Elton John Recruits Eddie Vedder, Dua Lipa, Stevie Wonder for All-Star ‘Lockdown Sessions’ Album

Elton John has announced that his new album The Lockdown Sessions (out October 22nd) is a series of collaborations with a diverse group of artists like Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Eddie Vedder, Lil Nas X, Charlie Puth, Gorillaz, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, Young Thug, and Nicki Minaj. He met many of these musicians while working on his Apple Music show Rocket Hour, and they worked together on the LP during the last 18 months of the pandemic.

Lead-off single “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix),” which features Dup Lipa, is available right now. It combines elements of John’s 1989 song “Sacrifice,” his 1972 hit “Rocket Man, his 1976 deep cut “Where’s The Shoorah?” and his 1983 single “Kiss The Bride.”

“The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album,” John said in a statement. “But, as the pandemic went on, one‐off projects kept cropping up. Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before. Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens.”

“But all the tracks I worked on were really interesting and diverse, stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory,” he continued. “And I realized there was something weirdly familiar about working like this. 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.”

John was midway through his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour when the pandemic hit. He returns to the road September 28th at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark. North American concerts begin January 19th, 2022 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

Elton John – The Lockdown Sessions.

1. Elton John & Dua Lipa – Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)
2. Elton John, Young Thug & Nicki Minaj – Always Love You
3. Surfaces feat. Elton John – Learn To Fly
4. Elton John & Charlie Puth – After All
5. Rina Sawayama & Elton John – Chosen Family
6. Gorillaz feat. Elton John & 6LACK – The Pink Phantom
7. Elton John & Years & Years – It’s a sin
8. Miley Cyrus feat. WATT, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma, Robert Trujillo & Chad Smith – Nothing Else Matters
9. Elton John & SG Lewis – Orbit
10. Elton John & Brandi Carlile – Simple Things
11. Jimmie Allen & Elton John – Beauty In The Bones
12. Lil Nas X feat. Elton John – One Of Me
13. Elton John & Eddie Vedder – E-Ticket
14. Elton John & Stevie Wonder – Finish Line
15. Elton John & Stevie Nicks – Stolen Car
16. Glen Campbell & Elton John – I’m Not Gonna Miss You