After being forced to pause his farewell tour due to the pandemic, Elton John has recorded a lockdown album of collaborations, recorded partially remotely.
"The Lockdown Sessions", featuring artists from several generations and genres, including Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder and Dua Lipa, will be released on October 22 by EMI Universal, the label announced on Wednesday.
The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album but here it is. Thank you to everyone who came together to make it happen.
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) September 1, 2021
I can’t wait for you all to hear ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ when it’s released on 22 October, but for now, preorder it from today. pic.twitter.com/u8Qfvuk1Fk
The pandemic project was spurred by John having to pause his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour in March 2020, and by his Apple Music talk show "Rocket Hour," through which he got to know many of the artists he would work with.
The tracks were recorded with the artists remote from each other in some cases, together with safety precautions in others.
John said it pushed him into very unfamiliar musical territory, dipping into hip-hop, country and electronic dance music, sometimes in the same song.
"I realised there was something weirdly familiar about working like this," he said in a statement announcing the album.
"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 opening track with Dua Lipa, "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)," was released earlier this month.
🧊🫀COLD HEART with @eltonofficial is YOURS NOW!! (@pnau remix) - Elton you are my friend and my hero and I never thought i’d be able to ever say that in a sentence. Thank you for all your love and support. Grateful to make music with you in this life 🫀🧊 https://t.co/0QgbeEw94e pic.twitter.com/sm0xraosAP
— DUA LIPA (@DUALIPA) August 13, 2021
© AP 2021
Image: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File