Britney Spears says she will never return to the music industry

Amidst rumors that Britney Spears has been working on a new full-length studio album — which would be her first since “Glory,” released in 2016 — the singer puts all that to rest via a strongly worded post to Instagram on Wednesday.

Likely inspired to speak out after Page Six ran a report the same day, writing that Charli XCX and Julia Michaels have been “tapped to pen tracks for what Spears’ team hopes will become the Princess of Pop’s first full-length release in nearly a decade,” she calls the news “trash.”

Next to an image of the painting “Salome with the Head of John the Baptist” by artist Guido Reni, Spears writes:

Just so we’re clear most of the news is trash !!! They keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album … I will never return to the music industry !!! When I write, I write for fun or I write for other people !!! For those of you who have read my book, there’s loads that you don’t know about me … I’ve written over 20 songs for other people the past two years !!! I’m a ghostwriter and I honestly enjoy it that way !!! People are also saying MY BOOK WAS RELEASED WITHOUT MY APPROVAL ILLEGALLY and that’s far from the truth … have you read the news these days ??? I’m so LOVED and blessed !!!

Buzz of a new album has been circulating for some time now, with Forbes sourcing an earlier rumor from Page Six back in August 2023 that the singer was working on a writers camp and getting songs from “some big artists.” But based on what Spears herself is saying, fans will just have to keep on waiting.