The Real Story Behind Everytime

[X-Ander]

While many people have heard Britney Spears‘ heartfelt ballad, 'Everytime', hardly anyone has ever heard the story behind its creation from the song’s co-writer herself.

 

Annet Artani, a Greek singer-songwriter first got her start with Britney after auditioning to become a back-up singer for Britney’s upcoming promotional tour. Though she had no idea what the job entailed, she assumed it was a one-off gig for Britney’s upcoming performance on 'The Rosie O’Donnell Show'. Only hours after their performance, in September 2001, she was asked to join Britney and the rest of the tour crew for what would become the 'Dream Within A Dream Tour'.

 

 

The tour was also a brief time of romance for Annet, who struck up a relationship with the tour’s musical director for the duration of the show.

“I was enamored, we fell in love from the beginningâ€.

 

The friendship between Britney and Annet was generally limited to vocal warm-up routines, short chats in the gym, and time spent together on stage, until the last date in Mexico City (July 2002) when Britney started a conversation with her.

“She was getting her nails done at the pool area. At one point, she called me over to tell me how cute me and the guy are and I’m like, <Yeah, that’s not going to last>. She goes <What do you mean?> and I was like, <Well, it looks like we’re going to break up> and she said <Don’t worry about it, you’re going to hang out with me>".

 

Britney and Annet slowly began to forge a friendship following the tour’s end.

“I didn’t expect her to call me, but then she did. She invited me to Los Angeles, and then she invited me to Milan and I went with her to the Donatella Versace’s Fashion Showâ€. 

 

 

According to Artani, their relationship grew out of their shared dating experiences at the time.

“Basically, we commiserated because she, at that time, had broken up with Justin Timberlake. Maybe like nine months before, but of course it was really fresh in the media. I was just breaking up with this guy, so we kind of needed each otherâ€.

 

After spending a few weeks in Los Angeles, the two traveled to Italy where Britney was the guest of honor at the Donatella Versace's show in Milan. During their Italian stay, they were housed by Versace in person in her huge mansion on the Lake Como, in Italy.

“It was me and her, her stylist and Felicia, and we had this humongous house to ourselves, and they had a piano there as well!"

As a result, Britney and Annet began to write together. 

"The piano was in the middle of the house, so, of course, we’d sit around and start writingâ€.

 

From out of these sessions came a song called 'Everytime', a deeply personal, heartbroken ballad that displayed Britney at her weakest and most vulnerable state. 

"It was a very organic, sad experience, but I think that’s where the truth comes out", Annet says of the songwriting process.

 

As most people had quickly assumed, 'Everytime' was in large part a response to Justin Timberlake’s release of 'Cry Me A River' as well as various radio interviews which Annet cited as an all-too-personal moment on air. 

“He was talking shit about her at that time on the radio. He was getting personal. Here, she had a different type of image, and he was really exposing some stuff that she probably didn’t want out there, and in front of her little sister. I remember that Jamie Lynn was shocked, as well as Britney. I'm sure that this hurt her very much".

 

And so 'Everytime' was born, although it wasn’t the only song to stem from the writing sessions in Lake Como.

“There was a song, she basically started writing something for her sister, and we called it ‘Shine’, but we never finished it. She's obviously very close to Jamie Lynn".

 

Additionally, the two also started collaborating on a somewhat unexpected project – a film:

“I started writing a screenplay when I was in Donatella’s house because I was staying in her daughter Allegra’s room and I was just really inspired in there. I started writing a screenplay about these two best friends, and then she and I were working on it on the airplane on our way back to the States. It was an idea that we both started developing. We actually started to write a screenplay that we never finishedâ€.

 

Though contact with Britney has since slowly diminished following their songwriting sessions after the 'Dream Within A Dream Tour', Annet remains grateful for her experience and the time spent working with her.

 

'Everytime' was written in Italy, recorded at the Conway Studios in Los Angeles and mixed in Frou Frou Central in London. It was one of the first songs to be completed for 'In the Zone', and a sneak peek was premiered on May 30th, 2003, by Quddus Philippe of MTV at Battery Studios in New York City. 

In an interview with Hip Online, Britney talked about the recording times of the song, saying:

"About 'Everytime' I wrote the entire song from an exercise on the piano. From the musical point of view, I did not have a model or something like that, it was just me and the piano, and I created the harmony and the lyrics. Then I played it for Guy Sigsworth and I told him exactly how I wanted the song to sound".

 

 

 

Below is a photo of Annet and Britney in a restaurant in Italy, directly from Annet's personal archive:

 

 

 

 

This is a small interview in Milan, where Britney declares to be a guest at Versace's home in Lake Como:

 

 

This is a scene from 'Chaotic' where Britney tells a fun fact about her staying in Italy when she tried to hook up an Italian guy:

 

 

 

We have probably already had a taste of 'Shine' in the small excerpt that came out in 2006 in Britney's official website that many fans call 'Little Me' or 'Just Yesterday'.

 

 

Britney e Annet had also planned a holiday together in Greece, where Annet has her origins, during the six-months break that she scheduled herself at the end of the tour, as Britney said in 'Stages'. But unfortunately, for some reason, the holiday never happened.

 

[Richie]

I wish the'd still being friends

[BrittonJeanSpears]

I wonder if they're still friends? And obviously Everytime is in part Brit's response to Justin, but if Annette co-wrote it, doesn't that mean that it's also about her and this musical director guy? Also, that pic at the end is fierce and 2007ney was alive and real in 2002.

[lovemesomebritney]

yeeep, I remember that story from MuuMuse interview 

[LiaLovesGodney]

It'd be cool if they were still friends. And lol at that picture with the bodyguard. @ 2007ney indeed.

[VerySoon]

there's not much new but some things i didnt know. so T4p

[Sirdylanmerlot]

Really great read! I love stumbling across new things about Brit.

[Joanhs]

Yeah, I read that ages ago It's really cool how sweet Britney was to her

[JoshLee]

That's really cool. Never thought of it that way. Are they still friends?

[ooh la la]

if they wrote it together was she credited for the song i hope she doesn't try and sue britney.

[RadiantCreations]

wow Thanks. that was a really good read, I Love hearing about Britney writing and being creative 

[Term of Endearment]

http://i.imgur.com/YqqSwOz.gif

[kermit]

“He was talking shit about her at that time on the radio. He was getting personal. Here, she had a different type of image, and he was really exposing some stuff that she probably didn’t want out there, and in front of her little sister. I remember that Jamie Lynn was shocked, as well as Britney. I'm sure that this hurt her very much".

 

damn jt is such a fucking dick smh

[Vegasney88]

I wish britney would take me to Italy

[MakeItCoolerInHere]

I never saw that Chaotic footage.

Interesting read, t4p

[Josie Jean]

wow

[onyx09]

the flawless Everytime was written in Milan inside Donatella's Mansion

[LivinLegend]

I still try to hit the high note but never as good as Brit