The return of the pop princess! On Friday, Britney Spears returned to the music scene with the release of “Hold Me Closer,” a duet with Elton John.
This song, electronic dance music (EDM) remake of John’s 1971 classic “Tiny Dancer,” is Spears’ first new release since her win in November. This ends the conservatorship that controlled her career and personal life for 13 years.
Spears said last year that her time at the conservatory “destroyed my dreams,” leading her to stop making songs and performing. “Glory,” her most recent album, was released in 2016.
Spears tweeted, “Every day is a blank slate to try and be a better person and do what makes me happy” before “Hold Me Closer” was released.
To be “fearless like when I was younger.” she added, “would be a dream come true.”
John stated that his spouse, David Furnish, inspired him to team up with Spears and hopes their duet will give Spears the confidence boost she needs after going through such a “difficult time.”
In an interview with the Guardian, he said, “I’m delighted to be able to do it with her because if it is a great hit, which I think it may be, it will give her so much more confidence than she’s had already and she will realize that people love her, care about her, and want her to be happy.”
A brief peek at fan reactions on social media suggests they are happy with the collaborative effort.
“What a fantastic team you are, and what a great song. So thrilled to hear you singing again, Brit; you have no idea how much we’ve missed you. “As one supporter put it on Twitter:
Yet another voice chimed in: “Hello again!!! Incredibly awesome, this holds me closer. You have a wonderful voice.”
Spears “throws in a few joyful ‘yeahs,’ ad-libs that feel like true yelps of ecstasy rather than the robotic moves of someone being shuttled from studio to waiting for the car,” writes Michael Cragg of the Guardian, which gave the song four stars.
Further, he says, “Spears seems to hint at finding that for herself again in music. Even if this is a one-off — and who can blame her if she doesn’t want to return to pop full-time — that feels like enough.”
Christian Allaire of Vogue claims, “Britney‘s voice and a dance tune pair like a good bottle of red and a loaf of bread. She has a unique vocal tone that no other pop girl can match. This is why everyone should recognize her as the real pop royalty.”
However, reviewer Will Hodgkinson was not quite as enthused in the UK’s Times. While agreeing that “the return of Britney Spears should be welcomed with open arms,” he called “Hold Me Closer” a “bloodless remix” that “gives little space for Spears to shine while simultaneously ruining the charm of the original.”
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