Elton John and Brandi Carlile have announced details of a new collaborative album called ‘Who Believes In Angels?’. Check out the title track and new making-of film below.
The record is set for release on April 4 via Island EMI, and sees the artists join forces with long-time collaborators Andrew Watt – who produced the record – and Bernie Taupin. Visit here to pre-order it.
According to a description, work on the album was started in Los Angeles back in October 2023 and came together in less than three weeks. As for the sound, it is set to “draw comparisons with some of Elton’s very finest works [as] ballads co-exist with raw rock and roll, pop songs and country-hued Americana rub shoulders with synth-heavy psychedelia.”
It is also set to see both Carlile and Sir Elton push each other out of their comfort zones and land on a sound that represents them “while sounding unlike any album either have made before.”
Today (February 5), the two have celebrated the announcement by dropping the title track. With lyrics penned by Carlile and the theme developed by Sir Elton, the song makes a subtle nod to their past glories, while introducing new modern elements. Check it out below.
“This record was one of the toughest I’ve ever made, but it was also one of the greatest musical experiences of my life,” Sir Elton said. “It has given me a place where I know I can move forward. ‘Who Believes In Angels?’ feels like going into another era and I’m pushing the door open to come into the future.
“I have everything I’ve done behind me and it’s been brilliant, amazing,” he continued. “But this is the new start for me. As far as I’m concerned, this is the start of my career Mark 2.”
Brandi Carlile added: “I’m still reeling from the fact that I got to do it. I think all ships rise with Elton John’s standards for songwriting, and it was an incredibly challenging and inspiring environment to work in, everybody throwing in ideas, everybody listening to everybody else’s ideas. It felt like a family.
“The world is a wild place to live in right now. It’s hard to find peace and triumph,” she added. “It’s a radical act to seek out joyful and euphoric happenings. And that is what this album represents to me.”
In the LP, the two are backed by iconic musicians including Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ drummer Chad Smith, Pino Palladino (Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan and David Gilmour) and Josh Klinghoffer (Pearl Jam, Beck).
During the writing and recording sessions, Sir Elton allowed cameras in for the first time, documenting the entire creative process. That has been compiled into a new ‘Making Of’ film, for which a trailer is available to watch above.
On top of that, the two artists have announced a special, one-off show at The London Palladium. It will take place on March 26 and access to tickets will be available exclusively to those who pre-order the album.
‘Who Believes In Angels’ will feature the 2025 Oscar-nominated song ‘Never Too Late’, which was created especially for the Disney+ documentary of the same name.
Find the tracklist and the album artwork below.
The ‘Who Believes In Angels?’ tracklist is:
‘The Rose Of Laura Nyro’
‘Little Richard’s Bible’
‘Swing For The Fences’
‘Never Too Late’
‘You Without Me’
‘Who Believes In Angels?’
‘The River Man’
‘A Little Light’
‘Someone To Belong To’
‘When This Old World Is Done With Me’
The news of the new album comes just hours after Sir Elton began teasing new material via personalised letters to fans. “When we met, I fell in love with her, and we connected straight away,” he wrote, recalling his time working with Carlile. “It was a connection, a true connection, emotionally, musically and it’s been one of the greatest friendships of my life.”
His last album, ‘The Lockdown Sessions’, was released in 2021 and saw him collaborate with a host of musicians, notably Dua Lipa on ‘Cold Heart’. His last album of original material was 2016’s ‘Wonderful Crazy Night’.
