Can you believe it’s been nearly 15 years since Britney Spears released “Toxic,” her second single off the 2003 album In the Zone? The song was an instant worldwide success and ended up being one of the top-selling singles of her career.
Of course, a good part of the reason why “Toxic” became the earworm it did was thanks to the impossibly catchy hook between verses, which to this day is instantly recognizable.
Which is why, while recording his dog Riley, Snapchat and Twitter user Matt Hardin couldn’t help but notice that the pup sounded just like he was singing Spears’ hit. “Is it just me or does Riley sound like he’s singing toxic by Britney Spears?” Hardin tweeted over the weekend.
Is it just me or does Riley sound like he’s singing toxic by Britney Spears? pic.twitter.com/XT4us4ERYD
— matty (@matttatoullie) July 21, 2018
Indeed, if you compare Riley’s whine to the song’s actual hook, it’s pretty much uncanny. Hardin’s tweet quickly went viral as others grappled to wraps their minds around the incredible “Toxic” singing doggo. “I’ve watched this 20 times,” replied one user, to which Hardin responded, “I had to watch it a few times too just to make sure I wasn’t insane.”
Others were similarly impressed:
baby can’t you see… https://t.co/loNf26ABEK
— Carlie (@carliehanson) July 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/Borgore/status/1021128316571357184
https://twitter.com/Max_iac/status/1020979510513152000
It’s perfect https://t.co/P3ddXhoUYL
— Max Gonzalez (@GassyMexican) July 22, 2018
riley is a legend omg https://t.co/dmElNZUhMT
— ` (@perriesgold) July 22, 2018
this dog can sing better than you https://t.co/EB9f203Efv
— Hello (@NeilBes12) July 22, 2018
And the obligatory:
https://twitter.com/laurencesulit/status/1020967776746291200
Someone needs to book this dog on some America’s Got Talent type of show and get him a recording contract STAT. The rest of the world needs to hear Riley.
