Britney Spears celebrates Elton John duet 'Hold Me Closer' rocketing up charts

At last, Britney Spears has returned to do what she does best: make pop music that sends us straight to the dance floor.

After teasing new material earlier his month and then abruptly deleting her Instagram, the singer released "Hold Me Closer," her duet with Elton John, on Friday. Less than 24 hours later, the new song had already shot to the top of iTunes charts in the U.S. and other countries, and the pop star was thrilled with the news, sharing a video message directly to her singing partner on Twitter.

"Hello Sir Elton John, we are, like, number one in 40 countries," Spears said, speaking in a mock British accent, before screaming, "Holy shit!" The singer ended the message by saying she was "about to go have the best day ever."

John also tweeted how happy he was with fans' response: "I'm thrilled with the response to #HoldMeCloser I wanted to do a fun, happy summer track so was ecstatic when @britneyspears agreed to be a part of it! She truly is an icon, one of the all-time great pop stars & I love her dearly. I hope you all love it!"

The single is Spears' first since "Matches," her 2020 song with Backstreet Boys for the deluxe reissue of her ninth studio album, Glory. The collaboration marks the second time in a year the Grammy-, Oscar-, and Tony-winning singer-songwriter has teamed up with a pop diva for an easy, breezy disco bop. John and Dua Lipa dropped "Cold Heart," a track produced by the Aussie trio Pnau, in August 2021, and since then the Billboard top 10 single has become a staple on both artists' set lists.

Like "Cold Heart" — which featured a mash-up of John's songs "Rocket Man," "Sacrifice," "Kiss the Bride," and "Where's the Shoorah?" — "Hold Me Closer" pays tribute to some of the legend's earlier gems. The beginning of it boasts a sample of John singing the refrain of his beloved 1972 classic "Tiny Dancer" before he and Spears dive into a verse that interpolates his 1992 ballad "The One."

Kevin Mazur/Getty; Karwai Tang/WireImage Britney Spears; Elton John

"I saw you dancin' out the ocean / Runnin' fast along the sand / A spirit born of earth and water / Fire flyin' from your hands," they sing over a galloping beat and a Chic-inspired guitar riff that's now practically mandatory for any musician hoping to score a summer anthem. Spears then takes over the chorus, the same one from "Tiny Dancer," with Sir Elton's token swoony piano chords trickling into the mix to give it all an elegant sheen.

Is Brit's comeback as fresh and inspired as we'd hoped? Well, if you love the Rocket Man and you've missed the newly liberated Princess of Pop actually, you know, singing, then "Hold Me Closer" is close enough.

On Thursday, Spears left Instagram and took to Twitter to share her feelings about the duet. "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," she wrote. "I'm kinda overwhelmed… it's a big deal to me!!!"

Both singers teased their duet before its release. John shared a segment of it on TikTok and offered a sneak peek of it on Instagram, crooning over the sun-kissed track at a chic seaside restaurant in Cannes.

Spears also thanked John in a since-deleted post on Aug. 24, gushing over the single's cover art, which features side-by-side childhood photos of the pop stars.

"Thanks @eltonjohn for posting my baby pic!!! Most people say that it's CUTE … it surely is!!!," she wrote, per Billboard. "Since most say they are honored TO KNOW ME SO WELL and only want happiness for me … you can bet your bottom dollar that THIS collaboration will heighten my year by joining your brilliant hands of play. Thank you for your generosity 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, don't I??? Can I get an AWWWWE???"

John offered a humble reply: "More than a background singer, darling," he wrote, per a screenshot of his comment on Spears' post shared online. "Can't wait for everyone to hear what we've been working on!"

The wait is over. Listen to "Hold Me Closer" above.

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