Britney Spears music dominates radio waves as DJs show solidarity

More On:

britney spears

‘Toxic’ war of words: Britney Spears’ conservator slams father Jamie’s claims

Elon Musk tweets ‘Free Britney’ as latest celeb to support pop star

Britney Spears’ conservators say her claims are untrue — and they can prove it

Sens. Warren, Casey call for guardianship oversight after Britney Spears hearing

Play me, baby, one more time.

Deejays across the country are showcasing the music of Britney Spears, spurring a resurgence for the pop icon on radio and streaming services as she battles her father over control of her affairs.

The heavy play reflects industry support for Britney as the 39-year-old dukes it out in court in Los Angeles with a conservatorship run by dad Jamie Spears, who oversees all aspects of her career and finances.

“We are definitely playing more Britney,” Z100 DJ Elvis Duran told The Post, saying the spinning of hits like “Oops!…I Did It Again” sends a message of solidarity for the beleaguered songstress.

“Whatever is going on in her life now, we love banding behind her,” he said. “It feels good.”

Z100’s owners at IHeartMedia — which runs more than 800 radio stations around the country — say Spears’ music has been dominating their airwaves since her June 23 testimony in the bitter legal battle — and it shot up 60 percent across their stations from the previous two weeks.

Overall, her total song streams jumped by more than 4 million in that period after her appearance, according to weekly rankings measured by Rolling Stone Magazine, despite Spears not having released a new album since “Glory” in 2016.

“Britney is a hot pop culture topic these days so it’s only natural with the extra interest, everyone wants to hear more of her music again,” Tom Poleman, IHeartMedia’s chief programming officer told The Post.

Duran, 56, who has been with Z100 since 1996 and whose flagship “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show” is nationally syndicated, said Britney’s music just made sense during coronavirus, when listeners sought classic favorites.

“During the pandemic we also found people like to feel more comfortable. They were eating comfort food and they want familiar stuff. And she does that. Her music takes you to a place,” he said.

Spears’ financial affairs have been controlled by her father since 2008 after she suffered a mental health crisis. Her estate is valued at roughly $60 million. The arrangement first came to wide public attention after a Hulu documentary in February.

In June, Spears said she wanted the arrangement dissolved, complaining that her minders forced her to take medication against her will and refused to allow doctors to remove an IUD so she could try to start a family with boyfriend Sam Asghari.

The resulting “FreeBritney” movement has brought together a broad swath of the country and earned bipartisan support on Capitol Hill — where Britney Spears has been invited to testify about the issue.

“She was a trend setter for so many things,” Long Island DJ Dana “MJ” Parisi told The Post, saying she was playing Britney at least once an hour on some days. “She was the first teenage pop icon of the 90s and early 2000s. I grew up with her. She was my Madonna.”

Share this article:

Source: Read Full Article