If a look at the iTunes pop rankings on Friday morning (Jan. 26) made you see double, you can thank Britney Spears fans. The Britney Army has marshalled its collective force to propel her deep cut 2011 Femme Fatale bonus track “Selfish” into the top five of the U.S. iTunes top 40 singles chart less than 24 hours after long-time ex Justin Timberlake released his new single with the same title.
As of press time JT’s song, which was released Thursday morning, is at the top of the iTunes tally in the United States, with Spears’ music coming in second; Brit’s “Selfish” has topped the iTunes pop chart in a number of other areas, including Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.
The digital chess move was prompted by a flurry of social media activity on Thursday asking Britney fans to stream her song in an apparent attempt to reduce first-week streaming stats for the first single from Timberlake’s upcoming sixth album, Everything I Thought It Was.
Britney’s Army has documented on X how some radio stations in the United States have begun spinning her “Selfish” in response to the song’s success, which was produced by Stargate, Kuk Harrell, and Sandy Vee.
The trolling effort came just as Timberlake began promoting his first solo single since 2018’s “SoulMate,” and as of press time, neither Spears nor Timberlake appeared to have responded to the rapidly spreading global guerrilla iTunes chart goosing, which also included Brit’s song being added to the Spotify “Obsessed” playlist.
While Spears said earlier this month that she “never” expects to return to the music industry, the two singers’ romantic history in the late 1990s and early 2000s will remain in the thoughts of their fans indefinitely. The two were pop royalty at the time, with Spears revealing in her 2023 tell-all memoir The Woman in Me that she had an abortion while dating Timberlake because he “definitely wasn’t happy about pregnancy.”
Timberlake did not respond to the book’s charges regarding his alleged behavior throughout their relationship, but he did switch off comments on Instagram after receiving a deluge of angry comments from Britney’s fans. Justin did appear to refer to the controversy during a Las Vegas gig in December, when he told the audience he intended “no disrespect” before performing his 2002 solo smash “Cry Me a River,” which was widely seen as a remark on the couple’s March 2002 split after three years together.
Related: Bobby Berk Reflects On His Fued With Tan France- Explains What Actually Happened Between Them!
A week after Hulu debuted the documentary Framing Britney Spears in 2021, Timberlake issued an apology to Spears and Janet Jackson via Instagram: “I have reviewed the messages, captions, comments, and concerns and wish to respond. I sincerely apologize for the instances in which my behavior inadvertently exacerbated a situation, spoke inappropriately, or refrained from advocating for what was proper. Since I hold these women in high regard and am cognizant of my error, I would like to extend my sincere apologies to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson separately.
The unrest occurs at a time when Timberlake is in full promotional mode, having recently concluded a visit to The Tonight Show on Thursday night, which ended on amicable terms. This weekend, he will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, an event he has hosted five times. Additionally, on January 31, his 43rd birthday, Timberlake will perform for free at the 1,100-capacity Irving Place in New York.