Hear Britney Spears’ first new music in six years — with help from Elton John

Britney Spears and Elton John group up for "Maintain Me Nearer," her first new music since 2016.
Getty Photographs

It feels as if the entire world has been embracing Britney Spears for the reason that #FreeBritney motion started in 2019.

And eventually free of the 13-year conservatorship that ended final November, the pop famous person is now getting some help from Elton John — a music legend who is aware of the way it feels to be nonetheless standing after years of struggles — on “Maintain Me Nearer,” her first newly recorded single since 2016.

The cross-generational collaboration between 40-year-old Spears and the 75-year-old Rocket Man — which dropped from the dream-duet heavens on Friday morning — is a radical remodeling of John’s 1971 traditional “Tiny Dancer.” Certainly, it’s such an excessive makeover that they gave the music its personal new title taken from the unique’s refrain. All collectively now, “Maintain me nearer, tiny dancer!”

Whereas “Tiny Dancer” was an epic ballad that took your internal ballerina pirouetting throughout the keys in a fantastic flight, “Maintain Me Nearer” goes twirling straight below the disco ball with some thumping beats but in addition a lightweight airiness that captures a few of the swish great thing about the unique. 

Like John’s latest hit with Dua Lipa — “Chilly Coronary heart (Pnau remix),” which mashed up “Rocket Man” with just a few of his different songs — “Maintain Me Nearer,” produced by Andrew Watt and Cirkut, additionally options components of Elton’s “The One” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Coronary heart.”

The quilt of Britney Spears and Elton John’s new single “Maintain Me Nearer.”

And whereas their digitally altered voices generally mix into each other the place you'll be able to hardly inform the distinction, it’s nice to listen to the moments when Spears’ distinctive, much-missed chirp stands out.

And after its preliminary futuristic electro-whirl, “Maintain Me Nearer” brings you again all the way down to earth with John’s piano work on the finish.

The beginnings of this collaboration go all the best way again to 2015, when Spears professed her love for “Tiny Dancer” in a tweet. And now, after six lengthy years away from music, that is hopefully simply the beginning of the long-awaited Britney comeback.