Last year was a monumental one for Britney Spears. In November, she was finally released from the widely criticised conservatorship that denied her agency over her personal affairs for 13 years. She described it as "the best day ever".
A couple of months earlier, the singer announced her engagement to partner Sam Asghari, whom she met in 2016. Asghari has been a constant presence through Spears' long but ultimately successful battle to remove her father from the conservatorship and then end it for good.
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So, it isn't too surprising that Spears ended the year with a reflective and optimistic Instagram message. Reposting a video of dozens of birds being freed from a truck and flying out into the countryside, she wrote poignantly: "SYMBOLIC of my year this year."
A few days earlier, Spears spoke about her goals for 2022 in a lengthy and heartfelt Instagram post. She may be one of the most iconic performers of all time, but the prospect of getting back onstage isn't something she feels comfortable with currently.
Spears, who last performed publicly in October 2018, wrote: "I guess it seems odd to most why I don't even do music anymore… People have no idea the awful things they have done to me personally and after what I’ve been through, I’m scared of people and the business!!!."
She also told fans that her aim for 2022 is to "push myself a bit more and do things that scare me but not too much". At this stage in her life and career, Spears has more than earned the right to do exactly as she pleases – and in 2022, freed from her conservatorship, she can get on with doing just that. Let's wish her all the luck in the world.