10 Britney Spears Lyrics About Breaking Free & Dealing With The Media

One of the strongest themes in Britney Spears’ repertoire of hits has been her desire for independence and her contempt for the media, whose overbearing treatment of her arguably led to the conservatorship that was placed on her in 2008, as outlined in Hulu’s 2021 documentaries Framing Britney Spears and Controlling Britney Spears.

“Hush, just stop: There’s nothing you can do or say / I’ve had enough, I'm not your property as from today”

—“Stronger” (2000)

From her 2000 empowerment anthem “Stronger” to her cover of Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative,” Spears has no problem advocating for herself and her freedom. And as shown in her defiant middle finger to tabloid culture, “Piece of Me,” she’s willing to go after the people who won’t leave her alone.

“Everybody’s talkin’ all this stuff about me, why don’t they just let me live? / I don’t need permission, make my own decisions”

— “My Prerogative” (2004)

Technically, these are Bobby Brown’s lyrics, but there’s a reason why Spears covered his 1988 hit. To this day, there’s few people the media will talk about more than Spears.

“All the flashin’, tryin’ to cash in, hurts my eyes / All the poses, out of focus, I despise / F me over, your exposure, not the best / You want me bad, I want you out, release this stress”

— “Kill the Lights” (2008)

This hidden gem from Circus — almost a sequel to the iconic “Piece of Me” — sees Spears continuing to challenge the media.

“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”

— “I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman” (2001)

Britney released this coming-of-age anthem when she was just 20 years old, the age where this song’s message hits the hardest. She may be advocating for independence, but that doesn’t mean she won’t make mistakes along the way, like we all do.

“You want a hot body? You want a Bugatti? You want a Maserati? You better work bitch / You want a Lamborghini? Sip martinis? Look hot in a bikini? You better work bitch”

— “Work Bitch” (2013)

There’s nothing that says independence more than Spears telling us to “work, bitch.” Fun fact: The U.S. unemployment rate reportedly went down by 50% in the years after the song was released.

“I did everything you wanted me to, but now I shall / Break free from all your lies / I won’t be blind, you see ...”

— “Cinderella” (2001)

This underrated deep cut from Spears’ self-titled 2001 album is about the singer leaving a toxic relationship, but it’s just as much a metaphor of her own desire for independence.