Sir Elton John is set to release an album of collaborations titled ‘The Lockdown Sessions’.
The 74-year-old music icon teamed up with a variety of artists over the past 18 months to record collaborative efforts which were created remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent lockdowns.
And Elton will release the 16 tracks he worked on during quarantine on October 22 as part of a brand-new album titled ‘The Lockdown Sessions’.
The album features the likes of Brandi Carlile, Charlie Puth, Dua Lipa, Eddie Vedder, Gorillaz, Lil Nas X, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Rina Sawayama, SG Lewis, Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder, Surfaces, Years & Years, Young Thug, and more.
In a statement, Elton said: “The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one‐off projects kept cropping up.
“Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before. Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens.
“But all the tracks I worked on were really interesting and diverse, stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory. And I realised there was something weirdly familiar about working like this.
“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.”
The album also sees Elton collaborate with Grammy Award-winning producer Andrew Watt on five of the tracks.
‘The Lockdown Sessions’ is available to pre-order at https://EltonJohn.lnk.to/TheLockdownSessionsPR, and will be released on October 22.
The track list for ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ is as follows:
1. Elton John & Dua Lipa – ‘Cold Heart’ (PNAU Remix)
2. Elton John, Young Thug & Nicki Minaj – ‘Always Love You’
3. Surfaces feat. Elton John – ‘Learn To Fly’
4. Elton John & Charlie Puth – ‘After All’
5. Rina Sawayama & Elton John – ‘Chosen Family’
6. Gorillaz feat. Elton John & 6LACK – ‘The Pink Phantom’
7. Elton John & Years & Years – ‘It’s a sin’ (global reach mix)
8. Miley Cyrus feat. WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo & Chad Smith – ‘Nothing Else Matters’
9. Elton John & SG Lewis – ‘Orbit’
10. Elton John & Brandi Carlile – ‘Simple Things’
11. Jimmie Allen & Elton John – ‘Beauty In The Bones’
12. Lil Nas X feat. Elton John – ‘One Of Me’
13. Elton John & Eddie Vedder – ‘E-Ticket’
14. Elton John & Stevie Wonder – ‘Finish Line’
15. Elton John & Stevie Nicks – ‘Stolen Car’
16. Glen Campbell & Elton John – ‘I’m Not Gonna Miss You’