Released: 22 October 2021
Elton John brings his love of music to life on his star-studded ‘The Lockdown Sessions’.
The singer’s 31st studio album and fourth collaborative effort sees the Tiny Dancer star take on the role of curator across its 16 tracks – for nine of which he serves as co-writer.
Recorded at a time when in-person collaborations were off the cards, it’s an impressive feat to gather such a star-studded ensemble for a single project.
But it’s long been on the cards – Chosen Family with Rina Sawayama was released earlier this year, and Elton and Olly Alexander premiered their cover of Pet Shop Boys’ It’s a Sin at the BRIT Awards.
Cold Heart (Pnau remix) with Dua Lipa recently topped the UK Singles Chart, marking Elton’s return to No. 1 after almost two decades.
Rising stars meet veteran acts with a guest list including singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, rapper Lil Nas X, Americana star Brandi Carlile, dance producer SG Lewis and more.
Individually, the songs work; Nicks’ timeless vocals lift the Your Song-esque Stolen Car, while Wonder’s disco-gospel duet Finish Line is infectious. Miley Cyrus delivers a standout vocal on Nothing Else Matters.
The mix of genres may be disjointed, but ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ has plenty worth revisiting and is a fitting chapter at this point in Elton’s six-decade career.
‘The Lockdown Sessions’ is available on CD, vinyl and cassette.
