BritneySpears is getting back to the music — again.
The Princess of Pop and her frequent collaborator, Will.i.am, have dropped a new single, “Mind Your Business,” which is the second song to be released after her 13-year conservatorship was terminated.
“Mind Your Business” marks the first reunion for Spears and Will.i.am since their triple-platinum hit “Scream & Shout” in 2012. One decade after that release, their song is still hitting milestones: earlier this year, “Scream & Shout” reached one billion views on YouTube.
“Mind Your Business” features Spears in what Epic Records describes as having an “enigmatic and captivating beat” with an “irresistible hook and infectious energy.” In a press release for the single from Will.i.am, the label says Spears’ “unmatched attitude and energy elevate the song to new heights.”
Will.i.am previously teased on social media that the track was coming, garnering excitement from fans — especially those who have been rooting for Spears, who was released from her conservatorship less than two years ago.
Speaking about the new single this week, Will.i.am praised Spears during an interview with CBS Mornings. “I’ve been a fan, friend and supporter of Britney throughout the years,” he said. “Supporter as far as a person that goes out and listens to her music, a support as far as somebody that’s there to help champion her through her times when she was fighting for her liberation. She is an amazing person.”
“Music is therapy for lots of people,” he said. “Dancing is therapy for lots of people… And when you have that connection with music and rhythm and song and melody and harmony, and you express yourself through that, it helps you with anything that you’re going through, and I see that every time I see her dance on her Instagram. I light up because I see how much she loves music. To collaborate with her now and then — when you’re in the studio and you’re making music, that’s the only thing that matters — so I see the same light, the same joy, the same love and passion.”
Describing the meaning of the song, “Mind Your Business,” Will.i.am said, “When you’re in the spotlight, a lot of times you just want to live your life. There are lyrics in the song that point to that… There is a thin line, and everyone deservers their version of privacy.”
Spears, of course, has been in the spotlight most of her life — first on Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club, and then becoming a household name with her breakout hit “Baby One More Time,” which was released in 1998 when she was a teenager, shooting her into global superstardom.
Spears’ last full-length studio album, “Glory,” was released in 2016. Her duet with Elton John, “Hold Me Closer,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard dance and electronic chart last year, and became Spears’ 14th top-10 single on the Billboard Hot 100, bringing the pop star into rare territory as only the 12th artist to have top-10 achievements across four decades.
Will.i.am, the frontman of the Black Eyed Peas and a Grammy-winning producer as well as artist, recently marked his solo comeback after a decade with “The Formula” featuring Lil Wayne. Will.i.am is expected to release his fifth solo album soon, per Epic.
As for Spears, new music isn’t the only thing coming from the pop icon. She recently announced she will be releasing a memoir, “The Woman In Me,” this October.
