Halsey gives rise to cover of Britney Spears’ “Lucky”

Gregg Deguire for Variety

Halsey pays tribute to the Princess of Pop.

The singer took to Instagram on Monday (July 1) to tease what appears to be a cover or original song that samples Britney Spears’ 2000 hit “Lucky,” an ode to the lonelier side of fame. “She’s so lucky, she’s a star/ But she’s crying, crying, crying in her lonely heart thinking/ If there’s nothing missing in my life/ Then why do these tears come at night?” Halsey sings the chorus in the teaser clip, putting her own kind of pop twist on the track.

“When I was five, I always felt like Britney was singing directly to me,” Halsey wrote over a clip showing her with pink hair and a T-shirt with the words “Lucky” on the front. “24 years later, these words hit me differently. I love you forever.”

See it here. Billboard has reached out to Spears’ representative for comment. “Lucky” appeared on Spears’ second album, Oops! … I did it againand reached number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Last month, Halsey confirmed that her fifth studio album was finished and on the way after fans noticed that she had unveiled a cryptic new website titled “ForMyLastTrick.com.” The site features several illustrated badges, some of which lead to apparent clues about the new album.

Halsey’s new record follows that of 2021 If I can’t have love, I want powerwhich peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The About-Face Beauty founder has released several singles in the three years since, including 2023’s “Die 4 Me” and 2022’s “So Good,” both of which entered the Billboard Hot 100.

In September, Halsey hinted that her next album would be more emotional. “I split myself in half every day so I can give you my deepest wounds (and a handful of perfect joys) for the fifth time in ten years,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.