Fans Think Elton John Was SHADING Britney Spears In Recent Interview!

Elton John and BritneySpears' highly-anticipated duet "Hold Me Closer" was FINALLY released on Friday!

Fans will now be able to hear the song Paris Hiltonhad described as being "iconic," and celebrate Spears' triumphant return to recording music following the termination of her 13-year-long conservatorship last year.

Reports of the pop music legends collaborating on a project together began to surface last month.

The duo had begun working together in a California-based recording studio on a new arrangement of John's legendary "Tiny Dancer," which was initially released in the early seventies and later given a new lease on life after the track was used in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous."

According to one of our reports announcing the duo's collaboration, insiders revealed Spears is a huge fan of her "Hold Me Closer" duet partner, and the insider's initial impression of the track had been extremely favorable; the insider described it as sounding "incredible."

The public's response to "Hold Me Closer" has been so fervently strong that the track is ALREADY skyrocketed to number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom! (via Newsweek).

The milestone has definitely NOT been lost on Spears, herself!

The "Stronger" singer gave fans a glimpse into her celebratory mood earlier today when she shared a video on Twitter where she can be seen in full relaxation mode - chilling in a tub while fully nude!

At the beginning of the video, the elated singer gave a shout-out to her duet partner and told John "we're like, #1 in 40 countries!" before exclaiming "HOLY S--T!"

Fans are also feeling the excitement. Reactions to "Hold Me Closer" have been pouring in on social media all day.

One fan tweeted, "I don't care if you love the song or hate the song, we're blindly stanning 'Hold Me Closer' & getting Britney Spears that #1 hit on the Billboard charts. End of story," along with a GIF of Oprah!

The success of "Hold Me Closer" is also a triumphant moment for John's illustrious career.

The "Your Song" singer reflected on the experience of recording with Spears in an interview with The Guardian.

He told the publication, "Everyone was saying they don't think she can sing anymore. But I said, she was brilliant when she started so I think she can. And I think she did it, and I was so thrilled with what she did."

Some members of the Spears hive weren't so thrilled with John's confidant statement.

Fans gathered on Reddit's Pop Heads subreddit to discuss his quote.

One fan wrote, "Slightly backhanded from Elton though!"

Many fans defended John in the lively discussion.

"It's just Elton being Elton lmao, I don't think he means it like that, it's just how he speaks," one fan responded.

Another wrote, "Elton doesn't really give a toss anymore. From being torn to shreds by the press, from addictions to rehab stints to music industry sniping and snubbing. He gets to the point while remaining one of the biggest fans of pop music ever. He follows the charts and still seems to buy albums and singles. It's in his blood. He gives back."

A third fan defended John's positive reception of the artists he has worked with in the past.

"He hasn't ever shied away from acknowledging negativity nor has he ever had a reputation for gassing people up unnecessarily. It seems like he has always pursued these gigs as a challenge and so it makes sense for him to be frank. Makes the end result more impressive..."

Spears was vocal about her feelings toward "Hold Me Closer" and how she feels about collaborating with the veteran singer.

"It's pretty d--n cool that I'm singing with one of the most classic men of our time," she tweeted, adding, "I'm kind of overwhelmed... It's a big deal to me!"

The music video for "Hold Me Closer" is also available now! Click here to see it!