Britney Spears and Halsey Slammed For Staging ‘Publicity Stunt’ to Promote New Single

Fans of Britney Spears and Halsey are confused about whether the online spat between the two was just a publicity stunt or real. Many have felt that the drama was a PR stunt by the duo as Halsey's new single, Lucky, is on its way. The track includes samples of Spears' song with the same title. Netizens, however, had strong feelings about what went down between the two pop stars.

@LatinQueenE wrote, "Dude she literally posted that so ppl can go check out the video. And it worked 'cause I didn’t watch it til Britney called it out ….iconic." @jaeyongdoses wrote, "This is a good stunt honestly so smart move." Meanwhile, another X (formerly known as a Twitter) user @Hannah_369963 slammed the Without Me singer, "Halsey knew what she was doing! Maybe people need to stop tryna capitalize off of Britney and her trauma! I respect what she’s been through, but I wouldn’t be surprised if all this would be a publicity stunt to revive Halsey’s career." 

According to The Independent, the music video gives a glimpse of the titular rise and setbacks in the life of the "Princess of Pop." The song released on July 26 saw Spears expressing her outrage, saying she was 'harassed, violated and bullied' by the track’s video. The Oops!...I Did It Again hitmaker also seemed to initially threaten legal action against the American singer. Spears claimed that the video's portrayal was 'cruel,' showing her as a "superficial popstar."

However, hours later, Spears deleted the post and shared concerns about seemingly getting hacked. "That was not me on my phone !!! I love Halsey and that’s why I deleted it," the Toxic singer wrote. Responding to it, Halsey said, "And I love Britney!!!! I always have and always will. You were the first person who ever made me realize what it means to feel inspired. And you continue to inspire me every day," as reported by Daily Mail.

Halsey's Lucky version has a chorus that goes on like, "But I’m so lucky, I’m a star, but I cry, cry, cry in the lonely heart thinking / If there’s nothing missing in my life, then why do these tears come at night?" While Spears' version was, "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?" 

The music video also shows Halsey removing her wig and displaying her bald head as she sings, "I shaved my head four times because I wanted to and then I did it one more time cause I got sick." The scene is reminiscent of the time when Spears shaved her hair in front of the paparazzi, which eventually led her father to apply for a conservatorship.