Was an epic collaboration between two of the world's biggest superstars in the works?

Beyoncé and Britney Spears, two global icons who have been peers and friends since the late 1990s when they both rose to fame, were seemingly set to work together – until one of them backed out at the last minute.

According to Page Six, Queen Bey "asked Britney Spears to appear in a new music video, but the collaboration ultimately did not come to fruition." The gossip site's multiple sources reported that it's "unclear why the plan fell through."

Could this have been one of the reasons for the stalled Renaissance visuals? Beyoncé's critically acclaimed 2022 album dropped last July and at the time, she teased the upcoming music videos for the tracks. It's now been six months since and Bey still hasn't shared the visuals with fans. Perhaps her team was waiting on Spears' contribution to include in the Renaissance visuals? Or perhaps Beyoncé and Spears were working on something new together? Will the world ever know?

Renaissance would've been a proper metaphorical reintroduction for Spears to the music world. The "Gimme More" singer was released from her 13-year conservatorship in 2021, where her every move, meal, and dance routine was monitored and dictated. It would've been incredible to see the two icons collab, and for Spears to get a reintroduction to the world on her own terms.

Though her choice to decline the opportunity is disappointing for fans, this choice represents Spears having power over what she wants to do. The last time the two publicly worked together was in the 2004 Pepsi commercial with P!nk where the trio sang "We Will Rock You" to a scandalized Enrique Iglesias.