Britney Spears fans are raking over the lyrics of one of the star's earliest pop hits, amid the shocking revelations she made in court on Wednesday.
The singer, 39, has filed to be released from a conservatorship which, for the last 13 years has seen her father Jamie Spears in charge of decisions concerning her professional and personal life, as well as her finances.
And after Spears said during the hearing that she found the conservatorship "abusive"—adding that it left her depressed, unable to sleep, and often in tears—fans quickly drew parallels to the character she sang about in "Lucky."
The song, which was featured on Spears' second studio album Oops!... I Did It Again back in 2000, tells the story of a celebrity called Lucky, who seemingly has everything one would want on the outside, but still privately feels lonely.
The devastating lyrics include the chorus: "She's so lucky, she's a star / But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking / If there's nothing missing in my life / Then why do these tears come at night?"
Despite the track being written and recorded several years before Spears would be placed under conservatorship, fans took to Twitter in droves to remark on how autobiographical "Lucky" appeared to be.
"Listening to Lucky by Britney Spears and I realized this song is about her," wrote @sir_wilkins. "She lowkey is crying out for help on this song."
"Singing my heart out to Lucky by Britney Spears, it hits different rn 😭 SHE JUST WANTS TO BE FREE," said @nayelyrosales_.
Listening to Lucky by Britney Spears and I realized this song is about her . She lowkey is crying out for help on this song pic.twitter.com/c0LkgDNxYp
— Milk Dud Papi (@sir_wilkins) June 24, 2021
"I can't stop thinking about Britney Spears," tweeted @NWBayWitch. "I'm so horrified. Listening to 'Lucky' is heartbreaking. Just let the girl be free and live her life. #FreeBritney."
Said @supeddi: "the single 'Lucky' by Britney Spears was her cry for help. We didn't listen. #FreeBritney."
"If you're not listening to a Britney Spears playlist today who even are you?" @queen_khal said. "'Lucky' and many other songs hit so different now!! #FreeBritney."
Recalling Spears' statement at Wednesday's hearing, @codyspearz wrote: "There was even a point where she said 'everyone would assume about me, oh she has everything she's Britney Spears' and it reminded me of Lucky."
Singing my heart out to Lucky by Britney Spears, it hits different rn 😭 SHE JUST WANTS TO BE FREE pic.twitter.com/srytwEf2rg
— 𖤐 ɳαყεℓყ𖤐 (@nayelyrosales_) June 24, 2021
Countless more fans simply posted the lyrics of the chorus as they also shared the long-used hashtag #FreeBritney.
In a video interview recorded around the time of the song's release, Spears said of "Lucky": "It's basically about this character named Lucky and she's a movie star and she supposedly has everything.
"I mean, she wins all these awards and she's surrounded by so many people but she never really has time for herself. So she comes in at night and she's lonely. It's kind of depressing."
Comparing it to real life, she added: "I hate it when celebrities... talk about how depressing their lives are. I wouldn't change my life for anything. I'm so happy with what I'm doing, but I'm human—I'm just like everybody else out there.
"You know, I have depressing moments, you know. I get sad just like everybody else sometimes. It's all about fun. If you can't have fun then why are you doing it?"
During her hearing, Spears said that the conservatorship run by her father requires her to wear a contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD), which she wants to remove so that she can have a baby.
"I want to be able to get married and have a baby," she said. "I have an IUD inside of myself so that I don't get pregnant, but [my team doesn't] want me to have any more children."
"They have me going to therapy three times a week and to a psychiatrist," she added. "I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive. I don't feel like I can live a full life."
Responding, Jamie Spears' lawyers told the court: "He is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain. Mr. Spears loves his daughter very much."
Britney Spears was placed under a conservatorship after enduring mental health issues in 2007 and 2008 that saw her go into rehab and placed on a psychiatric hold.
Jamie Spears is a co-conservator of Britney Spears' estate, along with the star's "care-manager," Jodi Montgomery.
Newsweek has contacted a representative for Britney Spears for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
