Britney Spears is back. The singer, 40, has collaborated with Elton John to release her first new single in six years. However, mysteriously—just hours before the new material arrived—Britney’s Instagram account vanished.
The track itself is not super new. ‘Hold Me Closer’ is a dance reworking of the Elton classic, ‘Tiny Dancer.’
It’s very much in a similar vein to Elton’s mega-hit with Dua Lipa, ‘Cold Heart’, and adds elements of the title track from his 1992 album, The One.
Check out the official audio video below.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Related: Elton John is gifting us with a Britney collab AND a Tammy Faye musical?! Praise the Lord!!
Artwork posted earlier in the week by Elton featured photos of him and Britney as children.
View this post on Instagram
Britney’s Instagram disappears
Before the song’s release, Britney posted a message on her Instagram thanking Elton for sharing the artwork and inviting her to collaborate.
“Thanks @eltonjohn for posting my baby pic 📸 !!! Most people say that it’s CUTE … it surely is 😊 !!! 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 🤷🏼♀️ ???” she wrote.
“Thank you for your genorosity 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 dont I 🤷🏼♀️ ??? Can I get an AWWWWE 🙊 ???”
However, a few hours after posting, Britney’s Instagram appears to have been deleted. In recent months, she had made headlines for posting several nude images of herself to the platform.
Britney did, however, post another message to Twitter yesterday. She’s traditionally been more likely to post to Instagram than Twitter, but she’s tweeted three times this week, so perhaps she’s going to concentrate on that platform going forward.
Okie dokie … my first song in 6 years 🎶 !!!! 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 !!! I’m meditating more 🧘🏼♀️ and learning my space is valuable and precious !!!— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) August 25, 2022
This was followed by another tweet, saying: ““I’m learning everyday is a clean slate to try and be a better person and do what makes me happy … yes I choose happiness today.
“I tell myself every day to let go of the hurt bitterness and try to forgive myself and others to what may have been hurtful.”
I’m learning everyday is a clean slate to try and be a better person and do what makes me happy … yes I choose happiness today. I tell myself every day to let go of the hurt bitterness and try to forgive myself and others to what may have been hurtful.
— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) August 25, 2022
Related: Jamie Lynn Spears’ tearful GMA interview has Britney fans humming “Toxic”
The new single is going down well with fans of both artists.
Writing for the LA Times, writer Mikeal Wood gushed over the track: “a bop, a banger, a vibe: three and a half minutes of shimmering L.A.-lady electro-pop sung by the world’s most fabulous 75-year-old and the ’90s’ preeminent blue-jean baby. That you can’t really tell their voices apart thanks to the buckets of Auto-Tune only makes their pairing that much sweeter.”
Hmmm, we’re not sure everyone will agree on that last point. What do you think?
Jack Meoff
Was Britney even on that track?
GentlemanCaller
I’d hide my Instagram, too. Elton did Britney no favors with this: it’s a big ol’ mush of remix noise over barely-audible voices autotuned into anonymity. I can sort of hear Elton, but Britney’s vocals are lost in the electronica. Very disappointing, and that girl doesn’t deserve any more disappointments.