Two weeks after Variety reported that Britney Spears and Elton John were working on a brand new recording of John’s 1971 song “Tiny Dancer,” the remake was confirmed: representatives from both artists sent out an announcement Monday that the song “Hold Me Closer,” should appear in the coming days. The announcement contained little information other than a single artwork consisting of the title, a rose (Britney) and a rocket (Elton).
Spears reportedly met with John at a Beverly Hills recording studio in mid-July for a new version of the song. Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt, who has worked with everyone from Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber to Pearl Jam and Ozzy Osbourne, is said to have directed the session.
Elton has had great success this year with re-recorded duets of his previous hits: He and Dua Lipa scored a hit with “Cold, Cold Heart,” a mashup of his hits “Rocket Man” and “Sacrifice” that was included in both of their concerts, with video footage of the other – on a spring evening she played it at Madison Square Garden while he was performing it just a few miles away across the East River at Brooklyn’s Barclays Arena.
The collaboration would mark Spears’ first return to making music since her conservatory ended in November 2021, and her first re-release since 2016’s album Glory (although an expanded edition with bonus tracks was released in 2020).
Courtesy of Interscope Records
Spears was under the conservatory for more than 13 years. After her bombshell testimony last summer, she hired her own attorney, Mathew Rosengart, who helped her get out of the legal agreement within months. First, her father, Jamie Spears, who oversaw her conservatorship, was suspended by the court in September 2021. And then, in November, her conservatorship was terminated entirely. However, the legal battle remains messy as Spears fights her father and former executive Tri Star Sports & Entertainment over her finances and allegations of abusive behavior throughout the conservatory. (The next hearing in the case is this Wednesday.)
While under her conservatory from 2008 to 2021, Spears recorded new music, toured and had a residency in Las Vegas. However, when she testified in court, the singer said she was forced to work against her will. Normally conservatives can’t work, so Spears’ situation was highly unusual. And her lawyer has said her father reaped millions from her hard-earned work over the 13 years she said she didn’t want to tour.
News of Spears’ collaboration with John is sure to come as a welcome surprise to the millions of Spears fans around the world. Since her new found freedom, Spears fans are wondering if she wants to get back in the studio and on stage – but first and foremost, the #FreeBritney movement is behind the star’s decision to live her own life as she chooses, new music or not. This summer, Spears married her longtime boyfriend, actor Sam Asghari, and has expressed her desire to start a family with him.