Elton John collaborated with Britney Spears to help boost her confidence after ‘horrible’ 20 years

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Last month, Spears released her first single in six years, a cover of John’s 1971 single “Tiny Dancer” called “Hold Me Closer”. Holden asked John if it had been his husband David Furnish’s idea to collaborate with Spears to “boost her confidence”. She hasn’t had anything out since 2016, so I said, ‘Yeah, that’s a brilliant idea.’” John explained that Spears had recorded “five or six” different versions of “Hold Me Closer”, but that this was “the version that she wanted to put out”. I thought this will give her a bit of a fillip, as it were… Hopefully it will be the momentum that’s necessary to get her to record again.” Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 4 month free trial Sign up “Hold Me Closer” is Spears’ first single in six years and the first new music released since her controversial conservatorship ended.