Elton John reportedly has a “surprise” new album that’s just weeks away from release.
Sir Elton finished up his final ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ show in July last year in Stockholm, Sweden. Although he’s done with performing, it seems he still has some more plans up his sleeve.
Now, the musician’s friend and co-writer Bernie Taupin has revealed that the singer’s 32nd studio album is “done”. As per Music News, Taupin made the comments at ‘The Other Songs Live’, saying: “Elton and I have an album coming out very soon, but I daren’t say anything about it because I’m under strict orders to keep schtum. It’s all done and recorded.”
Taupin hinted that the album will “surprise” and “excite” people, adding: “I think it’s quite brilliant and quite contemporary and it will certainly surprise a lot of people and excite a lot of people and hopefully be successful.”
NME spoke to Elton John in 2021, where he gave his thoughts on what future lay ahead for him and noting Taupin had sent him material: “I will do records and I’ll do my radio show, but as far as schlepping and doing shows? I’ve had enough applause. I wanna be with my family. I wanna be with my boys. I’ll still be creative, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life flying here, flying there. I can’t do any more than I’ve done now and save for the odd charity thing that may come up, that’s it for me.”
He also told NME he wasn’t “interested in the past – not even Elton John’s past”: “I know I have to sing what I do onstage but I very, very rarely go back and listen to my own records. I’m more interested in hearing something new.”
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John last released ‘Regimental Sgt. Zippo’ in 2021: the LP that was supposed to be his debut album. He shared its title track in October 2020, releasing the album later for Record Store Day.
He also dropped covers album ‘The Lockdown Sessions‘ in 2021, of which NME wrote in a four star review: “All in all, ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ all-bets-off stylistic game of spin-the-bottle feels attuned to 2021’s post-genre Spotify world, as Elton continues to further his musical universe. The Rocketman remains in orbit.”
We caught John at his spectacular Glastonbury headline performance, giving it five stars: “It was a Glasto set for the ages from a true all-time great. We’ll never see his kind again. So long, Rocketman – and thank you.”
In other news, Elton John is apparently working on two musicals and is “open to any great ideas”.