Hold on tight, because Britney Spears and Elton John‘s “Hold Me Closer” is just around the corner.
To celebrate the upcoming Aug. 26 release, the pop princess took to Instagram on Wednesday (Aug. 24) to gush over her legendary collaborator. “Thanks @eltonjohn for posting my baby pic !!! Most people say that it’s CUTE … it surely is !!!” she wrote alongside a video of a London street adorned with United Kingdom flags, in reference to John’s previous post teasing the duet. “Maybe we should have Tea Time !!! Oh and let’s invite Queen Elizabeth too !!! I bet she’s a brilliant study of behavior !!! So shall we tidy up ??? Since most say they are honored TO KNOW ME SO WELL and only want happiness for me … you can bet your bottom dollar that THIS collaboration will heighten my year by joining your brilliant hands of play.”
She continued, “Thank you for your generosity and just thinking of me to join you on such a brilliant song !!! 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 ???”
In the snippet soundtracking Spears’ post, you can hear the superstar duo singing the opening verse of John’s 1992 hit, “The One” over a club-ready beat, before diving into the chorus of 1971’s “Tiny Dancer.”
“Hold Me Closer,” produced by Andrew Watt, is Spears’ first new music since her 2016 studio album Glory, which also included deluxe tracks “Mood Ring,” “Swimming in the Stars” and the Backstreet Boys-assisted “Matches” that were released in 2020. Most notably, the collaboration will mark Spears’ official return to music since the end of her 13-year conservatorship.
John, meanwhile, unveiled his collaborative album The Lockdown Sessions in 2021, which featured the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart topper “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” with Dua Lipa.
