"Toxic" deconstructed: A musical analysis of how Bollywood and James Bond fueled Britney Spears’ 2003 hit song. We spoke to classical Carnatic vocalist Manasi Prasad and classically-trained composer Adam Ragusea about the link between Indian music and spy music, and how these sounds are expertly weaved together in “Toxic” to create a campy pop masterpiece.

From its instrumentation to its harmonic structure, “Toxic” is no ordinary pop hit. You know exactly what song it is as soon as you hear those high-pitched orchestral violin riff — that undeniably catchy hook that makes “Toxic” a DJ staple even today, over 15 years after its release. The secret to the song’s infectious hook, though, lies farther back than the early 2000s — long before Britney Spears, and even before Bloodshy and Avant, the hit-making duo behind the song’s production. The song gets its signature orchestral arrangement from Indian music, specifically from an ’80s blockbuster Bollywood movie “Ek Duuje Ke Liye.” The instantly recognizable hook is actually a remixed sample from “Tere Mere Beech Mein,” a Hindi song off that film’s soundtrack.

The string interpolation in “Toxic” isn’t the only element that’s borrowed from a movie soundtrack. The surf guitar in its chorus is inspired by the music of James Bond, the global film franchise that kicked off in 1962 with Sean Connery’s “Dr. No.” The original James Bond theme, first heard in “Dr. No,” was driven by surf rock; and thanks to its outsized influence on the music of other Cold War espionage films and TV series, we now associate that 1960s surf guitar sound with all the suspense and excitement of Hollywood spy thrillers. Those flashy, dangerous connotations carry over into “Toxic,” where Britney’s singing about a risky, poisonous attraction. The pop star seems to allude to this Bond connection in the song's iconic music video, where she appears in a Bond Girl-esque role.

Britney Spears first released “Toxic” as a single off her fourth studio album, “In the Zone.” It hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and revived Britney’s career, propelling her back into the Top 10 for the first time in four years. Soon the song would cement its status as one of the defining hits from that early-’00s pop era.

For more from Adam Ragusea:
   / @aragusea  
https://www.adamragusea.com/
For more from Manasi Prasad:
https://manasiprasad.com/
  / raagamanasi  

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How Bollywood Gave Britney Spears Her Greatest Hit