Struggles to “Who Believes In Angels?”
Years ago, in the quiet corners of her teenage bedroom, Brandi Carlile would listen to Elton John and feel something shift inside her. At a time when she was coming of age, wrestling with her own sexuality, and searching for her place in a world that felt confusing and sometimes unwelcoming, Elton’s music was more than melody — it was a lifeline. His unapologetic authenticity, his flamboyant courage, and his soulful ballads lit a path forward for a young artist still figuring out who she was allowed to be.
Today, the story has come full circle. Brandi Carlile and Elton John are not just friends — they are collaborators, creating together on an upcoming album titled “Who Believes In Angels?”
An Unlikely Friendship That Was Always Meant to Be
When Brandi first met Elton years ago, she described the moment as “standing in front of a lighthouse that had guided me for years.” Elton, in turn, saw in Brandi a kindred spirit — someone who sang not just with technical skill, but with the weight of lived experience.
Their friendship grew naturally, built on late-night conversations about music, family, and the strange, unspoken pressure of being openly themselves in an industry that hasn’t always embraced difference. It was only a matter of time before their personal bond found its way into the studio.
The Birth of “Who Believes In Angels?”
The idea for the album came during a quiet dinner at Elton’s home in Windsor. Brandi had been talking about her belief in “guiding spirits” — those invisible hands that seem to steer a person toward the right people and the right moments. Elton, eyes sparkling, leaned forward and said, “What if we wrote an album about that?”
The next morning, Brandi showed up with a notebook full of ideas. Elton sat at the piano, and within hours, the two had written the album’s opening track, “Lanterns in the Dark.”
“It was magical,” Brandi recalled. “I’d be humming a melody, and Elton would find the chords like he already knew where I was going. It felt like we’d been writing together for decades.”
Pushing Each Other Beyond Comfort Zones
Both artists admit the collaboration stretched them in unexpected ways. Elton encouraged Brandi to explore more expansive, orchestral arrangements. Brandi urged Elton to strip some songs back to their rawest form — just a piano and a voice.
“He’s fearless,” Brandi said. “He’ll try anything if it serves the song.”
Elton, smiling, countered: “And she’s relentless. If she thinks a lyric isn’t right, she won’t let it slide. That’s how you make great music — with honesty and persistence.”
The Emotional Centerpiece: “When This Old World Is Done With Me”
The album’s closing track, “When This Old World Is Done With Me”, is perhaps the most personal song Elton has recorded in years. Written late at night after a long conversation about mortality and legacy, it carries the bittersweet grace of someone looking back on a life fully lived.
When correspondent Tracy Smith asked Elton about the recording session, he paused, his voice catching slightly.
“I couldn’t get through it without crying,” he admitted. “It’s not a song about giving up. It’s a song about letting go — knowing you’ve given everything you had, and that it was enough.”
Brandi, sitting beside him, placed a hand on his shoulder and simply said, “We both knew that was the moment we’d made the heart of the album.”
More Than Just Music — A Shared Statement
For both Elton and Brandi, “Who Believes In Angels?” isn’t just an artistic project. It’s a statement about survival, authenticity, and the beauty of unlikely connections. It’s about the way music can bridge generations and remind us that identity is something to be celebrated, not hidden.
Elton, now 78, sees this album as one of his most important late-career works — not because it will top charts, but because it carries the voices of two artists who have walked through fire and found joy on the other side.
Brandi, meanwhile, calls the collaboration “a dream I never dared to dream.”
Fans Already Anticipating Magic
Though the album is still months away from release, fans have been quick to flood social media with excitement. Early teaser clips shared online show Elton and Brandi in the studio, laughing between takes, scribbling notes, and occasionally dissolving into fits of joy when a song clicks into place.
Music critics, too, are intrigued. One early review from a private listening session described the album as “a conversation between two souls who see the world differently, yet somehow sing from the same place.”
The Road Ahead
There are rumors of a limited live tour to accompany the album’s release, though neither Elton nor Brandi have confirmed details. What they have promised is that any live shows will be as intimate as possible — no massive arenas, just spaces where every lyric can be heard, and every note can hang in the air long enough to land in someone’s heart.
A Full Circle Moment
As the interview with Tracy Smith wrapped, Brandi reflected on what this collaboration means to her personally:
“When I was a kid, Elton was proof that you could be different and still shine. Now, to stand beside him as a friend and a collaborator… it’s beyond anything I imagined. It’s like singing with the person who gave you permission to be yourself.”
Elton nodded, smiling warmly. “And now you’re giving that permission to someone else. That’s the beauty of music — it keeps passing the light forward.”
