Over the past decade, Britney Spears has scored hit singles, released chart-topping albums and headlined a must-see Las Vegas residency — among other achievements for one of the most influential pop artists of the past quarter-century. Yet these accomplishments have arrived as Spears remains under a conservatorship, with her father controlling her finances and fans across the globe advocating for that level of control to cease.
Why is Britney Spears still under a conservatorship? And how did her fans turn her freedom into a worldwide movement?
In the latest episode of Billboard Explains, Billboard dives deep into Spears’ 13-year conservatorship under her father, Jamie Spears, and what caused fans to speak out in recent years. Hear what Spears herself has had to say on the matter, and how the circumstances of her conservatorship may eventually evolve.
After the video, catch up on more Billboard Explains clips and learn about the rise of K-pop in the U.S., why Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums, the boom of hit all-female collaborations, how Grammy nominees and winners are chosen, why songwriters are selling their publishing catalogs, how the Super Bowl halftime show is booked and why Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” was able to shoot to No. 1 on the Hot 100.
