Fans of Britney Spears congregated on social media on Thursday to share their joy over the leak of her new song, “Hold Me Closer.”
The news that Spears and had collaborated to produce a revamped and retitled version of the legendary singer’s 1970s song “Tiny Dancer” first surfaced back in July.
With a release date anticipated within weeks of the announcement, both artists teased the cover art earlier this month, when they jointly confirmed the news. The cover image shows a rose and a rocket.
Fans flocked to Twitter in droves on Thursday night to share allegations that they had heard the highly awaited song by Spears, 40, and John, 75, which had reportedly slipped online earlier.
Tomás Mier, a staff writer for Rolling Stone, tweeted: “As leaks of Britney Spears and Elton John’s song ‘Hold Me Closer’ were disseminated on Twitter, a source confirms to me that the duet won’t be published tonight.” In the midst of the excitement, the release date of the song would not be impacted.
Although the song hasn’t been made public yet, Spears’s followers gathered in large numbers to discuss the singer’s first single in a number of years. One fan wrote that they had just heard “Hold Me Closer,” adding, “Brittney Spears, you are the mother [I] never had, the sister everyone would want, she is the friend everyone deserves, [I] don’t know a better person.” A fan shared a video of Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss passionately defending her mother.
One listener, though, tweeted that they were “I wish Britney sang more, she basically adlibs, so I was sort was unimpressed,” she said of the song. I wish the guitar synth hit harder since it is so obtrusive. I’m not sure; I’m playing it loudly right now, but it could sound different on headphones.”
Another supporter retorted: “Actually, I’ve heard the song. I don’t just state that I have. She doesn’t just improvise. Elton sings the second verse, while she sings the first verse entirely. Britney Spears has returned. It is a banger, “Hold me Closer.””
While urging followers to hold off until the song is officially released, some fans were observed adopting a defensive posture and reporting infringement to the Recording Industry Association of America. The two got together at a Beverly Hills recording facility, according to Page Six, to record their voices for the Andrew Watt-produced song.
It would seem like Spears has been thinking about the song for a while.