Like the rest of the world, it seems Elton John also can’t wait for the official release date of his and Britney Spears’ “Hold Me Closer” duet. The singer played the song (almost) in its entirety for restaurant patrons in Cannes and live-streamed it, just a few days before its scheduled arrival on Friday.
In the re-uploaded Instagram Live stream, John is seen sitting behind the restaurant’s DJ booth and singing along to the forthcoming dance track. From the sound of it, the track incorporates John’s original lyrics from the 1971 hit “Tiny Dancer” as well as lyrics from his song “The One.”
The track starts with Spears singing the first few lines of “The One” and eventually has her transitioning into the iconic chorus line of “Tiny Dancer.” As for instrumentals, the song’s updated beat has more of a dance-pop approach, similar to John’s most recent collaborations (for example, his and Dua Lipa’s 2021 electronic dance hit “Cold Heart”).
John has been a long proponent of updating his older and lesser-known songs through collaborations with new artists, and so far, it’s proved to be a successful formula. Now, it seems he’s using a similar approach to guide Spears through her re-entry into the music world. This will be the pop star’s first official release since 2016’s “Glory” and her first since the end of her 13-year conservatorship.
Last week John shared the single’s official cover art on Instagram which has two side-by-side photos of the singers as kids, with Spears dressed in a pink costume and John playing the piano.