What Britney Spear’s Hold Me Closer takes from Elton John’s Tiny Dancer

Britney Spears is back with her first musical release since the pop singer got rid of the conservatorship. The 40-year-old has released a duet titled Hold Me Closer with British legend Elton John. 

It is a remake of John’s Tiny Dancer, which he wrote in collaboration with songwriter Bernie Taupin. The song featured on the 1971 album, Madman Across the Water, and Taupin noted that his wife Maxine had inspired the song. 

The Spears-John duet starts with the line “Hold me closer” repeatedly, in the intro, which is from the chorus of the British singer’s track that goes – “Hold me closer, tiny dancer/Count the headlights on the highway”. 

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In the first verse of the song, the 75-year-old says “I saw you dancin’ out the ocean/Runnin’ fast along the sand”, which somewhat draws from the original song’s lines “Ballerina, you must’ve seen her/Dancing in the sand”. 

Ahead of the song’s release, John released a clip of him singing part of the duet. 

The chorus in the duet and John’s original has also remained the same with the following lines – “Hold me closer, tiny dancer/Count the headlights on the highway/Lay me down in sheets of linen/You had a busy day today”. 

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Notably, Elton John previously collaborated with Dua Lipa for Cold Heart, which became his first UK No 1 single in 16 years. However, the track with Spears is more than a remix. As the lyrics of the song suggest, there is an essence of freedom in Hold Me Closer, as evidenced by the album art as well – where the singers are depicted as children in an effort to invoke a sense of freedom and innocence. 

Spears had expressed excitement ahead of the song’s release as well, tweeting, “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 !!!! I’m kinda overwhelmed… it’s a big deal to me !!! I’m meditating more and learning my space is valuable and precious !!!”.