If a look on the iTunes pop charts on Friday morning (Jan. 26) had you seeing double you possibly can thank Britney Spears followers. The Britney Military has marshalled their collective would possibly to push her deep reduce 2011 Femme Fatale bonus observe “Egocentric” into the highest 5 of the U.S. iTunes high 40 singles chart lower than 24 hours after long-ago ex Justin Timberlake launched his new single of the identical identify.
At press time JT’s track — which was launched Thursday morning — is on the high of the iTunes tally within the U.S., with Spears’ observe simply behind at No. 2; Brit’s “Egocentric” has topped the iTunes pop chart in a lot of different territories, together with Canada, Mexico and Brazil, amongst others. The digital chess transfer was impressed by a raft of social media exercise on Thursday urging Britney followers to stream her track in an obvious try to tamp down first-week streaming figures for the primary single from Timberlake’s upcoming sixth album, All the things I Thought It Was.
On X, Britney’s Military have chronicled how some radio stations within the U.S. have additionally begun spinning her “Egocentric” due to the eye on the track produced by Stargate, Kuk Harrell and Sandy Vee. The trolling effort got here simply as Timberlake started selling his first solo single since 2018’s “SoulMate” and at press time neither Spears nor Timberlake seem to have responded to the quickly-spreading world guerrilla iTunes chart goosing, which has additionally included Brit’s tune being added to the Spotify “Obsessed” playlist.
Whereas Spears introduced earlier this month that she “by no means” plans to return to the music enterprise, the 2 singers will without end be entwined of their followers’ minds as a consequence of their courting historical past within the late Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s. The pair had been pop royalty on the time, with Spears writing in her 2023 The Girl in Me tell-all memoir that she had an abortion whereas they had been courting as a result of Timberlake “positively wasn’t blissful about being pregnant.”
Timberlake didn’t reply to the allegations within the e-book about his alleged habits throughout their relationship, however he did flip off feedback on his Instagram after it was flooded with offended feedback from Britney’s supporters. Justin did seem to allude to the firestorm throughout a Las Vegas present in December, the place he instructed a crowd he meant “no disrespect” earlier than enjoying his 2002 solo hit “Cry Me a River,” extensively seen as a commentary on the couple’s March 2002 cut up after three years collectively.
Timberlake additionally apologized to Spears — and Janet Jackson — in 2021, every week after Hulu aired the doc Framing Britney Spears, writing on Instagram, “I’ve seen the messages, tags, feedback, and considerations and I need to reply. I’m deeply sorry for the occasions in my life the place my actions contributed to the issue, the place I spoke out of flip, or didn’t converse up for what was proper. I particularly need to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson each individually, as a result of I look after and respect these girls and I do know I failed.”
The tumult comes as Timberlake is in full promo mode, recent off a go to to pleasant climes of The Tonight Present on Thursday evening earlier than heading to the equally heat embrace of Saturday Night time Reside this weekend because the musical visitor on the present he’s hosted 5 occasions; Timberlake additionally has a free present at New York’s 1,100-capacity Irving Place on Jan. 31, his forty third birthday.
Try a number of the tweets from Spears’ fan selling the “Egocentric” skirmish.
