Elton John confirms Britney Spears collaboration after she shows off 'natural voice' in home video

Britney Spears and Elton John have joined forces to release Hold Me Closer, a remix of the British singer's beloved 1971 hit. 

It was reported in July that the musical icons had recorded an 'incredible' remix of 'Tiny Dancer' as a full duet, marking Britney's official return to music since her 2016 album, Glory. 

The A-list collaboration has now been confirmed by Elton John's spokesman, much to the excitement of pop fans everywhere. The 75-year-old also teased the project yesterday (August 8) on his Twitter, revealing the song's title to be Hold Me Closer and posting a link to pre-save it. If that wasn't enough to thrill the Britney brigade, he added an emoji of a red rose, a symbol that has been used by the 40-year-old repeatedly over the past year. A rocketship was also included, likely as a reference to his 1972 song and 2019 Netflix biopic, Rocketman. 

"This was Elton’s idea, and Britney is a huge fan. They have recorded a remix of ‘Tiny Dancer’ as a full duet – and it is incredible," said the source. 

The update comes shortly after Britney posted an appella rendition of Baby One More Time, the debut single that catapulted the Louisiana-born artist to international fame back in 1999. 

In the Instagram clip, Britney's vocals sound far deeper than those featured on the original track – a surprising change that has been widely praised by the star's followers. 

"You need to record this version girl! We love hearing your voice!!!" one person commented, while another said, "Your deep natural voice is the best." 

According to an inside source, Britney has already completed a "super secret recording session" with Elton in Los Angeles. 

They added that the people who have already heard the remix at the studio are loving the song. "They’ve already played it for people at their record label, and everybody is freaking out. It is so good. They are saying this is going to be the song of the summer."

They also explained that following Britney's brutal conservatorship battle, the star is ready to begin releasing music once again. "Britney is officially back. She’s back to work, and she’s super excited," they said.

As of November 2021, Britney Spears is free from the conservatorship that controlled her life for the past 13 years. This conservatorship sparked the Free Britney movement which campaigned for Britney's father to be removed as controller of her finances, and instead allow the singer to control her own life and make her own decisions. 

Following the end of her conservatorship battle, the star recently got married to her partner Sam Asghari. Britney wore a stunning custom-made Versace gown for this event which was attended by numerous celebrities including Madonna, Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore, and Selena Gomez.

It is clear that Britney is very much free from this conservatorship stage of her life and is now making solo decisions about her personal and professional life.