-week sales of 31,000 units.{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Johns|date=November 7, 2007|title=Britney's No. 1 again|publisher=Jam!|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/S/Spears_Britney/2007/11/07/4638086-ca.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709084515/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/S/Spears_Britney/2007/11/07/4638086-ca.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 9, 2012|access-date=February 25, 2011}} It was certified triple platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipments of 300,000 copies.{{cite web|url=http://www.cria.ca/gold/0504_g.php |title=Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Gold & Platinum – May 2004 |date=May 2004 |access-date=February 25, 2011 |publisher=Canadian Recording Industry Association |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101019185817/http://cria.ca/gold/0504_g.php}}

In the United Kingdom, In the Zone debuted at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 13 in its 34th week and spending a total of 43 weeks on the chart. It was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in March 2004. The album attained higher peaks across mainland Europe, reaching the top ten in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and peaking at number three on the European Top 100 Albums. In France, it debuted at number one, becoming her second number-one album in the country after Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), and was certified double gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) in December 2004. It was certified platinum by the IFPI in April, for selling one million copies across Europe.

Across Latin America, In the Zone was certified platinum in Argentina and Mexico.{{cite web|url=http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=Britney&album=In+the+Zone&LanDesde_MM=0&LanDesde_AA=0&LanHasta_MM=0&LanHasta_AA=0&Galardon=O&Tipo=0&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110706084801/http://www.capif.org.ar/Default.asp?PerDesde_MM=0&PerDesde_AA=0&PerHasta_MM=0&PerHasta_AA=0&interprete=Britney&album=In+the+Zone&LanDesde_MM=0&LanDesde_AA=0&LanHasta_MM=0&LanHasta_AA=0&Galardon=O&Tipo=0&ACCION2=+Buscar+&ACCION=Buscar&CO=5&CODOP=ESOP |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |title=Britney Spears – Discos de Oro y Platino |date=December 1, 2004 |access-date=February 25, 2011 |publisher=Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers }} In Australia, the album debuted and peaked at number ten on the ARIA Top 100 Albums. It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 2004. In New Zealand, it debuted at number 28; in April 2004, it peaked at number 25 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). The album was a commercial success across Asia, debuting at number one in South Korea.{{cite web|url=http://sony.mediaroom.com/2003-11-26-Britney-Spears-In-The-Zone-1-Selling-Album-in-the-Country|title=Britney Spears In The Zone #1 Selling Album in the Country|publisher=Sony Music Mediaroom|date=November 26, 2003|accessdate=January 22, 2023|archive-date=December 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202223115/https://sony.mediaroom.com/2003-11-26-Britney-Spears-In-The-Zone-1-Selling-Album-in-the-Country|url-status=live}} In Japan, the album debuted at number three on the Oricon Albums Chart, selling 59,128 copies in its first week.{{cite web |language=ja |url-status=dead |url=http://jbbs.livedoor.jp/bbs/read.cgi/music/3914/1044805378/1-100 |title=Weekly Albums Chart |date=November 2, 2003 |publisher=Oricon. Livedoor |access-date=February 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720015547/http://jbbs.livedoor.jp/bbs/read.cgi/music/3914/1044805378/1-100 |archive-date=July 20, 2011 }} It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) in December 2003. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), In the Zone was the eighth best-selling album of 2003.

{{Quote box|width=30%|align=right|quote="I'm not the type of person to put blame on other people, but I do feel that some things which were done for me were not always in my best interests. Looking back, I feel now that on my 4th album 'less is more' should have been the way to go." |source=—Spears reflects on In the Zone in November 2004.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1493464/britney-back-from-honeymoon-posts-another-letter/|title=Britney, Back From Honeymoon, Posts Another Letter|date=November 5, 2004|access-date=April 17, 2022|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|work=MTV|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418035848/http://www.mtv.com/news/1493464/britney-back-from-honeymoon-posts-another-letter/|url-status=dead}}}}

In the Zone has been declared a metamorphosis for Spears by numerous critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic commented: "If 2001's Britney was a transitional album, capturing Spears at the point when she wasn't a girl and not yet a woman, its 2003 follow-up, In the Zone, is where she has finally completed that journey and turned into Britney, the Adult Woman." Erlewine compared Spears to her peer Christina Aguilera, explaining that both equated maturity with transparent sexuality and the pounding sounds of nightclubs, but while Aguilera "comes across like a natural-born skank, Britney is the girl next door cutting loose at college, drinking and smoking and dancing and sexing just a little too recklessly, since this is the first time she can indulge herself." 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. Her little girl coquettishness actually works now—maybe because, at 21, she's finally a woman." Jason King of Vibe said the album showcased a transformed Spears, "no longer a girl, and all the woman any man can handle."

Following the abrupt conclusion of the Onyx Hotel Tour due to her knee injury, Spears embarked on a prolonged hiatus from performing,{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/zuj7io/britney-spears-announces-shes-taking-a-break-from-her-career|title=Britney Spears Announces She's Taking A Break From Her Career|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|date=October 16, 2004|work=MTV News|access-date=January 24, 2023|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124172001/https://www.mtv.com/news/zuj7io/britney-spears-announces-shes-taking-a-break-from-her-career|url-status=dead}} and would not release another studio album until Blackout in October 2007.{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britney-blackout-idUSN2232472520071023|title=Britney set for "Blackout" hit despite herself|last=Nichols|first=Michelle|date=October 23, 2007|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=January 24, 2023|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124170501/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britney-blackout-idUSN2232472520071023|url-status=live}} She began a relationship with Kevin Federline, whom she met while on tour in April 2004 and married on September 18.{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/fidod2/britney-kevin-timeline-those-were-the-days|title=Britney & Kevin Timeline: Those Were The Days ...|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|date=November 8, 2006|work=MTV News|access-date=January 24, 2023|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124170501/https://www.mtv.com/news/fidod2/britney-kevin-timeline-those-were-the-days|url-status=dead}}{{efn|While Spears and Federline held a wedding ceremony on September 18, 2004, they were not legally married until three weeks later, on October 6, due to a delay in finalizing the couple's prenuptial agreement.{{harvnb|Heller|2007|p=80}}}} Her first greatest hits album Greatest Hits: My Prerogative was released in November, debuting at number four on the US Billboard 200. Spears was unable to promote it, though the album produced two international hit singles–"My Prerogative" and "Do Somethin'". In September 2005, Spears gave birth to her first son Sean Preston,{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/lsikay/britney-spears-gives-birth-to-a-baby-boy|title=Britney Spears Gives Birth To A Baby Boy|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|date=September 15, 2005|work=MTV News|access-date=January 24, 2023|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124170459/https://www.mtv.com/news/lsikay/britney-spears-gives-birth-to-a-baby-boy|url-status=dead}} giving birth to her second son Jayden James a year later.{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/britney-spears-gives-birth-second-child-wbna14806021|title=Britney Spears gives birth to second child|date=September 12, 2006|work=Access Hollywood|accessdate=January 24, 2023|via=Today|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124172003/https://www.today.com/today/amp/wbna14806021|url-status=live}} In November 2006, filed for divorce from Federline, citing irreconcilable differences; the divorce was finalized in July 2007.{{cite web|url=https://people.com/music/britney-spears-kevin-federline-relationship-everything-to-know/|title=Everything to Know About Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's Relationship Through the Years|last=Pasquini|first=Maria|date=April 4, 2019|work=People|accessdate=January 24, 2023|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124170459/https://people.com/music/britney-spears-kevin-federline-relationship-everything-to-know/|url-status=live}} Within that period, Spears was involved in a series of media scandals and suffered from a mental breakdown, most notably shaving her head in February 2007.{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/shock-new-details-about-britneys-infamous-2007-breakdown/news-story/d1de891bc6ff1d380263efe354cd3917?amp|title=Shock new details about Britney's infamous 2007 breakdown|date=November 4, 2019|publisher=Fox News|accessdate=January 24, 2023|via=News.com.au}}

Several critics have credited In the Zone for influencing pop music of the 2000s. In 2009, Amy Schriefer of NPR listed the album among the "50 Most Important Recordings of the Decade". Calling it "a primer on the sound of pop in the '00s", she deemed Spears as the ideal vehicle for a futuristic sound, since she was still trying to break away from her teen pop past. Schriefer praised "Toxic" and "Everytime", and added: "While the decade's history of celebrity obsession, paparazzi voyeurism and conflicted constructions of female sexuality and motherhood are written on Spears' body, the decade's history of impeccably crafted pop is written on her body of work."{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2009/11/16/120400577/the-50-most-important-recordings-s-z|title=The 50 Most Important Recordings Of The Decade: S-Z|date=November 16, 2009|access-date=February 26, 2011|last=Schriefer|first=Amy|publisher=NPR|archive-date=January 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122215720/http://www.npr.org/2009/11/16/120400577/the-50-most-important-recordings-s-z|url-status=live}} 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."{{cite magazine|last=Lipshutz|first=Jason|date=November 12, 2018|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/britney-spears-in-the-zone-album-anniversary-song-ranking-8484232/|title=Britney Spears' 'In The Zone' Turns 15: Ranking All the Songs|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 20, 2023|archive-date=April 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418050937/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/britney-spears-in-the-zone-album-anniversary-song-ranking-8484232/|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite magazine|last=Chan|first=Tim|date=February 2, 2020|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-pictures/britney-spears-the-zone-pop-up-pictures-photos-945765/britney-the-zone-gym/|title=Get 'In the Zone': Inside the Britney Spears Pop-Up Experience in LA|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=January 20, 2023|archive-date=January 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230124170501/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-pictures/britney-spears-the-zone-pop-up-pictures-photos-945765/britney-the-zone-gym/|url-status=live}}

{{redirect-distinguish|Touch of My Hand|Touch My Hand}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = In the Zone{{nobold| – Standard edition}}

| total_length = 49:55

| title1 = Me Against the Music

| note1 = featuring Madonna

| writer1 = {{Flat list|

• Britney Spears
• Madonna
• Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
• Thabiso "Tab" Nkhereanye
• Penelope Magnet
• Terius Nash
• Gary O'Brien

}}

| extra1 = {{Flat list|

• Trixster
• Magnet{{ref|a|[a]}}

}}

| length1 = 3:43

| title2 = (I Got That) Boom Boom

| note2 = featuring Ying Yang Twins

| writer2 = {{Flat list|

• Roy "Royalty" Hamilton
• Chyna Royal
• Deongelo Holmes
• Eric Jackson

}}

| extra2 = Hamilton

| length2 = 4:51

| title3 = Showdown

| writer3 = {{Flat list|

• Spears
• Cathy Dennis
• Christian Karlsson
• Pontus Winnberg
• Henrik Jonback

}}

| extra3 = Bloodshy & Avant

| length3 = 3:18

| title4 = Breathe on Me

| writer4 = {{Flat list|

• Stephen Lee
• Steve Anderson
• Lisa Greene

}}

| extra4 = Mark Taylor

| length4 = 3:43

| title5 = Early Mornin{{'-}}

| writer5 = {{Flat list|

• Spears
• Moby
• Stewart
• Magnet

}}

| extra5 = {{Flat list|

• Moby
• Trixster{{ref|b|[b]}}
• Magnet{{ref|b|[b]}}

}}

| length5 = 3:45

| title6 = Toxic

| writer6 = {{Flat list|

• Dennis
• Karlsson
• Winnberg
• Jonback

}}

| extra6 = Bloodshy & Avant

| length6 = 3:21

| title7 = Outrageous

| writer7 = R. Kelly

| extra7 = {{Flat list|

• Kelly
• Trixster{{ref|b|[b]}}
• Magnet{{ref|b|[b]}}

}}

| length7 = 3:22

| title8 = Touch of My Hand

| writer8 = {{Flat list|

• Spears
• Jimmy Harry
• Balewa Muhammad
• Shep Solomon

}}

| extra8 = {{Flat list|

• Harry
• Solomon

}}

| length8 = 4:19

| title9 = The Hook Up

| writer9 = {{Flat list|

• Spears
• Stewart
• Nkhereanye
• Magnet

}}

| extra9 = {{Flat list|

• Trixster
• Magnet{{ref|a|[a]}}

}}

| length9 = 3:54

| title10 = Shadow

| writer10 = {{Flat list|

• Spears
• Lauren Christy
• Scott Spock
• Graham Edwards
• Charlie Midnight

}}

| extra10 = The Matrix

| length10 = 3:45

| title11 = Brave New Girl

| writer11 = {{Flatlist|

• Spears
• Brian Kierulf
• Josh Schwartz
• Kara DioGuardi

}}

| extra11 = Brian and Josh

| length11 = 3:30

| title12 = Everytime

| writer12 = {{Flatlist|

• Spears
• Annet Artani

}}

| extra12 = Guy Sigsworth

| length12 = 3:53

| title13 = Me Against the Music

| note13 = Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix; featuring Madonna; bonus track

| writer13 = {{Flatlist|

• Spears
• Madonna
• Stewart
• Nkhereanye
• Magnet
• Nash
• O'Brien

}}

| extra13 = {{Flatlist|

• Trixster
• Magnet{{ref|a|[a]}}
• Rishi Rich{{ref|c|[c]}}

}}

| length13 = 4:31

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = In the Zone{{nobold| – International edition (bonus track){{cite AV media|last=Spears|first=Britney|year=2003|title=In the Zone|type=CD|publisher=Jive Records|id=82876571292}}}}

| total_length = 53:50

| title14 = The Answer

| writer14 = {{Flat list|

• Ryan Leslie
• Sean "P. Diddy" Combs

}}

| extra14 = {{Flat list|

• Combs
• Leslie

}}

| length14 = 3:55

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = In the Zone{{nobold| – Australian, Japanese, Italy and UK edition (bonus track){{cite AV media|last=Spears|first=Britney|year=2003|title=In the Zone|type=CD|publisher=Jive Records|id=82876576442}}}}

| total_length = 57:52

| title15 = Don't Hang Up

| writer15 = {{Flat list|

• Spears
• Kierulf
• Schwartz

}}

| extra15 = Brian and Josh

| length15 = 4:02

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = In the Zone{{nobold| – US Walmart.com exclusive edition (bonus downloads){{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1490450/track-that-britney-left-out-of-the-zone-is-a-hit-online/|title=Track That Britney Left Out Of The Zone Is A Hit Online|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|date=August 20, 2004|work=MTV News|access-date=January 22, 2023|archive-date=June 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614234030/http://www.mtv.com/news/1490450/track-that-britney-left-out-of-the-zone-is-a-hit-online/|url-status=dead}}}}

| title14 = I've Just Begun (Having My Fun)

| writer14 = {{Flat list|

• Spears
• Michelle Bell
• Karlsson
• Winnberg
• Jonback

}}

| extra14 = Bloodshy & Avant

| length14 = 3:23

| title15 = Me Against the Music

| note15 = Bloodshy & Avant's Chix Remix

| writer15 = {{Flatlist|

• Spears
• Stewart
• Nkhereanye
• Magnet
• Nash
• O'Brien

}}

| extra15 = {{Flatlist|

• Trixster
• Magnet{{ref|a|[a]}}
• Bloodshy & Avant{{ref|c|[c]}}

}}

| length15 = 5:17

| total_length = 58:35

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Director(s)

| headline = In the Zone{{nobold| – DVD-Audio edition (bonus videos){{cite AV media|author=Spears, Britney|year=2004|title=In the Zone|type=DVD-Audio|publisher=Jive Records|id=82876537489}}}}

| title14 = Me Against the Music

| note14 = featuring Madonna

| length14 = 4:03

| extra14 = Paul Hunter

| title15 = Toxic

| extra15 = Joseph Kahn

| length15 = 3:32

| title16 = Photo Gallery

| title17 = On-Screen Lyrics

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Director(s)

| headline = In the Zone{{nobold| – DualDisc edition (bonus DVD){{cite AV media|last=Spears|first=Britney|year=2005|title=In the Zone|type=DualDisc|publisher=Jive Records|id=82876681342}}}}

| total_length = 11:55

| title1 = Toxic

| extra1 = Kahn

| length1 = 3:32

| title2 = Everytime

| extra2 = David LaChapelle

| length2 = 4:16

| title3 = Chris Cox Megamix{{efn|"Chris Cox Megamix" comprises "...Baby One More Time", "(You Drive Me) Crazy", "I'm a Slave 4 U", "Oops!... I Did It Again", "Stronger", "Everytime" and "Toxic".}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|Nigel Dick|Francis Lawrence|Kahn|LaChapelle}}

| length3 = 3:53

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = In the Zone{{nobold| – Chinese extended play edition[https://www.amazon.cn/dp/B00118L2NE 小甜甜布兰妮:流行禁区 In The Zone(CD) 布兰妮 (Britney) 亚马逊中国]|dead link|date=January 2024}}

| total_length = 23:00

| title1 = Me Against the Music

| note1 = featuring Madonna

| writer1 = {{Flatlist|

• Spears
• Madonna
• Stewart
• Nkhereanye
• Magnet
• Nash
• O'Brien

}}

| extra1 = {{Flatlist|

• Trixster
• Magnet{{ref|a|[a]}}

}}

| length1 = 3:43

| title2 = Toxic

| writer2 = {{Flat list|

• Dennis
• Karlsson
• Winnberg
• Jonback

}}

| extra2 = Bloodshy & Avant

| length2 = 3:18

| title3 = Shadow

| writer3 = {{Flat list|

• Spears
• Christy
• Spock
• Edwards
• Midnight

}}

| extra3 = The Matrix

| length3 = 3:44

| title4 = Everytime

| writer4 = {{Flatlist|

• Spears
• Stamatelatos

}}

| extra4 = Sigsworth

| length4 = 3:50

| title5 = Me Against the Music

| note5 = Rishi Rich's Desi Kulcha Remix; featuring Madonna

| writer5 = {{Flatlist|

• Spears
• Madonna
• Stewart
• Nkhereanye
• Magnet
• Nash
• O'Brien

}}

| extra5 = {{Flatlist|

• Trixster
• Magnet{{ref|a|[a]}}
• Rich{{ref|c|[c]}}

}}

| length5 = 4:29

| title6 = The Answer

| writer6 = {{Flat list|

• Spears
• Leslie
• Combs

}}

| extra6 = {{Flat list|

• Combs
• Leslie

}}

| length6 = 3:56

}}

;Notes

• {{sup|{{note|a|[a]}}}} signifies a co-producer.
• {{sup|{{note|b|[b]}}}} signifies a vocal producer.
• {{sup|{{note|c|[c]}}}} signifies a remix producer.

;Sample credits

• "Toxic" contains a sample of "Tere Mere Beech Mein" by Lata Mangeshkar and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam from the film Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981).

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of In the Zone.

{{div col|colwidth=25em}}

• Ed Alton – string arrangement (track 8)
• Steve Anderson – keyboards (track 4), programming (track 4), songwriting (track 4)
• J.D. Andrew – engineering assistance (tracks 3 and 6)
• Annet Artani – songwriting (track 12)
• Steve Bearsley – engineering assistance (track 7)
• Tom Bender – engineering assistance (track 10)
• BlackCell – backing vocals (tracks 3 and 6)
• Bloodshy & Avant – arrangement (tracks 3 and 6), digital editing (tracks 3 and 6), engineering (tracks 3 and 6), instrumentation (tracks 3 and 6), production (tracks 3 and 6), programming (tracks 3 and 6), songwriting (tracks 3 and 6)
• Ray Brown – styling
• B.U.D. – backing vocals (track 9)
• Sean "P. Diddy" Combs – production (track 14), songwriting (track 14)
• Fran Cooper – make-up
• Courtney Copeland – backing vocals (tracks 1 and 13)
• Josh Copp – engineering assistance (track 2)
• Tom Coyne – mastering (all tracks)
• Cathy Dennis – backing vocals (tracks 3 and 6), songwriting (tracks 3 and 6)
• DaCorna Boyz – keyboards (track 9)
• Patrick Demarchelier – photography
• Kara DioGuardi – backing vocals (track 11), songwriting (track 11)
• Dan Dymtrow – management representation
• Roxanne Estrada – backing vocals (tracks 1, 7, 9 and 13)
• Niklas Flyckt – mixing (tracks 3 and 6)
• Chriss Fudurich – engineering (track 8)
• Matt Furmidge – engineering assistance (track 4)
• Andy Gallas – engineering (track 7)
• Abel Garibaldi – engineering (track 7), programming (track 7)
• Roy Gartrell – banjo (track 2), guitar (track 2)
• Şerban Ghenea – mixing (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7 and 9)
• Brad Gilderman – engineering (track 8)
• Lori Goldstein – styling
• Lisa Greene – backing vocals (track 4), songwriting (track 4)
• Mick Guzauski – mixing (track 10)
• Rob Haggert – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 8 and 13)
• Chris Haggerty – digital editing (track 3)
• Roy "Royalty" Hamilton – arrangement (track 2), backing vocals (track 2), instrumentation (track 2), production (track 2), songwriting (track 2)
• Dug Hanes – Pro-Tools engineering (track 5)
• John Hanes – digital editing (tracks 1, 7, 9 and 13), Pro-Tools engineering (tracks 2 and 5)
• Jimmy Harry – arrangement (track 8), guitar (track 8), keyboards (track 8), production (track 8), programming (track 8), songwriting (track 8)
• Emma Holmgren – backing vocals (tracks 3 and 6)
• Vance Hornbuckle – engineering assistance (track 5)
• Isabel – make-up
• Janson & Janson – string arrangement (track 6), string conduction (track 6)
• Henrik Jonback – guitar (tracks 3 and 6), songwriting (tracks 3 and 6)
• Juggy D – backing vocals (track 13)
• Jennifer Karr – backing vocals (track 11)
• R. Kelly – backing vocals (track 7), mixing (track 7), production (track 7), songwriting (track 7)
• Brian Kierulf – engineering (tracks 11 and 15), guitar (track 11), keyboards (tracks 11 and 15), production (tracks 11 and 15), programming (tracks 11 and 15), songwriting (tracks 11 and 15), vocal editing (tracks 11 and 15), vocal engineering (tracks 11 and 15)
• Laurentius – hair
• Stephen Lee – songwriting (track 4)
• Kyron Leslie – backing vocals (track 5)
• Ryan Leslie – instrumentation (track 14), production (track 14), songwriting (track 14)
• Vanessa Letocq – production coordination (track 4)
• Vivien Lewit – legal representation
• Thomas Lindberg – bass (tracks 3 and 6)
• Paul Logus – mixing (track 14)
• Stephanie Louise – hair, make-up
• Steve Lunt – A&R, arrangement (tracks 1–3, 6, 9 and 13)
• Donnie Lyle – guitar (track 7)
• Madonna – songwriting (tracks 1 and 13), vocals (tracks 1 and 13)
• Penelope Magnet – arrangement (tracks 1 and 9), backing vocals (tracks 1, 5, 7, 9 and 13), production (tracks 1, 9 and 13), songwriting (tracks 1, 5, 9 and 13), vocal arrangement (tracks 5 and 7), vocal production (tracks 5 and 7)
• Marla Weinhoff Studio – set design
• The Matrix – arrangement (track 10), backing vocals (track 10), engineering (track 10), production (track 10), songwriting (track 10)
• Charles McCrorey – engineering assistance (tracks 1 and 13)
• Sean McGhee – editing (track 12), engineering (track 12), mixing (track 12)
• Mentor – keyboards (track 13)
• Ian Mereness – engineering (track 7), programming (track 7)
• Charlie Midnight – songwriting (track 10)
• Jason Mlodzinski – engineering assistance (track 7)
• Moby – engineering (track 5), instrumentation (track 5), production (track 5), programming (track 5), songwriting (track 5)
• Lyn Montrose – engineering assistance (track 14)
• Balewa Muhammad – songwriting (track 8)
• Pablo Munguia – engineering (tracks 2 and 4)
• Jackie Murphy – art direction, packaging design
• Terius Nash – songwriting (tracks 1 and 13)
• Andrew Nast – engineering assistance (track 10)
• Kendall Nesbitt – keyboards (track 7)
• Thabiso "Tab" Nkhereanye – songwriting (tracks 1, 9 and 13)
• Gary O'Brien – guitar (tracks 1, 9 and 13), songwriting (tracks 1 and 13)
• Oribe – hair
• Jonas Östman – engineering assistance (tracks 3 and 6)
• Pardeep Sandhu Orchestra – algozee (track 13), tumbi (track 13)
• Rob Paustian – engineering (track 14)
• Ranjit – photography
• Jason Rankins – engineering assistance (track 2)
• Rishi Rich – programming (track 13), remix production (track 13)
• Emma Roads – backing vocals (tracks 1 and 13)
• Tim Roberts – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, 9 and 13)
• Chyna Royal – backing vocals (track 2), songwriting (track 2)
• Larry Rudolph – management
• Josh Schwartz – backing vocals (track 15), engineering (tracks 11 and 15), guitar (tracks 11 and 15), production (tracks 11 and 15), songwriting (tracks 11 and 15)
• Alexis Seaton – engineering assistance (track 14)
• Guy Sigsworth – instrumentation (track 12), production (track 12)
• Slam – production coordination (track 14)
• Shep Solomon – production (track 8), songwriting (track 8)
• Britney Spears – arrangement (tracks 1 and 9), songwriting (tracks 1, 3, 5, 8–13 and 15), vocals (all tracks)
• Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (tracks 1 and 8), vocal engineering (tracks 1 and 13)
• Mary Alice Stephenson – styling
• Christopher Stewart – arrangement (tracks 1 and 9), backing vocals (track 5), instrumentation (tracks 1 and 9), production (tracks 1, 9 and 13), programming (tracks 1 and 9), songwriting (tracks 1, 5, 9 and 13), vocal arrangement (tracks 5 and 7), vocal production (tracks 5 and 7)
• Stockholm Session Strings – strings (track 6)
• Rich Tapper – engineering (track 2), engineering assistance (tracks 4, 5, 7 and 9)
• Mark Taylor – engineering (track 4), mixing (track 4), production (track 4)
• Brian "B-Luv" Thomas – digital editing (tracks 1, 5, 7, 9 and 13), engineering (tracks 1 and 9), vocal engineering (tracks 5, 7 and 13)
• David Treahearn – engineering assistance (tracks 1, 8 and 13)
• Mike Tucker – vocal editing (tracks 11 and 15), vocal engineering (tracks 11 and 15)
• Seth Waldmann – engineering assistance (track 12)
• P-Dub Walton – digital editing (tracks 1, 8 and 13)
• Nathan Wheeler – engineering assistance (track 7)
• The Wizardz of Oz – backing vocals (track 10)
• Dan Yashiv – digital editing (track 8)
• Ying Yang Twins – songwriting (track 2), vocals (track 2)
• Jong Uk Yoon – engineering assistance (track 4)
• Tony Zeller – engineering assistance (tracks 11 and 15)

{{div col end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for In the Zone}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Argentina|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2004|certref=|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2004|access-date=January 21, 2014|refname="aucert"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Austria|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2005|certmonth=11|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2003|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Brazil|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2004|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Platinum|number=3|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2004|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Czech Republic|nocert=true|salesamount=10,000|salesref={{cite web|url=https://www.idnes.cz/kultura/hudba/krali-roku-jsou-bila-nohavica-a-kabat.A031222_140315_hudba_dpi|title=Králi roku jsou Bílá, Nohavica a Kabát: NEJPRODÁVANĚJŠÍ ALBA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210312220203/https://www.idnes.cz/kultura/hudba/krali-roku-jsou-bila-nohavica-a-kabat.A031222_140315_hudba_dpi|first=Vladimír|last=Vlasák|date=December 22, 2003 |archive-date=March 12, 2021|publisher=iDNES.cz|access-date=March 12, 2021|language=cs}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry | region=Denmark | title=In the Zone| artist=Britney Spears | award=Platinum | type=album | relyear=2004 | number=2 | certyear=2023 | id= 12628| access-date=July 5, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Finland|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2004|salesamount=15,052|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|number=2|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2004|access-date=January 21, 2014|refname="frcert"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=album|artist=Britney Spears|title=In The Zone|award=Gold|relyear=2003|certyear=2003|access-date=May 1, 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Greece|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|certyear=2003|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certref=|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Hungary|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2004|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|title=イン・ザ・ゾーン|artist=ブリトニー・スピアーズ|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2003|certmonth=12|refname="jpcert"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Mexico|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Platinum|type=album|certyear=2003|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|access-date=August 23, 2022|refname="mxcert"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2004|certmonth=4|id=2004-04-23|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|refname="nzcert"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Norway|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2003|access-date=August 23, 2022}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|artist=Britney Spears|title=In the Zone|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|certyear=2024|access-date=April 17, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Portugal|artist=Britney Spears|title=In The Zone|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120020223/http://artistas-espectaculos.com/topafp/pt/200430.htm|archive-date=November 20, 2010|access-date=June 29, 2021|id=200430}}

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Russia |artist=Britney Spears|title=In The Zone |award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=2003|relyear=2003|access-date=April 12, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Singapore|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|certyear=2021|access-date=January 26, 2023}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=South Korea|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|type=album|award=Platinum|number=8|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|nocert=true|salesamount=130,025|salesref={{efn| In South Korea, In the Zone sold 71,145 copies within the last two months of 2003 and sold additional 58,880 copies throughout 2004, according to the Korea Music Content Industry Association, bringing the sales total to 130,025 copies.{{cite web|url=http://www.miak.or.kr:80/stat/pop_2003_2h.htm|script-title=ko:자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2003년 - POP 음반 판매량|publisher=MIAK|language=ko|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717174459/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/pop_2003_2h.htm|archive-date=July 17, 2007|access-date=September 5, 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/pop_2004.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070616204841/http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/pop_2004.htm|script-title=ko:자료제공:(사)한국음반산업협회/이 자료는당협회와 상의없이 가공,편집을금합니다 - 2004년 총결산 POP음반 판매량|publisher=MIAK|language=ko|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 16, 2007}}}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=2003|certyear=2004|certmonth=4|id=britney-spears-in-the-zone|access-date=January 23, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|relmonth=11|certyear=2004|certmonth=2|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2003|access-date=January 21, 2014}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Platinum|type=album|id=3312-3355-2|refname="ukcert"|salesamount=540,000|salesref={{Cite tweet|number=1062357016545509377|user=officialcharts|title=Happy 15th Birthday to @BritneySpears' In The Zone album!|access-date=February 20, 2021}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|type=album|award=Platinum|number=3|certyear=2023|refname="uscert"}}

{{Certification Table Summary}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Europe|title=In the Zone|artist=Britney Spears|award=Platinum|certyear=2004|access-date=January 21, 2014|refname="eucert"}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}}

• Britney Spears: In the Zone
• Britney Spears discography
• List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2003
• List of number-one hits of 2003 (France)

{{Notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book|last=Heller|first=Dana Alice|title=Makeover Television: Realities Remodelled|year=2007|publisher=I.B. Tauris|isbn=978-1-84511-330-8}}
• {{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |year=2005 |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=es |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=Fundación Autor/SGAE |isbn=84-8048-639-2}}

{{refend}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite book

| last2 = Reichert

| first2 = Tom

| last1 = Lambiase

| first1 = Jacqueline

| title = Sex in Consumer Culture: the Erotic Content of Media and Marketing

| year = 2006

| publisher=Routledge

| isbn = 0-8058-5090-2

}}

• {{cite magazine|last=Mamo|first=Heran|date=August 11, 2021|title=The Weeknd's Next Album Is Taking Inspiration From These 2 Britney Spears Songs|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/the-weeknd-britney-spears-songs-inspired-next-album-9613669/|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=February 5, 2023|archive-date=December 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215185701/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/the-weeknd-britney-spears-songs-inspired-next-album-9613669/|url-status=live}}
• {{cite web|last=Wass|first=Mike|date=December 14, 2020|title=Britney Spears' Iconic 'In The Zone' Era: A Gallery|url=https://www.idolator.com/7916564/britney-spears-iconic-in-the-zone-era-a-gallery|website=Idolator|accessdate=February 5, 2023|archive-date=February 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223102438/https://www.idolator.com/7916564/britney-spears-iconic-in-the-zone-era-a-gallery|url-status=dead}}

{{refend}}

• [https://www.britneyspears.com Official website]
• {{Discogs master|29427}}
• [http://www.metacritic.com/music/in-the-zone/critic-reviews In the Zone] at Metacritic

{{Britney Spears}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2003 albums

Category:Albums produced by Bloodshy & Avant

Category:Albums produced by Guy Sigsworth

Category:Albums produced by the Matrix (production team)

Category:Albums produced by Sean Combs

Category:Albums produced by R. Kelly

Category:Albums produced by Tricky Stewart

Category:Britney Spears albums

Category:Jive Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Moby

Category:Hip-hop albums by American artists

Category:Albums produced by Mark Taylor (music producer)

Category:Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios

Category:Albums recorded at Westlake Recording Studios