After sharing the dance-ready Dua Lipa “Cold Heart” remix, Elton John is taking things in a different direction with his latest collaboration for his upcoming project, The Lockdown Sessions. “After All,” the new joint single with Charlie Puth, is a fluttering ode to believing in love, and it all started when the two musicians met by a chance encounter at an LA restaurant in March 2020.
“After All” is the result of several songwriting sessions Puth and Elton had after discovering that they live fairly close together. It’s also the first piece of new music either of them completed during lockdown. Discussing the new collaboration, John praised Puth’s talent:
“Charlie is an amazing musician; we just hit it off. He’s become a friend and a friend of the family. Our children love him and he loves them. Everyone we’ve worked with on The Lockdown Sessions I’ve really gotten closer to them, it’s quite amazing. With ‘After All,’ Charlie and I were in the studio, just the two of us. He’s got a little home set up with his keyboards, synths, and Pro Tools. I played electric piano and actually wrote the song all the way through and then Charlie wrote the lyrics pretty quickly. He’s incredibly quick, Charlie. We just had an amazing chemistry in the studio.”
Echoing John’s statement, Puth gushed about how he’s looked up to John for some time. “As a songwriter, I have admired and looked up to Elton John my entire life,” he said. “It is truly incredible how the melodies and chords seem to come to him instantly whenever he sits down at the piano. I got to witness that firsthand when we wrote this song together. He is world class and the true definition of a musical genius. Being a part of his musical journey is a dream come true.”
Listen to “After All” above.
The Lockdown Sessions is out 10/22 via Interscope. Pre-order it here.
Charlie Puth is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.