Oh baby, baby! Britney Spears is officially returning to the music program.
Spears collaborates with rock icon Elton John on her first single since the pop star’s 13-year conservatorship ended in November.
The song, which has yet to be given an official release date, is titled “Hold Me Closer,” according to a release from Interscope Records Universal Music. John in particular has a song called “Tiny Dancer”, which features the lyrics “hold me closer, tiny dancer”. It’s unclear whether “Hold Me Closer” will be a reimagining of the 1972 hit, which has sold 3 million copies in the US to date.
Spears’ teaming up with John marks the first time Spears has released new music since December 2020, when she collaborated with the Backstreet Boys on “Matches.” The song also coincided with the release of her 2016 album Glory, which was re-released in 2020.
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“Hold Me Closer” already has the seal of approval from Spears’ friend Paris Hilton, who revealed in a recent interview that she’s already heard the track.
“It will be iconic,” Hilton said in an interview with RTL Boulevard’s Paul Barewijk published on August 2. “I just heard it a few days ago in Ibiza and it’s crazy.”
Spears isn’t the only female pop star John has teamed up with lately.
John collaborated with British singer Duo Lipa on “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” taken from 2021’s “The Lockdown Sessions,” which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. John also linked up with pop giant Lady Gaga to “Sons” From Above,” which yielded top 20 dance hits for the two.
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John also hasn’t been shy about his love for pop princess Spears.
“I like Britney Spears. I think she’s cute. I think she’s fun,” John said, according to an excerpt from Elton John’s Words on the Wind. “I think he makes great pop records.”
The release of “Hold Me Closer” follows a tumultuous 2021 for Spears, who ended her 13-year conservatorship in November. This year has been just as eventful for the 40-year-old singer, with Spears marrying boyfriend Sam Asghari in June and announcing that she is writing a memoir of her life.
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