What does Elton John have to say about Britney Spears and their duet?
by Ana Walia | Fri, 26 Aug 2022 20:36:59 GMT
Britney Spears and Elton John. Image Source: NME

Elton John opens up about working with Britney Spears.

On Friday, Sir Elton John and Britney Spears’ duet ‘Hold Me Closer’ was released, and now Elton John is speaking about his experience while working with the iconic pop star.

During an interview with The Guardian, Sir Elton John revealed that he and producer Andrew Watt were unsure who to invite to join him on the track, which included excerpts from Tiny Dancer from 1971 and The One from 1992 until Elton John's husband David Furnish suggested Britney Spears' name.

Elton John said that David suggested that Britney Spears would be wonderful choice for the song, and he expressed his enthusiasm over the idea of having Britney Spears give her vocals and added that she has not done anything for so long. Elton John added that he had been following what had been happening to her for a long time, so the opportunity would be great for her.

Britney Spears, although she agreed to join Sir Elton John in London to record the track because she was on her honeymoon with Sam Asghari, decided to record her vocals at Watt’s studio in Los Angeles in less than two hours. Sir Elton John stated during the interview that Britney Spears sang fantastically and that anyone who thought she couldn't sing anymore was proven wrong. He mentioned that he said that she was brilliant when she started, so he just knew that she could do it and she did, and he was thrilled to see how beautifully Britney Spears did her part.

Producer Andrew Watt said that for Britney Spears, "Hold Me Closer" means so much and one can hear it in her voice as she sang her ass off. Andrew added that he was pretty hands-off once Britney Spears started recording her part because Britney Spears put a lot of vocal effort into layering and doubling her voice, which is one of the toughest things to perform. He continued by saying that, sometimes, the best thing a music producer can do is to say nothing, so he simply let Britney do what she does and said that she is so skilled at understanding when she has the correct take. She assumed total command. Andrew said that she also expressed her preferences for the vocal mix while she was in the studio, and it looked as though she felt free to make music after feeling powerless to do so when composing her own.

Sir Elton John mentioned that since Britney Spears had been away from singing and the recording studios for a long time, they needed to get her to approve what she did because there was a lot of fear because she had been betrayed by so many people and so many times and she had not been in public like officially, so they held her hand through the whole process, reassuring her that everything was going to turn out great and it did.

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Britney Spears will have a lot more confidence and motivation if the song is a big hit than she currently has, and she will understand that the audience is waiting to hear her voice again and that they love and care about her and want her to be happy, according to Elton, who expressed his excitement about working with her. After considering what a difficult experience Britney Spears had gone through, Sir Elton John came to the conclusion that this is what any person in their right mind would want for her.

The renowned performer said that it's different when he mentors a young artist, but here with Britney Spears, she was broken much as he was shattered when he went sober and was in a bad place. Elton continued by saying that after 32 years of sobriety, he is the happiest he has ever been. He had previously experienced the terrible realm of shattered feelings, which feels awful. Because he doesn't want to see any artist in a sad place, Sir Elton John remarked that he has the expertise to share with individuals and artists, counseling and mentoring them. It was commonly known that when Sir Elton John felt that Johnny Depp needed assistance with his substance abuse, he was there for him as well.

Elton John said that he wants musicians to feel good about what they are doing and if he is able to help them in anyway, he will be there. 

Britney Spears used her social media accounts to reflect on the forthcoming milestone before the song's release on Friday. She said that it will be her "first song in 6 years," which is exciting because she will be singing with Sir Elton John, one of the most iconic figures of our time. She also said that she is overwhelmed because it's such a big deal for her. Britney stated that she is meditating more and understanding the value of her own space.She continued that she wants to be fearless the way she was in her younger days and not be fearful anymore. 

According to Elton John, he is simply crossing his fingers and is hopeful that their duet will help Britney Spears regain her self-confidence so she can return to the studios, create more music, and understand that she is damned fantastic.

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