If you take a look at the iTunes pop charts on Friday morning (January 26), you can thank Britney Spears fans. Britney's army has marshalled its collective might to push her deep cut in 2011 Fatal woman Bonus track “Selfish” in the top 5 of the US iTunes Top 40 singles chart less than 24 hours after ex Justin Timberlake released his new single of the same name.
At press time, JT's song — which was released Thursday morning — is atop the US iTunes chart, with Spears' track right behind at No. 2. The Brit's “Selfish” has reached topped the iTunes pop chart in a number of other territories, including Canada, Mexico and Brazil, among others. The digital chess move was prompted by a flurry of social media activity on Thursday urging Britney's fans to stream her song in an apparent attempt to dent the first week's streaming numbers for the first single from her upcoming sixth album Timberlake. Everything I thought it was.
On X, Britney's army recounted how some radio stations in the US also began playing her “Selfish” thanks to attention on the Stargate, Kuk Harrell and Sandy Vee-produced song. The trolling effort comes as Timberlake begins promoting his first solo single since 2018's “SoulMate,” and at the time of publication neither Spears nor Timberlake appear to have responded to the fast-spreading global guerrilla iTunes chart, which also included the Brit's tune added to Spotify's “Obsessed” playlist.
While Spears announced earlier this month that she “never” plans to return to the music industry, the two singers will forever be intertwined in the minds of their fans because of their dating history in the late 1990s and early 1990s. of 2000. The pair were members of the pop family at the time, with Spears writing in her 2023 The Woman in Me Tell all the memoirs that she had an abortion while they were dating because Timberlake “definitely wasn't happy about the pregnancy.”
Timberlake has not responded to the book's allegations about his alleged behavior during their relationship, but turned off comments on his Instagram after being inundated with angry comments from Britney's supporters. Justin appeared to allude to the storm during a show in Las Vegas in December, where he told the crowd he meant “no disrespect” before playing his 2002 solo hit “Cry Me a River”, widely seen as a commentary on the pair's March 2002. They split after three years together.
Timberlake also apologized to Spears — and Janet Jackson — in 2021, a week after Hulu aired the document Framing of Britney Spears, writing on Instagram, “I've seen the messages, tags, comments and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn or did not speak the right thing. I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care and respect these women and I know I failed.”
The upheaval comes as Timberlake is in full promotional mode, fresh from a visit to his friendly climes The Tonight Show on Thursday night before heading into his equally warm arms Saturday night live This weekend as a musical guest on the show he has hosted five times. Timberlake also has a free show at New York's 1,100-capacity Irving Place on January 31, his 43rd birthday.
Check out some of the tweets from Spears fans promoting the “selfish” skirmish.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/britney-spears-fans-trolling-justin-timberlake-selfish-single-1235590379/
