There Are Very Different Accounts From Insiders About Why Britney Spears Really Sold Her Music Catalog

Britney Spears reportedly made a major financial move recently (amid “yearning” to “feel connected”), when she sold off her music catalog to the rumored tune of about $200 million. While the star has been said to be celebrating her cash-in by spending some much needed time with her two sons, the reports from insiders about why she decided to sell are telling very different stories.

One Set Of Insiders Believes Britney Spears Sold Her Music Catalog For “ F--king Respect”

Top acts like Britney Spears have been known to sell off their entire music catalog occasionally, so the Crossroads star is hardly the first. Music legends and pop superstars like the band Kiss, Justin Bieber, Sting, Shakira, Bob Dylan, and Stevie Nicks have all made the heavy-hitting financial decision over recent years, with Spears’ supposed deal, of course, including the rights to hits like “Toxic,” “...Baby One More Time,” and “Womanizer.”

Though the monetary windfall from any such sale would seem to be the main factor involved in artists inking deals like this, some insiders are saying that The Woman in Me author allegedly made this choice for a big reason that doesn’t have anything to do with her much-discussed post-conservatorship finances. Someone who is said to be close to the situation told one outlet that Spears selling her catalog was about “respect,” and noted:

They also went on to add that she signed the deal to recoup royalty losses from her first three albums, because she had only received “two to three percent” while most music acts get “20 to 25 percent.”

Another Insider Asserts That Spears Sold Her Music Catalog Because She Was “Suffering”

Spears has mostly remained in the public eye for the past decade or so because of her many conservatorship battles, allegations of wrongdoing against her family, many issues in her personal life, and her sometimes troubling or shady behavior on social media, as opposed to anything to do with releasing or performing new music. A source recently alleged to Daily Mail+ (via The Blast), that her lack of new income is, indeed, a big factor in the sale:

The singer’s Las Vegas residency, which ran from 2013 through 2017, reportedly grossed nearly $138 million. A second insider added that Spears “isn't making money spinning around in her living room every day,” possibly alluding to the fact that she had previously shut down all attempts at making money off of her viral Instagram account, which frequently featured videos of her dancing and/or in the nude. The first source continued, also noting that the pop star’s spending, which has been called into question before, is still an issue:

Whatever the reason that Spears sold her music catalog, let’s just hope that she’s truly happy with the decision she made, and that it has the desired effect on her life going forward.