04/09/2025
What happens when one of the most legendary names in music walks into a studio empty-handed—no lyrics, no melodies, just exhaustion and doubt? For Elton John, that terrifying blank slate became the starting point for something extraordinary.
At 78, most would be content resting on decades of classics. But Elton? He walked into a room with Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, and Bernie Taupin, not knowing what would come out of it. No plan. No songs. Just four creative minds colliding. But behind the scenes, it wasn't all harmony. Elton himself admitted he wasn’t in good shape—physically or mentally. He was exhausted, full of self-doubt, and uncertain if he could pull off anything close to great.
The pressure broke him open. Doubt turned to frustration. Frustration spilled into raw moments—even an unfiltered “F–– off, Brandi” caught on camera. And yet, that very honesty became the soul of the music. Carlile didn’t flinch. She saw it for what it was: unfiltered emotion from a man whose music has always been just that—deep, emotional truth set to melody.
And somehow, amid all the chaos, something beautiful emerged. Tracks like “Little Richard’s Bible” and “Swing for the Fences” were born from tension. A lyric about Laura Nyro unlocked a creative floodgate. When they finally recorded “When This Old World Is Done with Me,” Elton cried. All that emotion, the self-doubt, the fear—it was in every note. And when it was over, he didn’t just have an album. He had a piece of his soul on record, one unlike anything he’d done before.
*Who Believes In Angels?* isn’t just a new chapter. It’s a reminder that reinvention isn’t reserved for the young. Even legends can feel lost—only to find themselves again in the most unexpected ways.
