Pop music generally gets a bad rep for not being very deep or very meaningful. Which can be true––sometimes I just want to dance and the music needs to be nothing but that. But pop stars aren’t robots, and because of that their human selves eventually show in their music.
Britney Spears is one of the biggest names is music. Her career hasn’t been what it once was, but she’s become somewhat of an Instagram sensation…for better or worse. I’m not a doctor, but people can tell there’s something not right in her life. She had a very public meltdown years ago and something just hasn’t been the same since.
Oops!…I Did It Again was a big era for Britney. Nobody knew what to expect after her first album, and her success was duplicated. But were there already signs of what was to come? Her single “Lucky” was about the price of fame and the toll it takes on a person.
On future albums she addressed topics such ase partying too hard (“Blur” and “Early Mornin’”) and feeling like an outcast to the world (“Alien”).
Britney Spears has never directly talked about her mental health, but as a fan I hear the clues in her music. Art is an outlet and I hope she continues to live her truth––both in her private life and on the radio.
Mental health has such a stigma already, it does nobody any good when you treat her as a joke or a punching bag.
If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Use these resources to find help for you, a friend, or a family member.
Call 1–800–273-TALK (8255); En Español 1–888–628–9454
The Lifeline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Lifeline connects callers to the nearest crisis center in the Lifeline national network. These centers provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1–800–799–4889.
