In her stunning 2021 evidence against her conservatorship, Britney Spears detailed how her staff had "forced" her to tour in 2018 and that she had continued with the performances "out of fear."
Spears has been permitted to record and perform on her own schedule since her conservatorship was dissolved in 2021, and she said in her new memoir, "The Woman in Me," that she is taking her time.
She explains, "Pushing forward in my music career is not my focus at the moment."
"Right now it's time for me to try to get my spiritual life in order, to pay attention to the little things, to slow down. It's time for me to not be someone who other people want; it's time to actually find myself."
Spears claims to have "frequently" visited and "loved" a studio close to her former Malibu home, where she reportedly managed to produce six songs in a single day.
However, she continues, "I thought I might get a studio again someday and just play around, but for some time I hadn't been thinking about recording."
That changed when Elton John, who has been one of Spears's "all-time favorite artists" since she was a young child, invited her to record a new version of his song "Tiny Dancer" called "Hold Me Closer."
She says, "I was so honored."
The song peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the U.K.
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Singles chart after its August 2022 release. Spears claims that having success "on my own terms" and "fully in control" following the conservatorship was gratifying.
She writes, "Sharing your work with the world is terrifying."
"But in my experience, it is always worthwhile. Recording 'Hold Me Closer' and putting it out into the world was a fantastic experience. It didn't feel good - it felt great," she added.
Spears has since collaborated with Will.i.am on one more song, "Mind Your Business," which was released.
She writes that she won't quit singing, even though she has no immediate plans to record an album.
"When I walk around my house singing, I feel completely free, completely at ease, completely happy," she writes. "Whether I sound perfect or not, I don't even care. Singing makes me feel confident and strong the same way exercise does, or prayer."
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