Elton John Asks Brandi Carlile to “Turn Away” and Accidentally Breaks His iPad During Tense Duet Sessions

Elton John’s New Album

Elton John broke his iPad and told Brandi Carlisle to “turn away” while creating their joint album “Who Believes in the Angels?”

• READ MORE: A NME Great reading – Elton John: “I am not interested in the past – even the past of Elton John”

Announced on Wednesday (February 5), the recording is set for release on April 4 through Island EMI and features collaboration from Andrew Watt and long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Visit here to pre-order it.

Behind the Scenes of the Recording Process

This marks a continuation of the legendary artist’s 2021 album “The Lockdown Sessions”, and includes a new title track, as well as a 2025 NEVER SEESEL song “NEVER SER SEELL”, created specifically for the DISNEY+ documentary of the same name.

In a new interview, both John and Carlisle discussed the album’s creation, revealing that studio sessions led to some particularly tense moments.

“I am 77 years old. If I do not push myself, what’s the point of continuing? Just be Elton John for the rest of his life? (This) would fill me with absolute damn horror,” said the singer-songwriter and pianist Keeper. “I could easily make an Elton John record. This is what I no longer wanted to do. I wanted a challenge.”

According to the description, work on the album began in Los Angeles in October 2023 and came together in less than three weeks. This followed the musician’s major appearance at Glastonbury that summer and came after his recovery from a second hip replacement and the need for a new knee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFGNR9QAHD0

“I was very grumpy, I was tired, I felt bad and very nervous. And this nervousness ignited a lot of sparks,” he mentioned regarding the rising tension during the writing and recording process.

Carlisle added some humor to the situation, recalling, “He broke his iPad. He broke the headphones. There were some truly amazing, classic outbursts from Elton John. My lyrics were thrown to the ground as he exclaimed, ‘Dragged, Brandi!’ and screamed, ‘Predictable! Cliché!'”

In the interview, the singer noted that while she never confronted Sir Elton about his outbursts, “I definitely felt the moments that were intense.” She also mentioned that he disliked being celebrated as one of her musical heroes, stating, “Elton does not want to be put on a pedestal. He does not want to hear stories about my childhood admiration for him. My perception of Elton versus the reality of Elton involved a lot of contrasts.”

According to Sir Elton, the disappointments stemmed from anxiety surrounding him but ultimately faded as the album began to take shape. “It wasn’t worrying about other people, it was worrying about me,” he explained. “As soon as we got through the first three songs, we knew we had something. And I felt much more relaxed… but I was like a nightmare.”

In the album, they are joined by iconic musicians including Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pino Palladino (Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan, and David Gilmour), and Josh Klinghoffer.

During the sessions, Sir Elton allowed cameras for the first time, documenting the entire creative process. This has been compiled into a new “Film Making,” for which the trailer is available for viewing above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I69W56ULPLA

Today (February 7), they also released a new music video for the latest single and title track, directed by longtime collaborator David LaChapelle, who has worked with Sir Elton since 1998, including on videos for previous tracks “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore” and “Original Sin.”

Visual effects for “Who Believes in Angels?” serve as a kaleidoscopic tribute to Rock-N-Roll and the late heroes who continue to inspire musicians.

“Over the past 20 years, it has been a wonderful continuation of this journey with Elton—projects, videos, performances, photoshoots,” LaChapelle said. “I enjoy exploring these creative challenges, and working on this duet with Brandi was truly enjoyable, hard work, but a joyful experience on set.”

“We created a giant pinball machine and crafted a magical world reminiscent of our childhood—these dreams really do come true, and creating with your heroes can be an exalted experience,” he added. Watch the video above.

In addition to new material, the two artists announced a special, one-off show at the London Palladium, scheduled for March 26, with ticket access available exclusively for those who pre-order the album.

News of the new album surfaced just hours after Sir Elton began teasing new material through personalized letters to fans. “When we met, I fell in love with her, and we immediately connected,” he reflected on his time working with Carlisle. “It was a connection, a real emotional and musical bond, and it became one of the greatest friendships of my life.”