Even before the duet “Hold Me Closer” by Britney Spears and Elton John was officially released, a presumed excerpt can already be found online. While some shared the Twitter clip, others were horrified. The accusation: It is disrespectful to destroy the anticipation with a leak.
The excitement was great. Britney Spears would be releasing music for the first time in six years and would also sing a duet with Elton John. The waves are therefore running high in the online discourse. One user wrote: “OMG!!! It’s so tempting to find the ‘Hold Me Closer’ leaked, but I want to respect Britney & Elton.”
OMG!!! im so tempted to go find Hold Me Closer leak but I want to respect both Britney & Elton …. I’ve been waiting for this moment for almost 6 years #BritneyIsComing
— Britney Pop Icon ?? (@Britney_PopIcon) August 18, 2022
if you think I waited 13 years and some change to hear Britney Spears’ first song after being freed through a LEAK I’m NOT the one!!! I WILL WAIT FOR FULL RELEASE AND SUPPORT LIKE A PROPER STAN. #BritneyIsComing #HoldMeCloser
— ☽○☾ bretney ☽○☾ (@ItsBritneyForMe) August 19, 2022
These fake fans leaking Hold me closer makes me MAD.
This is her first single as a free woman, why would you ruin the release for your own selfish reasons. You CAN wait a couple more days ??#BritneyIsComing #HoldMeCloser— Elliot (@Whiteunitato) August 19, 2022
Inspired by Elton John classics
The title of the song “Hold Me Closer” is taken from the 1971 hit “Tiny Dancer” included on Elton John’s album Madman Across the Water. The 75-year-old announced the duet with Spears on Instagram just a week ago. It is unclear when the official version will come out.
Hold Me Closer is Britney Spears’ first musical release since 2016, when her album GLORY was released. In recent years, the 40-year-old has been embroiled in a lengthy lawsuit against her father, who controlled her life. In 2021 it finally came to an end and she was able to free herself from her father’s guardianship.
+++ This article first appeared on rollingstone.de +++