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Britney Spears had some harsh words for Halsey that she quickly walked back, initially slamming the singer for taking inspiration from the video for her 2000 single “Lucky.”
Spears took to social media this afternoon to slam Halsey's new music video, directed by Gia Coppola, which pays homage to Halsey's 2000 single “Lucky.” She said she felt “harassed, violated and bullied” by Halsey's interpretation of the video, which she said made her look like a “superficial pop star.”
However, she quickly deleted the post and replaced it with a new one, claiming, “FAKE NEWS!!! That's not me in the picture on the phone!!! I deleted it because I love Halsey!!!”
Halsey also joined in, quote-tweeting Spears' post, writing, “I LOVE YOU BRITNEY!!! Always have and always will 💕 You were the first person to make me realize what it means to be an inspiration and you continue to inspire me every day.”
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FAKE NEWS!!! That's not me in the picture on my phone!!! I love Halsey so I deleted it 🌹!!!
— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) July 26, 2024
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And I love Britney! Always have and always will 💕 You were the first person to make me realize what it means to be inspired, and you continue to inspire me every day. https://t.co/MRCc4WofdJ
— h (@halsey) July 27, 2024
Halsey released her new song “Lucky” and video today, claiming that she got permission from Spears to include the track a few weeks ago, responding to fans on social media asking if she got permission by saying, “Of course! I would never dream of doing that without her permission!”
Spears slammed Halsey over the video, which was inspired by a storyline in the original “Lucky” music video that said being a pop star isn't what it seems.
“I am extremely upset by Halsey's video, for obvious reasons,” Spears wrote. “I feel harassed, violated and bullied. I never expected an artist like her, someone I respect and admire, to portray me in such an ignorant way as a superficial pop star with no heart or consideration. I am also experiencing health issues of my own, so I deleted my Instagram account yesterday and will definitely reactivate it now to show that I care. I am speaking with my attorney today to see what can be done about this. I feel it is illegal and downright cruel.”
Halsey's video depicts the dual nature of a girl who worships her, but behind the scenes is struggling with love and health issues – scenes show her getting an IV drip and removing her wig to reveal a shaved head, and she also touches on these in the lyrics.
“I shaved my head four times because I wanted to, and once more because I got sick,” Halsey sings. “I thought I'd changed so much no one would notice, and no one did, and I left the doctor's office in tears/A single mom at a premiere/I told everyone I was fine for a year, and that was the biggest lie of my career.”
“Lucky” will appear on Halsey's fifth studio album, and her first since 2021's Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross-produced “If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power.”
