Elton John Reinvigorates His Musical Journey Through Collaboration with Brandi Carlile

Though infrequently on the radar nowadays, the established redoubtable among pop icons, Elton John, made a head-turning confession that the mere thought of another solo album terrified him to the fullest. As he said, he "would have killed himself" had he gone another round with it. But not content with retreating from music entirely, he has picked himself up from creativity and passion through artistic collaboration with acclaimed artist Brandi Carlile. Their new collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels?, was officially released on April 4, and it represents a dramatic turn in the artistic choice Elton has made. Other numbers on the album are "Swing For The Fences," its title cut, and last year's "Never Too Late." But most importantly, it marks a crucial transformation in the way Elton John sees his present musical output.

A New Era of Musical Expression for Elton John

Most importantly, Elton made it clear to Zane Lowe in an Apple Music 1 interview this year that he was done with repetitive solo albums. He stressed that he could not create the same way anymore and needed the change now, saying, “I knew I didn’t want to make the same album again. If I had just made another Elton John record, I would’ve killed myself.” However, collaborating with Brandi Carlile gave him the confidence to break out from that pattern and rediscover the joy of creating music. Carlile had this artistic zest that Elton felt: “Her talent, humor, energy, and brilliant lyrics. She changed the whole approach that I had, making this album feel like an inspiration rather than a job.”

The Impact of Brandi Carlile’s Creative Influence

In contrast to working solo, Elton openly admitted that Carlile’s presence was essential to the album's creation. He even compared her lyrical prowess to his lifelong songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. “With lyrics like these in front of me, if you can’t write great songs, then you’ve got no excuse,” he noted. Elton believes his greatest talent is his ability to interpret deep, emotionally rich lyrics—and with Carlile’s input, the result was both profound and fresh. He interestingly acknowledged that his voice had improved on this record because it sounded better now than ever. Still, he demurred that this might be the last time they would work together. "When we do another album- or if we do another-it'll be even better," he said by hinting at hope for future collaboration.

A Special Album That Continues a Legacy of Partnerships

Yet, despite the odds and uncertainties, Elton has proven once again that any period in a singing career is an opportunity for evolution. Who Believes in Angels? Succeeds The Lockdown Sessions, released in 2021, where he collaborated with Carlile, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, and Lil Nas X. His last solo effort, Regimental Sgt. Zippo, was a 2021 release but was a historical piece from the 1960s considered in the context of his then-creativity. This is the opposite: This is nimble, present, and future-thinking. Recently, John and Carlile took the project live at the Palladium in London, a concert soon to air as a television special titled An Evening with Elton John and Brandi Carlile. Even with tensions that ran high at times—Carlile joked on social media earlier this year about Elton smashing his iPad during the recording—the result is a beautiful testament to their respect for each other as artists.