Elton John and Britney Spears’ hot new single “Hold Me Closer” immediately shot to #1 on the charts upon its release on Aug. 26, and John describes Spears’ return to the music industry as being emotionally charged.
The newly released single currently sits at #1 on iTunes in the U.S. and has clinched the number one spot in 35 countries, according to TMZ. John indicated Spears was nervous about her comeback but ended up shocking everyone by completing the recording process in two hours while collaborating remotely. “She sang fantastically,” John said to The Guardian. The experience was so emotional and Spears felt so vulnerable about her re-entry to the scene that John had to convince her to approve the final product for release, according to The Guardian.
“She’s been away so long – there’s a lot of fear there because she’s been betrayed so many times and she hasn’t really been in the public eye officially for so long. We’ve been holding her hand through the whole process, reassuring her that everything’s gonna be alright,” John said to The Guardian.
“Everyone was saying they don’t think she can sing anymore. But I said, she was brilliant when she started so I think she can. And she did it, and I was so thrilled with what she did,” John said.
Britney shared her feelings about her epic return with this new song. “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 !!!” Spears wrote to Twitter.
The song was an immediate smash hit, and continues to generate massive traffic on social media and streaming platforms. “The song meant so much to her, and you can hear it in her vocal performance. She’s singing her ass off,” John said, as he credited Spears’ efforts and the brave step she had taken to reignite her career.
“She’s unbelievable at layering her voice and doubling, which is one of the hardest things to do,” producer Andrew Watt said to The Guardian.” (RELATED: Britney Spears’ Father Files For Deposition To Challenge Allegations She Made Against Him)
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
Watt and John revealed that Spears required almost no direction or guidance when she began recording this song. “She really pushed herself, vocally. Sometimes when you produce, the greatest thing in the world you can do is say nothing, so I just let her do her thing. She’s so good at knowing when she got the right take. She took complete control.” Watt said.
Spears reportedly gave “incredibly specific” instructions about how she wanted her voice and levels mixed into the song, and was collaborative in her approach to putting final touches on the single.