Harry Styles joined this year’s Halloween trend, and the internet is going crazy.

Some of his fans expected him to show up in a Britney Spears costume during his two-day “Harryween” special at the Madison Square Garden. But that’s not what happened.

We already know that Styles is not scared of crossdressing after he wore a dress on the cover of Vogue magazine last year. And we also know that he is a supporter of the “Free Britney” movement. But simply wearing a costume would have been too predictable.

Instead, Styles performed Britney’s hit “Toxic” as an encore. The crowd went crazy as he performed the song in a pretty unique version while wearing a harlequin clown costume.

A few hours later, clips of his performance are trending on social media, but he wasn’t the only one referring to Spears this Halloween.

It is not a new trend for folks to wear sexy Halloween costumes, but it was all about Britney Spears this year. Social media was full of women (and some men) who decided to dress up as Britney.

But why is that?

The “Free Britney” movement is still celebrating the end of conservatorship, and many fans hope that this is just the beginning of a bigger conversation about personal freedom. Earlier this year, we published several articles on Elephant Journal that spoke about the role of this case in the context of women’s rights.

I feel that each Britney costume is a statement against patriarchy and abusive patterns within the entertainment industry. And isn’t that what so-called slutty Halloween costumes are all about?

And what could be scarier to those who believe in patriarchy than a woman standing up for her right to express herself?

Why are some men scared of empowered women? Why is a sexy costume scaring certain folks? And what does that tell us about society? I could think of many things that scare me, but slutty costumes are not on that list.

It is more than fascinating to see how Halloween became a celebration of the “Free Britney” movement this year. Styles performing “Toxic” was just a reflection of that.

The sad reality is that many women worldwide cannot express themselves without being called crazy by toxic men—and that needs to change. Maybe this year’s Halloween is just the start of a bigger conversation on this topic.

And I hope this conversation ends with society accepting that a woman expressing herself is not scary.

But enough of my words. I hope you enjoy the amazing performance of Harry Styles at the Madison Square Garden.