Elton John & Britney Spears’ ‘Hold Me Closer’ Pacing To Hot 100 Top 10 Debut After Topping iTunes in Over 50 Countries

Given the hold ‘Hold Me Closer’ has had on digital sales tallies since its August 26 release, the Elton John and Britney Spears tune is not only promising to unseat Nicki Minaj‘s ‘Super Freaky Girl’ as the year’s best first-week single seller but it’s also threatening to debut in the top 10.

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‘Closer,’ a spin on John’s 1971 classic ‘Tiny Dancer,’ had anything but a tiny critical and commercial response to its unveiling last week.

Seeing the Pop princess and Rocket Man soar to the top of iTunes tallies in over 50 countries (including the United States) in the days that followed, industry analysts reported the tune shifted over 100,000 units in less than 7 days in America alone.

Once verified, the figures will be just enough to bump Minaj’s ‘Super Freaky Girl’ – which debuted at #1 last week with the year’s highest first-week sales for a single (89,000 units) – from holding the record for 2022’s best first-week single sales.

As if that’s not enough to boast, Pop radio has already begun embracing the soon-to-be-hit as evidenced by its top 40 placement on the recently updated chart.

Performance on those platforms, once added to the steam that’s picking up on streaming outlets, promises ‘Closer’ will close in the top 15 of next week’s Billboard Hot 100 with some industry analysts suggesting the placement could even be as high as #8.

If the tune manages to secure a top 10 debut next week it will come as the first time in 10 years Britney’s reached the chart region as she was last spotted there in 2012 when will.I.am‘s ‘Scream & Shout’ peaked at #3.

For Elton, the top 10 arrival would come as his second of the year as his 2021 single – the Dua Lipa-assisted ‘Cold Heart’ – peaked at #7 on the tally in January 2022. The historic feat not only marked the 28th top 10 hit of his career but also made him only one of 10 artists who can boast having reached the chart territory over four or more decades.

Keep it locked to That Grape Juice for more on this story as it develops.

[main photo source: Getty Images]