"Overprotected" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her third studio album, Britney (2001). It was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami. The song was released on December 12, 2001 by Jive Records, as the second single from Britney. "Overprotected" is a dance-pop and teen pop song that is about a girl who is tired of being overprotected and just wants to be herself. The song received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics and was released to United States radio on April 1, 2002.

While it did not perform well on the Billboard charts in the United States, "Overprotected" peaked at number 22 in Canada, while reaching the top five in Italy, Romania, Sweden and United Kingdom. An accompanying music video, directed by Billie Woodruff, portrays Spears dancing inside an abandoned factory, while singing about being overprotected; the music video for "The Darkchild Remix", directed by Chris Applebaum, portrays Spears dancing and having fun with her friends. Spears has performed "Overprotected" a number of times including at the Dream Within a Dream Tour (2001) and The Onyx Hotel Tour (2004). In 2003, the song received a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The song was also featured in the animated film Hotel Transylvania.

During the Oops!... I Did It Again Tour (2000), Spears revealed she felt inspired by hip hop artists such as Jay-Z and The Neptunes and wanted to create a record with a funkier sound. In February 2001, Spears signed a $7–8 million promotional deal with Pepsi, and released another book co-written with her mother, entitled A Mother's Gift. On the same month, Spears started to record material for her third studio album, with "Overprotected" being recorded at Maratone Studios in . Additional recording was done in April 2001 at Maratone in Sweden, in which the song's vocals were completed. Background vocals were provided by Spears and Bosslady, with the track being mixed by Martin and Rami at Maratone Studios. Her third studio album, Britney, was released in November 2001. In an interview with the Daily Record, Spears concluded she can relate to "Overprotected" "on a personal basis, because I feel kind of overprotected. When I want to go out, everything has to be organized in advance. I think that other kids of my age can relate to it to a certain extent."

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