It has been verified that Britney Spears and Elton John are working on a new rendition of John's 1971 song "Tiny Dancer," two weeks after Variety first reported the news: Both musicians' agents released a statement. It was confirmed on Monday that "Hold Me Closer" would be released soon. The announcement had only one piece of artwork, which features the title, a rose (a reference to Britney), and a rocket (Elton).

In mid-July, Spears allegedly met with John in a Beverly Hills recording studio to work on a new song, according to rumours from last month. The session was reportedly being directed by Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt, who has collaborated with everyone from Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber to Pearl Jam and Ozzy Osbourne.

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).