Britney Spears Shoots Down Album Rumors

Britney Spears arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, US, August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
Britney Spears arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, US, August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
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Britney Spears Shoots Down Album Rumors

Britney Spears arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, US, August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
Britney Spears arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, US, August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Britney Spears is shooting down rumors of a new album, vowing to “never return to the music industry.”
At the same time, Spears noted in Wednesday's Instagram post, she's still writing music — just for other people.
“When I write, I write for fun or I write for other people !!!” she wrote. “I’ve written over 20 songs for other people the past two years !!! I’m a ghostwriter and I honestly enjoy it that way !!!”
The Instagram caption, in which she blasted those who “keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album,” was paired with a photo of a Guido Reni painting of Salome holding the head of John the Baptist.
This isn't the first time Spears has indicated she's retiring from releasing her own music. In July 2021, while still under the infamous conservatorship that controlled her life, money and voice for nearly 14 years, her longtime manager Larry Rudolph resigned, saying she had no intention of resuming her career. Just after being released from the conservatorship later that year, she took to Instagram to say she was scared of the music business and that not doing her own music was an act of defiance against her family.
But the next year, she released the single “Hold Me Closer,” a collaboration with Elton John that spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 6. Last year's “Mind Your Business,” a single with will.i.am, was poorly reviewed and failed to make the Hot 100, though. Spears' last full album was 2016's “Glory.”



Ann Wilson Announces Cancer Diagnosis, Postpones Heart Tour

Ann Wilson, of the band Heart, performs onstage at the "Vh1 Divas Salute the Troops" on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 in San Diego. (AP)
Ann Wilson, of the band Heart, performs onstage at the "Vh1 Divas Salute the Troops" on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 in San Diego. (AP)
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Ann Wilson Announces Cancer Diagnosis, Postpones Heart Tour

Ann Wilson, of the band Heart, performs onstage at the "Vh1 Divas Salute the Troops" on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 in San Diego. (AP)
Ann Wilson, of the band Heart, performs onstage at the "Vh1 Divas Salute the Troops" on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 in San Diego. (AP)

Ann Wilson, lead singer of rock band Heart, says she has cancer and the band is postponing the remaining shows on its Royal Flush Tour while she undergoes treatment.

Wilson said in a statement Tuesday that she underwent a surgery to remove a cancerous growth and is recovering steadily, but that her doctors urged her to undergo preventive chemotherapy and take time off from performing "in order to fully recover." That meant the rest of the shows on the North American tour will be postponed to dates in 2025.

"To the ticket buyers, I really do wish we could do these gigs. Please know that I absolutely plan to be back on stage in 2025," Wilson said in the statement. "My team is getting those details sorted & we’ll let you know the plan as soon as we can."

All previously purchased tickets for the now-postponed shows will be honored. The rescheduled dates will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the release.

"This is merely a pause. I’ve much more to sing," Wilson continued in the statement before adding, "Respectfully, this is the last public statement l’d like to make on the matter."

Over 50 shows at stadium and arena venues in dozens of cities across the US and Canada are impacted by the postponement. Select shows were set to include performances from Def Leppard and Journey, and Heart has not announced whether those bands will accompany them at the rescheduled performances.

The band, led by Wilson and her sister Nancy Wilson on the guitar, canceled the European leg of their tour in May, citing that the singer had to have "a time-sensitive but routine procedure for which the minimum recovery time is six weeks."

Wilson posted on Instagram at the time of the European shows' cancellation, writing, "I’m okay! Please don’t worry. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. It’s certainly an inconvenience for me."

The Wilson sisters, who made hits like "Magic Man," "Crazy on You" and "Alone," have made music together since the ’70s. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers were honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2023.