Elton John’s latest studio album was his collaborative project with Brandi Carlile, Who Believes in Angels?, which was released in April 2025. Now, in a new interview with Variety, the British pop-rock icon has revealed some details about his plans for his next album.
The wide-ranging interview was published in conjunction with Elton being named as Variety’s Philanthropist of the Year thanks to his work with the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
John told Variety that he’s preparing to start writing some new songs with his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin. He also reported that he’s planning to collaborate on the next album with Andrew Watt, who produced Who Believes in Angels? and co-wrote all the tunes with John, Taupin, and Carlile.
“I’ve got seven new lyrics from Bernie, and … they’re really, really good,” Elton shared. “[S]o I can’t wait to go in the studio with Andrew and just write and see what happens.”
John also explained that he intends for his next album to be a bit different from Who Believes in Angels?, which was influenced by Carlile’s love of Elton’s 1970s-era work.
“The album with Brandi, it’s a timeless record, but it’s not of its time,” he maintained. “We just wanted to make a record that we loved, with great songs. That was a yesterday record, and it was fantastic. But there is a part of me that wants to do a much more commercial record and do more Bernie Taupin songs that are more of today than yesterday.”
About Elton John’s Eyesight Issues
Meanwhile, John and his husband, David Furnish, also updated Variety about the serious eyesight issues Elton has been experiencing lately. The problems stem from an infection he contracted in France in 2024 that’s seriously affected the vision in both eyes.
“It’s been devastating,” he said. “Because I lost [the sight in] my right eye and my left eye’s not so good, the last 15 months have been challenging for me because I haven’t been able to see anything, watch anything, read anything.”
John then noted that he’s trying to keep a positive outlook on the situation.
“I’ve had the most incredible life, and there is hope,” he maintained. “I’ve just gotta be patient that someday science will help me with this one. Once they help me with this one, I’ll be fine.”
Furnish then told Variety about the medical attention John has been receiving to try and improve his vision.
“We’ve been doing some treatments and there’s been some improvements in his left eye, which is really good,” he reported. “[A]nd we’re continuing to explore and getting a lot of outreach from a lot of doctors who want to help and support. Because there’s damage to the retina in his right eye, retinas don’t heal naturally, so it’s an area of emerging science. But things are changing really quickly.”
Furnish added, “What AI is doing for medicine and science alone is astonishing. And there’s all kinds of interesting new theories and breakthroughs, and they can process the data and do the trials a lot more quickly than they could before.”
On Still Being Able to Perform, and Getting Support from Famous Friends
On the bright side, John says he feels grateful that he’s still able to play concerts despite his vision challenges. He’s also appreciative of the love he receives from his husband and two sons, as well as from some famous friends.
“We did the Singapore Grand Prix [on October 5] with the band, which was wonderful,” Elton noted. “I mean, you just have to grin and bear it. It does get me down sometimes. But on the whole, I’ve got a wonderful family; I have two great kids; I have [David.]”
He continued, “Paul McCartney FaceTimes me to see how I’m doing. It’s really beautiful. The love I’ve received from him and from [The Who’s] Pete Townshend and [The Rolling Stones’] Mick Jagger and people like that have been amazing. Or you get an email from Keith Richards saying, ‘Hello, darling, how you doing? You know we love you,’ and that’s it, but it just makes my day.”
When it comes to doing concerts, John explained that he’s able to see things that are close up, such as the microphone and the piano keys. Seeing his band is another story.
“[It] is a bit of a nightmare,” Elton admitted. “I can’t see Nigel [Olsson], the drummer, so I have to have [lead guitarist] Davey [Johnstone] or somebody say, ‘OK, this is where it ends,’ and make sure we’re in sync.”
That being said, John noted, “I’m singing better than I’ve ever done before, and I’m playing really well, and I’m enjoying it, and that is helping me a lot. Music has been my whole life and has given me so much and takes me on journeys that I never thought I would ever go on—and it’s still doing that.”
Other Elton John News
On Friday, November 28, John released a new limited-edition vinyl LP called Who Believes in Angels? Live at the London Palladium as part of the Record Store Day Black Friday sale. The album features a recording of the 10-song performance John and Carlile gave in March 25 in London to celebrate the impending release of their collaborative collection.
The set included renditions of four songs from Who Believes in Angels? It also featured versions of five classic Elton hits and the Carlile tune “The Joke.”
John also recently announced that he’ll be playing a headlining set at the 2026 Rock in Rio festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The performance is scheduled for September 7.
(Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage)
