Hours after her explosive social media rant about never returning to the music industry, Britney Spears has decided to delete her Instagram account.
In the Instagram post, Spears cleared the air of rumors concerning any new projects she was allegedly working on. “Just so we’re clear, most of the news is trash!!!” she declared. “They keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album…I will never return to the music industry!!!”
Britney Spears was responding to claims by Page Six and The Sun that she was collaborating with Charli XCX and Julia Michaels for her first album in nearly a decade. An insider told The Sun that the new album is being kept top secret.
“Work has been going on behind the scenes for quite a while,” the source explained. “To gather a series of killer songs to bring Britney back with a bang. She is known as one of the biggest pop stars of the 21st century so there is pressure for the music to be great.”
Speaking about Charli XCX, the insider said, “Charli has a great track record when it comes to writing clever pop songs. She went into the studio earlier in the year to make some songs using Britney’s guidance on what she was after. She came up with a really strong track that is expected to make it onto the album, which Britney’s team hopes will be out in 2024.”
Although she previously stepped away from music before the end of her conservatorship, Britney Spears has worked on other projects. She collaborated with Elton John for Hold Me Closer in 2022 and Will.i.am’s Mind Your Business last year.
Julia Michaels Previously Worked With Britney Spears on Her 2016 ‘Glory’ Album
During an Aug. 2017 interview with PEOPLE, Julia Michaels spoke about collaborating with Britney Spears for the 2016 album Glory. Michaels wrote/co-wrote multiple songs for the album, including Just Luv Me, Slumber Party, and Better.
“The most surprising was probably Britney,” Michaels said about those she’s worked with. “I don’t think people realize how active she is in the studio. A lot of the songs that her, Justin [Tranter, writing partner] and I did together were her concepts, melodies, and lyrics. I think the pop melody sensibility is so ingrained in her brain that she just sounds like pop music.”
Michaels pointed out that Britney Spears is exactly what anyone thinks she’s like. “She is really down to earth, really humble, and just wants to make music and have fun. She’s no different from anybody else.”