Britney Spears fans, Justin Timberlake battle on iTunes charts with respective 'Selfish' songs
Britney Spears fans are giving Justin Timberlake a piece of them.
The singer released his comeback single "Selfish" this week, but Spears fans are clapping back by playing Spears' song of the same name, from her 2011 album "Femme Fatale."
While Timberlake, 42, took the top spot on the iTunes chart Friday morning, Spears' song landed in No. 5 for all genres. Timberlake is slated to embark on the The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, his first in five years, to support his upcoming sixth album "Everything I Thought It Was."
"So if I get jealous, I can't help it. I want every bit of you, I guess I'm selfish; It's bad for my mental, but I can't fight it, when you're out lookin' like you do, but you can't hide it, no," Timberlake sings in the chorus for "Selfish" about a lover. Timberlake is married to actress Jessica Biel.
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"I'm a girl and you're a boy and tonight, you gon' be my, be my man; Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh tonight, I'm gonna be a little selfish," Spears sings in her song of the same name.
Timberlake has been tapped as a musical guest for "Saturday Night Live" this week alongside host "Fifty Shades of Grey" saga star Dakota Johnson. The "Cry Me A River" crooner is also set to perform a free concert at Irving Plaza in New York City on Jan. 31 to celebrate his 43rd birthday.
Spears, also 42, shocked fans in October when she released her highly anticipated memoir "The Woman in Me," which detailed her yearslong conservatorship and a slew of revelations about her personal relationships, including Timberlake.
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The memoir sold over 1 million copies in the U.S. alone during its first week. In an excerpt that was exclusively shared with People at the time, Spears opened up about her relationship with former NSYNC breakout star and revealed she had an abortion.
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"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," she wrote, according to the outlet.
News of the abortion sent shockwaves through social media and caused fans to criticize the 10-time Grammy Award winner.
Timberlake did not issue a public statement during "The Women in Me" press tour; neither did Spears.
In 2021, Timberlake apologized to Spears and Janet Jackson one week after a Hulu documentary, "Framing Britney Spears," was released that led to backlash against the "Say Something" singer.
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"I have seen the messages, tags, comments, and concerns and I want to respond. I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right," Timberlake wrote in a statement posted on Instagram at the time.
"I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed."
Contributing: Elise Brisco, Taijuan Moorman
