Elton John and Britney Spears' duet 'Hold Me Closer' confirmed

WASHINGTON: Britney Spears and Elton John sent out an announcement on Monday confirming that the song, "Hold Me Closer," is due in the coming days.

According to Variety, John and Spears had a recording session in a Beverly Hills studio in the middle of July to work on a new song. Producer Andrew Watt, a Grammy winner who has worked with artists like Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Pearl Jam, and Ozzy Osbourne, was said to be in charge of the session.

Re-recorded duets of Elton's previous hits have been a huge success this year. He and Dua Lipa scored a hit with 'Cold, Cold Heart,' a mashup of 'Rocket Man' and 'Sacrifice,' which has appeared in both of their concerts and featured video footage of the other. On one night in the spring, she performed it at Madison Square Garden while he performed it just a few miles away, across the East River at Brooklyn.

Spears' involvement in the project would be her first foray back into the music industry since her conservatorship ended in November 2021 and her first new album since 2016's "Glory" (although an expanded edition with bonus tracks was released in 2020).

Spears spent more than 13 years in a conservatorship. She hired her own attorney, Mathew Rosengart, following her shocking testimony from last summer, and he assisted her in exiting the legal agreement within a short period of time. In September 2021, the court suspended her father, Jamie Spears, who was in charge of her conservatorship. Then, in November, her conservatorship was completely revoked. Spears is suing her father and her former business manager, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment, over her finances and claims of abusive behaviour during the conservatorship, but the legal dispute is still messy. (This Wednesday is the case's next hearing.)

From 2008 to 2021, Spears was under her conservatorship; during that time, she released new music, went on tour, and held a residency in Las Vegas. The singer claimed, however, that she was forced to work against her will during her testimony in court. Conservatees are typically unable to work, so Spears' circumstance was extremely unusual. Additionally, her attorney claimed that during the 13 years she claimed she did not want to go on tour, her father made millions of dollars off of her toilsome work.

The millions of Spears' fans worldwide will undoubtedly be delighted to learn of her collaboration with John. The #FreeBritney movement has supported the singer's decision to live her own life however she chooses, new music or not, and fans have been wondering if Spears would want to get back in the studio and return to the stage ever since she found freedom. Spears wed her longtime partner, actor Sam Asghari, this summer and has stated her desire to start a family with him.