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The Express Gazette
Friday, October 16, 2026

Britney Spears Spotted in NYC Amidst Release of Unreleased Track Featuring Ex Justin Timberlake

The pop icon was seen covering her face while dining in New York City, shortly after dropping a previously unreleased song with her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake.

US Politics • 2 hours ago
Britney Spears Spotted in NYC Amidst Release of Unreleased Track Featuring Ex Justin Timberlake

Britney Spears was observed dining in New York City on Thursday, adopting a low profile by covering her face with a scarf and wearing sunglasses. The singer was seen at the Mediterranean restaurant RinTinTin in Manhattan, where she was accompanied by security. Spears, dressed in a bright green dress and a leather jacket, entered and exited the establishment with her security detail.

This outing follows the recent release of an unreleased track titled "She'll Never Be Me." The song was originally recorded for Spears's 2001 album "Britney" and features contributions from her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, who assisted with its composition and lyrics. The track was made available ahead of the 25th anniversary edition of the album, scheduled for release on November 6.

The song's release was notable for its lack of fanfare, with no official press release from Spears's record label RCA and minimal promotion from Spears herself. The track's emergence has drawn attention, particularly given that Spears sold her entire music catalog for approximately $200 million in February. Fans have expressed mixed reactions, with some noting that Spears may no longer have control over what is released from her catalog and that Timberlake, due to his writing credit, stands to profit monetarily.

Spears and Timberlake dated from 1999 to 2002. Their past relationship has been a subject of public discussion, particularly following the release of Spears's 2023 memoir, "The Woman In Me." The book detailed several controversial aspects of their romance, including an instance where Spears alleged Timberlake urged her to have an abortion when she became pregnant. She wrote that while she wanted to have the baby and dreamed of starting a family with Timberlake, he was not ready for parenthood and felt they were too young. Spears also claimed in her memoir that Timberlake cheated on her during their relationship.

Timberlake has faced criticism from Spears's fans in recent years, with public sentiment shifting following the revelations in her memoir. In January, Spears's fans rallied behind her 2011 song "Selfish" after Timberlake released a new single with the same title. This event led to Spears's older song re-entering the music charts.

IMAGE4 Spears's music career has seen significant developments, including the sale of her music catalog. The unreleased track "She'll Never Be Me" offers a glimpse into her past work, coinciding with continued public interest in her life and career.


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