Oh baby, baby, Britney Spears is back!
The Princess of Pop makes her glorious return to music by joining forces with Elton John on “Hold Me Closer,” out Aug. 26.
The track is Spears’ first new material since she unleashed her ninth studio album Glory in 2016.
“Hold Me Closer” is an updated, club-friendly spin on John’s 1972 hit “Tiny Dancer.” The single follows in the vein of last years’ Dua Lipa-assisted “Cold Heart,” which topped the Official Charts in the U.K. and went Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 stateside.
It’s a breezy, danceable take on a classic that incorporates elements of another song from John’s discography. In this case, Spears and John combine the verses from his 1992 release “The One” with the chorus from 1972’s “Tiny Dancer” over production courtesy of Andrew Watt and Cirkut.
“I saw you dancing out the ocean / Running fast along the sand / A spirit born of earth and water / Baby / Fire flying from your hand,” Spears sings, taking the lead on the first verse and sprinkling it with her signature vocal runs.
After showing off her deeper vocals and putting a decidedly more adult spin during a recent live take on her breakout hit “…Baby One More Time” on Instagram earlier this summer, the “Toxic” superstar has no problem pulling the vocal trigger.
Meanwhile, John does the heavy lifting on the second verse before they join forces on the sing-along chorus.
Listen to Britney Spears & Elton John’s “Hold Me Closer”:
On Instagram last week, following weeks of speculation about the duet, John finally unveiled the project’s official cover art, which features childhood photos of the two pop icons. They previously promoted the release using two emojis: a red rose to represent Spears and a rocket for John.
Check out the cover art below:
Prior to its release, Spears gushed about the opportunity to work with “one of the most classic men of our time” in a post shared on Twitter.
“It’s pretty damn cool that I’m singing with one of the most classic men of our time … I’m kinda overwhelmed … it’s a big deal to me,” she enthused.
It’s unclear if the duo have any plans to promote the release with a performance or music video.
Quickly after the song’s release, Spears’ fans flooded social media to celebrate her musical comeback. Check out a couple of euphoric tweets below:
See the Full Britney Spears and Elton John “Hold Me Closer” Lyrics, via Genius, Below:
[Intro]
(Hold me closer)
(Hold me closer)
(Hold me closer)
(Hold me closer)
[Verse 1]
Saw you dancin’ at the ocean
Runnin’ fast along the sand
A spirit born of earth and water
Fire flying from your hands (Ooh)
[Chorus]
Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today (Ooh)
Hold me closer, hold me closer (Hold me, yeah)
Hold me closer, hold me closer
[Verse 2]
There are caravans we follow
Drunken nights in dark hotels, baby (Yeah)
When chances breathе between the silencе
When sex and love no longer gel (Ooh)
[Chorus]
Hold me closer tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway (Baby)
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today
Hold me closer, hold me closer (Baby, baby)
Hold me closer, hold me closer (Ooh Yeah)
[Outro]
(Hold me closer)
(Hold me closer)
Hold me closer, me closer, me closer (Mmh, yeah)
(Hold me closer)
(Hold me closer)
(Hold me closer)