90s songs flashback: The Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys collab

Ah, to be a 90s kid. The era when it was Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC duking it out on the airwaves. Where you were involved in the four way fight between Britney vs Christina vs Mandy vs Jessica. Where the Spice Girls were the epitome of “girl power”. It was a wild time to be alive. While the 90s kids have grown older, they still have their soft spots for these artists. 

Nothing quite makes the heart sing as when they get back together for one reason or another. Remember when Backstreet Boys and New Kids On The Block announced a cruise together? And they did a collaboration album? It was a wild time in that corner of the millennial part of the Internet, let us tell you. Now it’s time for 90s kids both physically, mentally, and/or spiritually, to lose their mind again.

Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys have collaborated together. This song “Matches” is definitely the present you all needed for the holiday season. 

Spears announced the song early on Friday, Dec. 11, just casually tweeting the news. She wrote, “‘Matches’ featuring my friends @backstreetboys is out now !!!! I’m so excited to hear what you think about our song together.” 

Not to be outdone, the Backstreet Boys Twitter responded with, “What a GLORIOUS day it is … we’ve been asked about the possibility of a collab like this for the past 20 years and today is the day!! #BritneyXBackstreet is finally here!”

The single, along with the other recently released Spears song with “Swimming in the Stars”, are part of a reissue of her 2016 album Glory. It’s unknown if “Matches” was going to be part of Glory, but “Swimming in the Stars” definitely was, which Spears released on her 39th birthday. December 2020 has been a most excellent month for fans of Britney Spears. 

Why? Simply put, the singer has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2019. Currently, she’s embroiled in a legal battle with her father, who has been her conservator for almost 12 years at this point. It’s a lot of power her father holds over her in his role as conservator. This conservatorship, however, was supposed to be temporary, following Spears’ well documented breakdown in 2008.

In Nov. 2020, Spears and her lawyer made their case in order to remove her father from conservatorship and put it in the hands of Bessemer Trust Co.  Judge Brenda Penny, however, denied that request. She did, however, say that Bessemer Trust Co. would share the duties with Jamie Spears going forward. 

In documents, Spears said that her father was planning to try “to retain full functional control of her assets, books, and records in the face of Britney’s objections.” Jamie Spears’ lawyers contend that he’s done a good job as a conservator and should not be removed. Basically, her indefinite hiatus from performing, touring, and working on a new album was a form of protest from Britney, which, you know, fair. Either way, the release of two new songs from her is definitely interesting.

Maybe with the latest judgement in her legal proceedings, Britney wants to dip her toe into performance again? Or maybe we shouldn’t read too much into it until Britney says one way or the other what’s going on her end.

Either way, don’t start thinking about a Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys 2021 or 2022 tour anytime soon. You can definitely hold out hope on that front, though. “Matches” definitely will ignite your desire to see the biggest names of the 90s and early 00s out in the world together again.