Britney Spears Fans Have Been Waiting Years To Turn One Song Into A Bestseller

Britney Spears’ musical hiatus continues and shows no sign of ending. The pop star walked away from the music industry almost a decade ago and has only shared a few cuts with fans in the years since she vowed not to return.

One tune diehard Spears fans have known about for years — but which has been difficult to acquire legally — has finally become available just in time for Halloween. Spears’ “Scary” has been made widely accessible for the first time, and fans in the United States are showing their love once again by snapping up copies as the singer makes headlines amid renewed tension with her ex-husband Kevin Federline, who reportedly claims he’s worried about the star in his new book.

Britney Spears Reaches the Top 40 with “Scary”

Spears’ “Scary” arrives on the iTunes Top Songs chart, the ranking of the bestselling tracks on the platform in America. As of the time of writing, “Scary” quickly becomes a top 40 hit, debuting at No. 31.

What Album Did “Scary” by Britney Spears Appear On?

“Scary” isn’t really new, as fans who have closely followed the Grammy winner’s career have known about it for well over a decade. The tune was originally released as a bonus track only on the Japanese deluxe edition of her 2011 album Femme Fatale. Until now, that was the sole way the cut could be heard. It can now be purchased on all major platforms and streamed globally for the first time.

Did Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale Reach No. 1?

Spears released Femme Fatale in the spring of 2011. The project received largely favorable reviews as public opinion of the singer began to shift, with many finally recognizing her artistic achievements. The singer was emerging from a period of personal turmoil, and the full-length brought her back to the top of the charts and helped her regain her crown as one of the most successful women in pop music history. Femme Fatale brought Spears to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for shifting one million units.

What Singles Were Featured on Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale?

“Scary” was never pushed as a single from Femme Fatale, even in Japan, the only territory where it was technically available, until now. The album was introduced with “Hold It Against Me,” which gave Spears another No. 1 on the Hot 100. Follow-up singles “Till the World Ends” — initially released as a solo cut, though a successful remix was later credited to Spears, Nicki Minaj, and Kesha — and “I Wanna Go” also broke into the upper region of the Hot 100.

Britney Spears’ Recent Song Releases

Spears has not released an album in nearly a decade, as her most recent full-length, Glory, arrived in August 2016. Since then, the singer has only doled out a handful of tunes, most of them collaborations. Before “Scary,” Spears’ most recent solo releases came in 2020, when “Mood Ring” and “Swimming in the Stars” were both added to an extended version of Glory, years after the set dropped. Neither made much of a commercial impact, though the tracks did quickly surge on iTunes, as “Scary” is at the moment.

Britney Spears’ Collaborations with Backstreet Boys and Elton John

Alongside “Mood Ring” and “Swimming in the Stars,” Spears also teamed up with the Backstreet Boys in 2020 for “Matches.” Like the other Glory additions, that track was recorded years prior but finally surfaced due to continued demand from fans.

In 2022, Spears earned her most recent top 10 hit on the Hot 100 with Elton John’s “Hold Me Closer,” a mash-up of several of his classic songs. The duet followed the format John used with Dua Lipa on “Cold Heart,” which had topped charts worldwide a year earlier.

Britney Spears’ Lackluster Recent Single

Spears’ most recent new piece of music (before this week) arrived in 2023, when frequent collaborator and Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am released “Mind Your Business,” which also features the pop icon. While the song performed well for a short time on Billboard’s dance and electronic rankings, it failed to crack the Hot 100 and received mixed-to-negative reviews. So far, it has not been connected to any larger project, and likely never will be.