Britney Spears shoots down album rumours, vowing to ‘never return to the music industry’

LOS ANGELES (AP):

Britney Spears is shooting down rumours of a new album, vowing to “never return to the music industry”. At the same time, Spears noted in an Instagram post on Wednesday, she’s still writing music, just for other people. “When I write, I write for fun or I write for other people !!!” she wrote. “I’ve written over 20 songs for other people the past two years!!! I’m a ghostwriter and I honestly enjoy it that way!!!” The Instagram caption, in which she blasted those who “keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album”, was paired with a photo of a Guido Reni painting of Salome holding the head of John the Baptist.

This isn’t the first instance where Spears has hinted at retiring from releasing her own music. In July 2021, during her ongoing conservatorship, which had dominated her life, finances, and voice for almost 14 years, her longtime manager Larry Rudolph resigned, citing her lack of intention to resume her career. Shortly after her release from the conservatorship later that year, she expressed fear of the music industry on Instagram and declared that abstaining from creating her own music was an act of defiance against her family.

The next year, she released the single, Hold Me Closer, a collaboration with Elton John that spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number six.

However, last year’s Mind Your Business, a single with will.i.am, received poor reviews and did not make the Hot 100. Spears’ last full album was 2016’s ‘Glory’.

In Wednesday’s post, Spears also wrote that it was “far from the truth” that her 2023 bestselling memoir, ‘The Woman In Me’, was released without her approval.