Britney Spears drops new song from 2001 ahead of the release of her special anniversary edition of her third pop album, ‘Britney’. (Instagram)

Britney Spears has surprised fans by releasing ‘She’ll Never Be Me’, an unreleased song recorded in 2001 and co-written with her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake. The track arrives ahead of the 25th-anniversary edition of her third studio album, ‘Britney’, scheduled to be released on November 6, 2026. The release also revisits a chapter in the pop star’s career that remains closely associated with her highly publicised relationship and breakup with Timberlake.

Britney Spears drops unreleased song from 2001

On Friday, the ‘Toxic’ singer released her new song, ‘She’ll Never Be Me,’ worldwide, which had originally been made in 2001. The old song had originally been written for her third studio album titled ‘Britney.’ Not only that, but it was also co-written with her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake. The NSYNC member had also participated in the album on another song, ‘What It’s Like to Be Me,’ which he co-wrote and provided the backing vocals for as well.The song’s release is part of an overall campaign for the release of her 25th anniversary edition of ‘Britney’ to celebrate its anniversary on November 6. The teaser that was shared on the pop singer’s page read, “We cannot hold it; we cannot control it anymore.: The ‘Britney (25th Anniversary Edition)’ drops November 6, the 25th anniversary of the album’s release in the United States. Follow along…more surprises are coming every week until then!”While talking to MTV at the time, Spears had expressed her nervousness about working with Timberlake. She had stated at the time, “I have to say I was a little nervous at first. But then I just totally forgot that he was my boyfriend, and I just said, ‘Britney, just do the vocals, don’t be nervous’ … But it ended up being fine, actually.”

About Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake first met on the sets of ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ back in 1992. The two were together from 1999 to 2002. Timberlake had broken up with the singer over a text message while she had been working on set. At the time, reports had revealed that Spears had been unfaithful to the ‘Mirrors’ singer. His music video for ‘Cry Me A River’ also solidified the rumors at the time.However, in her memoir, ‘The Woman in Me,’ which was released in 2023, the singer shared that Timberlake had also been unfaithful to her during their relationship and that she got involved with choreographer Wade Robson after learning of his affairs. In an interview with Diane Sawyer in 2003, Spears had been asked about what happened between her and Timberlake, to which she had answered by saying, “I think everyone has a side of their story, and to make them feel a certain way, to make them feel. I’m not technically saying he’s wrong, but I’m not technically saying he’s right, either.” In her memoir, she wrote about how she felt ‘exploited’ because of the incident and the interview.Spears also revealed in the book that she had been pregnant with Timberlake; however, he was not ready for a baby. “But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young. If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.”Similarly, Timberlake had also talked about the music video and Spears in ‘Hindsight: & All the Things I Can’t See in Front of Me,’ his memoir, which was released in 2018. He had written, “I’ve been pissed off. I wrote ‘Cry Me a River’ in two hours. I didn’t plan on writing it. The feelings I had were so strong that I had to write it, and I translated my feelings into a form where people could listen and, hopefully, relate to it.”

Britney Spears’ ‘She’ll Never Be Me’ is now available to stream

The release of ‘She’ll Never Be Me’ offers listeners a previously unheard piece of Spears’ musical history as she prepares to mark a milestone for her 2001 album. The 25th-anniversary edition of ‘Britney’ is scheduled to be released on November 6, 2026, with further anniversary-related releases and surprises expected in the run-up to the date.