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Following the release of will.i.am‘s latest collaboration with Britney Spears, the club-ready track “Mind Your Business,” fans have been raising questions online about the song — including when it was recorded and if Spears’ vocals are truly hers.
Neil Jacobson — CEO of Hallwood Media, will.i.am’s management company — tells Billboard that “Mind Your Business” was first recorded “several years ago” but the duo revisited the track and refreshed it recently, including “making changes to the music up until 2 weeks ago.” While the Grammy-winning producer was on his summer European tour with the Black Eyed Peas — which most recently stopped at a festival in Switzerland this past weekend — the pop superstar recorded her vocals separately in Los Angeles with music producer Anthony Preston, Jacobson says.
After some fans noticed that the picture of Spears used in the promotional single cover was from a photo shoot 20 years ago, speculation began to rise that the star’s vocals were also not new. Additionally, the “Piece of Me” singer hasn’t posted about the song on her social media pages, except for a pre-save link on her Instagram Stories. She has since deactivated her Instagram page after the song was released.
Another theory began to circulate from a TikTok user named AllyNaston, alleging that Myah Marie, a backup singer who has done demo vocals for Spears in the past, could be behind the lead vocals on “Mind Your Business.” AllyNaston referenced a Reddit AMA that Myah Marie did in 2019, in which she answered the question, “What demo did you sing on that you wish Britney had recorded?”
“There was one that Will.I.Am wrote, it was really cool, it was kind of rappy, it was for Britney Jean,” she explained. “[It was called] something like ‘Business,’ like ‘be up in my business,’ something cool.”
However, Myah Marie has not confirmed that “Mind Your Business” is the song she’s referring to, or if her vocals are on the track.
In a recent interview with Variety, will.i.am also put the rumors to rest about Spears’ vocals, though he did not specify when the song was written and recorded.
“Here it is, 2023, people want to hear this. But they ask, when did I record this with Britney? And is that really Britney on it? Yes, it is,” he explained. “When did I record it? That’s not important. For example, I have a track from several records ago, ‘Girl Like Me.’ I wrote and produced it for Shakira in 2008, but it came out in 2021. That’s a lot of fermenting. Not everything should be instant. If you want to make great wine, there’s no such thing as instant wine. Intoxication on anything that you consume takes a while. Sh–’s gotta sit around for a minute … fine-tune it, perfect it. Certain things come out when they’re supposed to come out.”
He added: “‘Mind Your Business’ needed time. Now, at this time, it is perfect.”
The producer also noted that he and Spears wrote the song together. “We’d meet up for lunch sessions in the Valley, talk about life, I’d take notes about what we discussed,” he recalled. “She’d ask to change this, change that. She’s the first person I wrote like that with – let’s just sit and chat about life, love, news, pop culture products. Just talk… I’d show her song structures, rhymes, metaphors. She’d shape and edit the lyrics.”
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Tay Lautner proved once again that she’s the ultimate Swiftie by referencing a fan theory-turned-fact on Instagram. In the last slide of the photo dump shared to Instagram on Monday (July 24), Tay is seen posing with a thumbs up in front of a cleaning cart. The cleaning cart has become a joke among fans […]
Since the end of the 13-year conservatorship that controlled her personal and professional lives, Britney Spears has released two new songs: her “Hold Me Closer” duet with Elton John last year and, on Friday, “Mind Your Business” with will.i.am. On the latest Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about the new (or […]
S Club is gearing up to make a comeback, and are doing so in honor of late member Paul Cattermole. On Monday (July 24), the British group — which consists of members Tina Barrett, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O’Meara and Rachel Stevens — teased new music set to arrive later this week via Instagram. […]
Taylor Swift thinks it must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero, but one billion streams may say otherwise. “Anti-Hero” recently surpassed a billion listens on Spotify, proving that no matter how much she worries about her fans one day getting sick of her in the lyrics of her Midnights lead single, they aren’t going […]
Doja Cat is beefing with her Kittenz again. The “Kiss Me More” singer reportedly went on a Twitter spree over the weekend in which she slammed members of her feline fan group over her claims that some were using her “government name” as their screen names.
And, according to social media analysis company Crowdtangle it may have already cost her dearly. Figures provided to Billboard by the Meta-owned company report that Doja lost 237,758 followers on Instagram following her string of since-deleted tweets blasting her fans this weekend, with the total number of lost followers nearing 300,000 over the last 30 days; at press time she still had a robust 25.7 million Instagram followers.
Additionally, Crowdtangle said searches for the rapper’s name spiked by 82% following the series of posts in which Doja reportedly lambasted her fans for calling themselves “kittenz,” while telling them to “get a job”; as a number of followers pointed out, Doja is the one who selected the Kittenz name for her fandom in a 2020 Twitter poll.
According to CNN, Doja seemed angry that fans were calling her by her given name, Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, tweeting at one Kittenz, “You making my government name your sn [screenname] is creepy as f—k,” which was reportedly followed by a message to fans to delete their social media accounts if they insist on continuing to use her birth name; at press time Billboard was unable to independently verify the content of the deleted tweets and a spokesperson for the artist had not returned a request for comment.
The star also reportedly claimed that Kittenz was a term dreamed up by an “alcoholic teen,” adding, “My fans don’t get to name themselves s–t.” That harsh comment was followed up by an even more bruising criticism of her followers, in which she allegedly said, “If you call yourself a ‘Kitten’ or f–king ‘Kittenz’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.”
One fan responded with a reminder to the 27-year-old singer who dressed up as a cat for this year’s Met Gala that her followers were, “??? only using the name YOU gave your fans.” Another quipped, “Doja being mean to her fans for the word kitten like her name isn’t doja CAT and she wasn’t dressed as a cat and meowed her way through an entire interview a few months ago oh she has lost her mind.”
The singer, who has had a tense relationship with the music industry, recently told V Magazine that one of the reasons it’s taken her so long to follow-up her hit 2021 album Planet Her is that she is tired of making music that is “palatable, marketable and sellable,” while admitting that she’s “thrown fits my whole career” because the music she’s made didn’t allow her to have “mental release.”
In May of this year she appeared to diss Kittenz who were fans of 2021’s Planet Her and 2019’s Hot Pink albums by calling them “cash grabs” featuring “mediocre pop” and taunting, “yall fell for it.”
Check out screenshots of Doja’s deleted tweets and some of the Kittenz’s responses below.
Doja Cat slandering her fans is crazy tbh cos I don’t understand why you would attack your fans for just giving themselves a name just like every other fanbase out there. I know what signs like these mean.— BASITO (@itzbasito) July 23, 2023
“my fans don’t name themselves shit. if you call yourself a “kitten” or fucking “kittenz” that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.”This coming from doja cat???The same woman who was meowing at met gala..? pic.twitter.com/YyKQSklQJM— ʙᴀɴɢᴛᴀ7 (@bangtantition) July 24, 2023
Britney Spears finally met longtime pal Lance Bass‘ children and she couldn’t be more excited. In a sweet tweet on Monday (July 24), Spears posed with the former *NSYNC member and his 20-month-old twins, Alexander James and Violet Betty, gushing, “I’m a new auntie for Lance’s babies !!! They are absolutely gorgeous babies !!!”
In the side-by-side snaps Britney holds one of the children in her arms — with husband Sam Asghari helping to support the little one — while the other shows her closer up, with a wide smile as she cradles one of the twins while Bass holds the other. Bass and husband Michael Turchin announced the twins’ birth via surrogate in Oct. 2021.
While she’s an honorary auntie, you might recall that in 2021 Bass learned that he’s actually very distantly related to his pop pal. In an episode of Ancestry’s 2 Lies & a Leaf YouTube series the former boy bander was notified that he and Spears are sixth cousins once removed.
The tweet was the first from Spears in several weeks and it was immediately preceded by a playful video with Asghari in which the couple posed in cowboy hats with their dogs, dancing and goofing around to Cardi B’s verse on Latto’s “Put it on Da Floor,” which, of course, shouts out Brit.
The dual tweets are the first updates from Spears since she seemingly deleted her Instagram over the weekend with no explanation. It’s not the first time she’s done that. Spears’ Instagram disappeared in December, at a time when Asghari asked fans to back off on their scrutiny of his wife’s Insta activity. “Social media can be traumatizing,” he wrote at the time. “Sometimes it’s good to take a break. She has her voice and is a free woman.”
Spears went quiet on Instagram just after her new collaboration with Will.i.am, “Mind Your Business,” dropped on Friday (July 21). Surprisingly, the “Piece of Me” singer hasn’t posted about the song on her socials so far, except for a pre-save link on her Instagram Stories last week before her feed went dark.
“Mind Your Business” is the follow-up to Brit’s 2022 Elton John duet, “Hold Me Closer,” which was her’ first new music release since 2016’s Glory album.
See Britney’s baby bash and hat party below.
It was quite the summer bash this past weekend in Seattle. Steps from the iconic Space Needle, foodies from all over the Pacific Northwest gathered for the city’s three-day “premier food festival.” Less than a couple miles west, Sofi Tukker, Denzel Curry, Louis the Child, PinkPantheress and dozens more musical acts performed all weekend at […]
Britney Spears has once again deactivated her Instagram. While it’s not known why the pop superstar decided to take a break from her social media platform of choice, she’s been known to deactivate her page every few months. Most recently, Spears’ Instagram disappeared in December, with her husband Sam Asghari asking fans to ease up […]
Looking for some motivation to help power you through the start of another work week? We feel you, and with some stellar new pop tunes, we’ve got you covered.
These 10 tracks from artists including Tinashe, Lizzo, Poppy and more will get you energized to take on the week. Pop any of these gems into your personal playlists — or scroll to the end of the post for a custom playlist of all 10.
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Poppy, “Knockoff”
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While Poppy is ostensibly singing about a relationship on “Knockoff,” the first single from forthcoming album Zig, it’s hard not to think about the questions of authenticity currently propelling debates about AI while enjoying its stormy, sinewy groove. “How you gonna prove to me that you’re the real thing?” Poppy sings, the synths around her constructing a metallic fortress that the soft, human warmth of her voice effectively breaks. – Jason Lipshutz
Jenna Raine, “It Is What It Is”
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Handclaps, hard acoustic strums, piano melodies and boisterous group vocals are all helping Jenna Raine get out of the funk of growing up on “It Is What It Is,” a brisk charmer that gives the singer-songwriter ample room to showcase her personality over a short run time. Raine eye-rolls her way through hardship before mining some positivity, deploying snappy lyrics that could feasibly blow up in the next uplifting TikTok trend. – J. Lipshutz
Rosie Darling, “Boxes”
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The ornately detailed post-breakup songwriting of hits like Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” and Lizzy McAlpine’s “Ceilings” is present in Rosie Darling’s “Boxes,” on which the Boston-born singer-songwriter examines the messiness that comes with a split — the changed locks, the tearful trip home, the call from an unaware family member. Darling nails those quiet moments, but also balls up her frustration in affecting big-picture questions: “What did you want from me? / I gave you everything.” – J. Lipshutz
Mitch Rowland, “Come June”
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Those familiar with Mitch Rowland’s work alongside Harry Styles — he co-wrote and played on multiple Harry’s House tracks, including performing drums on the chart-topping smash “As It Was,” and joined Styles’ Love On Tour world trek — should check their preconceived notions at the door when pressing play on debut single “Come June.” Instead of trying to re-create that magic, the singer-songwriter has found some of his own in a subtle indie-folk template, unfurling his own fragile voice with confidence. – J. Lipshutz
Becca Means, “My Darling”
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Nineteen-year-old Becca Means has accrued 3 million TikTok followers through a series of cover songs, demos and entertaining clips that showcase her personality — and while translating social media charm into a catchy song is often a tall order, Means pulls it off on debut single “My Darling.” The beguiling kiss-off pulls from ‘60s pop but feels modern and lived-in, with plenty of melodies worth returning to tucked into the verses. – J. Lipshutz
Bruno Major, “The Show Must Go On”
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The first verse of Bruno Major’s “The Show Must Go On” is split in half between fantasy and reality: after describing a scene of a hero triumphing, getting the girl and evoking crowd applause, Major snaps back into a more common occurrence of staring at a ceiling late at night, full of existential dread and ennui. “The Show Must Go On” demonstrates Major’s songwriting panache as a prescription for living your truth: his voice soulfully winds through ideas and scenario, dispensing advice in second person. – J. Lipshutz
The Beaches, “Me & Me”
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With “Me & Me,” a driving rock track about prioritizing yourself, Canadian foursome The Beaches deliver an updated take on the Beyoncé classic “Me, Myself and I”: Over a fuzzed-out riff, vocalist Jordan Miller confidently observes, “When I’m with myself, it’s honestly zen / Might as well be my girlfriend.” Elsewhere, she asks if spending time with herself is really such a sin, or more of a win; judging by the unbothered tone of “Me & Me,” it seems to be the latter. – Lyndsey Havens
Lizzo, “Pink”
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Unlike Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” which could’ve appeared in the soundtrack to any number of summers flicks, Lizzo’s contribution to the blockbuster Barbie film features lyrics that serve as a meta commentary on the action of the film’s brilliant opening scene. Like the movie itself, the bright, buoyant tones of “Pink” set up a frozen plastic perfection that – by the time Lizzo spells out an acronym for the color, ending with ‘K’ standing for ‘cool’ – you know is bound to crack. – Joe Lynch
Tinashe, “Talk to Me Nice”
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With a soft, skittering rhythm and looped vocal syllable repeating throughout (courtesy of producers Nosaj Thing and Scoop DeVille), “Talk to Me Nice” finds Tinashe in her sweet spot, delivering shadowy, sensual R&B that’s hypnotic in its beauty. It’s a promising tease of the singer’s upcoming 2023 project, BB/ANG3L. – J. Lynch
NewJeans, “Get Up”
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After a successful run of singles (“Attention,” “Hype Boy,” “Ditto” and “OMG”) in less than one calendar year, NewJeans’ Get Up EP, released on July 21, quickly became one of the most highly anticipated K-pop project of the summer. While the first half of the EP employs Baltimore dance and UK garage beats for an energetic listen, title track “Get Up” – albeit only 36 seconds long – acts as an interlude to catch your breath. Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin and Hyein’s voices melt into airy synth instrumentals as they dabble in R&B, offering a hopeful glimpse at what’s to come from their future releases. – Starr Bowenbank
