Britney Spears returns to music with ‘Hold Me Closer,’ dance mix with Elton John

Fans of Britney Spears and Elton John had reason to rejoice on Friday when the pair's long-awaited, collaborative single 'Hold Me Closer' was finally released.

Britney Spears and Elton John are the duo we didn’t know we needed.

Fans of both artists had reason to rejoice on Friday when the pair’s long-awaited, collaborative single Hold Me Closer was finally released.

The upbeat dance-pop track is a rework of John’s existing hit, Tiny Dancer, with elements of his other popular songs, The One and Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, also featured. Spears’ vocals work in tandem with John’s to bring the club-ready track to life.

Hold Me Closer is the first track released by Spears, 40, since the end of her 13-year conservatorship in November 2021.

While John, 75, has been releasing new music in the past few years — including the 16-track 2021 album The Lockdown Sessions — the song is Spears’ first piece of new music since her 2016 album Glory.

Before the song’s release Friday, John playfully teased the collaboration at a Cannes restaurant during an Instagram Live stream. He re-uploaded the clip to his Instagram account on Wednesday, where the Rocket Man singer approached a DJ booth to introduce the song. John sang along to the track as restaurant patrons cheered enthusiastically.

Afterward, Spears tweeted about the new track, writing in an emoji-filled post that it was “damn cool that I’m singing with one of the most classic men of our time.”