The singer shared on Twitter that she's been "overwhelmed" by the opportunity to work on "Hold Me Closer."
Britney Spears is taking a break from Instagram. The 40-year-old singer has deleted her account just hours after sharing a sneak peek of her highly-anticipated new song with Elton John.
Spears posted a brief snippet of the duo's "Hold Me Closer" collaboration on Wednesday, accompanied by a lengthy caption thanking John for the opportunity to work together. According to Billboard, the song clip highlighted the duo's voices over a club-ready beat as they sang the opening verse to John's 1992 hit, "The One," before transitioning into the chorus of 1971's "Tiny Dancer."
The Andrew Watt-produced song is due out on Friday, Aug. 26 and marks Spears' first musical release since the end of her 13-year conservatorship. Her last album, Glory, debuted in 2016.
"Thanks @eltonjohn for posting my baby pic !!! Most people say that it’s CUTE … it surely is !!!" she wrote in her caption, referencing the song's adorable cover art. “Maybe we should have Tea Time !!! Oh and let’s invite Queen Elizabeth too !!! I bet she’s a brilliant study of behavior !!! So shall we tidy up ??? Since most say they are honored TO KNOW ME SO WELL and only want happiness for me … you can bet your bottom dollar that THIS collaboration will heighten my year by joining your brilliant hands of play."
She continued, "Thank you for your generosity and just thinking of me to join you on such a brilliant song !!! How cool is it to be a background voice ON YOUR song !!! Sir Elton I did it thanks to your genius, creative, and legendary mind !!! I am so grateful !!! I just keep on giving don’t I ??? Can I get an AWWWWE ???"
For his part, John took to the comments to sing Spears' praises.
"More than a background singer, darling," he wrote. "Can't wait for everyone to hear what we've been working on!"
The post, along with Spears' entire Instagram account, has since been deleted. However, the songstress continues to post on her official Twitter account and admits to feeling "kinda overwhelmed."
"Okie dokie … my first song in 6 years!!!! It’s pretty damn cool that I’m singing with one of the most classic men of our time …@eltonofficial!!!! I’m kinda overwhelmed… it’s a big deal to me !!! I’m meditating more and learning my space is valuable and precious!!!" she tweeted on Wednesday.
"I’m learning everyday is a clean slate to try and be a better person and do what makes me happy … yes I choose happiness today. I tell myself every day to let go of the hurt bitterness and try to forgive myself and others to what may have been hurtful," she continued her thread. "I want to be fearless like when I was younger and not be so scared and fearful. I pray there actually is truth to the Holy Spirit and I hope that spirit is with my children as well !!! Yes … I choose happiness and joy today!!!"
News of Spears and John's update on his 1972 track, "Tiny Dancer," first broke in July. At the time, ET learned that Spears had already recorded the duet with the famed singer.
Following the duet news, a tweet Spears penned in 2015 resurfaced, in which the singer wrote simply, "Tiny Dancer #EltonAlways @elton official." The old post went viral, with fans pointing to the significance of the date it was posted. The message was shared on Oct. 21, 2015 -- which just so happened to be Back to the Future Day, in which Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) travel into the future in the 1989 sci-fi flick, Back to the Future: Part II.
Needless to say, fans were quick to joke and speculate that Spears herself may have traveled into the future and shared a breadcrumb of what was to come.
This isn't the first time Spears has deactivated her Instagram account in recent months. She most recently took a brief hiatus from Instagram in March, with a source telling ET at the time, "She previously said she’d be taking a well-deserved break as many celebrities do, that's really it."
RELATED CONTENT:
