14 DAY TRIAL // Just the other day, concerned parents and several radio stations in the US and abroad got up in arms to complain about one of Britney Spears’ latest singles, the “If You Seek Amy” track off her “Circus” album. Even if the “k” in “seek” has been dropped, the song is still violating indecency laws, the PTC (Parents TV Council) says, asking for all radio stations to ban it.
Problems with the track began a few weeks ago, when parents noted that, if sang in a certain way, the line had an entirely different meaning from what they initially believed. Since Britney’s fanbase also comprises 7 to 14-year-olds, they asked for the track to be pulled off air, but got instead Jive Records to drop the “k” in “seek.” It’s still not enough, the PTC says, asking for all stations to stop playing the track between 6am and 10 pm, when children are more likely to tune in.
“There is no misinterpreting the lyrics to this song, and it’s certainly not about a girl named Amy.” PTC President Tim Winter tells Billboard. “It’s one thing for a song with these lyrics to be included on a CD so that fans who wish to hear it can do so, but it’s an entirely different matter when this song is played over the publicly-owned airwaves, especially at a time when children are likely to be in the listening audience.” Winter adds, saying that airing it “violates indecency laws.”
Despite the PTC’s advisory, it could be that it’s too late to pull the track off air now, Billboard notes. Six of the top 40 stations in the US have the track now in their weekly rotations, which has pushed it to the no. 92 position in the Billboard Pop 100 chart, faring better than other tracks from Britney. At the same time, digitally, “Amy” has moved so far well over 100,000 copies.
Of course, Billboard notes, there is also the question of whether the radio stations are willing to pull a track off air just like that. As far as they’re concerned, since they’re already playing the modified version (with “see” instead of “seek”), there is virtually no harm done, even if the lyrics make absolutely no sense.