For many years, despite being so young, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were seen as music’s perfect couple, but their separation in 2002 was explored by magazines and blogs around the world. The two, who met when they were 10 and 11, were in their early 20s, naturally had a long life of discoveries to come and everything that happened would be as expected, but very public.

The magazines showed Britney with other people and Justin was the first to put his pain into melody, with the hit Cry Me a River, and, starting speculation that 20 years later, it is still not conclusive.

In Cry Me a River, Justin mourns his girlfriend’s betrayal.

You were my sun
You were my earth
But you didn’t know all the ways I loved you, no
So you took a chance
And made other plans
But I bet you didn’t think that they would come crashing down, no

You don’t have to say, what you did
I already know, I found out from him
Now there’s just no chance
For you and me
There’ll never be
And doesn’t it make you sad about it?

To make matters worse, he made a video where he featured a model just like his ex. At the time, public opinion went to the singer’s side, especially since under intense pressure from the media and family, Britney was breaking down in front of the cameras. The entire process contributed to the process of suffering that the singer went through in recent decades.

But it didn’t go unanswered.

Britney, in interviews, denies Justin’s version of the breakup. According to her, the two were at different stages in life and separated because of that. And, although she never publicly admitted it, she wrote the beautiful Everytime as a response to Cry Me a River.

I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song is my sorry

The return also came on video, in a disturbing record of the singer, directed by David LaChapelle and with actor Stephen Dorff as the boyfriend who doesn’t realize Britney’s suffering with fame and the paparazzi. She apparently kills herself with an overdose of medication (later seen as a dream), but it is a clear cry for help and a not-so-subtle response to Justin’s insensitivity to what she was going through.

In 2021, he apologized via social media. ”I want to specifically apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson individually because I care about these women and I respect them, and I know I failed. I deeply regret the times in my life when my actions contributed to the problem, when I spoke too much, or when I did not speak up for what was right. I understand that I fell short in these moments, and in many others, and benefited from a system that colludes with misogyny and racism”, says the singer in the note.

It is not uncommon for the end of relationships to result in memorable albums and songs, and music is often one of the means of healing heartache. The song Everytime was highlighted again in 2022 because it was chosen by the trans artist, Ethel Cain, as a tribute to International Women’s Day. With a beautiful version, which highlights the sadness of the lyrics. Ethel’s version is part of Spotify’s EQUAL campaign to bring greater visibility to female artists.

“I always loved that song and I knew immediately that I could take Britney’s melodies and make something dreamlike out of them,” said Ethel. “It was an honor to do my version,” she added.

It is really beautifull. Listen here.

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