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Elton John and Britney Spears released a new version of their hit duet "Hold Me Closer" on Friday.
In August, the duo released a dance version of the track that was heavy on electronic instruments and processed vocals. The new acoustic arrangement, however, is stripped down, with the two stars' voices front and center over John's piano and other minimal instrumentation.
The song's video accompaniment, posted on John's YouTube account, features U.S. Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen gliding through a solo routine in an empty arena.
When it was first released, the duet with John was Spears' first new song in six years. The track is based on John's classic 1971 hit "Tiny Dancer." It also features references to John's other songs "The One" (1992) and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (his 1976 duet with Kiki Dee).
"Hold Me Closer" became an instant hit on streaming services upon its release— reaching No. 1 on the U.S. and U.K. iTunes charts in less than 24 hours—and Spears celebrated its success in a video to John that she posted on social media.
Not only was "Hold Me Closer" Spears' first single since "Slumber Party," from her 2016 album Glory, but it was the first music she has released since being released from the conservatorship placed on her in 2008, in which her father, Jamie Spears, oversaw many aspects her life.
Fans responded enthusiastically on Twitter to the original "Hold Me Closer." One person raved that Spears sounded as "POWERFUL as ever," while many others described becoming emotional upon hearing her sing again.
Early fan reaction to the new acoustic version of the song has also been positive.
"Woah! This is definitely my favorite version of this song. It sounds Heavenly. It really magnifies the vocals, too, and makes it feel more emotional. And, OMG, this skater is phenomenal!" read one comment on John's YouTube page.
Several comments also praised Chen's skating.
"Absolutely love this song, this beautiful acoustic version and Nathan's performance! So glad to see this amazing collaboration between the greatest musicians and the greatest figure skater," wrote an appreciative fan.
While "Hold Me Closer" marks a comeback for Spears, John is saying goodbye to a part of his career. After more than 50 years of playing around the world, the singer/pianist is on what he says is his farewell tour.
This weekend, he wraps up the United States leg of the tour with a trio of concerts at Los Angeles' Dodgers Stadium. The final show on Sunday will be livestreamed on Disney+ and is scheduled to include special guests Dua Lipa, Kiki Dee and Brandi Carlile.
Newsweek reached out to Spears and John for comment.
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Jon Jackson is a News Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine ... Read more