Britney Spears’ hotly anticipated comeback single has been leaked online, sparking outrage among her fans.
A snippet of the duet with Elton John, entitled Hold Me Closer – a reworking of Sir Elton’s 1971 smash hit Tiny Dancer – was shared across social media on Thursday night. It is Britney’s first new music for six years and, crucially, her first since she broke free from her conservatorship last November.
What do fans think of Britney’s new music?
Although the reaction to the brief clip was overwhelmingly positive (sample comment: ‘I love it! I can’t stop crying’) many other fans are raging about the ‘disrespectful’ leak, which they say is wrecking its official release.
One wrote: ‘Ruining the release of Britney’s first single as a free woman in 15 years is honestly disrespectful. I can’t believe even Britney’s fans are spreading leaks.’
Another added: ‘All of you sharing the leak right now suck. Britney has fought so hard for this moment. We need to be her biggest supporters right now and that means PROTECTING HER AND HER MUSIC.’
What do we know about Britney’s single with Sir Elton John?
The duet was recorded in secret in July and was announced by Sir Elton, whose idea the collaboration was, on 8 August. Earlier this week, Britney shared her excitement about the new track on Instagram, writing: ‘I appreciate this and all of your support it means so much to me!!! I can’t wait for you all to hear what we’ve been working on.’ Her friend Paris Hilton shared that she had heard the song, saying, ‘I just heard it a couple days ago in Ibiza and it is… it’s insane.’ She added, ‘It’s gonna be iconic.’
On Twitter, Sir Elton shared emojis of a rose and a rocket, to represent Britney and him, along with a link to pre-save the song on Spotify and Apple Music. In response, thousands of Britney fans tweeted ‘BritneyIsComing.’
When will Britney’s new single with Elton John be released?
It had been rumoured that the single would be released today (Friday 19 August), but those rumours have now been replaced by others suggesting that the release won’t be until later in the year.
The hold-up is said to be because of last-minute changes requested by Britney, meaning the version of Hold Me Closer circulating last night may not be the same as the one we’ll eventually hear. The short clip has already been removed from all social media websites.
Is Britney releasing an album in 2022?
Hold Me Closer is believed to be the first single of a comeback album planned by Britney, to coincide with the release of her forthcoming, no-holds-barred memoir. There are rumours it could be a revenge album about those who controlled every aspect of her life during her 13-year conservatorship.
We can’t wait…