She added that she wanted to be “fearless like when I was younger.” John said he was inspired to join forces with Spears by his husband David Furnish, adding that he believes their duet will give her a much-needed confidence boost after such a “traumatic period”. “I’m so excited to be able to do it with her because if it’s a big hit, and I think it can be, it’s going to give her a lot more confidence than she already has and she’ll realize that people really love her. and care about her and want her to be happy,” he said in an interview with the Guardian newspaper. A quick scan of social media and it looks like fans are excited about the joint release. “Such a beautiful beautiful song, you make a great team! We’ve missed you so much Brit, you can’t imagine how happy I am to hear you sing again,” one fan wrote on Twitter. Another said: “Welcome back!!!! Hold me closer it’s freaking fantastic! You sound so good!” Among music critics, however, opinion was more divided. Awarding the song a four-star rating, Michael Cragg of the Guardian notes that Spears “throws in some playful ‘yeahs,’ ad-libs that feel like genuine shrieks of joy rather than the robotic maneuvers of someone being shuttled from a studio to a waiting car.” “ He adds that “Spears seems to be hinting at finding it again in music. Even if it’s a one-off — and who can blame her if she doesn’t want to return to pop full-time — it’s like enough.” According to Vogue’s Christian Allaire, “There’s something about Britney’s voice and a dance track that go really well together — like red wine and a basket of bread. She does things with her vocal tone that all the other pop girls they just can’t. That’s why she’s the true princess of pop.” Writing in the UK’s Times, however, critic Will Hodgkinson was less enthusiastic. While he said that “the return of Britney Spears should be welcomed with open arms”, he described “Hold Me Closer” as a “bloodless remix” that “gives no room for Spears to shine, while simultaneously killing the magic of the original”.
