Britney Spears and Elton John have released their highly anticipated collaboration, ‘Hold Me Closer,’ which acts as Spears’ first new music since her conservatorship ended last year.
The song is a mashup of John’s iconic singles ‘Tiny Dancer’ and ‘The One’ and sees the two stars belting out nostalgic melodies over disco-inspired production. Yesterday, Spears revealed she was “overwhelmed” at the prospect of releasing her first new song in six years. Spears’ ninth and most recent studio album, Glory, came out in 2016. Although she did release an outtake from that record, ‘Swimming In The Stars’, in late 2020 to mark her 39th birthday.
“It’s pretty damn cool that I’m singing with one of the most classic men of our time,” she wrote on Twitter. “I’m kinda overwhelmed… it’s a big deal to me !!! I’m meditating more and learning my space is valuable and precious !!!”
It was John’s husband, David Furnish, who had the idea to bring Spears on board for the song. “She sang fantastically,” John told The Guardian. “Everyone was saying they don’t think she can sing anymore. But I said, she was brilliant when she started so I think she can. And she did it, and I was so thrilled with what she did.”
John has often provided a helping hand to artists going through difficult periods, from Robbie Williams to Eminem, and he says his approach to Spears was motivated by the same instincts. “It’s hard when you’re young. Britney was broken. I was broken when I got sober. I was in a terrible place. I’ve been through that broken feeling and it’s horrible,” he revealed.
“And luckily enough, I’ve been sober for 32 years and it’s the happiest I’ve ever been. Now I’ve got the experience to be able to advise people and help them because I don’t want to see any artists in a dark place.”
