Britney Spears: the veiled cries for help hidden in her song lyrics

Britney Spears announced on Instagram that she would not go on stage again until her father's guardianship, established in 2008, is lifted. “Depressed and traumatized,” on June 23, she spoke before the judge, where she described this supervision as “abusive. and an oppressive means of control ”. It was the first time that she expressed herself officially and publicly about her lack of freedom.

Since her hearing in June, the Queen of Pop has gone from testifying before the judge to doing it through Instagram. In a long post, she denounced those closest to her for not speaking up before and only doing so now to look good. Britney wrote, "How dare you make it public that NOW you CARE … did you put your hand out when I was drowning ???? Again … NO … so if you’re reading this and you know who you are … and you actually have the nerve to say anything about my situation just to save face for yourself publicly !!!"

Many believe that Britney was referring to her younger sister Jamie Lynn Spears. The performer also announced that from now on, the only videos she will post would be of her dancing in her living room, that is, until her father relinquishes control over her life.

The story of Britney Spears is the story of all those women whose wishes and sufferings are not heard. What not everyone has noticed is that in the lyrics to her songs, these themes are recurrent: the vital need to free herself, the golden cage in which she is locked, the negative impact of the media, the difficulties of fame, the influence of those around her or her lack of independence. Nothing like reviewing the discography of the Queen of Pop to collect some encrypted and not so encrypted messages that she has been sending in recent years.

"It's makeup time, perfect smile, it's you they're all waiting for," sings Britney Spears in "Lucky." The song tells the story of a star loved by all. But appearances are sometimes deceptive. The girl in 'Lucky' has everything to be happy about, but she "cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart thinking, if nothing is missing in my life, then why do these tears come at night?" Britney Spears sings about the insecurities linked to fame and the loneliness of artists. At that time, she was just 18 years old.

"All you people look at me like I'm a little girl, well did you ever think it'd be okay for me to step into this world?" sang Britney. 2001 is the year that marked her passage to a more provocative and sensual stage presence. Goodbye to the perfect young woman. But the song seems a reproach this new situation. In the chorus, she sings: "I'm a s l a v e 4 U, like that, I cannot hold it, I cannot control it." By then, her father, James Spears, had already taken over her income and, according to Britney herself, making her work tirelessly.

"Say hello to the girl that I am; you're gonna have to see through my perspective." Twenty years before asking the courts for her freedom, Britney Spears was already singing about how much she lacked control of her own life. Here she complains of being overprotected. "I need to make mistakes just to learn who I am. And I don't wanna be so d**n protected”. Britney was 19 years old when she wrote this song.

"There is no need to protect me. It's time that I learn to face up to this on my own. I've seen so much more than you know now, so don't tell me to shut my eyes." Britney Spears explains in this self-assertive ballad that she is caught between two stages: she is no longer a girl, but she is not yet a woman. During the time when young women are emancipating themselves and seeking to make their own decisions, she sings that she is not allowed to make her own mistakes, so she can grow.

This song by Britney Spears has turned into a feminist anthem. It is also the song that her fans have chosen to play in protest each time they ask for the end of her guardianship. The Princess of Pop assures in the song that she is stronger than ever after separating from a man who did not let her be herself. "I'm not your property as from today, baby. You might think that I won't make it on my own. But now I'm stronger than yesterday," she sings.

"I am better off without you, stronger than ever and I, I'm tellin' you now,
don't go knockin' on my door." Here, Britney Spears asks a man to not return and to just leave her alone. In this song, she claims to be happier without him. The lyrics again echo her situation, where her father constantly interferes with her life and home. In support of the singer, Selena Gomez has posted a cover of the song on Instagram.

Without a doubt, the most melancholic and heartfelt song by Britney Spears. "I may have made it rain. Please forgive me. My weakness caused you pain. And this song's my sorry." The song was originally written as an apology letter to her then-ex-boyfriend, Justin Timberlake. To avenge Britney Spears' infidelity, the singer dedicated one of his hits to her, "Cry Me a River." Despite the motivation of the former member of 'N'SYNC,' he was criticized for explicitly exposing the motives behind the song.

The most heart-breaking thing about the song, beyond Justin Timberlake, is how the paparazzi treated Britney. "And every time I try to fly, I fall, without my wings, I feel so small." The press mercilessly blamed Britney Spears for the breakup. They accused her of breaking up the cutest couple in history without assessing how the singer felt. In the video clip, Britney Spears is harassed by photographers. The video ends with the singer taking pills before sinking under water in a bathtub. Could she be any more clear??

"Can't you see I'm calling you? A guy like you should wear a warning. It's dangerous, I'm falling". Another of Britney Spears songs that the #FreeBritney movement has turned into an anthem. It is a clear plea to her father and the entourage that has surrounded her for years. This revelation has become even more relevant since the singer has confessed that she was made to take mind-altering medications for years. According to what Britney Spears told the judge, this medication made her "more docile" and, therefore, unable to react.

In 2004, Britney was on top of her game and going through one of the best moments in her career. She had turned into a provocative woman, and she celebrated it and did not hide it. At that time, she married Jason Alexander, whom she had met six months earlier. This shot-gun wedding earned her criticism, even more so, from the most puritanical USA. "They say I'm crazy. I really don't care, that's my prerogative."

In "My Prerogative," once again, Britney sings about her lack of freedom. "I don't need permission, I make my own decisions." Se also talks about the media pressure in the song: "Everybody's talking all this stuff about me. Why don't they just let me live?" But also from her toxic entourage: "These strange relationships really get me down."

This song is another allegation against the paparazzi: "I'm Miss American Dream since I was 17. Don't matter if I step on the scene. Or sneak away to the Philippines. They still gon' put pictures of my derriere in the magazine”. In 2007, the year of the single's release coincided with Britney's descent into darkness. It started with shaving her hair off, then the attack on the paparazzi with the umbrella, and, months later, the start of her father's legal guardianship.

In 'Piece of Me', Britney Spears alludes to those who want to take advantage of her by taking "a piece of her" or a piece of her earnings. She is the one who works, but it is her relatives, including her father, who benefit from her fortune, estimated at $ 59 million by Business Insider at the time (although it reached 180 million). In addition, since she is under guardianship, it is she who pays not only her own lawyers but also the lawyers who carry out the guardianship, who challenge her claims in court. Meaning she pays the salary of those who are keeping her under lock and key.

The song was released a few months after she was placed under guardianship. At first glance, it gives the impression that you are talking about a woman who loves to party in the spotlight. But the idea of the circus also refers to her loneliness, alone in the center of the stage, with all her detractors ready to judge her.

She sings, "I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins. Spotlight on me, and I'm ready to break." "Break" could be a reference to dance, or it could also be interpreted literally, meaning that she simply couldn't take being in the spotlight anymore. Years later, it is known that the pressure of her environment encouraged her to continue working and acting until exhaustion.

"Don't stop now, just be a champion, work hard, like it's your profession." After five years of guardianship, Britney Spears held onto her voice and spoke up about how she was obligated to work more than she wished to. However, in 2013, everything she did had to be approved and supervised by her father.