Britney Spears is expressing her disapproval of Halsey’s latest music video, which interpolates her 2000 hit single “Lucky.” Despite Halsey’s claim of obtaining Spears’ approval for the song, Spears took to social media this afternoon to criticize the Gia Coppola-directed video.
Britney Spears reveal that she will take legal action against Halsey after the release of her single, “Lucky” which interpolates Spears’ song of the same name:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 26, 2024
“For obvious reasons I'm very upset about the Halsey video. I feel harassed, violated, and bullied.” pic.twitter.com/Ez0cCMMxTB
Spears stated that she felt “harassed, violated, and bullied” by Halsey’s video interpretation, which she believes portrays her as a “superficial pop star.”
“I feel harassed, violated and bullied. I didn’t know an artist like her and someone I looked up to and admired would illustrate me in such an ignorant way by tailoring me as a superficial pop star with no heart or concern at all. I have my own health problems which is why I took down my IG account yesterday. I will definitely be putting it back up now to show I CARE. I’m speaking with my lawyers today to see what can be done on this matter. It feels illegal and down right cruel.”
Halsey had previously assured fans that she had obtained Spears’ approval for interpolating “Lucky” in her new single.
When asked on social media last week about using the original song, Halsey responded, “Yes, of course! I wouldn’t even dream of doing it without her blessing!”
However, Spears’ approval did not extend to the music video, which draws inspiration from her original work and delves into the darker side of pop stardom. The video follows a young girl idolizing Halsey, who is shown struggling with her relationship and health behind the scenes. The visual elements include Halsey receiving infusions and removing her wig to reveal a shaved head, a reference included in the lyrics.
“I shaved my head four times because I wanted to and then I did it one more time cause I got sick,” Halsey sings. “I thought I changed so much nobody would notice shit, and no one did. Then I left the doctor’s office full of tears / Became a single mom at my premiere / I told everybody I was fine for a whole damn year, and that’s the biggest lie of my career.”
Update: Britney Spears has deleted her original post and will not be suing Halsey over her new music video. “Fake news !!! That was not me on my phone !!! I love Halsey, and that’s why I deleted it 🌹 !!!” Britney tweeted.
Fake news !!! That was not me on my phone !!! I love Halsey and that’s why I deleted it 🌹 !!!
— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) July 26, 2024
“Lucky” is anticipated to be part of Halsey’s upcoming fifth studio album, her first release since 2021’s Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross-produced “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.”