In recent years, trends from the 90s and early 2000s have risen again: iconic claw clips, colorful bucket hats, laced up clothing, chokers and more. It is an honor to reveal that Britney Spears, the princess of pop, has also made a comeback. 

Spears was freed from the almost 14-year conservatorship that controlled her personal and professional llife last year. She broke her silence Friday, Aug. 26 with her first recording since her album “Glory” in 2016.

The single is a collaboration between her and Elton John. It is the first time the pair has worked together and they have proved to be a great duo in their track “Hold Me Closer.” 

In a little over three minutes, they managed to squeeze in elements from three of John’s hit songs. They used “Tiny Dancer” from the 70s as their base to begin reworking, then sprinkled in some “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and ”The One” into their recipe. 

Spears sings with John beautifully and adds the cherry on top to their club-ready creation by singing to the fore in a well crafted duet. 

The differences in their styles makes this duet something to appreciate. Spears throws out her playful “yeah” and “baby,” as she should, while John still manages to bring out his grooviest vibes into the modern take.  

The song is an upbeat EDM version of John’s past hits that came out at a perfect time for newer generations to experience the both of them releasing new music. 

Similar to last year’s collaboration with John and Dua Lipa in “Cold Heart,” this latest release brings curiosity to fans to figure out the meaning of their lyrics. 

The mashup describes a relationship that is experiencing different phases. Looking closer at the lyrics in the first chorus describe when love was born: seeing a beautiful figure running on the beach. 

From then on, they sing about excitingly waiting for the significant other to get back from work. They sing about the desire to hold each other. As the song continues, the love story continues beyond the honeymoon phase and they begin the calmer phase of their relationship before the lyrics end. 

At first listen, I loved the song. It is a fun jam to turn on when going out with friends or to dance and sing in the shower to. However, the more I looked into the song, the more I realized how beautiful it is. The lyrics are poetry about an intriguing love story that they sing together to tell an interesting story. 

The single is a perfect bridge for Spears to cross into the next phase of her life, whatever that may be, and to reach out to the newer generations if she chooses. Either way, it’s great to have our popstar rejuvenated and joyful as she begins to find herself again.