Elton John and Brandi Carlile have just announced a collaborative studio album called Who Believes in Angels? which is set for release on Friday, April 4!

Elton shared that while working on the project, he wanted to play better, sing better, write better, and challenge himself at the age he is. In an emotional clip, he called the album “one of the greatest musical experiences of my life,” adding, “in 50 plus years, we’ve never made an album like this.”

The singer and activist added: “Who Believes In Angels? feels like going into another era and I’m pushing the door open to come into the future. I have everything I’ve done behind me and it’s been brilliant, amazing. But this is the new start for me. As far as I’m concerned, this is the start of my career Mark 2.”

American lesbian singer Brandi Carlile has idolised Elton from an early age. She said: “We made an album that I think is spectacular for all the ages,” sharing that she feels like her life has been taking her “to this album this whole time.”

She said: “It was an incredibly challenging and inspiring environment to work in, everybody throwing in ideas, everybody listening to everybody else’s ideas… The world is a wild place to live in right now. It’s hard to find peace and triumph. It’s a radical act to seek out joyful and euphoric happenings. And that is what this album represents to me.”

The album’s first single, ‘Who Believes in Angels’ was released today. It includes the powerful lyrics: “What does it cost to buy a soul back when you die? What are the angels going to do with you and I?”

At 77 years old, Elton John additionally decided he wanted “to do something different” and allow cameras into his studio to candidly capture the writing and recording process. The final cut was taken from thousands of hours of footage intimately capturing the 20-day creative process.

The in-studio recording captured “breakdowns, breakthroughs, tears, torn up lyric sheets and all.” It offers fans an unprecedented, searingly honest insight into the emotionally turbulent creative process for Elton, Brandi and the rest of the team.

In addition to Elton and Brandi, the film features producer Andrew Watt and long-term collaborator Bernie Taupin who worked together on the creative production. The team says that they hit a few roadblocks along the way while in studio, including doubts, tension, and fatigue, but eventually “the fog started to lift, it started to flow and the magic was made.”

Fans can pre-order the album released through Island EMI Records and Universal Music Ireland here. The Who Believes In Angels? pre-order comes with exclusive access to buy tickets to An Evening With Elton John & Brandi Carlile at The London Palladium on Wednesday, March 26, where the pair will offer a unique evening of performance and storytelling at one of the city’s most iconic venues.

Brandi Carlile also recently announced a headline show for The Lost Time Tour at The National Stadium, Dublin, on June 22, 2025. Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 7 at 9am.