Britney Spears' 2011 Hit 'Selfish' Outshines Justin Timberlake's New Track 'Selfish' on iTunes Charts

Britney Spears fan did it again. This time, the Britney Army, famous for their unwavering devotion to the pop princess, orchestrated a digital coup that has taken the music realm by storm. In a shocking twist of events, Spears’ 2011 hidden gem Selfish has not only resurfaced but also exceeded her ex, Justin Timberlake’s newly released single of the same name on the U.S. iTunes Top Songs chart. As of January 26, Spears’ deep cut, a bonus track off her Femme Fatale album, bagged the top spot on the iTunes chart, while Timberlake’s Selfish found itself trailing at number three.

The elaborate plan to propel Spears’ track above Timberlake’s on the charts originated on social media platform X, where Britney Army accounts nudged followers to stream her music strategically aiming to surpass the release of Timberlake’s forthcoming album, Everything I Thought I Was, set to drop on March 15.

In an intriguing twist, Timberlake’s love-infused lyrics in Selfish seem to resonate with the rivalry unraveling on the charts, as he wrote, "Cause your lips were made for mine / And my heart would go flatline / If it wasn't beatin' for you all the time." This chart rivalry comes just three months after Spears spilled the tea regarding her and Timberlake’s relationship in her tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me, released in October.

She revealed, "It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn't a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I'd anticipated. But 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."

As per E! News, their tumultuous relationship, which began during their Mouseketeer days on Disney Channel’s The Mickey Mouse Club, reached its end in 2002 when Timberlake reportedly ended things with Spears via text message. Spears, heartbroken by the breakup, revealed that she "couldn't speak for months."

As per Billboard, in 2021, after the documentary Framing Britney Spears aired, Timberlake apologized on Instagram, “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. 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.”

The Britney Army's strategic streaming efforts have not only pushed Selfish to the top of the U.S. iTunes chart but also earned it a place on the iTunes pop charts in other countries, including Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.

As the digital chess game continues, some radio stations in the U.S. have joined the Britney Army's cause by spinning her track, further amplifying the trolling effort. The global guerrilla iTunes chart manipulation has even spilled over to Spotify, where Spears’ Selfish has been added to the Obsessed playlist.