Charli XCX insists she has written songs for a new Britney Spears album – but isn’t sure whether the pop legend even knows about the project.

It was previously reported that the Boom Clap singer had been enlisted to pen tunes for the project, with insiders telling the sun that “work has been going on behind the scenes for quite a while to gather a series of killer songs to bring Britney back with a bang”.

However, the Toxic singer – who last released an album in 2016 with ‘Glory’ – refuted the claims, insisting that she’s only interested in writing for other artists over returning to the spotlight herself.

She shared: “Just so we’re clear most of the news is trash !!! They keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album … I will never return to the music industry !!!

“When I write, I write for fun or I write for other people !!!

“For those of you who have read my book, there’s loads that you don’t know about me … I’ve written over 20 songs for other people the past two years !!! I’m a ghostwriter and I honestly enjoy it that way !!! [sic]”

But during an appearance on ‘Watch What Happens Live’, Charli reacted to the rumours, saying: “Um, so. Well, yes, but, it leaked to the press… Britney then did this post where she was like, ‘I don’t have random people write for me.’ I was like, okay, go off! So I don’t know that she was part of the process.”

Questioning whether the sessions were the “real” deal, since it appeared the Stronger hitmaker wasn’t involved, she continued: “Her team was running before they could walk. Britney probably has a load of other projects that she’s focusing on. So I did get asked but I don’t know if it’s like, real.”

When host Andy Cohen then asked, “Let me ask you this: Did you write anything in the hopes of her recording it?”, the Speed Drive singer replied: “Of course.

“I went to Malibu and I wrote. You always write songs hoping Britney’s going to record them… but you know, she didn’t record it.”