Social distancing expert Britney Spears has released a new song. Well, sort of. According to E!, her track “Mood Ring (By Demand)” was originally released as “Mood Ring,” a bonus feature on the Japanese edition of her 2016 LP Glory, and as such, was completely unavailable on all streaming platforms elsewhere. That changed at midnight on Thursday, when the Spears camp gifted the song to her fans with an announcement on Instagram, slathered in emojis, basically letting them know that because they asked for the song and alternative album artwork, they were given both. Earlier this month, fans managed to get Glory, inspired by the #JusticeForGlory social media incentive, to No. 1 on the iTunes pop chart, too—clearly, they’ve been rewarded.
The slow-burning electro-pop “Mood Ring (By Demand)” was produced by DJ Mustard and culminates with the line, “My love is a mood ring/You change me.” It’s a great cut. And that’s great because it doesn’t look like there will be original music coming from Spears at any point in the near future: in 2019, she announced a permanent hiatus from the music business, which her team quickly confirmed. Spears has had such a storied career that there’s no need for her to return if she doesn’t want to, but I wonder what will happen come August when her conservatorship is up for renewal. If she is no longer restricted to its confines, will she run to the studio to make a concept album about her experience? A girl can dream. And she can also listen to “Mood Ring,” below.