The Surging News reporter Qian Lianshui
Elton John sings his classic repertoire with others and has become his summer show. Last year he sang "Cold Heart" with Dua Lippa, a collage of his masterpieces Rocket Man, Sacrifice, Kiss the Bride and Where's the Shoorah. Toward the end of the summer, another new song adapted from Tiny Dancer, The One, and Don't Go Breaking My Heart came, "Hold Me Closer." Curiously, it was Britney Spears who completed the song with Elton John.
If this song is seen as the happy ending of "Save Britney", many people will feel relieved. Hold Me Closer is Britney's first studio production since she was released from custody for 14 years nine months ago and was granted personal freedom.
On November 12, 2021, in Los Angeles, California, supporters of the "Save Britney" movement rallied in support of Britney. Visual China Infographic
Her last studio album was Glory in 2016. However, for those who pay attention to Britney, her residency in Las Vegas in the past fourteen years, whether it is the works she has published, are not "real Britney". They come from tragic superstars who have lost their freedom and lack emotional connection with both the listener and the singer himself.
The new song is mixed, and the gloom of "Drunken Nights in a Dark Hotel" is lit up by Britney's iconic "baby." When her "ooh baby" emerges from the harmony, she is no longer a poor weak person who needs to be rescued, a pop superstar who has caused an uproar, a vague avatar of nothingness, and is just a person who can sing very well. Hold Me Closer's 1970s disco color weaves a cool bass line. Both Britney and Elton's voices were crystal clear. Elton's voice had been the same for decades, and as soon as he opened his mouth, the dark clouds slipped away. Britney's voice still changed, rougher and warmer than before, but it was still hers, and the unique tone remained unchanged.
At one point, Instagram was Britney's tree hole. Anything she publishes in it is carefully interpreted by enthusiastic people. Most of the interpretation requires a detective spirit, and one doesn't: "No more making music is my way of saying f**k you." ”
She did not make any more music in the nine months since the guardianship order was lifted. She is married again, and her new husband is Sam Asghari, an Iranian-American model and actress. The shutdown continued until an invitation to "Happy Summer" from Elton John. When she learned that she was Britney's favorite artist, Elton was confident she wouldn't turn down the offer. Britney immediately agreed.
On June 9, 2022, local time, los Angeles, Britney and Sam Asgary wedding scene preparation screen. Visual China Infographic
They had been stationed in Las Vegas at the same time, living in a residential area, but there was little chance of getting a face. Before there was Elvis Presley, followed by Britney Spears, the enviable Las Vegas superstar residency show history, there are always some people who claim to be ruthlessly squeezed by agents and used as money-making machines to the death. In court, Britney said she received only $2,000 a week in pocket money from her father and agent, Jamie Spears, during her hefty residency fees.
In January 2019, Britney announced the cancellation of her presence. Soon after, the "Free Britney" movement entered the mainstream. People began to believe that the mentally abnormal and long-dormant "Sweetie" Britney was being imprisoned and exploited for a long time. In September 2021, The New York Times released the documentary "Framing Britney Spears," showing her long war with her father. The film makes even bigger waves. A lot of people who never paid attention to Britney were also angry. They have a sense of rabbit death and fox sorrow - once judged to be insane and lose your personal freedom, even if you are the biggest pop star on the planet, you can't escape the fate of being held by others. In the United States, cases of overturning custody orders like Britney's are rare. In November of the same year, her guardianship order was finally lifted under the impetus of public opinion. The following month, she announced that she had developed a deep fear of the music business and would not re-venture into this dirty river in the future.
Because during her honeymoon, Britney did not go to London with Elton to record as originally planned. In July, she started work in producer Andraw Watt's home studio in Beverly Hills, surrounded by candles and colored lights.
When Britney arrived at the studio, her vocal cords had warmed up, she figured out how she was going to sing, and she was done in two hours. Elton heard the recording in the south of France and was glad he hadn't seen the wrong person: "She sang very well. People felt that her career as a singer was ruined and she could no longer sing well. But I followed her from the beginning and I believed in her. She used to sing so well that these things don't disappear out of thin air. ”
"Uncle Elton" is a well-known lover of helpers in the circle. He has helped many people, including Robbie Williams, Lewis Capaldi, and many others. 32 years of drug rehabilitation is a great pride for Elton, but he has not forgotten the feeling of being broken. "It's hard to experience these things when you're young. Britney was broken, and during the period when I just quit, I was also broken. I've been to hell, so I want to help them. Elton understands the unfounded pride of art people, "they (including me) are reluctant to ask for help in any case, preferring to die on their own." "He also knew that they weren't as confident as they seemed." It is precisely because of our lack of self-confidence that we need the stage and applause so much. Because once we leave, we will be beaten back to our original form, back to the lonely, depressed zero point. ”
"Hold Me Closer" rewarded his kindness, making Elton John a legend who has reached the top ten of the UK singles charts every year for sixty consecutive years.
Britney, who idolized Elton John, and Andrew Walter, a 31-year-old producer who idolized her, wrote the song together. Walter's approach is to amplify the inconspicuous guitar lines in Tiny Dancer and speed up the rhythm of bass and orchestral music, so that they dance with the rhythm of disco.
In Walter's eyes, the greatest thing about Britney as a singer is her ability to show the level of sound. She recorded the false part first, then the difficult part. Walter rarely interrupted her during the recording, leaving Britney to sing over and over again. She was clear about how her voice would be mixed, and she knew exactly which one was sung right. She has complete control. ”
Britney Spears Visual China 2001 Infographic
From entering the studio to leaving, Britney acted like the most professional professional singer. Near the release of the single, Britney was timid. She contacted Elton John and asked him if the single was okay. She has been out of the public eye in the professional field for so long. Fortunately, "Hold Me closer" quickly became a hit single, and those who cared about her were pleased. Britney returned, creating a rare sight of a star being reborn.
On the eve of the launch, Britney tweeted: "I want to be as fearless as I was when I was younger. ”
Thinking of Britney's old millennial song "Lucky," the lyrics are almost like a prophecy: "She's so lucky, she's a star." But she cried, cried, cried, cried in her lonely heart. ”
Editor-in-Charge: Chen Shihuai
Proofreader: Yijia Xu