Elton John hated idea of releasing another solo album: “I would have killed myself”

Elton John has explained that he hated the idea of releasing another solo album, saying he “would have killed himself” if he’d done so.

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The legendary musician released a new collaborative record with Brandi Carlile today (April 4), titled ‘Who Believes In Angels?’. It contains the recent single ‘Swing For The Fences’, the previously shared titled track and last year’s ‘Never Too Late’.

During a new interview with The Sun, John opened up about why he decided to team up with Carlile on the project, and said he couldn’t have done it alone.

“I knew that I didn’t want to make the same album again… I wanted the album to move forward because I’m always trying to look forward,” he told the newspaper (via Music-News).

“If I had just made another Elton John record, I would’ve killed myself.”

Speaking about what Carlile had brought to the table, John continued: “I needed her, I needed her talent, her energy, her humour and her brilliant lyrics. I’ve got two of the greatest lyric writers in the world: Bernie Taupin and Brandi Carlile.

“The lyrics in front of me, if you can’t write great songs for those then, that’s my great talent, to be able to interpret those beautiful lyrics quickly.”

John added: “When we got going, it was like, ‘Whoosh’, like an express train.”

In a separate conversation with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, John hinted that there could be further joint music from the pair in the future: “I think working with her would be a privilege to do again […] But she needs to go off and do what she’s learned on this record and put it into her solo stuff.

“And then, when we do another album or if we do another, it’ll be even better. I really mean that, so there you go. Also, I have to say this, but my voice on this record is probably the best it’s ever been.”

The pair’s new album follows on from John’s 2021 collaborative LP ‘The Lockdown Sessions’, which featured Carlile along with the likes of Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, Stevie Nicks and Lil Nas X.

John’s 31st and latest solo album, ‘Regimental Sgt. Zippo’, was released earlier that year – but it was first recorded back in the ’60s. Its predecessor, ‘Wonderful Crazy Night’, arrived in 2016.

John and Carlile showcased ‘Who Believes In Angels?’ during an intimate one-off concert at the London Palladium last week. The performance is set to air as a TV special titled An Evening With Elton John And Brandi Carlile.

Earlier this year, Carlile revealed that the ‘Rocketman’ icon had smashed his iPad and told her to “fuck off” during the making of their new album.

• READ MORE: ‘Elton John: Never Too Late’ review: tender lookback on a legendary career

“Once we got through the first three songs, we knew we had something. And I was much more relaxed … but I was a bit of a nightmare,” she said.

Elsewhere, John, 78, opened up about how a new song on the LP that tackles mortality had made him “break down” and reflect on how much time he “has left”. At the end of last year, the musician told fans that he had “lost [his] eyesight” as a result of a “severe eye infection”.

In other news, John is scheduled to headline Singapore’s 2025 Formula 1 Grand Prix this autumn, despite his recent retirement from touring.

Meanwhile, John has co-signed Ed Sheeran’s open letter to the UK government calling for immediate and long-term funding for music education.

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