Britney Spears is officially back in pop music with the help of Elton John.
On Monday, it was confirmed that Britney and Elton have teamed up for a reimagining of their classic hit Tiny Dancer, which has been retitled Hold Me Closer.
The song’s temporary artwork uses two emojis representing the stars; a rose for Britney and a rocket for Elton.
Britney, 40, is known for her use of the pink emoji in many of her social media posts, while Elton’s pays tribute to his classic song Rocket Man.
He’s back! Britney Spears duet with Elton John is CONFIRMED as she plans her big post-holiday comeback with the reworking of classic hit Tiny Dancer now titled Hold Me Closer
Page Six reported last month that Britney had teamed up with the English singer-songwriter in Beverly Hills to record the song, which first appeared on his 1971 album Madman Across The Water.
Fans won’t have to wait long to hear Britney on record again, as sources told the publication that the new version of Tiny Dancer is expected to be released in August by Universal Music.
Elton appears to be the one who came up with the idea for the collaboration, but it seems to be an ideal soft launch for Britney to reinvigorate her music career after remaining silent in the last few years of her conservative demise.
Unique Cover: The song’s temporary artwork uses two emojis representing the stars; a rose for Britney and a rocket for Elton
“This was Elton’s idea, and Britney is a huge fan. They did a full duet remix of Tiny Dancer, and it’s amazing,” a music industry insider told the network.
“Britney was in the Beverly Hills studio last week with Elton for the super secret recording session overseen by super producer Andrew Watt,” they added.
According to TMZ, Britney and Elton were recording the song on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, and the song is now being mixed.
Watt has worked with a number of high-profile pop and rock acts, including Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Camilla Cabello and Pearl Jam, and has collaborated with Elton several times, suggesting he would be an ideal fit for the two artists
A match made in heaven: “This was Elton’s idea, and Britney is a huge fan. They did a full duet remix of Tiny Dancer, and it’s amazing,” a music industry insider told the network ; seen in London in 2018
According to the source, Britney and Elton’s new single is already a hit with record company executives.
“They’ve already played it for the people at their record label, and everyone’s freaking out. It’s so good,” they said. “They say it’s going to be the song of the summer.
“Britney is officially back,” they added. “She’s back at work and she’s very excited.”
The record label appears to be heavily invested in getting Britney back in the studio, as the source claimed they secured “a record deal” to entice her to collaborate with Elton.
The singer may have hinted at restarting her career by examining the music of the past when she shared a darker, slower version of her 1998 classic … Baby One More Time on Instagram earlier this month.
It’s a success! “They’ve already played it for the people at his record label, and everyone is freaking out. It’s so good. They say it’s going to be the song of the summer,” the source said; seen in West Hollywood in 2014
As if she’s never gone: “Britney is officially back,” they added. ‘She’s back at work, and she’s super excited’; photographed in 2016 in Las Vegas
“It’s been a long time since I’ve shared my voice… maybe too long,” she wrote at the time, before revealing she wanted to release the updated version of the hit single, but her guardianship allegedly put the kibosh on the plans.
Elton wrote the instant music for Tiny Dancer, while his regular collaborator Bernie Taupin handled the lyrics.
Although the performer has collaborated with multiple lyricists over the years, Taupin is one of his longest-standing collaborators and helped write the vast majority of his classic songs since the late 1960s.
Britney fans should be excited to hear it, as she hasn’t released a single since 2016’s Slumber Party.
Incidentally, it was in October of that year that the pop star met her now-husband Sam Asghari, as he starred in her music video for the single.
Classic: Elton wrote the snapshot music for Tiny Dancer, while regular collaborator Bernie Taupin handled the lyrics. It appeared on the 1971 LP Madman Across The Water; seen in 2018 in New York
Destiny: Britney hasn’t released a single since Slumber Party in 2016. It was in October of that year that she met her future husband Sam Asghari when she starred in the song’s music video.