Elton John has released another single from his upcoming album The Lockdown Sessions. You can hear ”After All,” a collaboration with singer-songwriter Charlie Puth, below.
“Charlie is an amazing musician – we just hit it off,” John said in a press release. He first met Puth in Los Angeles in March 2020, just before the onset of the pandemic, even though he had previously shared some of Puth’s music on his Apple Music Rocket Hour show.
“He’s become a friend and a friend of the family. Our children love him, and he loves them. Everyone we’ve worked with on The Lockdown Sessions I’ve really gotten closer to them, it’s quite amazing. With ‘After All’ Charlie and I were in the studio, just the two of us. He’s got a little home setup with his keyboards, synths and Pro Tools. I played electric piano and actually wrote the song all the way through, and then Charlie wrote the lyrics pretty quickly. He’s incredibly quick, Charlie. We just had an amazing chemistry in the studio.”
“As a songwriter, I have admired and looked up to Elton John my entire life,” Puth added. “It is truly incredible how the melodies and chords seem to come to him instantly whenever he sits down at the piano. I got to witness that firsthand when we wrote this song together. He is world-class and the true definition of a musical genius. Being a part of his musical journey is a dream come true. “
The Lockdown Sessions, which will be released on Oct. 22, includes collaborations with other younger artists, like Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Brandi Carlile and Lil Nas X. Veterans Eddie Vedder, Stevie Nicks and Stevie Wonder also make appearances.
“I realized there was something weirdly familiar about working like this,” John noted when the album was announced earlier this month. “At the start of my career, in the late ’60s, I worked as a session musician. Working with different artists during lockdown reminded me of that. I’d come full circle: I was a session musician again. And it was still a blast.”
Elton John Albums Ranked
Ultimate Classic Rock counts down every Elton John album, from worst to best.
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