Culture September 1, 2021

Elton John announces star-studded multi-genre album 'The Lockdown Sessions'

WATCH: Elton John announces new album is on the way

After teasing it on social media on Tuesday, Elton John has now confirmed he is releasing a star-studded compilation album called "The Lockdown Sessions."

The project, due out on Oct. 22, features everyone from Charlie Puth and Dua Lipa to Lil Nas X and Stevie Nicks.

The album collects the many collaborations that John worked on after he was forced to put his Farewell tour on pause due to COVID-19.

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"The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one-off projects kept cropping up," the singer said in a statement. "Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before. Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens."

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"But all the tracks I worked on were really interesting and diverse, stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory," he added. "And I realized there was something weirdly familiar about working like this."

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"The Lockdown Sessions" features Elton collaborating with more than 20 artists over 16 tracks, 10 of which have never been released before.

The unreleased tracks include collaborations with Stevie Nicks, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Lil Nas X, Charlie Puth, Stevie Wonder, the late Glen Campbell and Nicki Minaj. Also included is his new single with Dua Lipa, "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)."

He explained in his statement, "At the start of my career, in the late 60s, I worked as a session musician. Working with different artists during lockdown reminded me of that. I’d come full circle: I was a session musician again. And it was still a blast.”

In an Instagram message, John added that he's also working on a regular album with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, which will be his next release.

Here's "The Lockdown Sessions" track list: