Elton John’s newest album, “The Lockdown Sessions,” is a series of collaborations with artists both of recent fame and longtime careers. Released on Oct. 22, the album comes in the midst of his delayed Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour and following his release of “Jewel Box” (2020). The songs are catchy and don’t stick to one genre, but bring new light to John’s continuous talent.
The album opens with one of the three singles released from the album: “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix).” The song is a collaboration with singer Dua Lipa and Pnau, an Australian trio. John sings the verses while Dua Lipa comes in on the chorus with iconic lines from John’s “Rocket Man” (1972). This first track starts the album with an upbeat, somewhat electronic feel and brings John’s iconoclastic fame into a more modern style of music.
The second song on the album features John alongside Young Thug and Nicki Minaj. “Always Love You” starts with a piano intro and John’s singing, a reminiscent style of his works from the 70s. The track continues, however, into the first verse, sung by Young Thug, and the second verse, sung by Minaj. There is both an underlying beat and a piano melody throughout the entire song, beautifully intertwining John’s classic style with that of Young Thug and Minaj. It’s sure to be stuck in your head for days.
The album continues with “Learn to Fly,” a collaboration with Surfaces that was released in June 2020. Unlike “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” and “Always Love You,” John is more of a feature on this track. Overall, “Learn to Fly” exhibits the common sounds and tone of Surfaces’ albums, which could be described as light, nature-like and joyful, with John coming in as something different that gives the Surfaces song a new feel.
Following more collaborations with Charlie Puth in "After All," Rina Sawayama in "Chosen Family” and Gorillaz in "The Pink Phantom,” comes “It’s a Sin (Global Reach Mix).” “It’s a Sin” (1987) was originally sung by the Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe’s duo.Arguably the catchiest song on John's album, “It’s a Sin” starts with a slower, deep melody, but continues into a dance-pop mix with John and Years & Years. It makes for a fun interlude between some of the slower moments on the album, like the beginning of the following track “Nothing Else Matters.”
Here Miley Cyrus and John bring together Cyrus’ slightly country sound with a hardcore drum beat. At points, Cyrus belts with an air of anger and hurt, which contrasts beautifully against the cello and the electric guitar. Originally by Metallica (1991), “Nothing Else Matters”doesn’t only include Cyrus and John, but also Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Robert Trujillo of Metallica, Watt and Yo-Yo Ma. It’s hard to hear much over the loud instrumental ballad, but that’s not a bad thing; the heavy-metal undertones stretch Cyrus' voice to a new level. If “The Lockdown Sessions” were a story, “Nothing Else Matters” would surely be the climax.
The album continues with “Orbit,” a collaboration between John and SG Lewis, who, kind of like Surfaces, brings an other-worldly vibe to John’s album. Though following Cyrus’ “Nothing Else Matters” seems to be a large feat, “Orbit” does so spectacularly. Some of John’s voice feels like an echo and the name “Orbit” lends to the feel of a spacey jazz beat.
This contrasts with “Simple Things,” which, like “After All,” reminds listeners of John’s classic works with its piano and guitar. Brandi Carlile and John harmonize beautifully while singing “Simple things / Hard to learn / Fire is hot / Burn, burn, burn / Simple truth / Hard to see / Not what you want / But what you need.” They each sing individual verses, and then come together in the chorus and refrain. Like the name implies, the song is simple in that the electronic beat of the album is so far removed to focus on the melodic voices of Carlile and John. “Simple Things” is “sort of a song [John] would have written with Bernie,” John said to Apple Music, referencing his longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin and further implying an older feel compared to the mostly modern album.
The ending half of the album contains collaborations with Jimmie Allen, Lil Nas X, Eddie Vedder, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks and Glen Campbell. “Stolen Car,” John’s song with Nicks, is a duet with John and Nicks alternating lines and then coming together for the chorus. It’s a wonderful union between the Fleetwood Mac singer and John, who describe being unknown and in love. As for the closing song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” it coversCampbell’s song of the same name from 2015. It’s a slower, sadder end to the album — a wide contrast from the opening with Dua Lipa — but brings John’s quarantine creation to a peaceful close.
Overall, “The Lockdown Sessions” is an interesting combination of John’s previous works and style with new, album-specific tracks. He sings of love, sin and the journey of life, beautifully merging his own talent with the sounds and voices of artists both famous and lesser known, and new and familiar.
