Britney Spears has quietly released a previously unreleased song she co-wrote with Justin Timberlake in 2001. “She’ll Never Be Me” was recorded for her third album, “Britney,” and previews the album’s 25th anniversary edition, which is due Nov. 6, Variety and Billboard report.
About the song
Spears and Timberlake were dating when they wrote it, Variety notes. They worked with Bradley Daymond and Alex Greggs, who have long collaborated with ‘NSYNC and write and produce as Riprock ‘n’ Alex G. Billboard describes a classic-era Spears pop track with keyboard and drum-machine textures, and says the chorus is a kiss-off to an ex who replaces her with a lookalike. Billboard dates the release to Friday, Oct. 9.
The release was low-key. Variety says there was no notice on her website or a press release from RCA, only a reel on her Facebook page. It reads that as a sign of Spears’ step back from music, since she said in 2024 she would never return to the industry. Variety calls these the first new recordings released under her name since the 2023 single “Mind Your Business” with Will.i.am, which was assembled from older recordings.
What else is on the anniversary edition
The 25-song expanded edition of “Britney” will include four other previously unreleased tracks: “Am I a Sinner,” “When I Say So” and “My Big Secret,” plus a full version of “Right Now (Taste the Victory),” which was used in a 2002 Pepsi commercial, according to Variety and Billboard. Billboard adds the set will also include “Intimidated,” a B-side from “I’m a Slave 4 U.” Billboard reports “Am I a Sinner,” “When I Say So” and “My Big Secret” were produced by the Neptunes.
Sources: Variety and Billboard, Oct. 12, 2026. Featured image is an editorial illustration, not a photo of the artists.
