Elton John’s new single is a collaboration with rising musical duo Surfaces – which was conceived via video call.

Bandmates Forrest Frank and Colin Padalecki have been teasing an upcoming “surprise” online over the past few days, after sharing a screenshot of their video chat with Elton.

Taking to Twitter, the Rocket Man hitmaker revealed he got together remotely with the pair to record the new single.

“I heard their song ‘Sunday Best’ for the first time in Australia and liked it so much,” he explained.

“Then @surfacesmusic reached out to me to ask if I would sing and play some piano on their new track, ‘Learn to Fly’…

“I loved the song and the production, so couldn’t say no! It was a unique experience to collaborate remotely over Zoom but these guys are terrific and we had a blast,” Elton, who also appears on Lady Gaga’s new album Chromatica, gushed.

“The track is out this Friday and I can’t wait for you to hear it.”

In their own announcement, Frank and Padalecki revealed they hope the new track will lift fans’ spirits amid the ongoing social unrest and Covid-19 pandemic.

“From the beginning we just wanted this song to be a breath of optimism for those who need it… and from the bottom of our hearts we hope this song will be a source of encouragement now more than ever,” they said.

“If you are broken, hurting, lost, or just going through it… this one’s for you.”

Learn to Fly is released Friday.