Britney Spears Drops a New Song with Elton John, Her First Music Post-Conservatorship
Britney Spears is back. At midnight, the pop superstar dropped her first new piece of music following the end of her conservatorship, and she couldn’t have chosen a better way to make her return. She appears on Elton John’s new track “Hold Me Closer,” which remixes his 1971 hit “Tiny Dancer” and 1991 song “The One.” Quite the legendary pairing.
The dance track incorporates Spears and John singing verse from “The One” before launching into the famous chorus of “Tiny Dancer” together. The song oozes club and party vibes, making it a perfect addition to those end-of-summer party playlists.
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Spears teased “Hold Me Closer” on her Instagram earlier this week before deleting her account shortly after. In her caption, she thanked John for including her on the single.
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“Thank you for your generosity and just thinking of me to join you on such a brilliant song !!!” she wrote, per Billboard. “How cool is it to be a background voice ON YOUR song !!! Sir Elton I did it thanks to your genius, creative, and legendary mind !!! I am so grateful !!! I just keep on giving don’t I ??? Can I get an AWWWWE ???”
Spears only needed three hours to record her verses with producer Andrew Watt at his home in Beverly Hills, TMZ previously reported. John, who was out of town, offered guidance over Zoom.
The “Rocketman” singer was equally excited for the release and even performed it for a crowd at the restaurant La Guérite in Cannes. The audience ate it up, according to a video John posted on Instagram.
While Spears’ last project was the studio album Glory in 2016, this marks her first release since a judge ruled to end her 13-year-long legal conservatorship last November. “Okie dokie … my first song in 6 years !!!!” she tweeted this week. “It’s pretty damn cool that I’m singing with one of the most classic men of our time …@eltonofficial !!!! I’m kinda overwhelmed… it’s a big deal to me !!!”
John, on the other hand, has been collaborating with young pop stars lately, including Dua Lipa (“Cold Heart”) and Rina Sawayama (“Chosen Family”).
Read through the lyrics to “Hold Me Closer” below.
I saw you dancin’ out the ocean
Running fast along the sand
A spirit born of earth and water
Fire flying from your handsHold me closer, tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day todayHold me closer
Hold me closer
Hold me closer
Hold me closerThere are caravans we follow
Drunken nights in dark hotels
When chances breathe between the silence
When sex and love no longer gelHold me closer, tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day todayHold me closer
Hold me closer
Hold me closer
Hold me closer
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.