Britney Spears lands a new hit in the U.K. with “Scary,” a revived track from her Femme Fatale era that debuts on two sales-focused charts this frame. SAN FRANCISCO, CA – MARCH 27: Britney Spears performs at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on March 27, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Araya Doheny/WireImage)
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Even as Britney Spears’s hiatus from all things music continues, the singer still manages to find a way to score a new hit song on charts around the world. The pop icon, who once stated that she would “never return to the music industry,” debuts a years-old cut on multiple rankings in the United Kingdom. In the face of what seems like a complete lack of interest on the musician’s part to record new material, her record label has been doling out long-forgotten tunes from her back catalog — some of which die-hard fans have known for years, while more casual listeners may be hearing them for the first time as they’re reintroduced.
Britney Spears’s Latest Bestseller Is “Scary”
Spears’s latest bestseller is “Scary,” which debuts on two charts in the U.K., becoming a milestone hit for the Grammy-winning artist. “Scary” launches on two similarly-composed rankings across the Atlantic this week. The tune opens at No. 57 on the Official Singles Downloads list and two spaces lower, at No. 59 on the Official Singles Sales tally.
The first of those two charts looks only at the top performers on platforms like iTunes and Amazon, while the Official Singles Sales roster also includes purchases on CD, vinyl, and cassette, as well as digital downloads.
Britney Spears Last Debuted With “Selfish”
“Scary” earns Spears her first new hit in the U.K. on both tallies since last year. In February 2024, “Selfish,” which was released during the same era as “Scary,” just missed the top 10 on the two rankings, as it peaked at No. 12 on the Official Singles Downloads chart and No. 13 on the Official Singles Sales roster.
Britney Spears’s Last “New” Song Was “Hold Me Closer” with Elton John
It has been several more years since Spears last appeared on either ranking with new material. In early fall 2022, the singer joined Elton John on his cut “Hold Me Closer,” which followed the successful path that “Cold Heart,” a collaboration with Dua Lipa, established shortly prior. “Hold Me Closer” blends lyrics from several of John’s famous tunes with updated dance-pop production, and fans around the world ate it up, thankful to have a new, stylistically-appropriate cut from Spears.
How Many Bestselling Songs Has Britney Spears Released?
The singer has now racked up 26 placements on the Official Singles Downloads chart throughout her years as a household name. “Scary” marks her milestone tenth win on the Official Singles Sales list.
Spears first appeared on the downloads-only tally in November 2004 with “My Prerogative,” and shortly after that with “Toxic.” It would be more than a decade before she found herself on the Official Singles Sales ranking. “Everytime” brought Spears to that list for the very first time in March 2015.
What Album Was Britney Spears’s “Scary” Originally Featured On?
LOS ANGELES, CA – AUGUST 28: Singer Britney Spears, winner of the Video Vanguard Award and Best Pop Video Award for ‘Till the World Ends’ poses in the press room during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on August 28, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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“Scary” was originally only shared on the Japanese deluxe edition of Spears’s album Femme Fatale. That project dropped in the spring of 2011 and propelled tracks like “Hold It Against Me,” “Till the World Ends,” and “I Wanna Go” toward the top of charts globally. Just in time for Halloween, “Scary” was finally released as a standalone cut so listeners around the world could stream and buy it whenever they like. “Selfish,” which dropped last year, was also originally a deluxe edition cut that later went on to earn its own moment in the spotlight.
The Singles Collection Climbs Thanks to Britney Spears’s New Bestseller
Although “Scary” is not featured on Spears’s compilation The Singles Collection, that album climbs on the only two U.K.-based charts on which it can be found, likely thanks to the quick success of the newly-released tune. The Singles Collection rises five spaces to No. 53 on the Official Albums Streaming tally and just one spot higher on the main list of the most-consumed projects in the country, where it settles at No. 70.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/10/28/britney-spears-charts-a-new-bestselling-hit-with-a-decade-plus-old-song/
