Britney Spears' Unreleased Track Featuring Justin Timberlake Sparks Fan Backlash

A previously unreleased song by Britney Spears, featuring her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, has been released, drawing a lukewarm response from fans who are still processing past revelations about their tumultuous relationship. The track, titled "She'll Never Be Me," was originally recorded for Spears' 2001 album Britney, with Timberlake contributing to its composition and lyrics.

The release comes ahead of the 25th-anniversary edition of the Britney album, scheduled for November 6. The song's debut was notably understated, lacking a press release from Spears' record label or any social media announcements from the artist herself, beyond a Facebook Reel video.

Fans have pointed to Spears' sale of her entire music catalog for approximately $200 million in February as a reason for their reluctance to embrace the new release. Many expressed on social media that Spears would not have wanted the song to be released now, especially given her lack of control over her work. Concerns were also raised that Timberlake would profit from the track due to his writing credit.

"Thanks for letting us know Justin Timberlake has a writting credit... skip," one fan commented on a social media post about the song. This sentiment reflects lingering resentment from fans who were vocal in their support for Spears following the release of her 2023 memoir, The Woman In Me. In the book, Spears made several accusations against Timberlake, including that he pressured her to have an abortion when she became pregnant and that he portrayed her negatively in his 2002 song "Cry Me a River." The memoir detailed her "agonizing" decision to terminate the pregnancy, stating Timberlake "didn't want to be a father" and that they were "way too young."

Spears and Timberlake dated from 1999 to 2002. Following their split, Timberlake's career saw a significant boost, with songs and albums often framed around the narrative of Spears having broken his heart. Spears' memoir also alleged that Timberlake cheated on her during their relationship.

This is not the first time Spears' fans, often referred to as "The Britney Army," have mobilized in response to Timberlake. In January, they propelled Spears' 2011 song "Selfish" up the charts after Timberlake released a single with the same title from his album Everything I Thought It Was.